84 



The Rot in Sheep. 



to shake the bottle well at the moment of pouring it out). To 

 those which are weak and much reduced by the disease, one- 

 half, or three parts out of four, may be sufficient for a dose. 

 Keep them from food three hours after giving the medicine, 

 and then turn them into a dry pasture. It will be necessary to 

 repeat the medicine every fourth day for three times, observing 

 the above rules ; but when only half the quantity has been 

 administered, it will be proper to repeat it every second or third 

 day for six times." 



This recommendation of Clater may be taken as a fair speci- 

 men of the treatment generally advised by the empiric writers of 

 his day. It is, however, unnecessary to quote from their works, 

 as nothing of value can be obtained therefrom. No instances 

 of cure are given, nor is any light thrown on the nature of the 

 disease in their writings. 



We find, however, a circumstance narrated by Fairbairn, 

 which we transcribe, in proof of the value of salt : — 



" In the year 1817," he says, " an active shepherd in my neighbourhood, 

 who had the charge of 200 ewes, observing some of them tainted with rot, 

 bethought himself of trying the experiment of curing them, and conducted it 

 in the following way : — Whenever he saw any one or more of them showing 

 unequivocal symptoms of rot, he brought them into a dry court-yard or 

 empty house, and fed them with hay, turnips, or a few oats. To every one 

 of them he gave twice a day a handful of salt, which he dissolved in water, 

 and putting the solution into a teapot, poured it down their throats.* This 

 was repeated for several successive days, and continued till some improvement 

 in the condition of the sheep was discernible, after which they were turned 

 into the field. If the reappearance of the symptoms did not justify their con- 

 tinuance with the flock, they were again conducted home, and the salt, as 

 before, administered. Few of them required more than two such courses, 

 but a great proportion of the flock was treated in this manner, and the 

 shepherd delivered the whole of them alive at Whitsunday, except one ewe 

 which had died in lambing." 



Before commenting on any of the foregoing methods of treat- 

 ing rot, we shall name the one adopted by the Bedouin Arabs, 

 We learn from the writings of MM. Hamont and Fischer, pre- 

 viously quoted, that when the Nile returns to its bed, the sheep 

 of the Arabs are sent to feed on the dysse which springs up on 

 the partially recovered land (see p. 15), and as soon as "the first 

 symptoms of the affection appear, the vigilant Bedouins lose not 

 a moment ; they reassemble their flocks, and drive them back 

 to the desert. In the midst of the sands their principal food is 

 the salt-icort — Salsola Koli. After some days the symptoms 

 of the rot gradually disappear, and the sheep regain their former 

 health." It further appears that the Bedouins know of no other 



* The quantity of salt here recommended would weigh nearly three ounces, an 

 amount which could not be daily used with safety.— Acthok. 



