New Zealand Department of Agriculture.

Manawatu Herald, 8 February 1894, Page 2

New Zealand Department of Agriculture.

BLOOD-POISONING IN LAMBS AFTER CUTTING AND TAILING, Intebim Report. Last spring I was requested to investigate this disease, which is and has in former years been the cauße of considerable mortality amongst lambs in the districts of Balclutha and Wyndham, in Otago. In some cases I found the number of deaths as high as 10 to 12 per cent. I investigated the matter, so far as I was able at the time, with the following results: — Generally the first thing that draws the owner's attention seriously to the condition of his flock, is the discovery, in from thirty-six to forty- eight hours after operating, of a few dead lambs lying in various parts of the paddocks. Next morn* ing he finds a few more dead, and i so on for three or four days, when as a rule, the mortality ceases. Symptoms.— On account of the gregarious habits of the sheep, an ailing animal, unless exhibiting very

violent symptoms, is easily over- j looked. In the early stages of this disease the animal seems listless, ' disinclined to move about or to suck i . the mother, and, if tho sun is shining j strongly, prefers to lie in the shade. | If forced to move, the hiud leg.s are drawn forward with a peculiar stiff, dragging motion, as if there were no \ joints. There are slight muscular ! tremors all over the body, which become spasmodic as the disease progresses. If the flock be driven ' about much, the diseased animal soon shows signs of great fatigue, ultimately dropping to the ground thoroughly exhausted. The brealhis fast and painful, being maintained more by a series of spasmodic jerks than by any regular act. The pulse is quick and weak ; the temperature is very high, registering 10G degrees to 108 degrees Fahr., showing acute fever ; the eyes close, and the whole face is expressive of great pain. Gradually the spasni3 cease, and coma sets in, resulting in death. As a rule, until just before death, there is no local swelling, &c. ; but then, or immediately after death, the scrotum (bag) and surrounding skin right along the floor of the abdomen and between the hind legs get swollen and black. This gangreuous tissue, when present before death, can be peeled off without pain to the animal. On post mortem examination various conditions are met with. The animals are generally found to be amongst the best of the flock, and in fairly-good condition. The serotal and perimel regions (between hind legs and below tail) are always, or almost always, gangrenous, thi3 condition extending along to the floor of the chest, and sometimes - implicating the tail. Many of the muscles, generally those of the shoulders, haunches, and loins, are dark in colour and infiltrated with a black watery fluid. The intestines are generally healthy, though sometimes the peritoneum is inflamed, spleen and liver are in the usual condition after death due to febrile disturbance. In the chest, either the pleura (coverings of the lungs) or pericardium (covering of tho heart) are nearly always inflamed, ■with a fibrinous exudation, causing the surfaces to adhere. Th.6 cause of the disease is undoubtedly a micro-organism, which gains entrance to the blood by the open wound at the tail or scrotum. This is proved by the fact that the disease can be transmitted from one janimal to another by inoculation. :^The question is, Where does the disease come from ? From either a j dirty yard or dirty land. For my ! own part, I am more inclined to | believe that the latter is the more \ common source of infection, because i I have seen cases of the disease where animals were not operated \ upon in a yard, and other cases ■ where the yards were apparently , perfectly clean. The most common ; narbours for bacteria of this nature j are the swamps and boggy creeks \ abounding in many farms, but any ; ill-drained land seems to be suitable ; for their development. Now, take ; thi3 in relation to the lambs. Those j which seem to be most weakened by j the operation of cutting, &c, are the ] oldest lambs, and they naturally re- I tire to some cool place in the shade, I where they can rest undisturbed. Such a retreat is to be found in a Bwampy place, where the tussocks afford them a shelter from the wind and sun, and the damp ground soothes them. Provided theie were no abrasions of the skin they could lie there with impunity, but the cut surface affords an entrance to the tissues for the microbes, where they multiply rapidly, and ultimately destroy the animal. Treatment. — Owing to the rapid -course of the disease I think treatment is useles. A system of preventive measures is the only reliable means to adopt, and here much can bsdone by a little care and trouble. As a rule, when the New Zealand stockowner finds a few of his lambs : dead from any cause whatsoever, he either allows them to lie till they rot completely away, or, if he considers himself a careful man, he throws them into the nearest swamp or dry creek. Now, surely, in the face of the scientific knowledge of the day, such a course is foolish. It simply supplies food for the cause of the \ deaths to live to another year. The present practice of leaving dead sheep to rot on the pastures and in 4 swamps cannot be too strongly condemned. Almost as bad as this is the villainous habit of leaving the numerous carcases of rabbits to rot anywhere — nay, even taking the trouble to hang them on the nearest fence alongside the public-road. Truly a grim ornamont in more ways than one ! No wonder diseasegerms live, and gets common, when mankind supplies such facilties. . In the prevention of any disease cleanliness is a great essential, Therefore I would advise that all yards should be scrupulously cleaned Wk and the floors sprinkled with lime, before operating on the lambs. If possible, the paddocks should be well drained, and surface dressed with lime, but I fear it is too much to expect that at present. Many boggy paddocks, however, might have a ditch running through tho centre, and so improve matters a little. The hands and instruments of the

. " I operator should be perfectly clean and antiseptic, and an antiseptic dressing should be used for the wounds 1 . In certain experiments I have found carbolic acid 1 part to olivo oil 12 parts a very good preventive application. In cases where the disease has l>jen very virulent in former years I would recommend another application of the carbolic oil in twenty-four hours. I understand some settlers have used and advise the use of pure turpentine. Needle3S to .say, such cruelty is quite unwarranted, the animals undergoing enough pain during the operation. The lambs ought to be as carefully handled before and after the operation as possible, and the assistants who hold the lambs should be instructed to i drop them gently on to their feel, as by landing on their haunches the wounds come in contact with the ground. Sheep.— \ understand the same disease attacks sheep in the same districts ; and the above may apply generally to them as well as to lambs. Stockholm tar or carbolic oil ought to be applied to the smallest scratch, especially if about the legs or undersurface of the body. December, 1893. JOTIX A. GILETJTH, M.R.C.V.B.