The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-10-29 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE ODMIIVER.

had nothing the malt,' w i heni They were fed on.
good swedes. Up to the ti..ie that Mr. Brooks game to
see them there was nothing the matter with them. I
remember Brooks coming with Nash one day. He told
me to pen the sheep up on Monday evening, as he was
going to dress them in the morning. I penned them up.
The following morning Brooke came and dressed them.
tie rubbed • quantity of ointment on their hind quarters,
' bellies, and backs, and cut their tails off. The tails bled
very freely. Defendant did not tell me there was any.
thing the matter with them. I opened the wool. The
skin appeared clean. It wee every wet day. I asked him
if the weather would not hurt them. He said, "No,"
the wool would prevent them being hurt. He gave me
no directiond. When they were dressed defendant told
me to bone them, mid they went into the field. Defend-
aut was present at the time. They were not all dressed
the same day. Theme which were not dressed were
penned up until the next morning. Did not give me any
directions to pen them up. It woo wet both days. The
sheep appearol very bad after. They crept about. They
did not look well. I complained to Mr. Collis. Our
South Down died. It sickened limn the time of the
dressing. Some of the Welsh sheep died after. They
were put into a shed, and afterwards examined by James
Clarke, a betels'. I after took some sheep to Mr. Blake.
wsy's. The sheep fell off from the time they we•
dressed. Before they were dressed Mr. Nash and Bri. A
e,iid the sheep were looking well. The field is a ,
one. Defendant is a castrator. I after saw Brooks in
Stourbridge. He asked me if ever Nash bought or sold
anything for Mr. Collis. I told him he never did. He
asked me how the sheep were going. I told, him I had
, just brought one to Mr. Blakeway. He asked used there
were any tieks apron them. I said, "Tea." Was previ-
ously in the employ of Mr. Falter. He used to keep
I his favourite sheep in that field.
Cron.-examined: Nash used to come to the Castle
some times. He did not give me any instructions about
. the pip or sheep. Hinton did not come to rue and corn.
plain about the sheep scratching themselves. Never
spoke about them. Nash and Brooks did catch a sheep
in my presence, and examine it. Be dressed it with
what he called a strong ointment. He did not tell Mb
, he was dressing them for the scab. Plaintiff asked me
when he came from London what was the matter with
I the sheep. I did not tell him first. Plaintiff did not
have • horse sleek in the field. Mr. Foster once had •
horse in the gutter.
James Clarks deposed: I sin • butcher, in the employ
of Mr. Brooks. butcher. In February lest,l etamined a
South Down dead sharp. There were no slime whatever
. of their having the scab. I have dressol sheep that
have died with the scab. The skin is very difficult to get
off. There were no marks of scab on the sheep that I
dreamed. The skin came off esay, and looked healthy.
The tail was cut off, and was fall of inflammation and
gathering
. .

w- Cross-examined: If the sheep had the gush slight and
was cured. I should cxpeat the skin to come oil easily.
If the sheep bad been Messed with
strong ointment tim skin would come off hard, and show
signs of scab. _ _

Pointe-sergeant Baldwin deposed I am sergeant of
police, and loeal inspector of the Cattle Council. From
information received I went to Mr. Collis on the 17th
February, at Stourton Castle. It any scab disease is
discernible I report it to the local authority. I went to
the sheep and examined them. There were no signs of
the scab. Never told plaintiff I was coming. I after-
wards saw Mr. Nash. Did not make any report to the
local authority. 'there was no occasion for it. On the
Nth of May I went to the defendant, and had a conversa-
tion with him. He misted me if I would gonad nay what
I had heard at the White Hart, on the 17th February,
and if I had not reported it to the local authorities. I
told him "No." The reason was because Brooks told me
the sheep had not got the scab.
I did examine the sheep Not evivy oi.e. There woo
no sign of scab. I know what the ,cab is, and helped
so dress them for it. Hinton was not is the field. He
told me he knew nothing about sheep, and directed we
to go to Nash's. He told me the sheep had not got 0.4
scab, and they were all right. Mr. Brooks also said the
sheep were all nest.
James Taylor, shepherd for thirty years, said : I was
shepherd for Mr. Harward, and for 21 years to Mr.
Foster. Used to pasture the sheep in the field of plain-
tiff, for a change. D is good land. and well sheltered.
If sheep had scab I should dress them in tiue weather.
If sheep were dressed with mercurial ointment tiny
would be liable to take cold. If sheep were dres,d in
February it would be enough for them to bear, without
cutting their tails off. .

