1904.] Diseases of Sheep in Great Britain. 491 



able interest, and is likely to be useful in the future work of the 

 Board. 



The state of affairs revealed may, on the whole, be considered 

 exceedingly satisfactory. In spite of the abnormally wet season 

 of 1903, there appears to have been very little increase of ordinary 

 ailments and apparently no outbreak of any special disease. In 

 some places the reports are exceedingly good. In Durham, it is 

 stated that " considering the wet autumn and winter, the disease 

 among sheep has been extremely small, and only the usual ail- 

 ments incidental to every flock have been reported in the district." 

 In South Nottinghamshire during the past year the disease 

 amongst sheep is stated to have been much below the average. 

 From West Sussex, the reply is sent that flocks have been ex- 

 ceptionally healthy, having regard to the abnormally wet season 

 they have been through, and losses have been lighter than usual. 

 The district round Peterborough is declared to be very free from 

 disease. A Correspondent in Cambridgeshire, who made careful 

 enquiries from the chief sheep farmers in his neighbourhood, 

 states that with only two exceptions they all reported freedom 

 from disease, and he points out that as this represents flocks of 

 ewes to the aggregate of between 5,000 and 6,000, it must be 

 considered very satisfactory. In Wirral, the Correspondent, 

 after making enquiries from the large sheep owners, states 

 that he did not hear of any abnormal losses, with the exception 

 of a few more breeding ewes being lost through the very wet 

 autumn on some of the low-lying and stiff clay-lands. Many 

 others say that they have heard of no disease, or nothing out of 

 the common, except minor ailments. A Correspondent in West- 

 morland gives as an ordinary death-rate 5 to 7 per cent, from all 

 causes, apparently among the ewes only, and it would seem that 

 a death-rate as high as this is not regarded as exceptional. 



A number of cases of Liver-fluke are reported to have 

 occurred, especially among the ewes and at lambing, time. 

 The cause is in every case ascribed to the wet season, but 

 the losses, on the whole, do not seem to have been heavy. 

 Liver-fluke was reported to be more serious in Scotland than 

 in England. One Correspondent says there was a little more 

 than usual ; according to another, 10 to 30 per cent, were 

 attacked, Tew recovering; while a third puts the rate of mor- 



