Diseases  of  Cattle  and  Sheep. 
547 
On  the  first  appearance  of  either  of  these  fluxes,  the  shepherd 
should  remove  the  flock  to  a sheltered  situation,  and  keep  them 
dry  and  warm.  In  every  case  they  should  have  access  to  dry  food, 
and  there  is  no  food  equal  to  linseed-cake  in  these  cases. 
Acute  dropsy  in  sheep — a disease  known  as  “ red-water " 
and  “ water  bra'xy  ”• — is  found  to  occur  frequently  about  the 
latter  part  of  autumn  or  early  winter,  on  low,  damp  situations, 
especially  if  there  is  a hoar-frost.  I do  not  attribute  this  com- 
plaint to  changes  from  dry  to  rich  pasture,  as  some  do,  but 
chiefly  to  sudden  chill  produced  from  lying  on  damp,  cold 
ground.  Strange  as  it  may  appear,  yet  the  surface  of  the  ground 
is  sometimes  6°  and  at  others  full  lO3  colder  than  the  atmosphere 
only  four  feet  above  it.*  The  ice  of  dew  and  mist  (hoar-frost)  is 
formed  when  the  temperature  of  the  lower  stratum  of  air  which 
rests  immediately  on  the  soil  sinks  below  the  freezing  point.  The 
greater  density  of  fogs  and  mists  causes  them  to  sink  into  the 
hollows  of  fields  and  in  the  valleys  ; and  it  is  in  these  situations, 
on  calm,  clear  nights,  during  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  that  red- 
water  is  most  commonly  seen. 
The  pathological  history  of  the  disease  is  evident  enough.  The 
sudden  partial  cold  acting  on  the  belly  of  the  sheep  almost  com- 
pletely constricts  the  secreting  vessels  of  the  skin,  and  throws  a 
corresponding  amount  of  blood  inwards,  causing  effusion  of  bloody 
serum  into  the  abdominal  cavity— hence  the  name  red-water. 
This  disease  has  its  seat  in  the  serous  membranes  of  the  abdomen. 
This  form  of  dropsy  is  one  of  the  sthenic  or  acute  kind,  and  is 
attended  with  considerable  fever,  the  invariable  concomitant  of 
acute  inflammation  in  sheep.  Its  effects  are  so  sudden,  that  hdg- 
sheep  apparently  well  in  the  evening  are  found  dead  in  the 
morning.  I have  seen  hundreds  of  these  cases ; and  my  advice  to 
the  farmers  is,  remove  the  flock  to  dry  upland  meadows,  avoid 
all  low  wet  grounds,  and  give  dry  food  of  some  kind  or  other  in 
every  instance. 
The  effects  of  exposure  to  cold  and  icet  are  very  evident  on  year- 
liny  cattle  and  two-year-old  ones,  kept  in  open  straw-yards  during 
the  winter. 
Calves  are  generally  provided  with  shelter  the  first  winter, 
but  yearlings  have  to  rough  it  very  commonly  amongst  older 
cattle  in  open  yards.  Sheds  may  be  seen  here  and  there,  and 
roots  and  straw  are  frequently  found  in  abundance ; but,  gene- 
* Dr.  Welts  found  the  following  temperatures  during  a clear  sky  on  the  surface  of 
tire  ground,  and  in  the  air  four  feet  above  it : — 
h.  m. 
h. 
li.  m. 
h.  m. 
h.  m. 
Time  .... 
7 
7 20 
7 40 
8 45 
On  the  ground  . 
. . 53° 
51° 
49i° 
49° 
42? 
In  the  air  4 feet  up 
. . 60i 
60* 
59 
5S 
54 
