ROT, 



which varies according to the feverity of the attack, from a 

 table-fpoonful, or lefs, to five or fix times that quantity. 

 Upon boiling, the liver lofes its firmnefs, and feparates into 

 fmall pieces in the water, or remains foft and flaccid. And 

 it is obferved, that graziers and butchers having remarked 

 that fheep are much difpofed to teed during the lirff 

 three or four weeks after being tainted, avail themfelves 

 of this circumftance very commonly to increafe their 

 profits. When the firft ftage is over, flukes begin to ap- 

 pear in the pori biliarii, the ductus communis choledocus, and 

 in the gall-bladder. At firft the number of thefe creatures 

 11 ; but as the difeafe advances they increafe, and be- 

 fore death, are often wry numerous. In the latt part of the 

 complaint, they are form times to be found in the ltomach as 

 well as in the inteftines and liver. This, like the vifceral 

 diforders of the human body, may terminate in refolution, 

 eifulion, fuppuration, or fchirrus. iff. The complaint is 

 faid to terminate in refolution, when the inflammatory action 

 goes oft, without destroying the ftate and texture of the 

 parts. However, he is ftrongly inclined tu believe, that 

 every confiderable inflammation in the human body, and in 

 other animals, although it ends in refolution, leaves behind 

 it fome remains, which may be difcovered by an experienced 

 anatomifl. When the veilels are thrown into inflammatory 

 action for a few days only, effufion commonly takes place, 

 and the coats become thicker, and aflume a bufT-like colour. 

 Thefe changes in the fanguinary fyttem ofteu continue 

 through life, and lay the foundation of many chronic and in- 

 curable diforders. Sheep that recover from the rot exhibit 

 very different appearances after death, according to the fe- 

 verity of the attack ; but the taint is feldom or never entirely 

 removed. The liver of an old ewe, that lately died fat, 

 and contained fourteen pounds of fuet in her body, had the 

 following appearances : the back part of the fmall lobe 

 was dappled with whitifh fpots ; the coats of the ductus 

 communis and pori biliarii were confiderably thickened, and 

 more folid than ufual. In colour thev relemblcd the human 

 aorta in old people, and were full of flukes : in other re- 

 fpect8 the liver appeared to be found and natural. The 

 butcher aflerted that the variegated appearance and alteration 

 in the ducts were occafioncd by a flight taint of long Hand- 

 ing, which had not been confiderable enough to diforder the 

 economy, or impair the health of the animal luflicieutly to 

 prevent its feeding. 



2dly. That when fheep die fuddenly in the firft ftage of 

 the diforder, an effufion of ferum, or of whcyilh-coloured 

 fluid, may be commonly difcovered in the cavity of the 

 abdomen, and then the peritoneum furrounding the liver is 

 generally covered with a membrane or coat of coagul.iblc 

 lymph. This form of the rot has been frequently cou- 

 ded with the refp or red water, though it differs from 

 the latter diforder in the colour of the effufed liquid, in 

 being much lefs expofedto putrefaction, and in feveral other 

 particulars. 



^dly. And that abfeefles in the liver exhibit another ter- 

 ■ i of this malady. They are feldom confiderable 

 fa to kill immediately ; but, in conf -quciicc of the ab- 

 forption of purulent matter from them, the (heep frequently 

 walte away, and die hectical or dropfical. When the col- 

 kions are fmall, (heep will recover fufficiently to bear 

 lambs, for three or four feafons, and afterwards heroine 

 mutton, a/thly. That the moft common termina- 

 tion is in fchirri, or \ (hepherds call knots in the liver. 

 rhe whole fubftance of this important vifcus has been found 



fo full of final! roundiftl lump8, or leilirrous bodies, T I . ' 



difficult* to -find any I in it. Tin' firft attack is un- 



fortunately fo very infidious, that the diforder is l'carcely 

 Vol.. XXX. 



obfervable before the animal begins to walte and lofe flefh. 

