456 



NEW ENGLAND FAEIVIER. 



Oct. 



wholesome by the use of dry earth, that can 

 be gathered so easily in dry weather on our 

 country roads, and in just the proper condition 

 to use, it seems to me that our corn fields may 

 be greatly benefited from this source. When 

 people once try the experiment I am sure they 

 will never abandon it, but will conclude that 

 it is better to save carefully everything that 

 will inci ease the fertility of" our farms than to 

 buy fertilizers, paying more than we can get 

 out of them. W. I. Simonds. 



Roxhury, Vt., July 10, 1870. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 SWELLED JAW^S AND THROAT IN 

 BHEBP. 



Messes. Editors : — It is not an easy mat- 

 ter to give a definite or satisfactory answer to 

 your "Subscriber's" inqui»-y from North Ha- 

 ven, Maine, in regard to the mortality among 

 sheep in that locality, from what he terms 

 "swelling of the jaws and throat." The ac- 

 count given of the symptoms of the malady 

 is quite too limited to admit of anything like 

 a clear or intelligent conclusion upon the 

 question. 



The only answer which, under the circum- 

 stances, can be given, as I conceive, is to 

 state, in the briefest possible space, the general 

 facts in regard to those diseases which attack 

 those parts of the sheep's system, with such 

 directions about treatment as have been found 

 most beneficial in judicious hands, and leave 

 your "Subscriber" to infer for himself whether 

 the difficulty to which he alludes comes into 

 this catalogue, or whether some new form of 

 disease may be manifesting itself among the 

 flocks in his locality. 



In the first place, then, swelling is the re- 

 sult of inflammation, and inflammation about 

 the jaws or throat ol the sheep is almost always 

 confined to the loose (cellular) tissue, which 

 lies immediately beneath the skin, between 

 and arouud the muscles, and which forms the 

 framework, like boneycomo to the honey, of 

 all the fatty portions, or to the glands. 



But an inflammation of the cellular tissue 

 alone is an occurrence so rare, and so harm- 

 less in its results when it does occur, that it 

 may be left out of this account entirely. In 

 all probability then the seat of the disease to 

 which the gentleman refers is in the glands 

 about the mouth and throat of the sheep. 



Whenever inflammation attacks the glandu- 

 lar system in any part of the animal organiza- 

 tion, it usually spreads with great rapidity. 

 Juit what the mischief is that is thus wrought 

 in the system, whether by this sudden inter- 

 ference in the natural working of the glands 

 some effete matters by being retained in the 

 system act as poison, or whether by t»his rapid 

 inflammation a portion of the glands suppurates, 

 and thence sends out pus to work its results in 

 the organization, no man can tell. Whatever 

 the nature of the disease, or whatever the 



agencies -through which it works, it seems to 

 generate a poi-son, from the effects of which 

 the animal generally dies speedily. I have 

 seen several instances among sheep, and re- 

 cently one case of the same nature in a 

 horse. 



The fact that the animal dies, is about all 

 the definite and certain knowledge we have of 

 the matter. Hence the best treatment to be 

 applied to such cases, is the question which most 

 interests the flock- master. 



When the animal is first attacked, you no- 

 tice a disinclination to feed, or, if it tries t~> 

 eat, it is with difficulty. Hay is only partially 

 chewed, and fails from the mouth. The food 

 is mumbled rather than eaten. The jaw is 

 moved as though each mo'ion produced pain. 

 The eyes grow dull, and the animal finally re- 

 fuses to try to eat. 



If you examine the patient, you will find 

 the parts between the jaws and underneath 

 the tongue have become swollen. This soon 

 extends down upon the sides of the neck, and 

 finally up upon the sides of the head and 

 face. 



In twenty-four or thirty-six hours, if the 

 wool is opened, the skin will be found to be 

 discolored, mortification has commenced, and 

 the animal is soon dead. 



Now, if the patient was a man, the treat- 

 ment would be plain and simple. Warm ap- 

 plications to the swollen parts, and tonics and 

 good food for the stomach. But with a sheep 

 little can be done, and generally because we 

 do not find out the mischief till it is too late 

 to cure, or even palliate the malady. There 

 can be but little doubt that the disease is con- 

 tagious among sheep, and probably among 

 horses, though it is not what is generally 

 known under the common name of "horse 

 distemper." The first thing to be done then 

 is to take the animal away from the flock as 

 soon as it is attacked, and keep it away in an- 

 other barn, if possible, the farther the better 

 and safer for the rest. Give it plenty of fresh 

 air and sunlight ; shear the wool closely from 

 the affected part ; make a hop-poultice, and 

 spread it upon a cloth long enough to reach 

 from the nose down to the brisket, and wide 

 enough to come well up. on the sides of the 

 neck. To the edges of this cloth sew five 

 pairs of strings, one to be tied between the 

 eyes and nose, one between the eyes and ears, 

 and three upon the neck. Let this be changed 

 as often as it gets cold. Give a pint of good 

 oat meal gruel, into which you have put two 

 teaspoonfuls of strong ginger and a gill of 

 v/hiskey, every six hours, and if you lose your 

 patient you will have the consolation of know- 

 ing that you have given it the best treatment 

 that experience could suggest. 



If a swelling occurs, which is 7iot attended 

 by mortification, or which does not result in 

 that, careful search should be made for any 

 abscesses that mav be forming about the parts, 

 and when any so/t spot is found, it should at 



