224 ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. 
resident minister, and an old member of the Society, who 
stated that f more than half of the sheep had died, or been 
sent off to be slaughtered at Plymouth.’ 
It was suspected that the animals were suffering from 
‘ rot/ but a doubt existed on this point with regard to many 
of them, in consequence of the statements made with re¬ 
ference to the condition of the body after death. An investi¬ 
gation of the symptoms satisfied me that the disease was rot 
in its most malignant form, and the doubt referred to I 
found to have had its origin in a want of knowledge of even 
the most simple parts of the animal frame. 
(S As I found indications of the disease in all the animals 
to a greater or less extent, without reference to their age, and 
as many were ewes in lamb, I deemed it prudent to select on 
the different farms some for slaughtering, with a view 7 to 
determine if the individual proprietors would be justified in 
keeping them a sufficient time to produce and rear their 
lambs. In every case, I regret to say, that such was the 
advanced state of the malady that I could not advise any 
other course being taken besides'that of disposing of the 
animals at a low price as quickly as possible. 
“ Inquiries since made show the propriety of this course, 
and it will appear from a report and details of particulars, 
furnished by Mr. Kingdom and attached hereto, that where 
the recommendation was not acted on the animals are being 
swept daily away by death. This parish forms no exception, 
unfortunately, to the existence of rot among the sheep ; and 
it is a serious thing to contemplate the great amount of loss 
which the country as a whole will sustain from the disease. 
Few districts can be found perfectly free from the malady ; but 
especially does it prevail on wet, cold, and undrained lands. 
“ Late investigations into the natural history of the 
entozoon—the river fluke—on the presence of which in great 
numbers within the biliary ducts the disease depends, would 
cherish the hope that ere long preventive means may be 
adopted to limit their development, and thus save the lives of 
many of our sheep.—(Signed) James Be art Simonds, 
Vetri nary Inspector.” 
ADDENDUM BY MR. K1NGD0N. 
Bridgerule is a small parish divided into small farms. 
Farmers keep a few breeding ewes, and send many of their 
early lambs to the butcher. They buy later lambs from 
colder districts, and keep them round from August to April. 
Many do this who do not keep breeding ewes. All those in 
the column of the annexed table, headed “ lost, or sold at 
a reduced price,” were in a bad state. The farmers must 
