DISEASES' OF SHEEP. II 



reaching the udder of the ewe. The animal then lies dow 

 often, and perfectly motionless ; if it is raised up, it sinl 

 down again completely exhausted. Even during the fir! 

 few days swellings are formed at different joints, which ai 

 soft, inflamed and very painful. The lamb walks ver 

 slowly with the affected leg, or cannot step on it at al 

 The size of the swellings varies. Sometimes they are e 

 large as a walnut and sometimes smaller. 



The disease generally lasts eight or twelve days, bi 

 death sometimes ensues during the first three or four days 

 in which case the debility reaches its highest point, and a 

 offensive diarrhoea sets in. If recovery takes place, it i 

 very slow and requires several weeks. 



On dissecting the bodies, nearly the same morbid change 

 are found as in the atrophy of foals. The stomach and ii 

 testines are more or less inflamed, the swellings at the join1 

 contain a large quantity of clear, bloody or pus-like sync 

 vial fluid, and the ligaments, more rarely the ends of th 

 bones, are inflamed ; sometimes yellowish, briny effusions ar 

 found in different places under the skin, and watery effi 

 sions in the cavities of the chest and belly, but the presenc 

 of these symptoms depends on the various forms of th 

 disease. 



The true nature of this palsy has not been definitel 

 ascertained, but it seems to be caused by an inflammatio 

 of the intestines, coupled with an external rheumatisn 

 The causes of the disease are numerous, but the greate 

 part have not been sufiiciently investigated. Lambs ar 

 undoubtedly born either with the developed disease or wit 

 a predisposition to it, and the cause must therefore b 

 sought in the mother-ewe. Experience teaches that vitiate 

 food has such injurious effects during pregnancy that th 

 lamb is affected with palsy shortly after its birth. But i 

 is not only vitiated food that may be held responsible, bu 



