348 THE DOMESTIC SHEEP. 



attack of inflammation necessarily means stoppage of the milk, 

 and if for only a short time the lamb is starved, or much labor 

 is thrown on the shepherd. And this occuring at the busiest time 

 of the year is a serious disturbance of the ordinary routine in a 

 flock at the lambing season. 



The ewes should be examined as soon as the lamb is dropped 

 and the condition of the udder and the teats known. It is a 

 small matter as compared with the result, which is not only the 

 saving of a lamb but the welfare or future value of the ewe. 

 For once the udder is in this condition of inflammation, it is an 

 even chance if the ewe can be restored to usefulness for the 

 future. There is no danger if the milk will appear on pressure 

 of the teats. If not, the opening of each teat is to be carefully 

 cleaned from accumulated gluey matter by washing with warm 

 water, a.nd the insertion of the point of a small syringe by which 

 a few drops of warm solution of saleratus or carbonate of soda 

 may be injected. This dissolves any hardened milk, and leaves 

 a free course for the milk for the lamb at its first effort to suck. 

 If this is not sufficient, and the teat appears to need it, a smootli 

 whalebone probe, well oiled, should be inserted with care and 

 gentleness to open the milk duct. If the udder appears to be at 

 all inflamed, it will be advisable to inject a little more of the 

 soda solution, adding a little glycerine: The udder should be 

 rubbed gently with vaseline to which is added one fourth part of 

 camphorated spirit, and the same of ammonia, at least twice 

 a day. 



PNEUMONIA INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS. 



This disease differs from pleurisy in being seated in the sub- 

 nee of the lungs. The difference may be more fully explained 

 in this way. The cavity of the body within the short ribs, is 

 commonly called the chest. It contains the lungs and the heart, 

 and is separated from the abdomen by a tough strong fibrous 

 membrane known as the diaphragm. This is elastic, and as the 

 lungs are inflated by the inspiration of the breath it gives way, 

 returning to its original position on the expiration of the breath- 

 The whole interior of this cavity is lined Avith a serous mem 

 brane, covering the walls of it up to the entrance into it of the 

 wind pipe and the esophagus, closing these in into the space of 

 the chest, and covering them as well, and also the lungs. This 

 membrane is called the pleura, and is the seat of the disease 

 known as pleurisy. This membrane the pleura is in fact like 

 a sac doubled into itself and enclosing those vital organs which 

 are seated in the cavity of the chest. Inflammation of this mem- 

 brane is called pleurisy; that of the lungs itself, its substance in 

 fact, is called pneumonia. This disease has the same common 

 cause as bronchitis and pleurisy; but it is more common than these, 

 and has greater tendency to relapse and terminate fatally by the 

 hardening and solidifying of the tissue, so that expansion neces- 

 sary to the inflation of the lungs in the air breathed, and the 

 emptying of them of the air expired by contraction, can no 



