504 GERMAN VETERINARY JURISPRUDENCE—SHEEP. 
order in the cleft of the foot, and whether it may be considered 
that the infection was brought and propagated by means of the 
sheep purchased from G. 1 
In order to answer these questions, it was necessary to ascer¬ 
tain whether this disease in the cleft of the foot, with which the 
plaintiff’s flock became infected, was epizootic, or chronic and 
contagious. 
In fol. 4, of the acts of the counsellor of administration, we find 
the first report of Herr L., veterinary surgeon, dated 5th of Febru¬ 
ary, 1824, and entitled, “ Disease of the mouth, and of the cleft of 
the foot, which has broken out among sheep.” 
The second report of Herr L., dated the 19th of February, four¬ 
teen days later, runs thus, the sheep suffer so much that many 
of them crawl along on their knees.” This would seem to shew 
that the disease is chronic. 
The provincial medical superintendent. Dr. H., in his report to 
the counsel, on the 21st of March, 1824, declares, “ that, so far as 
he has had the opportunity of observing, this disease is gene¬ 
rally epizootic, and that in the previous year a great many flocks 
had been attacked by it; but it only proved very fatal or mortal 
among half-bred and ill-conditioned sheep.” Herr L. also, in a 
later report, dated the 18th of April, says, “ the cure of this dis¬ 
ease in the cleft of the foot is procrastinated by the green sickness, 
which is now so prevalent among sheep.” 
On the 25th of July, Herr L. says, “ this disease begins to di¬ 
minish or pass away. There are not now above twenty sheep 
lame with it, and I scarcely think that these are likely to infect 
others.” Lastly, in a communication to the general inspector, the 
following passage occurs: The sheep-flocks of A— are not 
yet entirely free from this disease. There are still thirty sheep 
^vhich are more or less lame, and which do not appear as if they 
could be cured.” 
As these reports contain no description of the disease, they 
throw but little light on the subject; and it still remains uncertain 
whether it was the epizootic or the chronic contagious disease in 
the cleft of the foot which prevailed in A—. We are led to 
believe that it was the former, since in one place this disease is 
stated to be disease in the mouth, and in the cleft of the feet of 
sheep.” Now, it is well known that these two are often united 
when the disorder is epizootic, but never when it is chronic or 
contagious. But it is extraordinary that the sheep should, when 
suffering from epizootic disease, become so bad in a fortnight 
as to be obliged to crawl along on their knees; and this appears 
to have given rise to the opinion in Potsdam, that this disease 
was chronic. 
