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Diseases of Sheep

count in this matter in the Highland Society's Transactions; I did not mean to insinuate that it was with pleasure I discovered the art of curing them in this way, but only my success in that art.

I mentioned in these Transactions that when I ❘ was a shepherd boy, for a number of years I probed the skull of every sturdied sheep that I could lay my hands on, without any regard to whom they belonged, and likewise took every opportunity of visiting my patients as often as possible; and, as the country around me swarmed with them every spring and summer, my practice, of course, was of prodigious extent. It was several years before I was sensible of failing in one instance, which, however, it was often impossible to ascertain, they having left the spot sometimes before I could again go that way; but many a valuable young sheep I cured for different owners without ever acknowledging it, having no authority to try such experiments. cover.

The following symptoms, after the operation, may be depended on: If the animal becomes considerably sick, it is a good sign that it will re- If it continues to grow sicker and abstains from feeding for the space of two days, it is likely to die, and if in a condition to be fit for family use ought to be killed forthwith. The flesh of the animal is nothing the worse for this disease; on the contrary, it is universally supposed by the country people that their flesh is sweeter, more delicate and palatable than any other. This, I suppose, must be owing to their tender age, it being unusual to kill any sheep so young, save lambs.

The first symptom of recovery is their bleating. If once they begin to bleat occasionally, they are sure to recover, however stupid they may appear at that time. It seems that they are then becoming sensible of the want of society, the only thing which causes sheep to bleat, and which, for a long time previous to that they had totally disregarded. I must mention here that the most successful curer of this distemper I ever knew, performed the operation in a different manner from the one practised by me, and above recommended. Instead of a wire he carried always a large corkingpin in his bonnet, and, like me, tapped every sturdied sheep he found, but always above, putting the point of the pin through the skull at the place where it was most soft, in the same manner as the trocar is used. As this does not at all endanger the sheep's life, I frequently tried this plan previous to that of probing with the wire; but, as far as I can recollect, I never cured one by that means. I remember once conversing with him on the subject, when he told me that he seldom or never failed in curing them upon their own farms, but that in sundry neighboring farms he rarely cured any. From this it would appear that on different soils the animals are differently affected. I am now convinced that he must generally have inserted the pin so far as to penetrate the bottom of the sac, which I never had the sense to try, and which, if we reason from analogy must prove as effective and less hazardous than the other, for it appears to me that in order to insure a recovery it is necessary that the bottom or lowest part of the sac be penetrated.

Undoubtedly the best mode of curing this discase would be to extract the sac and all that it contains entirely. There is little doubt but that if this were performed by gentle and skilful hands, it would prove the most effectual cure; but as it is I can attest that it seldom proves successful.

The shepherds have not skill and ingenuity sufficient to close the skull properly up again, or in such a manner as is requisite to defend it from external injury; of course I would rather recommend the mode in which they cannot easily go wrong, and which I have seen prove most beneficial, when performed by men of like acquirements themselves." - Farmer's Magazine. To prevent the "Sturdy" or Water in the heads of Sheep.

With regard to the causes inducing water in the head of sheep, there is but one opinion entertained among shepherds, which is that it is occasioned by a chilliness in the back of the animal, on account of its being exposed to the winds, and the sleety showers of winter. These cause it to acquire a kind of numbness and torpidity, which, if often repeated, are apt to terminate in an affection to giddiness, and finally in a water in the head.

That the disease is occasioned solely by a chilliness in the back, appears from the following facts: 1. It is always most general after a windy and sleety winter. 2. It is always most destructive on farms that are ill sheltered, and on which the sheep are most exposed to those blasts and showers. 3. It preys only on sheep rising their first year, the wool of whom separates above, leaving the back quite exposed to the wet and to the cold. 4. If a piece of cloth or hide is sewed to the wool, so as to cover the back, such a sheep will not be affected with the disease. The experiment is a safe, a cheap, and an easy one; and, exclusive of its good effects in preventing the fatal disease under consideration, it is more beneficial to a young sheep that is not over-high in condition, and administers more to its comfort during the winter than any other that I know of. It keeps the wool from opening, and the sheep always dry and warm on the back; which, exposed to cold, either in man or beast, it is well known, affects the vitals materially. When thus shielded, the young sheep will feed straight in the wind on the worst days, without injury, and, indeed, without much regarding the weather. This covering keeps them from the rain, prevents them from being shelled and loaded with frozen snow, and from destruction by cold, by leanness, and the water in the head.

The expense attending it is so trifling, that it is scarcely worth mentioning. One pair of old blankets will furnish coats for forty sheep; and if these are carefully taken off on the return of spring, and laid aside, they will serve the same purpose for two or three successive years.

Practice of the Spanish Shepherds.

The first care of the shepherd on coming to the to give to his ewes as much salt as they will eat. spot where his sheep are to spend the summer, is For this purpose he is provided with twenty-five consumed in less than five months; but they eat quintals of salt for every thousand head, which is of giving it to them is as follows: The shepherd none on their journey or in winter. The method places fifty or sixty flat stones about five steps distance from each other. He strews salt upon each stone, then leads his flock slowly through the stones, and every sheep eats at pleasure. This is frequently repeated, observing not to let them stone. When they have eaten the salt they are eat on those days in any spot where there is limespot where there is limeled led to some argillaceous spots, where, from the they have acquired, they devour everything they meet with, and return again to the salt with redoubled ardor.

