JOURNAL 
OF THE 
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 
OF ENGLAND. 
I. — On Lameness in Sheep and Lambs. By Isaac Seaman. 
Prize Essay. 
THOSE frequent and formidable diseases, the causes of which 
we are about to investigate, cannot be too well understood 
by all persons whose time and capital are employed in breeding 
and feeding that valuable animal the sheep. 
Tlie term lameness is applied to a symptom that marks all 
cases where any impediment is offered to the free and natural 
action of the limbs : it signifies being crippled or disabled ; there- 
fore all affections of any of these parts, whether arising from 
constitutional or other causes, alike claim the strictest attention. 
Disease of the foot and leg of the sheep commonly occurs in a 
variety of forms and under various circumstances, often prevailing 
to such an extent that great losses are thereby incurred. Lambs 
are frequently known to die from its effects, and a much greater 
number are so reduced in condition, their limbs so impaired and 
crippled, that weeks, even months, elapse before the injured parts 
can be restored so as to perform their proper functions. The 
joint-disease in lambs destroys yearly its thousands ; the foot- 
disease is often extremely prevalent, and, although but seldom 
attended with loss of life, flocks among which it breaks out 
rapidly lose flesh and become much reduced in value. From the 
year 1840 to 1847 inclusive, vesicular epizootic (the mouth and 
foot disease) raged so extensively that whole herds of cattle were 
seen moving along our highways from one market to another, 
with saliva and mucus flowing from their mouths, and with their 
limbs crippled, the hoofs having lost their attachment, and matter 
exuding from the coronets. From this disease our pigs, too, 
suffered. It was no un frequent occurrence to see them crawling 
about our farmyards upon their knees, the hoofs having lost the 
VOL. XVI. B 
