The Rot in Sheep. 



upon their nature or their cause. We occasionally hear such 

 terms as " water-rot " and " fluke-rot," which would induce a 

 belief that in one variety of the disease a dropsical condition of 

 the body existed, and that in the other certain entozoa, commonly 

 designated flukes, are located in a particular part of the organism. 

 We wish, however, to confine the term " rot," if it is still to be 

 used, to the affection in which flukes are present in the biliary 

 ducts of the liver, putting aside altogether every other form of 

 disease that has been designated by this name. 



Assigned Causes. 



There are few affections respecting which so great a diversity 

 of opinion exists with regard to its cause, as rot. All kinds of 

 theories have been put forth in explanation of it, many of which 

 have been very wide of the truth. Scientific men may be said 

 to have differed as much from each other as mere empirics are 

 known to have done in past ages, or as now do the proprietors 

 themselves of affected animals. Ere long we hope to see a 

 greater agreement on this subject ; and we are encouraged in 

 such a desire by observing that many investigators, both here 

 and on the Continent, are at work for its elucidation. Before 

 giving our own views of this important question, we purpose, 

 for the benefit of our readers, to glean from others, according to 

 the date of their writings. 



The earliest authors on cattle diseases, almost without an 

 exception, so far as our researches have gone, regard the 

 feeding on particular plants as the principal cause of rot. 

 Leonard Mascall, " chief farrier to King James," in his work, 

 The Government of Sheepe, 1587, original edition, says: — " It 

 is good for al men to understand, especially shepheards, which 

 things do hurt or rotte sheepe, whereby, they maie avoide the 

 danger the better. Ye shal understand there is a Grasse or weed 

 called Speare Wort, the leaves are long and narrow like a speare, 

 hard and thick, the steales hollow, growing a foote or more high, 

 with a yellow floure, which is comonly in wet places, and there 

 wil it grow most, or where water have stood in the winter. 

 There is also another weed called Peniwort or Penie-grass ; it 

 wil commonly grow in moist and marrish grounds, and it groweth 

 low by the ground, and hath a leafe on both sides of the stalke 

 like unto a penie, thick and round, and without floure, yet some 

 doe saie it beareth a yealow floure, which will (as they say) kil 

 sheepe if they eat it. Alsoe all manner of Grasse that land-floods 

 doe overrun before a raine is not good for sheepe." 



Gervase Markham, in his Cheape and Good Husbandry, 1614, 

 repeats Mascall's remarks, and adds, that " knot-grasse, is not 

 good, nor meldewd grasse ;" and also that " there bee little 



