310 THE DOMESTIC SHEEP. 



Infuse in two quarts of water and give half a pint, repeated 

 in six hours. This has been found almost universally successful, 

 except where the latter cause has been in operation. In this 

 case the application of belladonna ointment to the neck of the 

 womb, and to give half a dram of the belladonna extract to the 

 ewe in some warm gruel, have been found effective. In gen- 

 eral this is not any serious matter, as in time the membranes will 

 gradually pass away without any but a temporary inconvenience. 

 This inconvenience is generally avoided by due care in the feed- 

 ing of the ewes while carrying their lambs. A strong ewe will 

 rarely be troubled in this way. 



BLEEDING FROM THE WOMB. 



Bleeding or flooding, after the birth of the lamb, is mostly 

 due to the rupture of some blood vessel in the separation of 

 the membrane from the walls of the womb. The treatment 

 called for in this case is the injection of cold water, by means 

 of a suitable syringe, into the womb, and a sponge dipped in solu- 

 tion of perchloride of iron should be placed in the vagina. At the 

 same time half-dram doses of the perchloride should be given by 

 the mouth, in solution, at intervals of three hours. It will be a 

 help to rub other parts of the body, as the legs and neck, with any 

 of the common stimulating liniments to produce a revulsion of the 

 circulation to these parts of the body, thus relieving the seat of 

 the disorder. This is an infrequent trouble with sheep, and is 

 due mostly to some undue muscular exertion of the animal during 

 the birth of the lamb. 



INVERSION OF THE WOMB. 



Sometimes after the birth of the lamb the womb, a red bladder- 

 like substance, may be seen ejecting from the vulva. This is 

 due to some weakness of the ewe by which the attachments of the 

 womb are loosened, and through the failure of the passage to 

 close, normally, the accident occurs. This disease has been known 

 and described from time immemorial. It was mentioned by the 

 old Roman veterinarian, Vegetius, who quite wisely we think 

 recommended the use of an inflated pig's bladder as a passary, 

 or compress, to be placed in the vagina. The bladder is inserted 

 while collapsed, and is then inflated by blowing into it with a 

 quill, when the neck is tied. This accident is quite frequent in the 

 ewe, coming next to the cow in regard to it. It is most apt to 

 happen through the retention of the after-birth, when the whole 

 organ is averted with its contents. If this is the case these must 

 be carefully separated at each attachment of the cotyledons, so as 

 not to cause bleeding by forcible separation. If the union is not 

 easily separated the membranes may be severed near the attach- 

 ments, but with great care to avoid bleeding. The uterus is then 

 washed with warm water, having a little alum, or extract of bark 

 in it. It is then carefully replaced using a probe having a soft 

 sponge ti-ed to the end, and covered with a clean linen rag. This 

 is dipped in carbolated vaseline, and by it the uterus is gently 



