ON THE LOUPING-ILL IN SHEEP. 
165 
dead. A bullet from a rifle could scarcely do quicker and more 
certain execution. When he is skinned, the brain and the upper 
portion of the vertebral canal are found clogged with blood, and all 
the vessels of the head and neck are turgid with it. 
At other times, if the animal is not struck dead at once, but lies 
stunned and unconscious, a sudden bleeding from the eyes or the 
nose will give relief. An artificial bleeding from the angular vein, 
and more effectually from the jugular vein, would have the same 
effect ; but it is a chance whether they are found in this stage, and 
when alone there is the chance of saving them. 
There is little or no louping-ill during the autumn or winter 
months. The ewes and lambs in the best condition are the most 
liable to be attacked by it, although in the months of April and 
May, after a severe winter, they rarely are so. It is curious that, 
to the east of the parish, with the exception of only two farms, 
nothing of this disease occurs. 
If the April and May are mild, less of the disease prevails ; but 
if we have cold and sleety easterly winds, it will be more frequent. 
Dry, easterly, frosty winds in April and May are also productive of 
louping-ill to a considerable extent. Cattle, swine, poultry, and 
even dogs, are liable to the epidemic ; but the horse is exempt from 
it — at least I have never heard of an instance of it in that animal. 
Where the insects known by the name of ticks are prevalent, there 
will also be louping-ill, and vice versa. The tick and sheep-louse 
have very erroneously been set down, by those who are ignorant of 
the matter, as one and the same animal. 
I leave it to those more conversant in such matters to develope 
its prevention or cure ; and wishing them every success in so im- 
portant an undertaking, and hoping to hear from you, at some 
future time on the subject, I am, &c. 
[We have much gratification in inserting this letter from so intelli- 
gent an agriculturist as Mr. Fair; and we cordially thank Messrs. 
Young and McLean, V.S. of Jedburgh, for giving us the oppor- 
tunity of so doing. We shall at all times be happy to hear from 
Mr. Fair. Talented and observant men like him have it mate- 
rially in their power to assist us in determining the nature, the 
cause, and the treatment of many a disease among sheep and 
cattle, of too frequent occurrence and too murderous a character. 
Mr. Tait, of Portsoy, gives an interesting account of the same 
disease, Veterinarian, vol. viii, p. 614. All our readers may 
not have read the Ettrick Shepherd’s singular description of it. 
He calls it thwarter-ill, trembling, or leaping-ill. He says that 
“twenty years ago their ravages were so considerable, that farmers 
believed the disease to be infectious, and that a stock that was 
