Diseases of Sheep. 



329 



of 2 and 2J of the first two, and 1 lb. of mercury, to 8 gallons of 

 water. This will dress three score of sheep.* 



When very numerous in lambs, as is often the case a short time 

 after they are weaned, an excellent remedy is to dip them accord- 

 ing to directions given in the Appendix (No. 4). This will not 

 only eradicate the tick but materially improve their appearance, 

 and, in a great measure, prevents the fly from depositing their 

 larvae in the wool.| 



These are all the cutaneous diseases to which sheep are usually 

 liable. There may be others found in parts of the country with 

 which I am not familiar, and perhaps varieties even of those that 

 I have mentioned may appear under forms so different as to render 

 their identity questionable. But in all cases of eruption, and espe- 

 cially if several of the flock are simultaneously affected, the dis- 

 eased sheep should be separated from the others, and mild mer- 

 curial ointment applied, or, where circumstances do not admit of 

 its safe application, tobacco-water may be used as a substitute. 



There are many other disorders of occasional, and, in some 

 places, of frequent occurrence, more particularly those of a 

 febrile character; but the above are more or less common in all 

 flocks, and it would make my treatise too long for any useful 

 purpose if I were to introduce all that has been written or re- 

 ported upon every disorder of which experience has proved the 

 sheep to be susceptible : some, even of those that I have men- 

 tioned, occur too rarely to make any lengthened observation on 

 them desirable. 



After thus enumerating, at greater length than I at first in- 



* An application having been made, by direction of the Duke of Richmond, 

 for the purpose of obtaining correct information respecting the present 

 mode adopted at Holkhara, the Earl of Leicester has communicated to the 

 Society the following authentic document 



Recipe for Dressing Sheep to Destroy Ticks, ^c. 



1 1 oz. white arsenic to I gallon of water. 

 3 oz. of soap to ditto. 



2 oz. of tobacco to ditto. 

 The arsenic must be boiled in a bag, and kept stirred at the time of boil- 

 ing. The tobacco to be boiled in a bag, and put into the water when cold. 

 The soap to be cut into thin slices ; and boil the whole of the mixture well 

 for half an hour. 



One pint and a half of this water to be applied to one sheep. 



Leonard Loose, Shepherd, Holkham. 



17th Jan. 1840. 



t It is better to dip the lambs immediately after the ewes are shorn than 

 after weaning. The shearing the ewes destroys or removes the ticks which 

 were upon them, and the dipping destroys those which were upon the lambs ; 

 whereas, if it is postponed till the lambs are weaned, the wool on the ewes 

 will have then grown long enough to shelter ticks which have come upon 

 them from the lambs after the time of shearing. — Spencer. 