 In this advanced ftate it is faid to labour under the rot or 

 pourriture, from overlooking the commencement of the 

 diforder. And hydatids are obferved to effect fchirrous and 

 purulent livers more frequently than others. When livers 

 are much difeafed, the butchers carefully conceal them from 

 the public eye. To him it is always matter of furprife to 

 find the mutton faleable in thefe fevere cafes. It fhews, in 

 an extraordinary manner, the accommodating power of 

 living matter, which is able to maintain life, and increafe 

 corpulence, under fuch unfavourable circumltaiiov. Shep- 

 herds and breeders, who make it a general rule to kill every 

 fheep that becomes indifpofed, from an opinion that very 

 few of them ever recover from any illnefs, would do well to 

 examine the livers and other vifcara of (laughtered fheep. 

 By fuch a practice they would foon be convinced that fheep 

 are able to endure a great deal. 



But in refpect to the caufes of the difeafe, it has been 

 imputed, i ft, to a vitiated dew ; 2dly, to a cruft, which 

 adheres to grais after wet weather, or the overflowing of 

 running water ; ^dly, to the luxuriant and quick growth of 

 plants, in hot, moift feafons ; 4thly, to grazing certain 

 herbs ; 5thly, to fafciohe hepaticse, or their ova, being in- 

 troduced into the ltomachs of animals, by feeding on 

 fwampy and low grounds in moift weather ; 6thly, it has 

 been called the Jheep-pox by profeffor Vibourg, of the vete- 

 rinary college at Copenhagen ; but this is not properly the 

 caufe of the rot. And, ythly, it is afcribed, by Daubea- 

 ton, to poor diet, and drinking too much water. Thefe 

 different caufes are objected to, and (hewn not well founded 

 by the firft writer, who thinks that, 8thly, it feems to be 

 occafioned by poifonous effluvia, which, under certain cir- 

 cumftances, are emitted from marfhy foils, in fupport of 

 which it is ftated that the following facts afford ftrong 

 proofs. 



His refidence confifts of high and low lands, of a loamy 

 and tenacious nature. While a brook which runs through 

 the farm remains overflowed, and the water continues upon 

 the adjoining flat grounds, his fheep never fuffer any incon- 

 venience, though they are frequently obliged to wade for 

 their provifions. As foow as the flood is fubiided, the fheep 

 can at any time be tainted in a quarter of an hour, while the 

 land retains its moifture, and the weather is hot and fultry. 

 The butchers are fo well acquainted with the importance of 

 this fad, that when his friend has difpofed of any fat fheep, 

 they are ufually turned upon this rotten ground to make them 

 thrive taller. But by judicious management he has laid thi 

 greatelt part of his farm completely dry, and is now little 

 troubled with the rot, unlefs when he wifhes to give it to 

 fome particular animals. His neighbours, who have been 

 lefs provident, are Hill fevere fuffcivrs by it ; nor are their 

 misfortunes confined to fheep alone. P'gs, cow.-, alios, 

 borfes, poultry, hares and rabbits, become rotten in this 

 lordfhip, and have flukes in their livers. Many years fince, 

 his grandfather removed ninety fheep from a confiderable 

 diftance to his own refidence. On coming near to abri 

 which is thrown over the Barling's river, one of the drove 

 fell into a ditch, and fractured it fore-leg. The fhepherd 

 immediately took it in his arms to a cighbourii [1 mfejand 

 replaced the limb. During this time, whi< h did not occupy 

 more than one hour, the < were left I in the 



ditches and lanes. The flock were then driven home, and 



in a month afterwards, the other fheep joined its com- 

 panions. The fhepherd foon difcovered that all had con- 

 tracted the rot except the lame (heep; and as they were 

 fepai upon .m .if ion, it is reafonable t<> 



conclude that the diforder was acquired by feeding in the 

 4 G 



