Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-07-02
Mortality among sheep.

aiihHE hhiAti- 'Ht
of March and April oi the present spring.
In some cases the loss has reached as high
as ten per cent, In others much less, though
still large compared with former years
The number lost in some Of the best iiocks
varies from ten 10 twenty-five, u number
equal TO all that have died from such
ilocks in as many years.
Whether these losses are the result Of
/ the same cause or not, we are not able 10
state, but from such opportunities rs we
i have had 10 inform ourself, we feel quite
confident that most, II not all the deaths
i that have occurred in this vicinity are
4 from the same cause.
/ As We are among the sufferers. we have
made somewhat careful observation upon
a number of eases both before and after
death, with view of aScertaining the ma
ture OF the disease.
We believe the malady is confined most
10 yearling bucks, though there are eases
of all ages and both sexes
/ The most unaccountable feature about
/ the disease is, that IT seems quite as likely
/ To attack animals that are apparently
sound and in first rate condition as those
that are poor and feeble.
4 Two or three in our own flock, that have
been cared Tor AS well as sheep can be,
have died within twenty-iour hours after
the first symptoms of arrangement have
been noticed. One yearing buck, which
at night looked as though he was able to
fight his way with any animal OF equal
pounds that could be produced, in the
morning was dead. Several cases in our
lpeighbor's focks have occurred of simi-
lar nature, death sudden and unaccount-
able, without any premonition or warn
ing.
But more generally the animal refuses
his food, or seems too much exhausted to
!, walk across the pen 10 get it, If noticed
at this time. il may be coaXed TO take a
little food. but win soon 90 away by its
self and lie down. Ii shows disinelina-
ton 10 move, or only NOPE about the
pen, hanging its head in a cardls~s sleepy
manner. ~s '
The eyes become duh and heavy, giving
out a glptiaous secretion. The discharge
from the nose becomes quite profuse, and
form hard, gummy rim around the nos
! tril The breathing is rapid and labored
especially if the animal is made to NOV,
around, and the heart will beat from on,
hundred and thirty to one hundred
and sixty times a minute. A careful look
will show that the nose and lips have be-
: come blanched and bloodless they are lit
orally as white as snow. The innerside
5 of the lips, the gums, tongue, and in fact
the whole inside of the mouth will be
found to have taken the same ashy pale.
ness, An examination of the skin of any
part Of the body will show the SAINT
blanched condition.
Taking an animal in this condition
e which we were sure would die, We insti
: tuted a series of experiments, to see
anv blood could be found near the surfac,
, of the body
With lance We made openings through
: the skin in various places. deep down in
TO the sub-cutaneous tissue but not tn,
slightest trace of blood could be found
though the heart was going at the rate o
one hundred and forty strokes a minute
We next. made an opening in the thigh
:, and cut deep down into the large mus
] clos of the part, but no blood followed the
: part any more than if we had been cut.
: ting a mutton steak from carcass that
had been butchcred two days since. W.
next slit open one of the ears, but
with the same bloodless result as though
he had struck the blade through this piece
: of paper. Next placing the animal III d
: favorable position, we opened the arterie.
in the neck. The result was the escape
of about four ouLces of watery blood-it
could not be called bloody water. \,
one could have said that any blood had
been poured on tie ground when tn,
bleeding has been performed.
The post m0rtem appearance of these
cases is such as might be anticipated from
the above facts. In cutting open a car
cass, not blood enough is found To stain {
knifc-blade. Every organ in the body
brains, lungs, liver heart and kidneys Is
: perfectly sound The same is true OF al
the membranes. The mucous membrane
lining the usual passages is free from any
, sign of irritation, and the tissue of lungs
liver, heart and kidneys is firm and
sound
No coagulum iclotted blood is found in
: the heart or large arteries. A little eoag'
ulated bood is found in the large veins
All the watery blood that can be fount
by opening the heart t'and large arteries o
an animal not ten minutes dead will no
: exceed four ounces The lungs and hear
: as well as the liver look exactly as though
t they had lain in pail of cold water fo
, twelve hours. And the entire appearance
of the whole carcass is just what 1t would
be if the animal had been most careful
ly and th, roughly bled.
; Here, then, is the pathology of the dis.
ease--the blood turns to water and passe'
off, and the animal dies precisely as. il
would if gradually bled.
Now for the cause. That we confess i,
; beyond us We hope some one more
: skilled in observing diseases OF animal,
than ourself will give us clue to this.
At this writing we have six yearling
bucks with marked symptoms Of thi,
bloodless condition, and we are treating
them with the muriatcd tincture of iron
The results we will give hereafter Dr
Boynton, IN Mirror.
) JUDGE STEELE's CHARGE-Th June
term Of the Orleans County Court com.
menced its session at Irasburgh on Tues.
day last The Newport Express gives the
following summary Of Judge Steele's
charge to the grand and petit jury:
The Judge charged the grand jurors, in
appropriate and choice language, in re-
gard to their duties, particularly in rela.
4 ton TO the law and amount of evidence
/ necessary to the finding of indictments.
> He gave them strictly in charge to per-
form their whole duty regardless OF love
or fear. He also called to mind the fact
that. it is within the province of the grand
: jury to inquire into the facts regarding
o the payment Of the State school tax by the
several towns and in relation to the
l. United States deposits, and also the man
:. ner in which roads are maintained, and il