118 
SCAB IN SHEEP. 
The Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act is gradually re- 
vealing the serious extent to which this disease exists among 
the sheep in Great Britain, and the losses which are neces- 
sarily sustained in the diminished quantity, as well as deterio- 
rated quality of home-grown wool. The centres of affection 
are returned as nearly 300, and the number of counties in 
which scabs exists is thirty-eight. This shows a large increase 
upon last month's returns ; but it cannot be said to represent 
the full extent of the disease, as numerous cases are known 
to be withheld from the inspectors by the owners of the 
animals. Scab is equally as rife on the Continent as it has 
been for some time past. In Roumania the disease appears 
to be on the increase, particularly in the neighbourhood of 
Stettin, where, as our readers know, it has prevailed for many 
months. 
VENOUS CONGESTIONS IN LAMBING-EWES. 
From the information which has reached us from different 
parts of the country, the south-western counties in particular, 
it would appear that the long continued wet and stormy 
weather, combined with the high range of temperature which 
has mostly prevailed during the past two or three months, is 
producing serious losses among the lambing-ewes. Many 
lambs are born dead, and in several of these cases, as also in 
others, the ewes have died shortly after parturition from 
venous congestion, chiefly of the uterus or brain, less fre- 
quently of the liver or lungs. Instances of ewes being 
attacked and sinking from the malady a few days before 
lambing are not unfrequent. Post-mortem examinations 
have shown that the congestion depends on a vitiated state 
of the blood, which would seem, among other changes which 
it has undergone, to be deficient in saline and albuminous 
matters. In the year 1852-3, when the weather during the 
autumn and winter was even more injurious to health of 
ewes, the losses from this disease were enormous. At that 
time the subject was taken up by the Royal Agricultural 
Society, and an animated discussion took place at one of the 
meetings of the Council. It was held by the Veterinary 
profession that treatment after the setting in of the symptoms 
was not likely to be successful, and that reliance could only 
