Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
PLOCACH, n. A disease of lambs, in which the ears and head swell (see quot.). Gael.Per. 1906 Scottish Farmer (9 June) 464:
We are troubled amongst our hill lambs with a disease locally known as “plocach”. The trouble usually begins in the ears, which become very much swollen, and, if not checked, extends along the back — the skin becoming quite hard — while a scab forms on the eyes. We have been using whale oil as a cure . . . The “plocach” is . . . common on some farms in Strathfillan.
