86 



The Rot in Sheep. 



unfortunately its discovery is too frequently not made until the 

 autumnal period of the year, or even later, when external cir- 

 cumstances are much against the success of any system of treat- 

 ment or management, and when also structural changes are more 

 rapidly going on in the liver. Should the disease not be de- 

 tected until this period, no effort must be spared to quickly 

 check its progress ; otherwise the fatality cannot be diminished. 



The animals must be carefully protected against all vicissi- 

 tudes of weather by being folded in the best sheltered situations, 

 more especially at night, or if possible brought into the yards. 

 Their food should consist of the most nutritious materials, for 

 waste of the tissues at all times — even when it is due to simple 

 anaemia rather than organic lesions — demands not only a liberal 

 supply of food rich in flesh-forming principles, but also of such 

 as contains a large proportion of sugar, starch, or other car- 

 bonaceous matters, that the heat of the body may be kept up 

 equally with nutrition. If this be so in simple anaemia, how 

 much more is such food needed when the bloodless condition 

 of the animal is associated with and depends upon the existence 

 of flukes in the liver ? If placed on meadows, or even artificial 

 grasses, the sheep should be restricted in the quantity of such food, 

 and often changed from pasture to pasture, especial care being 

 taken to avoid those which are wet and cold, or which contain 

 inferior or unripe herbage. Manger-food must be liberally sup- 

 plied. It should consist, in part at least, of crushed corn, of which 

 the leguminous plants, beans, peas, lentils, &c., are to be preferred. 

 Oats and maize are also good, and to these a moderate allow- 

 ance of oilcake may be added. Frequent changing of the food will 

 induce the animals to eat more, for which reason, when they are 

 on the pastures, we take no objection to an occasional supply of 

 turnips or other roots in moderate quantity ; but unless com- 

 pelled by the character of the farm and the system of cultivation, 

 continuous folding on turnips should be avoided. Where this 

 has to be done, great care will have to be exercised in regulating 

 the quantity of turnips according to the condition of the crop, 

 the state of the weather, &c, and under such circumstances an 

 allowance of good hay, in addition to the other food, will be 

 imperatively required. 



By these means rigorously carried out, provision will be 

 made for the due supply of albuminous and heat-giving materials 

 to the blood, and by the process of assimilation to every part of 

 the organism. Dependence, however, must not be exclusively 

 placed on diet. Medicinal agents will have to be had recourse 

 to, preference being given to those which impart tone and 

 vigour to the system. Conjoined with these should be such as 

 experience has shown to possess anthelmintic properties. 



