352 
THOMAS WALLEY. 
but, judging from its characters, I am of opinion that it is due 
either to a depraved condition of the blood as the result of inju¬ 
dicious management, to irritation of the stomach and bowels, to a 
microscopic parasite acting locally, or to some parasitic product, 
such as ergot, acting systemically. 
Like eczema it is ordinarily of a mild character, but if neg¬ 
lected it may lead to deep-seated and destructive inflammation of 
the involved organs; ultimately producing death by exhaustion or 
by blood poisoning. 
The disease makes its appearance at the outset as a painful 
circumscribed swelling on the coronet or lip, or both. In due 
course ulceration of the skin results and an angry looking sore, 
associated with considerable thickening of the surrounding tis¬ 
sues, is formed. If properly treated this sore quickly heals, but 
if irritated by dirt or other material it takes on unhealthy action, 
spreads to surrounding tissues, and becomes very intractable. 
The measures recommended in reference to eczema should be 
also adopted in dealing with this affection. 
Of the extraordinary diseases believed to be due to fission or 
cleft fungi, we have two forms, viz., those which are non-contagious 
and those which are contagious. The former are mainly the 
class of disease marked by putrefaction and blood poisoning 
(septicaemia), and which have already been largely alluded to. 
Contagious diseases proper, peculiar to sheep in this country, are 
fortunately few. So far as we know, they are largely exempt 
from consumption (tuberculosis), from glanders and from pleuro¬ 
pneumonia ; they are, however, highly susceptible, though only 
, secondarily, to foot-and-mouth disease, to malignant catarrh, to 
dysentery and to anthrax. 
Malignant catarrh is often very destructive to hill sheep, es¬ 
pecially in bad seasons, and it is very intractable. Beginning, 
apparently, as a simple cold, it is quickly followed by destruc¬ 
tive inflammation of the lining of the nostrils and ulceration, 
which is again succeeded by abscesses in the glands of the face 
and throat, and in the lungs; and, if the animal lives long 
enough, by emaciation and diarrhoea. The particular form of 
fungi or germs to which it is due have not yet been recognized, 
