210 
Ansemia in Sheep, known also hy the terms 
ewes at the period of lambing, when these have been kept and 
fed pretty closely upon winter-grown grass on lands in rich 
manurial condition. Under such conditions it may occur in 
any breed and amongst all ages. I have, however, observed 
it more frequently in young feeding-sheep and breeding-ewes 
than amongst other classes. It seems more liable to declare 
itself during seasons when the roots — turnips — are abundant, 
and when every inducement exists to give these alone and in 
unlimited quantities. 
Although it is a tolerably well-ascertained fact that sheep, 
particularly when young, are pretty certain, if confined for a 
lengthened period to feeding upon turnips grown on the class 
of lands already indicated, to be large sufferers from anaemia, it 
is at the same time deserving of notice that a similar anaemic 
condition does occasionally present itself in the same class of 
animals when feeding upon turnips grown upon lands of a very 
different and superior character — in fact, upon any or every 
kind of soil. Under these latter conditions I have, however, 
observed a marked tendency, in all fatal cases which have been 
examined, to structural alterations in the liver, a condition 
which may be said uniformly to exist in ewes feeding upon fresh 
and actually growing winter grass, where the same anaemic state 
reaches its crisis at the period of lambing. Neither of these 
articles of food grown upon any land, even the best, are well 
calculated to furnish material for the elaboration of healthy blood 
or other animal tissue. Not only is the amount of water that 
these contain excessive, but the relation in which this stands to 
the other and truly nutritious materials is such as to alter the other- 
wise useful appropriation of these latter bv either growing or 
fattening animals. Turnips ma}- be very useful feeding-material 
when used in conjunction with others calculated to yield the 
various forms of albumen so essential for healthy animal nutri- 
tion, but they are comparatively worthless, or worse, when em- 
ployed alone to maintain sheep in healthy and vigorous existence. 
And no more reckless or extravagant expenditure in dieting 
exists, than when in years of plentiful crops of these, either 
breeding- or feeding-sheep are kept exclusively on them. Not 
only is their feeding-value — which ought to be rated merely 
as an auxiliary agent — thrown away, but there is entailed. upon 
the animals either actual disease, or a marked susceptibility ti 
many and different disorders. The fact that exclusive feediii. 
upon roots, even when these arc of a superior character, ha 
generally been most disappointing, particularly as respect 
preparing young sheep for the butcher, has long been notice^ 
by the observant. The result has been attempted to be ex- 
plained in most ways rather than by the correct one. The 
