SANGUI N EO U S A POPL R X V . 
219 
quinquina and acetate of ammonia were prescribed for it : others 
caused marine salts, the proto-sulphate of iron, fumigation of chlo- 
rine gas, &c., to he administered. Lastly; Daubanton, Tessier, 
D’Arboval, and M. Delafond, prescribed bleeding and a debilitat- 
ing regimen as preservatives, without troubling themselves about 
applying this mode of treatment to both forms of the disease. 
We entirely coincide with the opinion of these talented indi- 
viduals respecting the prophylactic means to be made use of in 
order to prevent sanguineous congestion in sheep, and its fearful re- 
sults. In fact, large blood-lettings diminish the sanguineous mass 
and the size of the globules, increase the aqueous portion of the 
vital juices, render the blood more fluid, less plastic, and favour 
its circulatory action through the vessels. As may easily be per- 
ceived, general bleedings are here rational, and indicated not only 
as a precautionary measure, but also as a means of cure. 
Nevertheless, it has been said, and repeated again and again, 
that all beasts attacked with disease of the blood are struck with 
death, as if the impotency of art to oppose the frightful ravages of 
this evil had discouraged all observers. 
If they will not recognise the existence of the disease excepting 
when partial or general haemorrhage has supervened, then it is 
true that, in the majority of cases, all treatment is powerless ; but 
in order to arrive at its fatal termination, the disease, although pro- 
gressing with frightful rapidity, does not pounce upon its victims 
v/ithout some precursory symptoms, as has been judiciously ob- 
served by M. Delafond; and, in order to render it incurable, it 
must, with the exception of some isolated case, have passed 
through all its phases : that is to say, the plethoric state, the state 
of congestion, and the congestion at the hcemorrhagical stage. 
Now, by bleeding largely during the plethoric state, the evil may, 
as everyone knows, be abated; and even during the period of 
congestion a copious bleeding from the jugular will often save the 
life of the animal. 
I have often seen sheep — panting, supporting themselves with 
difficulty on their stiff and trembling limbs, the head extended, 
the mouth open, the eyes red and tearful, the flanks beating vio- 
lently, the dung crimsoned with blood — restored to life by a copious 
blood-letting from the jugular. Clever, careful, and intelligent shep- 
herds, know a great deal in these cases. Curative measures are 
not, therefore, always inefficacious during the period of congestion. 
But if, by the abstraction of blood, we can succeed in rescuing some 
few victims from this devastating scourge, it is only when the 
bleeding is performed at proper time, for any delay renders all the 
endeavours of art impotent before the fury of the evil. In this case, 
in order not to lose all, the animal should be killed without loss 
