57 
ON THE POPULAR ERROR RESPECTING THE POI- 
SONING OF SHEEP BY MEANS OF GOBES 
(BEZOARS) IN THE ABOMASUM. 
By M. T. Durand, a Orbec. 
[In his work on “ Sheep,” the Editor of this Journal gave an 
account of the strange superstition which prevailed on the con- 
tinent respecting the presence of bezoars in the fourth stomach 
of these animals. They were, by a great proportion of agricul- 
turists, considered to be produced by some magical and diaboli- 
cal art, and scattered over the pasture ; and, being eagerly sought 
after and swallowed by the sheep, produced gradual wasting and 
ultimate death. In the " Memoirs” of the Society of Calvados, 
1837, a curious account is given of the prevalence of this super- 
stition even at the present day. — Y.] 
On the 26th of Sepember, 1842, M. Lemercier sent for me, 
because he had lost a dozen sheep which he believed to have been 
gobes. He conducted me to his stable, and there, in fact, he 
shewed me a dozen sheep that had died during the night and the 
early part of that day. He told me that he had previously lost ten, 
and that on opening them he had found gobts in them all. He gave 
me half a dozen of these fearful productions, which he had pre- 
served. He was very much disturbed about the matter, and feared 
that he should lose the whole of his flock, for he had ten more still 
ailing. We visited the fold. I asked the shepherd to shew me 
the. animals that were ill. He replied that he had left them in one 
of the yards, for they were unable to follow their companions, but 
that all that were in the field were apparently well; and I believe 
that they were so, for they had every appearance of health and 
strength. 
We at length saw those that were ill. Some of them were on 
their legs, but the head was drooping and buried between the legs. 
Others were lying at their full length. They were unable to rise, 
and it was sufficiently evident that they had not a great while to 
live. 
After carefully examining them I found that they had been very 
lately cut, both the males and the females. The commencement 
of gangrene was evident at every wound caused by the operation. 
I also learned that all that were dead or sick had been castrated 
within the last five days. Among them I saw a ewe that had not 
been castrated ; she fed well, but she had received a wound from a 
VOL. XVII. H 
