The R?)t in Sheep. 
145 
palliative ; still in rarrjing this principle into practice great 
benefit often arises, as the owners of infected animals are se- 
cured against losses which otherwise would be very heavy. The 
earlier the disease is detected the better, but unfortunately its 
discovery is too frequently not made until the autumnal period 
of the year, when external circumstances are much against the 
success of any system of treatment or management, and wlien 
also structural changes have begun in the liver. Should the disease 
not be detected until this period, no effort must be spared to 
quickly check its progress ; otherwise the fatality will be very 
git-at. 
The animals must be carefully guarded against all vicissitudes 
of weather by being folded in the best sheltered situations, more 
especially at night. Their food should consist of the most nutri- 
tious materials. Indeed, waste of the tissues, particularly when 
due to simple anaemia rather than organic lesions, will demand 
not only a liberal supply of food rich in flesh-forming — nitro- 
genous — principles, but also such as contains a large proportion 
of sugar, starch, or other carbonaceous matters, that the heat of 
the body may be kept up equally with nutrition. If placed on 
meadows or artificial grasses, the sheep should be often changed 
from pasture to pasture, care being taken to avoid those which are 
wet and cold, or which contain inferior herbage. Manger-food 
must be supplied, and this 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 allowance 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 occa- 
sional supply of turnips or other roots ; but, unless compelled by 
the character of the farm and the system of cultivation, we would* 
avoid continuous folding on turnips. 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. 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 the consequent nutrition and health of every 
part of the organism. Dependence, however, must not be exclu- 
sively 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 expeiience has shown to possess anthelmintic properties. 
Salt cannot be dispensed with. It does good in. several ways. 
It is an agent which acts as a stimulant to the process of digestion^ 
VOL. XXIII. I, 
