556  Diseases  of  Cattle  and  Sheep. 
with  respect  to  the  cattle. — It  is  not  enough  that  feeders  attend 
to  the  conditions  laid  down  in  this  essay  for  their  general  healthy 
management,  by  paying  attention  to  their  feeding,  sheltering,  and 
general  cleanliness  of  the  yards  and  buildings,  only  when  sickness 
visits  the  farm — the  very  performance  of  which  at  such  a time 
clearly  shows  their  knowledge  that  such  conditions  are  essential. 
Yet  such  is  sometimes  their  inconsistency  and  carelessness  in  this 
respect,  that  their  stock  are  no  sooner  restored  to  health  than  the 
same  indifference  to  the  lawrs  of  health  is  observed,  as  if  they  were 
altogether  without  influence. 
The  effect  of  extremes  of  temperature  has  been  clearly  exhi- 
bited in  this  essay,  showing  the  importance  of  more  attention 
being  paid  to  the  winter  management  of  young  beasts.  The 
open  straw-yards  might  be  easily  improved  by  being  reduced  in 
size,  and  the  providing  more  efficient  shelter  by  erecting  of  sheds, 
spouting  the  adjoining  buildings,  and  constructing  of  drains. 
Much  of  the  mismanagement  noticed  in  the  cattle-houses 
might  also  be  easily  and  cheaply  prevented  by  constructing  drains 
and  ventilating  holes.  The  baneful  effects  of  polluted  air  on  the 
animal  frame  have  been,  I hope,  clearly  exhibited.  The  careless- 
ness of  feeders  or  farmers  in  this  respect  is  extraordinary.  They 
should  understand  that  a beast  requires  a draught  of  fresh  air 
about  800  times  an  hour — which  is  conveyed  directly  to  the  blood 
through  the  medium  of  the  lungs,  and,  by  means  of  the  circulation, 
is  transmitted  to  everv  part  of  the  body.  But  the  value  of  this 
provision  is  materially  lessened  when,  instead  of  pure  fresh  air, 
the  noxious  gases  and  exhalations  of  the  cow-house  are  mixed 
with  it.  The  deleterious  influence  of  such  agents  is  certainly 
short  of  a directly  poisonous  effect,  yet  it  slowly  and  gradually 
undermines  the  health,  and  is  only  to  be  counteracted  by  more 
efficient  drainage.  Two  things  are  necessary  to  be  remembered 
in  all  attempts  of  this  kind — first,  the  supplying  the  interior 
with  fresh  air  ; and  secondly,  the  extracting  the  foul ; and  be  it 
clearly  understood,  that  the  latter  cannot  by  any  means  be  re- 
moved, however  well  arranged  its  exit  may  be,  unless  an  ample 
supply  of  fresh  air  is  admitted  into  it  from  without.  It  is  the 
force  of  the  air  entering  that  causes  the  heated  air  to  he  dispelled. 
This  may  be  easily  accomplished  by  providing  outlets  near  the 
ceilings  for  the  egress  of  the  one,  and  apertures  at  the  bottom  of 
the  house  for  the  ingress  of  the  other. 
A few  tvords  also  to  shepherds.  Constitutional  vigour  in  sheep 
is  regarded  by  them  as  a matter  of  paramount  importance.  With- 
out this,  light  fleeces,  deformity,  and  disease  are  constant  attend- 
ants. But  this  valuable  quality  can  only  be  maintained  by  judi- 
cious feeding  at  all  seasons.  A plentiful  allowance  of  food  for 
the  ewes  previous  to  the  ramming  season  insures  an  extra  number 
