1848. 
THE CULTIVATOR 
349 
Disease in Sheep. 
In the October number, page 322, of the Cultivator , 
your correspondent seeks for information in relation to 
a disease that has proved very fatal among his sheep, 
and for which you also seek a remedy. 
I vi ill first endeavor to explain the functions of the 
parts involved in the disease, their location, and the in¬ 
dications of cure. The seat of the disease is in the 
mucous membrane, which is a continuation of the ex¬ 
ternal skin, folded into all the orifices of the body, as 
the mouth, eyes, nose, ears, lungs, stomach, intestines 
and bladder; its structure of arterial capillaries, veins, 
arteries, nerves, &c.,is similar to the external skin; its 
most extensive surfaces are those of the lungs and in¬ 
testines, the former of which is supposed to be greater 
than the whole external surface of the body. 
The healthy office of this membrane, is to furnish 
from the blood of a fluid called mucous, to lubricate its 
own surface and protect it from the action of materials 
taken into the system. The mucous membrane and 
the external surface of the body, seem to be a 
counterpart of each other, and perform nearly the same 
offices; hence if the action of one is suppressed, the 
other commences the performance of its office; thus a 
cold which closes the skin immediately stops the per¬ 
spiration, which is now forced through the mucous mem¬ 
brane, producing the discharge of watery humors, pus 
intermixed with blood, dry cough, emaciation, See., al¬ 
luded to by Mr. Ferris. There are two varieties of 
this disease; the first is called common catarrh , which 
proceeds from cold taken in pasture that is not proper¬ 
ly drained, also from atmospheric changes; it may also 
proceed from acrid or other irritating effluvia inhaled in 
the air, or from poisonous substances taken in the sto¬ 
mach in the form of food. The second variety and the 
one to which Mr. F. may ascribe the loss of his sheep, 
is called Epidemic Influenza, and is produced by gene¬ 
ral causes; the attack is sometimes sudden; although of 
nearly the same nature as the first form, it is more ob¬ 
stinate, and the treatment must be more energetic. It 
is very difficult to lay down correct rules for the treat¬ 
ment of this malady, under its different forms and sta¬ 
ges; the principal object to be kept in view is to equal¬ 
ize the circulation, remove the irrritating causes from 
the organs affected, and restore the tone of the system. 
For this purpose, we make use of the following arti¬ 
cles: Take 
1 oz. of Horehound, 
1 u Marshmallow, 
1 “ powdered Elecampane, 
£ u “ Liquorice, 
■§ tea spoon full powdered Cayenne, 
2 table spoons full Molasses, 
2 “ 11 Vinegar. 
Mix, pour on the whole one quart of boiling water, 
set it aside for two hours, then strain through cotton 
cloth, and give a table spoon full night and morning-* 
If the bowels are constipated, a dose of linseed oil 
should precede the mixture; no water should be allow¬ 
ed during the treatment. 
The following injection may be used night and morn¬ 
ing: take, 
1 oz. of powdered Bayberry bark, 
4 “ “ Gum Arabic, 
1 pint of boiling water. 
Stir occasionally while cooling and strain as above. 
The legs and ears should be briskly rubbed with tinc¬ 
ture of capsicum; this latter acts as a counter irritant, 
equalizes the circulation, and entering into the system, 
gives tone and vigor to the whole animal economy. G. 
H. Dadd, M. D. Boston , Oct. 9, 1848. 
*This preparation undergoes a process of fermentation in the 
course of forty-eight hours, therefore should only be made in suffi¬ 
cient quantities for present use. 
Kentucky Wild Lands. 
Kentucky grazing lands are as good as any in the 
world. This is acknowledged by all who have any prac¬ 
tical acquaintance with them. What can surpass the 
blue grass pastures of the regions around Maysville, 
Paris, Lexington, Frankfort and Louisville ? Eastern 
men are prone to seek a grazing rather than a planting 
region as the field of their operations, and some are 
now turning their attention to the wild lands of Ken¬ 
tucky, as affording a better opportunity of investment 
than the prairies of the West. In Kentncky, wild lands 
adapted to grazing, can be purchased at from 50 ets. to 
$10 per acre—good lands, at an average of $2peracre. 
Go up the Licking, towards Frankfort, or up the Ohio, 
and this can be done. And on a well selected location, 
the timber on the land for lumber purposes, is worth ten 
times the cost of the purchase money. Let an enterpri¬ 
sing New England farmer, with a little capital to start 
upon, purchase a tract of land in the neighborhood of any 
great thoroughfare—as either of these rivers—and 
erect on the premises a good saw mill, to be operated 
by steam or water power , and the mill will make money 
rapidly for him, in preparing lumber for market—and 
there is always a good market at Cincinnati—while at 
at the same time it is clearing his land, for grazing. 
Thousands and thousands of aeres of land are lying 
within 100 miles of Cincinnati, which, when cleared 
and in grass, will be worth from $10 to $20 per acre— 
and the lumber will pay for clearing the land, and leave 
a handsome profit besides. And why should not New 
England men take up these lands rather than go on to 
the prairies of the wide west ? No healthier region of 
country exists in the known world. There are few or 
no slaves to be found there, and it is fully believed that 
Kentucky will be a free state on the gradual emancipa¬ 
tion plan within five years—so that slavery will be no 
objection. There is the Marshall tract—25.000 acres, 
opposite and below Portsmouth—the Triplett tract, not 
far from Maysville, and other tracts where eligible 
purchases might be made. A simple ashery will pay 
all expense of clearing, provided no use is made of tim¬ 
ber for lumber purposes. As a matter of illustration 
we might refer to the operations of the Kinniconick 
Railroad and Mill Company. 
This company was chartered March 1, 1848, by the 
Kentucky Legislature, and went into immediate opera¬ 
tion. The land had been previously purchased by three 
members of the present company, and stocked with 
choice sheep, with the view of raising wool and sheep 
for sale. The Company have built a railroad running 
back from Vanceburgh, Ky., about seven miles—into 
their timber tract, consisting of about 16,000 acres. 
At the extreme end of the road, and on the bank of 
the Kinniconick—a little river—they have built a mill 
35 by 100 feet, to be worked by steam, capable of sawing 
10,000 feet per day. The mill has three engines, one 
for driving a single saw, one for driving a gang of 18 
saws, and one for driving any other machines the com¬ 
pany may erect. All these engines are of high power. 
The saw-dust, together with a portion of the slabs, 
make all the steam required. The lumber when sawed 
at the mill is worth on the average, $10 per thousand, 
and will sell in market for $12.50 and upwards. 
Stave-dressing machines are to be connected with the 
mill, and circular saws for sawing a portion of the slabs 
into lath. The company have fenced in 2,000 acres of 
land in the neighborhood of the mill, from which they 
are now sawing the lumber—and many portions of this 
tract are worth $50 an acre for sawing purposes alone. 
The company now have about 500 acres cleared, and 
mostly set in grass. They have also on the premises 
about 1000 head of choice sheep, besides some cattle 
and horses. Wood from their land sells for $3.50 per 
