DISEASES OF SHEEP. 27 



ANTHONY'S FIKE. 

 This disease, which is known under different names, is, 

 wherever it occui-s, of a most dangerous character, and 

 seems to be known in nearly all parts of the world, and es- 

 pecially in Europe. It represents a special kind of mortifi- 

 cation of the spleen (which will be more fully explained 

 hereafter), and occurs in some particular seasons oftener 

 than others, the climatic character of the country and other 

 local circumstances causing as many different phases of the 

 disease. In this connection it may be stated that the dis- 

 ease very often appears in the northern part of Germany, 

 especially in Prussia. I have been also informed by a 

 Hungarian nobleman, who is the owner of very extensive 

 tracts of land situated upon the banks of the Danube and 

 of the river Theiss, that the average loss from this dis- 

 ease, in ' said district; annually amounts to ten or twelve 

 thousand sheep. It is further stated that in the county of 

 Argyleshire, Scotland, the average loss per year amounts to 

 seventeen thousand out of every seventy thousand sheep. 

 This disease, although well known for a long time in our 

 country, seems to increase with the importation of foreign 

 or imported stock, which nearly always causes its more fre- 

 quent occurrence and still more dangerous consequences. 

 The disease generally arises very suddenly, without any 

 previous perceptible indications, the animal enjoying a good 

 appetite and hunger, the color of the skin being in its or- 

 dinary state, and all other indications showing undisturbed 

 health. Suddenly the whole body begins to tremble, the 

 animal ceasing to eat, putting the feet wide asunder; it 

 staggers and reels, appears to be senseless, drops down, with 

 teeth grating ; the breathing is extremely short and diffi- 

 cult, the eyes become red and glaring, protruding from the 

 sockets and insensible to the influence of light ; the mucous 



