River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-02-15
House, Farm and Garden.
Blindness Among sheep.

sheep in the United States may be af.
ieeted by disease we have no means of
ascertalning, but that they are not
wholly free from eye diseases is pret-
" Wen known to most sheep breeders.
The English Agricultural Gazette, in
referring to what is technically called
"Dhnds, among sheep, says that it
sometimes occurs as an epizootic, but
more frequently appears here and
there, attacks "A few animals of the
noek' affording in its rise and progress
no indications which assist the in
qulrer in his search for the causes of
the malady. 1t has long SINCE been
remarked that sheep are peculiarly
subject to Inflammation of the mem
brane which covers the front of the
eye and lines the eyelids (conjunc.
tn
Iouatt, in his well-known work on
the sheep, published nearly 40 years
ago, remarks on this tendency, and
adds that the disease commonly goes
on to blindness. Several diseases of the
eye, as ophthalmia, cataract, and loss
OF nervous power, are all crowded in
one description as causes of blindness:
but there is no doubt that the affec-
ton which Youatt refers to as inflam-
nation of the conjunctiva, is closely
allied to, if not identical with the dis
which fhn 30
known by the term 'blinds,' or, in
scientific language, opacity of the cor
nea.
In the early stages of the affection
the symptoms are not very marked,
and it is not probable that the shep-
herd will suspect anything wrong tn
til it has so far advanced as to inter-
fere with the animal vision, and cause
it to blunder in travelling. A small
spot of opacity first appears nearly
in the center of the cornea as in many
cases, and from this point the white
cloud gradually spreads until the entire
surface of the cornea is covered and
the sheep becomes totally blind.
Opacity of the cornea is frequently
associated with Inflammation of the
membrane of the eyelid, and a puru-
lent discharge issues from the eyes,
often causing their lids to adhere to-
gether; this affection is, however, quite
distinct from the one above described
lit is, in fact, ordinary ophthalmia,
and its spreading among the flock leads
to a suspicion of infection; there is no
doubt that the discharge from the eyes
in ophthalmia of the human subject is
charged with injecting matter in a
high degree, and it is not unlikely that
the same characteristic may belong to
the disease in the sheep; but in the
case of simple opacity of cornea, I'M
accompanied with discharge, there is
no ground for refer ing the spreading
of the disease to infection.
Many speculations have been adj
vanced to account for the appearance
of the "blinds in a flock. The affec-
| ton is more common during a hot
summer than any other time, and
therefore it has been assumed that the
rays OF the sun, reflected from the
hard and heated ground, have caused
| Inflammation.
Attacks have occurred under exactly
opposite conditions, during the pre-
valence of cold winds and rain, and
the sheep which have been kept in
the most exposed situations suffer
most severely but there remains the
probability that the disease which oc
ours under the latter conditions is
more allied to opthalmia, than to the
| peculiar disease which commences by
white speck in the center of the eye
Another explanation of the occur
renee has been offered. The appear
ance of minute point of opacity in
the first instance has led to the sug-
gestion that one Of the gadhy family
has deposited an egg in this situation,
in the same way that it often does on
the skin and other parts of animals !;
and the prevalence of the disease in
the summer months gives color to this
suspicion. 1t has been asked, in re-
ference to this theory, why the mat.
ter has not been decided by the aid of
the microscope but the answer has
always been ready. In very rare
cases is the affection detected in the
first stage when it is, the eye canno.
be examined in the living animal, and
not one has thought it worth while to
sacrifice a sheep for the purpose of
seeking what is very likely to be alb
sent. The malady is not one which
threatens the animals life, and the
opportunities of post-mortem exami-
nation are therefore rare,i fact, never
prevent themselves at the time when
| they would be useful.
In the way of treatment much may
be done, for the purpose Of prevention
very little, in the absence of any def
mite ideas on the subject of causes. As
soon as the disease is detected, the
sheep should have a dose of cooling
/ medicine, 10 ouuCco VI salts II
half pint of water; the eyes should
be dressed with some styptic solution,
as sulphate Of zinc, 5 grains to an
ounce of water, or lunar caustic, 2
grains to the ounce of water. Either
solution may be applied daily for few
days, by means of a camel's hair pen
Gil. 1t will be well TO protect the dis
eased animals as much as possible from
strong light, by keeping them under
! cover until the disease is cured.
| Skating.
The following suggestions on
skating, given by the late DR.. Hall