DISEASES OF SHEEP. 341 



culent green fodder, especially when it is wet or covered with 

 frost. Musty dry food is another frequent cause of it. Sometimes 

 it occurs through a constitutional or accidental difficulty of diges- 

 tion. 



The symptoms are a swelling of the belly on the left side, 

 occurring soon after eating. The breathing is oppressed by reason 

 of the pressure of the distended stomach on the lungs. The bowels 

 are inactive and the eyes have a wild expression, due to the 

 severe pain, and the sheep moans at every movement. 



The only effective treatment is to relieve the pressure on the 

 stomach by puncturing the wall of it with t~e trochar, thus let- 

 ting the accumulated gas escape. If it is possible for the animal 

 to swallow, a dose of one-half ounce of carbonate of ammonia 

 will afford relief in cases when the trochar is not at hand. 

 But it is quite safe to puncture the stomach on the left side 

 at a point at the center of a triangle of equal sides about four 

 inches each way from the hip bone, in a line below the kidneys, 

 and to a point below it where the sides of the triangle will meet. 

 A small pen knife will be a safe instrument to use. A quill tied 

 around with a cord at one end, to prevent it from slipping in 

 the wound, is inserted to keep the wound open while the gas is 

 escaping. 



Relief is often found in the use of the following medicine 

 given by the mouth: 



Ground mustard y<, teaspoonf ul. 



Whisky 1 ounce. 



Mix and give in a small quantity of warm water. Repeat 

 when needed. 



FOOT ROT. 



This disease of the sheep's foot is mostly prevalent on wet, 

 marshy lands, by which the horn of the foot is softened and the 

 skin between the toes is chafed and worn, until the lamina of the 

 foot which connect the horn to the fleshy interior and the 

 vascular sensitive tissue, through which the veins and arteries 

 run become inflamed, and exude purulent matter. These lamina 

 being inoculated with fungoid germs existing in the infected soil, 

 are decomposed by the action of these germs, and the interior of 

 the foot rots away; after which the horn separates and decays. 

 The decaying horn produces a peculiar fetid odor by which this 

 disease may be recognized at some distance from where a diseased 

 flock is pasturing. 



The sheep's foot is provided with a self-lubricating apparatus 

 placed in the cleft of the hoof, known as the interungulate gland; 

 and a canal which leads from it to the outer surface between the 

 toes. This gland secrets a lubricating fluid which softens the 

 skin, and prevents chafing. It is readily perceived how the stop- 

 page of this canal should induce chafing by the grinding action 

 of the wet mud, or sand and gravel, on this soft skin between the 

 toes. And equally how soon the inner parts of the foot may 

 become raw and inflamed, and offer the most favorable oppor- 



