335 
Facts and Observations. 
A FRENCH SPECIFIC FOR THE FOOT-ROT OF SHEEP. 
The bucolic papers speak of an effectual cure for the foot- 
rot of sheep, which has just been discovered by M. Bauchiere, 
of Toulon, and which has also been considered by the Minister 
of Agriculture and Commerce to be of sufficient importance 
to warrant his sending M. Renault, Inspector-General of the 
Imperial Veterinary Schools, and several other gentlemen, on 
a mission to verify the efficacy of this new remedy. 
The Moniteur now publishes the report of this commission, 
from which it appears that they visited the farm of Bois-Vert, 
in the commune of Arles, where they found a flock of 1200 
sheep of the Merino breed, nearly all of which were attacked 
by foot-rot, some to such a degree that they could no longer 
stand, but crawled along on their knees. Fifty of these sheep 
were selected by the commission, and operated upon by M. 
Bauchiere; while twenty-four others, divided into three lots 
of eight each, were treated according to three different me¬ 
thods in common use, viz., 1, verdigris and vinegar; 2, tar, 
turpentine, hydrochloric acid, and sulphate of copper; and, 
3, calcined alum and sulphuric acid. 
M. Bauchiere’s treatment consisted in cutting away all the 
parts of the hoof which had become detached, taking care to 
draw no blood during the operation. lie then cleaned the 
surface of the sore, next moistened it with a brush dipped into 
a brownish liquid he had at hand, and, lastly, powdered it 
over with a white substance. 
Five days after the operation, the sheep treated by M. 
Beauchiere were found to be cured, while those subjected to 
the other three methods were still in a diseased state, though 
progressing favorably. M. Beauchiere’s specific is still a 
secret, but will, no doubt, be published. 
DETECTION AND ESTIMATION OF IODINE. 
M. de Luca detects minute quantities of iodine in rain and 
other waters, by precipitating them with nitrate of silver. 
The precipitate is washed and thoroughly dried, and is then 
introduced into a tube in which is also placed a small bottle 
of veiy thin glass filled with bromine vapour. The tube is 
now filled with carbonic acid gas and sealed. It is then 
