DISEASES IN SHEEP.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 49, 11 June 1879, Page 2

DISEASES IN SHEEP.

T ... Dr. . HEaisß..,_ ,^„ The appearance of *the scib-ip its earlier stages is ' indicated by a: rough and inflamed condition and reddish hue of the shin. When closely . examined the skin also feels granular" to the touchw These granulations are thegerjng pf-the pustules wbich contain the acirr 1 * at' » later stage of their growth. A few.daryg further on an extensive -eruption -of pustules is detected about/the upper arts of the back and towards the shoulders, and the sheepfuripusiy scratches itself against every post, stump^.treaor other object m the way. The pus, tules" speedily ripen, b-eak, and run to* gether, forming the characteristic incrustation ors-.Vab: Tlie s kin under th© seab 's raw and sore, and' continues so until the scab dries aud scales off! ■ The arariis or parasitical lrisect, ; which -had its receptacle m the pustule, as soon as the latter dries moves away to a clean" part of the skin, and, burrowing the'rep\ sets up a new- point of inflammation /J and a further extension of the disiyuJMC* Tlius shifting its position,, the acarttt • spreads the scab all. over the sheep's body,- arid, adhering to the various rub-bing-peaces where the diseased sheep have been .scratching themselves,, the ips-ect' is transferred to the fleece of any luckless sheep that touches the spot j and if but one. pair, male and female, or a pregnant female alone effect .a; lodgment on the fleece of a clean sheep, so quickly do they, propagate that m -a few weeks .from the first infection the sheep will be covered with thes ( o' parasites.. Thesheepin this/diseased state quickly loses condition, its iskin becomes foetid, sreufy, and/ sore- looking, its fleece harsh, rugg^dj : and toirh off patches, its gait feeble arid staggering, itsVwholeappearance repulsive,; arid at no very distant period it succumbs to the disgusting disease. 7 ■ "' •7Y V The scab insects which are hatched at the later period of the summer generally survivei- over the winter, andi whether f-'dph the juices' of the sheep's skin or existing by .means of the -moisture obtainable on theyrubbing-placeg to which they adhere, they often retain sufficient/itality m the ensiling spring to generate the scab again' in sheep which were apparently or actually made clean m the autumrior win tefpreyio'usly. Where the latter has been the case — that is, where there, has been a positive cure Or eradication of the disease, and it nevertheless returns with the opening warmth of spring—the 'contagion has probahly bieen reproduced; by the rubbing-places frequented by- the sheep. All such rdbbing-places should therefore bo purified byi fire,-' and -. this can be best and; most conveniently effected by setting fire to thej grass and scrub on the run or pasture grouud. •The young acan*s,^if]:kept apart jfroin all hioistnie, quickly perishes and dries up; but the survival of the adulj insectsfrom the autumn to the following spring is sufficient to show that great perseye ranee must be exercised m, th* efforts to eradicate the sca^b.7;Y"^S! .The disease will reappear ' agM^and again, and some so-called destroying cleansing solutions never destroying the young acari burrowing deep m the sheiep's skin ;whitstother applications, which are sufficiently destructive^ |t> the iihmature. insects, cannot be appuedv effectively willioutat the sAme "tiiS|» ; -"_ doing misohief to the,, health- of 'the sheep, and great injury to the staple of the wool. V" Except m a very -early stage scab is s easily distingnislied from aU. other cutaneous diseases to whichsheep'are subject, on the -one hand ;by the* symptoms described aboye, which .are peculiar to scab ; and, c on the other, hy contrast with ttye distinctive appearances, so well knovrn to persoDs7os ordinary experience among 'sheep; ' which denote grass seeds, wounds, fever spots, prickly heat,, and rubbers, the only ailments for which scab is at all likely to be mistaken. . y. 7. Cure .—ln the words i of Yquatt^tbe cure of scab lies m the deduction] of this insect." This'is a simple atid/inpst important view of tho case,- >-arid' the ' only question is, What is the" best remedy, and the simplest method of application ? Various substances have been recommended, at vtiwes* fcr the cure, of scab, some bf therii, such as compounds of. arsenic corrosive sublimate, being of a very dangerous nature, requiring great judgment and care m their application. Tabacco has also its advocates ; bht m eyery case when the substance^nsed is. oil fx strong poisonous = nature.it is'iriore or less absorbed iinfo the system of the animal to which it is applied, arid death may result iris tead of cure. ,'-'.^ ' The object to be attained, therefolßSf m the cure of all diseases Vpf; sheep produced by insects is the. destructipn of the insect by a substance YfcEjeh will he-harmless ta the sheep if absorbed into the system. • ■ ; V Sulpher offers all']*, the --requisites pf ari innocuous application for sheep,, and at the sa.n\e time/a certain specific* for the destruction of all insect life; but : for this purpose it must be applied m the form of a soluble salt by its 'tiombiriation with some alkali such, as soda or dime. v/ r - , . .. There is ho doubt that the Teal value of Q-issare's Fluid-,, ap'Jmuch used by gardeners, entirely: .depends, "on^sulphiiriri a state of thorough "solution; and several patient sheep-dipping: compositions, as cures' for scab,, rest on the same b^sis. ■: - • Th e raanu f ac fcure of soluble sulphur as hyposulphite of .lime is so simple tliat any shepVherdV could do it with little. instruction, Tlie following is one of the best processes m use : Take jn'the of "one part by weight of the' best] quality pf fresh- quicHiri^ and slake it carefully without *an c*» cess of water-, Crush the slaked lime . with a heavy .roller, and pass. it through a fine eieve, so as7to remove "* atlthe small lumps'. Add to it two parts by weight] of fhoWers <>f i^lpuiy mixing two ingredients thoroughly, and again passing tliem through thft sieve, so as to insure perfect incdrt ftoraj-ion. Shpyel vthe mixture tira#

11l ii I Tin m ,— —■■■- obtained into a boiler containing boiling rain-water, m the proportion of 91b. of the mixture to every ten gallons of water, and stirring, well from the -bottora,^ kept on the boil for half an hour, when the liquor is ready for use. Or another method is to put. the sulphur into the water. and boil for fifteen minutes, stirring all the time, then add the quicklime unslaked, and keep on stirring until the liquid is of the colour of dark brandy. This latter method: is preferred for making small qiiahtities'7 The temperature „ of dip /should he maintained 'at 110, degrees ~to 120 degrees, and each •heep sh&uld be soaked m tiie dip for two minutes, during which time their heads - should be du cked twice, arid the solution well rubbed into the fleece with a brush. The process of drpping" should /be repeated within j fourteen <?ays. / Y.