ROT. 



given, that miafmata pallidum of a different fpecies may 

 not occafion the rot, and alfo agues. It is poflible alfo, lie 

 fuppofes, that fome concomitant agents or circumltances 

 may render the lame miafmata productive of one of the 

 difeafes in certain fituations, but not of the other diforder. 



The fame circumftances occur in other fituations, as 

 there is a prevalence of miafmata in the Romney Marfh, 

 another great fheep diltritt, which frequently produces in- 

 termittent and remittent fevers ; while the rot is fcarcely 

 ever known to happen in it. And in Effex there are agues 

 in plenty, in many pans, without the rot in the (heep of 

 them being at all known. 



Some of thefe remarks and directions deferve the notice 

 of the grazing farmer, as by proper attention to them much 

 mifchief may often be prevented. But there are fome 

 who fuppofe that molt dependence in the cure of thii affec- 

 tion is to be placed upon the removal of fheep into dry 

 fituations, keeping them warm and flickered, and giving 

 them dry food in the yard. In the Report on Agriculture 

 for Lincolnfhire, lome circumltances are given that may 

 diredt the farmer on this point. It is ftated, that in rot- 

 ting years, the fheep that feed on the fait marfhes over 

 which the fpring-tides come, fell very high in confidence 

 that they arefafe. And that a fhepherd, who when young 

 was Shepherd's boy to an old man who lived at Netlam, a 

 place noted for the rot, fays he is perfuaded that fheep only 

 take the rot in a morning before the dew is off, as by keep- 

 ing them up till the dew is gone they have been preferved 

 from the difeafe, while others, where this precaution has 

 been neglected, have become difordcred. 



Others think that the belt and furelt remedy, in thefe 

 cafes, is that of combining plenty of dry food with the free 

 ufe of fea-ialt, and at the fame time removing the animals to 

 the found, rich, dry, palturc lands. The rot is never known 

 to be caught on the South Downs of Suifex. When the 

 fheep fuller in this way, the difeafe is always got while they 

 are keeping in the weald, or other low lands. Such marfhes 

 as are occasionally overflowed by falt-water, are never known 

 to rot fheep, but are mod admirable for keeping them found 

 and healthy ; and mould any thing be- capable of curing the 

 rot, it is the (heep feeding on fuch land. Some have ob- 

 ferved, that if, after a froff, even when very early, fheep be 

 turned into Inch meadows and brooks as are at other times 

 particularly liable to rot them, they will not, under this 

 cireumltance, fuffer at all ; as it is fuppofed the animalculx 

 which the infects depolit in the fummer among the herbage, 

 are deitroyed by the fruit. The flounders found in the 

 livers of the animals, are believed to be taken up with their 

 food. It is more probable, however, that it is only the 

 very minute ova of fuch infects which are taken into the 

 ftomachs of fuch fheep. The autumnal months, when there 

 is no froll, are the molt difpofed to bring on the rot in the 

 above diflrift ; but after one lingle night of hard frolt, the 

 danger is over for that year. 



Rotten (heep have, in a great many inltances, been cured 

 by feeding them on the herbage growing on a thin foil on 

 lime-(tone rock. Hundred's have been known to have be- 

 come found on lime-done land ; their livers being com- 

 pletely healed, and the fheep healthy in every refpect. 



In the original Agricultural Report of the county of 

 Stafford, it is fuggelled, that the rot in (heep may be removed 

 by the ufe of medicine. The difeafe is conceived as per- 

 haps rather limilar in its nature to the dropfy, as there is a 

 preternatural abundance of water. The writer remarks, 

 that of fta rotten fheep which he h.id about fix years before 

 the time of writing, he fucceeded in curing five of them, 

 but the fixth died full of water. One of the five which 



were cured brought him a lamb the following \ear, which/ 

 with its mother, continued healthy, and became fat on grafs ; 

 the lamb was fold in the fummer, and the ewe in the begin- 

 ning of winter, to a butcher. The other four alfo fattei 

 but in lefs time, on grafs alone, and were parted with in the 

 like manner. On April the 25th, in the year 1802, he alfo 

 drenched two rotten ewes, one of them in the lall ftage of 

 the difeafe ; they both became found, acquired fat, and 

 were fold, with many others, in October, to the butcher, 

 undillinguifhed from the reft. Since that time he has re- 

 peatedly tried the fame remedy ; and on the whole number 

 of cafes, has not loft more than one in fix or feven. 



His method of performing the cure is this : the rotten 

 fheep is to be failed one night, then one table fpoonful of the 

 fpirits of turpentine is to be taken, and mixed with two of 

 the fame fpoonsful of foft cold water ; which is to be given 

 to each fheep for one dofe. The (heep is then to be kept 

 on dry food for three or four days ; at the end of which 

 time, the fame dole of the medicine is again to be repeated, 

 and the fheep continued on dry food for three days 

 longer ; at the conclufion of which period fuch (heep may 

 be permitted to join the flock. When affected with a con- 

 siderable degree of loofenefs, fheep have often been cured in 

 this manner with great facility. 



In fhort, it may be concluded, in regard to the cure of 

 this difeafe, which feems to be caufed by a general debility 

 or weaknefs of the whole fyltem, accompanied with a local 

 affedtion of the fame nature in the liver, that all fuch foods 

 and remedies as are of a dry nourilhing quality, and which 

 excite and ftrengthen the constitution, will constantly be 

 found of great utility, if not wholly capable of affording a 

 perfect cure of the difeafe. 



The following receipt was prefented to the Royal Society, 

 by Mr. Boyle, and is preferved in their regiiter, vol. ii. 

 p. 303. Some time before Allhollantide, the fheep is to 

 be blooded under the eye, and, if neceffary, again in the 

 fpring ; and, in October, his gums may be rubbed at 

 three or four different times with Spanifh fait. But the 

 principal remedy conlifts in this : that about Allhollantide, 

 or fomewhat fooner, you take a fmall handful of the fore- 

 mentioned fait, and making the fheep hold up his head, com- 

 pel him to fwallow it, and keep him from drinking any thing 

 for about an hour after. 



Rot, Dry, in Rural Economy, a highly deftructive vege- 

 table difeafe, affecting the timber in the foundations, and 

 other parts of buildings, in particular foils and fituations. 

 It affects the wood, or ligneous parts, in fuch a manner .is 

 to leave it connected by nothing but the fmall hard fibrous 

 portions, which give it a curious tremulous appearance, but 

 all of which, when touched by the hand in the more advanced 

 ftages of the difeafe, readily moulder into a browniftl (inifl- 

 like dult. It is attended with a peculiar earthy finell, 

 fimilar to that which ill'ues from frelh dug up wood, which 

 has lain fome time in the ground in contact with decaying 

 animal matter. It is very materially different from that na- 

 tural fort of decay which takes place in wood from the pie- 

 fence of wetnefs. This has been fuppofed to originate from 

 very different caufes, fuch as the ufe of wood in too green 

 a ftate, exceffive dampnefs in the foundations of the build- 

 ings which are affefted with it, the want of a tree circula- 

 tion of air in fuch fituations, and more latl 1) to be the < I! :fl 



of a plant of the fungus tribe, which haileavi s 1a in the tnifle- 

 toe, &c. the boletus Tachrymans. And on the former fuppofi- 

 tions it has been dated to the Societj 1 1 the Encouragement 

 of Arts, &C by Mr. Bramley of Leeds, in the thirtj lirlt 

 volume of their Tranfactions, thai to bring the matter to 

 the teltby experiments, would require the obfervatioiu of a 

 4G * l«»g 



