404 
Lamenesses of Sheep and Lamhs. 
fever, shows a marked tendency to Involve the structures of the 
joints, and is most difficult of cure ; while the other, when early 
attended to, is of short duration, often unaccompanied by febrile 
symptoms, and usually easily curable. 
The symptoms come on gradually. Lameness is observable, 
the limb is projected, and the parts about the fetlock are hot 
and tender. After some days a diffuse swelling appears about 
the coronet, making the feet look smaller than natural. In a 
word, there is inflammation of the skin, coronary substance, 
tendinous sheaths, and synovial bursae. Fever is present, diges- 
tion is impaired, and in the suckling ewe the secretion of milk 
is arrested. This state of matters may continue for a week or 
ten days, or even longer, the irritation augmenting, the fever 
assuming a more typhoid type, and the emaciation increasing. 
Suppuration is slowly established, but the matter gradually 
comes to the surface, and must be freely evacuated. From the 
inflammation involving the laminated structures, sloughing of the 
hoofs is apt to occur. In aggravated cases the inflammation eats 
its way through the capsular ligaments of the joints, and the carti- 
lage and bone become diseased. In such cases the swelling and 
general irritation are much increased, sloughing of the ligaments 
and caries of the bones supervene, giving rise to a most foetid 
acrid discharge, which usually evacuates itself through several 
narrow openings with angry-looking ulcerated margins. If the 
probe or finger be introduced, the carious state of the bone is 
easily discovered by its roughened, grating, Ijleeding surface. 
In such cases the animal is so wasted and debilitated, that a cure 
is almost impossible, and can only follow where the joints be- 
come anchylosed or fixed by the deposition of bony matter 
around them. 
The disease occurs amongst cattle as well as sheep. It espe- 
cially affects animals of an unhealthy constitution, such as those 
that are scrofulous or rheumatic. It exhibits, indeed, many of 
the characters of rheumatism. Thus it affects structures of a 
comparatively low organisation, goes on tardily to the formation 
of pus, and occurs chiefly amongst stock in cold, exposed situa- 
tions, and amongst which other forms of rheumatism prevail. It 
does not, however, like acute rheumatism, show much tendency 
to shift about. It occurs in adult rather than young sheep, and 
prevails often amongst those that are house-fed and in gross 
condition. 
The treatment of rheumatic foot-rot requires much time and 
patience and a good deal of discrimination, for the several 
phases of the malady demand the employment of different 
remedies. It will, in the first place, be convenient to remove 
the patient to a house, shed, or paddock, near his attendant. In 
