The Rot in Sheep. 
69 
principally Welsh ewes, which had been bought at the latter 
j)art of the summer for breeding by being crossed with Leicester 
tups. Some persons lost nearly all, and ow in particular, who 
buys about 800 of these ewes annually, had not more than 
40 or 50 which escaped. Tups, wethers, lamb-hogs, and half- 
breeds, alike succumbed to the inroads of the affection. A similar 
fatality attended the progress of the disease in all other dis- 
tricts. In many parishes in Devonshire where we investigated 
the malady, and of which Bridgerule may be taken as an example, 
five-sixths of the sheep perished, or were sold for a few shillings 
each for slaughtering, to the detriment of the health ot the 
poorer classes.* In the instance thus particularised the losses 
occurred among the stock of small occupiers, the ill consequences 
of which were greatly added to by their young cattle being found 
to be affected with flukes to such an extent as seriously to injure 
their health later on in the year. 
In Sussex and in several parts of Surrey the fatality was 
equally great. In the neighbourhood of Eastbourne a flock of 
about 600 Southdown ewes of great value was completely de- 
stroyed. Numerous cases of this kind might be narrated, but 
enough has been said to show not only the extent of the disease, 
but that sheep of every description, and placed under different 
systems of management, equally succumbed. It is much to be 
regretted that means do not exist whereby the total loss could 
be ascertained. People are left in doubt as to the amount of food 
of which they were deprived in one year by this disease alone, 
and of the efforts which must be made to replace the losses. 
The time, we predict, cannot be far distant Avhen agriculturists 
will be convinced, not only of the propriety but of the positive 
necessity of making returns, at least of the losses, they sustain 
among their cattle, instead of simply deploring these among them- 
selves. Elsewhere we have drawn attention to this important 
subject, upon which very much might now be said, if it were 
not somewhat unsuited to an essay of this kind. 
Names given to the Disease. 
Various names, which are more or less expressive of certain 
conditional states of the system, are used in different localities to 
designate this affection. The one which is more generally 
applied is that which we have preferred to use in these pages, 
namely, " rot." It is not difficult to see that this term has had 
its origin in the evident unsound state of the animal during life, 
* The Rev. S. N. Kingdon, the resident minister at Bridgerule, reported to the 
author, that on October 1st, 1860, 492 sheep were existing in the parish as the joint 
property of several small farmers ; and that, by the end of the month, 410 of tliem 
had either died, or been sold at a price very little above the value of their skins. 
