CHAPTER XXIX. 

 OTHEE DISEASES, WOUUDS, ETC. 



THE ROT SCEOFXTLA HEEEDITAET DISEASES CUTS 



LACERATED AND CONTUSED WOUNDS ^PUNCTURED WOUNDS 



DOG BITES POISONED WOUNDS SPRAINS BRUISES 



ABSCESS. 



The Rot. — As already remarked, I have never witnessed 

 an instance of the rot in the United States ; although I have 

 repeatedly seen sheep laboring under diseases called by that 

 name. My opinion is that it has never appeared, at least, in 

 our Northern States. Persons of much intelligence, residing 

 in some of the Western and South-western States believe 

 they have recognized it ; but I do not remember to have seen 

 any of their expressions to that effect properly supported by 

 the published results of post-mortem examinations. 



The symptoms of the disease are thus given by Mr. 

 Spooner : — " The first symptoms attending this disease are 

 by no means strongly marked ; there is no loss of condition, but 

 rather apparently the contrary; indeed, sheep intended for the 

 butcher have been purposely cothed or rotted in order to 

 increase their fattening properties for a few weeks, a practice 

 which was adopted by the celebrated Bakewell. A want of 

 liveliness and paleness of the membranes generally may be 

 considered as the first symptoms of the disease, to which may 

 be added a yellowness of the caruncle at the comer of the 

 eye. Dr. Harrison observes, 'when in warm, sultry or rainy 

 weather, sheep that are grazing on low and moist lands feed 

 rapidly, and some of them die suddenly, there is fear that they 

 have contracted the rot.' This suspicion will be further 

 increased if, a few weeks afterward, the sheep begin to shrink - 

 and become flaccid about the loins. By pressure about the 

 hips at this time a crackling is perceptible now or soon after- 

 ward, the countenance looks pale, and upon parting the fleece 

 the skin is found to have changed its vermillion tint for a pale 



