The Rot in Sheep. 
71 
theories have boon jiut forth in explanation of it, many of which 
have been very wide of the trutli. Scientific men of tlie present 
(lay may even be said to differ as much from each other as did 
mere empirics of past aj^es, or as now do the proprietors them- 
selves of affected animals. Ere lon» we hope to see a "rreater 
affroement on this point; and especially are we encourafjed in 
this, when we observe that many investijjators, both here and on 
the Continent, are at WH)rk for its elucidation. Before givinj^ 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 earli(>st 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 spoare, 
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 sale it beareth a yealow floure, Avhich 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 JNIascall's remarks, and adds, that " knot-grasse is not 
good, nor meldewd grasse;" and also that "there bee little 
white snailes which a sheep will licke up, and they will soon rot 
him," He likewise speaks of the necessity of keeping sheep 
from off* low and moist grounds, " untill the sunne be risen, and 
that his boames beginne to draw the dewe from the earth." In 
another place he comments on the propriety of chasing the sheep 
up and down the pasture, because " this chasing, first, beateth 
away mill-dewes and all other dewes from tlie, earth, as also the 
webbes, kelles, and flakes, which lying on the earth, and a sheep 
licking up, doe breed rottenesse." 
Crawshey, author of The Conntryman s Instructor, 1G36, says, 
that sheep get the rot " by feeding upon ketlocks or other such 
weeds, growing in fallow fields ; or by feeding upon short grasse, 
on leighes or land-ends where many worme sprouts be, which the 
sheepe feeding upon that grasse doe licke up ; also the gravell 
