272 DISEASES OF THE ETB. 



IcTFLAMMATiON OF THE ExB. — ^The eycs of sheep are subject 

 to few diseases, in our country. The only serious one I have 

 ever seen — and that is quite rare — is simple ophthalmia,* 

 characterized by redness of the eye, and its appendages, 

 ■with intolerance of light and a copious flow of tears. It is 

 generally, however, attended with but moderate inflam- 

 mation, and if neglected, its worst and that by no means the 

 most common result is blindness, almost invariably confined 

 to one eye. It might prove more serious among high fed 

 mutton sheep. Mr. Grove, the best practical shepherd of his 

 day, in our country, used to blow red chalk into the diseased 

 eye. " Others squirt into it tobacco juice, from those ever 

 ready reservoirs of this nauseous fluid, their mouths. Conceiv- 

 ing it a matter of humanity to do something, I have in some 

 instances drawn blood from under the eye, bathed the eye in 

 warm water, and occasionally with a weak solution of the 

 sulphate of zinc combined with tincture of opium. These 

 applications diminish the pain and accelerate the cure." f 



* There is occasionally a case of cataract. Also see Art. Babies in this volume, 

 t Sheep Husbandry in the South, p. S39. 