Crol:s•examined I never cut the tails of sheep, only
lambs. It would injure them.
Francis Blakewav deposed : I am a veterinary surgeon,
and member of the College of Surgeons. Been in prac-
tice for more than 20 years. On the 4th of May made •
post motion examination of two Sheep for Mr. Collie.
The cause of their death waa the application of acme
irritant oiatment to the skin. The skin was inflamed an
the two sheep I examined. There was not the least sign
of scab. I well understand the scab. It was mercurial
ointment that was used ; but it most be used with great
care. If used in wet weather, it would be more danger.
ons. Mercury has a tendency to open the pores, and
render the applicant more susceptible to take eold.
Mercury prevents the skin secreting the oil. I after
went on the sth of March, aud inspected the whole flock.
One effect of mercury is that it causes salivutiou, and
Loosen. the With. When sheep are st-ffering from scab,
it is not neceseary to use mercurial ointment. There
are two kinds of ointment; one mild, the other strong
he strong ought not ever to have beeu used. I had the
whole of the sheep brought into the peufold. They were
•11 prostrated. Several of them were purging and stiffer.
lug from fetid breath, and the teeth loose, which were
symptoms of salivation ; and I have no hesitation in Noy -
lug that the cause Of death was the use of ineicury.
eallined the dead sheep. Ou taking the skins off they
came off easily. That would not have been so if the
sheep bad the aeal. Trace, of the scab would be diseer.
ankle internally for weeks and months after. Bid not see
any symptoms whatever of the stab. Th• skin after the
scab is indented, and it leave. • similar mark to small-
pox. If the sheep were free in September it is quite
inapoasible for it to lay dormant till February. I have
eeen inspector for the district said part of Staffordshire ;
but the police are now inspectors.
. . . . .

