DISEASES OF SHEEP. 318 



result. All these instances go to suggest such precautions as will 

 insure immunity from this form of the disease. 



One special instance should not be omitted, which is the effect 

 of some natural influence or defect of the ram. For instance, 

 over use, having too many ewes to serve; too early an age and 

 consequent inability; and a defective constitution; all go to 

 produce essential weakness of the fetus; which, as it approaches 

 the end of the fetal period, has not sufficient strength to mature, 

 and thus dies and is ejected. 



There are no premonitory symptoms in this form of the 

 disease. Abortion may occur suddenly and usually does, so that 

 the fetus is lost without the knowledge of the shepherd. It hap- 

 pens mostly in the night, and the appearance of the aborted fetus 

 in the pasture or the pens, is the only indication to the shepherd 

 that some ewe has gone wrong, but which he will probably never 

 discover. The results on the ewe are rarely noticeable and of 

 course any treatment Avhatever is out of the question, unless the 

 ewe may be found suffering from bleeding or prostration through 

 sympathetic action of the nervous system. In this case a dose of 

 two drams of laudanum may be given with good results. 



Epizootic abortion is due to contagion. It may appear suddenly 

 in one flock and in a short time be active in many others at the 

 same time throughout an extensive locality. In this 'form the 

 disease is always due to the presence of a certain g.erm allied to 

 the common molds Pencillium glaucum the common green mold 

 or mildew, possibly originating in the field. This germ spreads 

 from the ejected matter of one animal to the related parts of 

 others, and thus disease spreads rapidly through a flock and from 

 one to another in various ways. The treatment is to carefully 

 disinfect the ewes by injecting one or two ounces solution of car- 

 bolic acid, twenty drops of the acid to the ounce of water, twice 

 in the day. Two ounces of infusion of black hair (viturnum 

 prompolium) in hot water, may be given when cooled down to the 

 ewes which gives indications of aborting, or to all of them in the 

 flock as a safe precaution. 



As a preventive, the condition of the ewes is to be maintained 

 during pregnancy by good food, carefully avoiding ergotted grain 

 or hay, or smutty corn or oats, together with straw or fodder 

 from crops that have been infected by smut. Pure water, free 

 from all marshy drainage, only should be given to the flock. 



COMMON DISEASES OF SHEEP. 

 ANEMIA PAPER SKIN -THROAT THREAD WORMS. 



This disease affects lambs mostly, and is recognized by the 

 white and bloodless appearance of the skin; the general weakness 

 of the young animals, and cough which has a rattling sound, in con- 

 sequence of which the weakened lambs are able to breathe only 

 with difficulty. The disease is due to the presence in the throat, 

 and air passages of the lungs, of a small white worm, slender and 