Cure of Dropsy in the Crops of Young Turkeys. "This kind of dropsy is announced by a dull look, paleness of the head, loss of appetite, and aversion to food. The birds allow themselves to be approached and seized with facility, and they are without strength. Very soon a slight swelling of the crop is added to these symptoms, which in ten days becomes very considerable. I have taken nearly a pint of water from one. By pressing upon the crops of some of them a certain quantity of matter is discharged by the bill, but never enough entirely to ease the crop. All these symptoms increase, and the bird dies at the end of fifteen or eighteen days' illness.

I sought after the cause of this disorder, and it was easy to find that it was occasioned by the stagnant water of which these animals had drunk; in the course of the year the heat had been great, and there was little rain. The heat had hatched a vast swarm of small red worms, resembling ascarides. It is quite certain that these insects must have been swallowed by the turkeys, and from this cause, and the bad quality of the water which they had drunk a great degree of inflammation in the crop would ensue, with a stoppage of the passage which conducts to the gizzard. I divided the turkeys into two classes; for those who were still sound I ordered grain and good water; with all that were diseased I practised the operation of tapping with a lancet, in the lowest part of the crop. I injected at the opening, by means of a small syringe, a slight decoction of Jesuit's bark, mixed with a little brandy; which was repeated twice in the course of the day. Next day the wound was better marked. I made again the same injection, and two hours after, I forced them to eat a little of the yolk of an egg, mixed with some crumbs of bread. At the end of three days the wound in the crop was closed; which I might have prevented, but finding a natural opening in the bill, I made them take, during eight days, in their drink the same substance which had been injected; and they were, by degrees, put on their usual diet. I need not add that clear water was given them, instead of that of the standing pools.

Ten of these animals had died before my arrival; two perished during the treatment, and the rest of the flock, which might be about forty, either escaped the disease or were cured." -M. Ligneau.

To cure Colds of every description in Cattle.

The first attempt should be to remove the cause, by giving to the animal a warm cordial drink; which, acting as a stimulant on the stomach and intestines, will give fresh motion to these parts, and enable nature to resume her former course.

Take of sweet fennel-seeds and cummin-seeds, each 2 ounces, in powder; long pepper, turmeric, ginger each 1 ounce, in powder. Mix for one drink.

The method of giving this drink is as follows:

Put it into a pitcher with 2 cunces of fresh butter and 2 tablespoonsful of treacle or coarse sugar; then pour one quart of boiling ale upon the whole; cover them down till new-milk warm, and then give the drink to the beast.

In two hours after giving the drink let the animal have a good mash made of scalded bran, or ground malt, with a handful or two of ground oats or barley meal added to it, and warm water that day. In slight colds, during the summer, these drinks may be given to cattle while in their pasture; and, where it can be made convenient, let them fast two hours after, and then graze as usual. It is also necessary to examine the sick animals every day, to watch them while they both dung and stale, and to see whether the body be of a proper heat and the nose or muzzle of a natural breeze.

If these be regular there is not much danger.

If, however, feverish symptoms should appear (which frequently happens), the animal will become costive. In such cases give one of the following: Purging Drink.

Take of Glauber salts, 1 pound; ginger, in powder, 2 ounces; treacle, 4 ounces. Put all the ingredients into a pitcher and pour 3 pints of boiling water upon them. When newmilk warm give the whole for one dose. Another.

Take of Epsom salts, 1 pound; anise-seeds and ginger, in powder, each 2 ounces; treacle, 4 ounces.

Let this be given in the same manner as the preceding.

In most cases these drinks will be sufficient to purge a full-grown animal of this kind. By strict attention to the above method of application, a fever may be prevented, and the animal speedily restored.

If the fever continue, after the intestines have been evacuated (which is seldom the case), it will be proper to take some blood from the animal, and the quantity must be regulated according to the disease and habit of body.

To cure the Yellows or Jaundice in Neat Cattle.

As soon as the disease makes its first appearance, it may, for the most part, be removed by administering the following drink: Reduce to powder cummin-seeds, anise-seeds, and turmeric root, each 2 ounces; grains of paradise, and salt of tartar, each 1 ounce. Now slice 1 ounce of Castile soap, and mix it with 2 ounces of treacle; put the whole into a pitcher, then pour a quart of boiling ale upon the ingredients, and cover them down till new-milk warm, then give the drink. It will often be proper to repeat this, two or three times, every other day, or oftener if required. If the beast be in good condition, take away from two to three quarts of blood; but the animal should not be turned out after bleeding that day, nor at night, but the morning following it may go to its pasture as usual. After this has had the desired effect, let the following be given:

Take of balsam copaiva, 1 ounce; salt of tartar, 1 ounce; Castile soap, 2 ounces. Beat them together in a marble mortar; and add of valerian root, in powder, 2 ounces; ginger root and Peruvian bark, in powder, each 1 ounce; treacle, 2 ounces.

Mix for one drink.

Let this drink be given in a quart of warm gruel, and repeated if necessary every other day. It will be proper to keep the body sufficiently open through every stage of the disease; for if costiveness be permitted, the fever will increase, and if not timely removed, the disorder will terminate fatally.

Frenzy, or Inflammation of the Brain, Is sometimes occasioned by wounds or contusions in the head, that are attended with violent inflammations of the vessels, and if not speedily relieved, may terminate in a gangrene or a mortification, which is very often the case, and that in a few days.

Method of Cure.

In the cure of this disease, the following method must be attended to :- First lessen the quantity of blood by bleeding, which may be repeated if required, and by which the great efflux of blood upon the temporal arteries will be lessened and much retarded. The following purgative drink