SOKE FACE. 269 



the disease as I have heard of in the United- States. In this 

 case, it should be treated like catarrh, (which see.) 



SoEE Face. — The faces of sheep sometimes become so 

 sore, in the summer, that the hair comes oif. This is usually 

 attributed either to coming in contact with, or eating St. 

 John's-Wort, (Hyperiaum ■perforatum^* Mr. Morrell states, 

 in the American Shepherd, that the " irritation of the skin " 

 will sometimes extend " over the whole body and legs of the 

 sheep ;" that "if eaten in too large quantities it produces violent 

 inflammation of the bowels, and is frequently fatal to lambs, 

 and sometimes to adults ;" that " its effects, when inflamma- 

 tion is produced internally, are very singular ;" that he " has 

 witnessed the most fantastic capers of sheep in this situation, 

 and once a lamb, while running, described a circle with all 

 the precision of a circus horse," and that "this was continued 

 until it fell from exhaustion." He recommends, if there are 

 symptoms of internal inflammation, that tar be administered, 

 but says that " simply hog's lard is used frequently with 

 success." He recommends that the sheep should be removed 

 to pastures free of the weed and salted freely ; and remarks 

 that "it is said that salt, if given often to sheep, is an effectual 

 guard against the poisonous properties of the weed." 



Mr. Morrell does not state how he traced these extensive, 

 and especially these internal efiects, to the consumption of St. 

 John's-Wort. On consulting several works on Botany, 

 and Dunglison's Medical Dictionary, lying before me, I do not, 

 with the exception below, find it mentioned as a poisonous or 

 noxious plant in any of them. Dr. Dunglison characterizes it 

 as an aromatic and astringent, and states that an infusion of 

 its flowers in olive oil is a vulnerary — or, is useful in 

 curing wounds. 



On the other hand, in Dr. John Torry's " Flora of the 

 State of New York," (in the "Natural History of New 

 York,") occurs the following remarks on the properties of 

 this plant : — " This pernicious weed is generally believed, in 

 this country, to be the most common cause of ' slabbers ' f in 

 horses and horned cattle; and likewise to cause sores on 

 their skin, especially on animals whose noses and feet are 

 white, and whose skin is thin and tender. Dr. Darlington 

 remarks that the dew which collects on the plant appears to 



* I gave this as the cause in Slieep Hasbandry in the South, p. 271, hat I did not 

 suppose it was eaten hy sheep. 



1 1 had supposed that honor was more particularly assigned to lobelia (£. injlaia.) 



