148 Dr. Baird on Entozoa, or Intestinal Worms. 



scarcely graze ; they ruminate in the most languid and listless 

 manner ; they separate themselves from the rest of the flock ; 

 they walk in a peculiar, staggering, vacillatory manner; they 

 lose themselves ; or, seeking out some ditch or brook, they stand 

 poring over the ruffled or flowing water. They stand there until 

 they appear to be overcome with vertigo, and often tumble in. 

 In the midst of their grazing, they suddenly stop, look around 

 frightened, and start away and gallop over the field. They be- 

 gin to lose flesh, and the countenance is haggard and the eye 

 is wandering and of a curious bluish colour." As the disease 

 proceeds, " the animals begin to carry their head on one side, 

 and always on the same side*. It is with difficulty that they can 

 straighten the neck in order to graze, and then there is a pecu- 

 liar undecided motion in the act of grazing. Their fits of wan- 

 dering become more frequent; they are oftener frightened 

 without any apparent cause ; they take increasing pleasure in 

 poring over the rippling brook ; there is something in the play- 

 ing of the light on the water, or in the murmuring sound, which 

 has a lulling influence over them, and they often forget them- 

 selves, and topple in and are drowned. By and by they com- 

 mence, and even while grazing, a rotatory motion, and always in 

 one way, and with the head turned on the same side. Then they 

 almost cease to eat or ruminate, partly because the disease, from 

 its debilitating character, destroys the appetite altogether, and 

 more perhaps because they are rapidly becoming blind. They 

 begin to be inattentive to surrounding objects, and move among 

 them as if they were unconscious of their existence. The habit 

 of turning round increases ; they will continue to form their 

 concentric circles for hours together without stopping or until 

 they fall, and they will rise again only to commence the same 

 round ; at length they die emaciated or exhausted ; or death is 

 somewhat hastened by their being unable to extricate themselves 

 from the brook or the ditch." Various attempts have been made 

 to cure this disease, but none appear to be decidedly successful ; 

 and Mr. Youatt, after enumerating them all, concludes thus : — 

 "In the present state of our knowledge and practice, I am 

 afraid, that regarding the interest of your employers, you should 

 advise them, when the turnsick begins to appear among the 



* " If the head should sometimes be held On one side and sometimes on 

 the other, it indicates that there is a hydatid in each lobe of the brain. In 

 a very few cases the sheep will march straight forward, with his head de- 

 pressed, running against everything in his way, and continually falling. 

 The hydatid will then be found to be attached to the corpus callosum, and 

 to occupy the middle scissure of the brain. In a few cases the muzzle will 

 be elevated and the head thrown back, and still the sheep will pursue his 

 straightforward course ; the hydatid will then be found on the cerebellum, 

 or occupying the fourth ventricle." — Youatt, I. c. 



