20 



The Rot in Sheep. 



been so fortunate as to live thirty-six years in the marsh. He attested that he 

 had only seen the disorder once, and that was in the first year of his residence, 

 nor is the rot at all common in any part of Kent. The Leicestershire breed, 

 he said, were subject to it, but not the sheep bred in the marsh ; nor were 

 these animals subject to any other disease more frequently than in other situ- 

 ations in general, or particularly in the uplands. Hence it appears that one 

 kind of miasmata of marshes which produce agues do not in all situations also 

 produce rot. It is not, however, logically just to conclude from the instance I 

 have given that miasmata pain dum of a different species may not occasion the 

 rot and also agues. It is possible, also, that some concomitant agents or cir- 

 cumstances may render the same miasmata productive of one of the diseases in 

 certain situations, but not of the other disease." 



Harrison also, like Mr. Youatt, narrates some cases of exemp- 

 tion from rot which militate very much against his own theory. 

 He says that " in 1792, the fatal year, &c, often particularised, 

 Mr. Young of Claxby divided a flock of sheep and placed fifty 

 upon some good aftermath, where, in other seasons, the rot had 

 frequently prevailed. Only this part of his flock escaped the dis- 

 order, which he attributed to the meadow not having been grazed, 

 before it was well covered and defended from the weather." 



Again, he observes — " Some time since he (Mr. Young) pur- 

 chased a close in his neighbourhood which was reputed to be 

 unsound. Before any sheep were turned upon it, he permitted 

 the grass to grow till it would cover a man's ankle, and during 

 the whole summer he took care that it should remain an exceed- 

 ing good pasture. The rot did not appear in the field, though 

 an adjoining close in his own occupation, and another in the 

 tenure of Mr. Thorpe, suffered more than usual during the 

 year." 



Harrison adds some further instances of a similar kind, and 

 says in explanation of them, that "luxuriant pastures seldom 

 rot unless they be eaten bare in hot weather. Whilst the ground 

 is well concealed^ it is so completely defended and protected that the 

 sun exerts no deleterious effects upon it" * Now, allowing, for 

 the sake of argument, that this explanation is correct, we may 

 ask how was it that the miasm, which was engendered in the 

 adjoining fields to an extent sufficient to rot all the sheep placed 

 therein, did not cross the boundary fences and exert its pre- 

 judicial effects upon the sheep in these " luxuriant pastures," 

 seeing that, being mingled with the atmosphere, it must be 

 wafted hither and thither by every gentle breeze ? 



Harrison makes one remark, however, which may perhaps 

 help to explain the immunity of these animals in quite another 

 way. He speaks of the danger of the pastures being " eaten 

 bare." Now it is well known that sheep are remarkable 



* These italics are our own. 