Crose'examined: I have dressed many sheep belonging
to other men, besides my own; but I generally prescribe
as the farmers would not pay my charges. I did say on
the last occasion if the sheep had the scab very mild,
there would be no traces. I examined ten sheep. Found
no appearance of scab. Know the field where the sheep
are kept. It would not be injurious to turn the cheep
into that field; but it would injure them to turn them
out after being dressed, in wet weather.
Thia concluded the case for ihe plaintiff.
Mr. Stokes then addressed the jury for the defem e,
and pointed out that the plaintiff was a rich men, while
the defendant was poor, and that no stone bed been left
unturned to bring tue case home to the defendant. The
plaintiff wanted the money back defendant had worked
for, and to make him pay for the loss lie had sustained in
his sheep. This was moat unfair. He should prove
beyond doubt by a number of witnesses that the aheep
were suffering from the scab; that the treameut of the
defendant was right; and that the death of the sheep
was caused through the negligence of plaintiff's servants
in throwing them out into a wet, boggy field. Mr
Brooks was well known throughout the district and county
ass sheep doctor, and had cured thousand and thousands
of cheep. He ie employed by all the respectable fanu-rs
in the district, and i.• practical man, and not a man of
theory and words. He hid practised as a sheep doctor
for more than 20 years; and he should ask the jury to
give his cl.ent a verdict, and not one for the plaintiff, for
by doing the latter it would injure him for life in his
busine.s. He condemned the conduct of plaintiff, as
unworthy of a gentleman, in trying to injure the charac•
ter of the defendant, by bringing that case against hint,
E. Nasty said; I am a farmer at Stourton, proprie.or
of the Foley Arm. Hotel, which is close to Mr. Ceilis's
premises. Have been in the habit of going to the castle
where Mr. Collis reside.. Used to draw his coals and
cultivate an. land. Recollect having aeonversation with
him in the month of January. Directed me to put a
man to mind his sheep and cows. Set a lean named
Southall on. He was to act under my orders. Mr. (A-
ft, asked me to look after tlm aneek. Did go and look
at them. Plaintiff bought some sheep at a sale at Mrs.
Cosier's, at Oldswinford. I looked at them, and found
they had got the scab. It was in consequence of infor-
maiion game' as that I examined the sheep. Hinton
and Southall rams to my house; but Hinton gave me the
information. I told Mr. Collis that Mr. Cox had said
that if the sheep got on to his ground be should bring an
action against Mr. Collis. Mr. Collis then asked me to
get some man who understood the business to cure them.
Mentionea defendant', name to him, and plaintiff said
you had better get him, and have them dressed. Saw
-Mr. Collis • few days after and lie said " Yoe hayn't got
those sheep deemed ' 1 said, "No." and he said "Why
the d—l h•vn't you ? ' Rent the next morning to defend
aut. When he came I went up to plaintiff's farm with
defendant. Fetched me or two of the sheep. Defend•
ant said they had got the scab. Told him to dress the
sheep. Heard defendant tell Southall to pen the sheep
up the night before he came to dress them. Southall
knew what weethe matt, with the sheep. Heard Brooks
tell Southall to pen them up the night after they were
dressed. Saw Brooke some time after. He came to eee
if the sheep were dressed. Went with him to Mr. Collis.
He examined the eheop, and said they sere all right.
Have had • conversation with Police-sergeant Baldwin
Saw him about the 12th of February. The sheep were
dressed on the Ist and 2nd of February. Nuow the
land where the sheep were turned in. The top part of
the land is good, bat the bottom iv very muddy and
marshy. Have kept sheep for four years. Brooks has ,
dresied sheep for me in the same way in which Mr. Col.
he's were dressed, Should not be likely to be mistaken
as to the scab. Will swear that the sheep examined by
Brooks, and belonging to Mr. Collis, had the scab.
Crusa-examined Am • maltster. Was first evoker' to
about the sheep in January. Have done several things
for Mr. Collis, and he has always paid for them honour.
ably. Will swear I saw plaintiff after the sheep were
dressed. He did not complain of the sheep being dreg.
sed without his knowledge. Remember Baldwin comiog
to see use. He asked rue if I had heard of the sheep
having the sash; but I did not say "scab be 1--d."
If the sheep are properly dressed they are soon cured.
Have often seen the sheep in the boggy part of the field.
The wool was coming off about ten of the sheep.
It any one had seen the sheep in the latter part of Feb-
ruary they could hsve /men where they had lost their
wool through the scab. I could see it from the other
side of the brook. There was • lot of wool about the
park. Gave no instructions to Brooks shout the fails.
It is better for sheep of three or tour years to hare their
onto!,

lte:;:amined by Mr. Stokes : Saw Mr. Collis picking
up eome of the wool in the field.
By the Judge: Do not know any one who cuts the tails
of the sheep when they an about three or four years of
Me. The ones that I cut of my own were this year',
lambs.

Thomas Brooks said: I am defendant in this action,
and am a cattle doctor. Have bed 22 years experience
In that business. Was apprenticed to it. Have attended
great quantities of sheep. In the month of January I
went to plaintiff'. house. Saw Mr. Nash, who took me to
see the sheep. Examined them. It was on the 19th of
Janne/. Mr. Nash fetched Southall and Hinton to look
up the sheep. I examined them, and Dant they had the
acab. Toll Mr. Nash 3 would be a week before I could
dress them. Mr. Nash asked me how it was 1 bad not
dressed the sheep. I bested them on the lit and 2nd
"WM& nil ail ilia mil as. lissi k.l4atbs