T H W 



T H W 



There is, on the whole, fo much contrariety of opinion, 

 and diverfity in the tlefcriptions of the difeafe, its caufcs, 

 and the means of cure, that the writer of a paper on fome 

 of the difeafes of fheep, in the third volume of tlie " Tranf- 

 adions of the Highland Society of Scotland," has divided 

 and conlidcred it under two diftinft fpecics. 



T\iejirjl variety, it is faid, is much more rare than for- 

 merly, and is fcarcely known in the Highlands of the above 

 country. It appears moftly in the fpring and harvell 

 feafons. It afFeAs fheep of all ages and kinds, but never 

 when in good-condition, exifting chiefly on dry farms, which 

 have a northern expofure, and which are evidently over- 

 ftocked ; but on thefe only when the fpring is fevere and 

 dry, or when early April grafs has been cut down by frolls, 

 and the {heep can find no fucculent food or any thing green. 

 Its produ&ion is favoured by a long continuance of eafterly 

 winds ; and in cold weather, ewes are fometimes attacked by 

 it, even after they are fleeced. In thefe circumftances they 

 become extremely emaciated, efpecially when heavy with 

 lamb in many of them, or giving fuck ; and when at this 

 time they get an overilretch in running or leaping, or even 

 an haily Hart, or crufh in the fold, numbers fall a prey to 

 this difurder. 



The appearances are, that fome fheep, it is faid, will fall 

 down and die in two or three minutes ; others will lofe the 

 power of one fide, and lie fprawling until they die of hunger ; 

 others again will lie fhivering, and very fick at times, until 

 death alfo comes on ; and fome will go a long time quite 

 lame, until they are likewife quite exhaufted. Others defcribe 

 it as of two kinds ; in one, fometimes feizing the whole fyflem, 

 when there is a general trembling over the whole body, and 

 in the other, fometimes afFefting the legs only, when the 

 animal immediately falls down, and the fhaking, which is 

 uninterrupted, is confined to the legs. Some fay that the 

 animal gradually lofes the power of its legs and body, until 

 it becomes quite weak, always lying at laft upon one fide. 

 Thofe fheep which die of it in fpring, are lean and ufelefs ; 

 but the mutton of fat hog-lheep carried off by it in the 

 autumn is not uneatable. It is fometimes extremely fatal. 

 In one inftance, out of a flock of forty fcore, feventeen 

 fcore were, it is flated, lofl; in one fpring. It was formerly 

 thought to be contagious, and although this can fcarcely be 

 the cafe, it is certainly moil deftruftive when it firft comes 

 among a flock ; and when fheep are brought from a clean 

 ground to one infefted with it, great numbers of them are 

 fure of dying. Thofe which furvive it one feafon, are fure 

 to relapfe the next fpring. 



Udder-locking fhould be entirely laid afide, as in one in- 

 ftance, one-twentieth of a large parcel of ewes is faid to 

 have died of the difeafe, in the courfe of a week after they 

 had been udder-locked. See X^HTiEn-Locking. 



It is alfo faid to be ufeful during the early fpring months 

 to provide them with fufBcient food and flielter ; and to 

 avoid overftocking, if the early grafs has been blighted, to 

 paflure them in a rich park or other ground, on water- 

 meadow, or on mofs and early rye-grafs. 



T\\e fecond variety of the difeafe is, it is remarked, chiefly 

 confined, in the above part of the kingdom, to the flocks in 

 the fouth of it, more efpecially about the banks of the river 

 Tweed, and of thofe which difcharge themfelves into it. 

 It is faid to be a complaint almoft unknown to the farmers 

 on the Pentland range, and to the north of the Forth. 

 In thofe places where it prevails, it is fometimes peculiarly 

 fatal, and a farmer often lofes more of the flock by it alone, 

 than all the other difeafes put together. 



The appearances when it firfl comes on, which is gene- 

 rally during the fummcr or harvcft months, are, that the 



Vol. XXXV. 



animal turns fomewhat flupid and negleds its food, do7.cs 

 round, in fome meafurc, as in the fturdy, and frequently 

 leaps up, as if to clear any bufli or dike before it ; at times, 

 it will cat voracioully, and again refufe all fuflenance for a 

 confidcrable time. It continues frequently leaping during 

 the day, and the neck is often fliff, and turned on one fide ; 

 convulfions take place in the limbs which caufe the animal to 

 fall down, make curious contortions, and at times run to a 

 little dillance ; the body fometimes partakes of thefe, when 

 the fheep becomes totally incapable of motion, and dies from 

 want of food, which the jaws will not open to admit, being 

 clofely wedged together. In this flate, it is unable to fol- 

 low the flock, and the wool claps to the body. It lies for a 

 long time motionlefs, and at length dies. After lying 

 motionlefs for a confiderable time, in thofe cafes where 

 the difeafe is not fo violent, and the fpafm of the jaw not 

 fo fevere, it gradually relaxes, and the fheep will eat the 

 whole of the food within reach quite bare, although the 

 power ol the limbs is totally gone, leaving the earth quite 

 red and naked all round them. If the fhepherd be at- 

 tentive, and lifts them from place to place, and the feafon be 

 pretty well advanced, they often flowly recover, and are 

 again reflored to the ufe of their limbs. When they lie in 

 this inatlive flate, if the weather be warm, maggots are very 

 apt to breed in them ; and if not attended to, foon deftroy 

 them. 



The difeafe moflly appears at the periods flated above, 

 efpecially during hot and fultry weather, and arifes either 

 from the fheep being put into violent motion by dogs, or 

 overheated by the fun ; in which cafes, in a few hours after- 

 wards, it makes its appearance by the fliff neck, or fome of 

 the other figns coming on. When the fheep are expofed 

 to fatigue, it will take place, if the weather be warm, 

 independent of violent motion. They are commonly the 

 fatteft of the flock that are cut off by it. It not unfre- 

 quently arifes from the braxy, of which it is moftly a fa- 

 vourable fign. It is never fevere, however, when it is the 

 confequence of that difeafe, and the ftiff neck never accom- 

 panies it. 



la regard to the means of cure in t\ie Jirfl fort, they 

 are various. When the fheep fall down fuddenly, and 

 are threatened with immediate death, bleeding, by cutting 

 the t,ail, or opening a vein on the infide of the fore-thigh, 

 will fometimes give inflantaneous rehef. In all the other 

 cafes it is proper to take them home and feed them with 

 ftrengthening food ; and if at this time they be attacked 

 with a temporary fcouring, they moflly recover very faft, and 

 foon acquire their former vigour. It is faid that fome few 

 means of cure are occafionally tried, but it is believed with 

 little fuccefs. Dipping in cold water is not unfrequently 

 praftifed : whifky and gunpowder are fometimes poured 

 down their throats ; and balls of muftard and other hot 

 pungent medicines are often adminiflered. Others recom- 

 mend bringing them into the houfe, giving them a mixture 

 of equal quantities of fallad oil and fpirits, with a little 

 finely powdered ginger, and at the fame time rubbing into 

 the back a little black foap broken in warm water, and 

 feeding them on hay, the produce of dry walks or other 

 grounds. 



The giving of the fheep a decoftion of the dewcup and 

 healing leaf boiled in butter-milk, is faid to have been uni- 

 formly fuccefsful in treating fheep affedled with this diforder 

 during the fummer and autumn. 



In the removal of the fecond kind of the difeafe, as it 

 arifes from the brain being oppreffed, by too much blood 

 being fent to it by the quickened circulation, the firft thing 

 to be attended to on its appearance is copious blood-letting, 



j^ G which 



