PARASITIC DISEASES OF SHEEP.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5187, 21 November 1895, Page 3

PARASITIC DISEASES OF SHEEP.

AN OBJECT LESSON, At the eloso of his sale, yesterday, Mr W. Simms notified that Mr J. G. R. Hocking, tin expert in diseases of tho sheep, was present, and that ho had consented to deliver a lecture, at the close of the sale, on " Tho Parasitic Diseases of Slieop." Tho lecture would take the form of an object lesson, as a livo sheep would bo takon from the pen, killed on the spot and dissected, to discover what traces, if any, of any form of parasitic disease, could be found, The lecturer, who evidently understands his business, lost no tiuio in killing the animal ami laying bare, its internal economic organs in such a way that they wero not disturbed from their natnral position. In the course of his remarks Mr Booking said they do not bolieve so much in the cure of diseases undor consideration as in doing away with the necessity for euro by giving rational attention to feeding and caring for tho lambs and also to the owes before lambing. The prime object should bo to breed sheep with morerobustness and vitality, and it isouly a retrogression from this state of health which allows the animal to become subject to parasitic diseases. His mission was to stimulate sheepfarmers to make better efforts in tho management and care of I stock and the prevention and cure of disease. From what ho had seen during his short stay in this district, he was thoroughly convinced that the losses suffered were preventible, but of course it would take time. What now existed took time to attain its present hold, and it would require time for restoration to health. Ho maintained for the system he represents that this loss in Hocks could be prevented, The first season's treatment more than repaid the cost, and it natnrally followed that any improvement effected on the present generation exercised its influence on succeeding ones. Disease was a derangement in the functions or structure of any of the organs of the body, In slieop tho main cause of disease was parasitic life, and the abnormal conditions they sot up wore heightened in many instances by hereditary influences, and it was by neglecting these causes that so many serious consequences arose which lead to so much loss and to so many deaths in flocks. Health was Nature's ability to properly perform the functions of life in all its phases. The object of his presence was to ask them, by the method beiutro(luced,toassistNature in doing ibis at the critical period, and that was during infancy, when the lamb has not only to produce bono, muscle, wool and establish constitution, but from its delicate an(limmatnrevitality,wasmoro prone to disease They wore all well aware that if thoygot a lamb through its first year well, thoy would have little or no trouble in after life, and a lamb not having suffered from disease was, naturally, calculated to bo physically better able to produco its kind, which would have a bettor start in life, from a health point of view, than progeny from an animal that had suffered in its youth and, in consequence, had a more or less impaired constitution,

I'AKASITL'S. There wero some twenty-six forms of worm or parasitic life known to infect sheep, but it was only with the principal ones affecting sheop in Kew Zealand that he would deal, They were lung worm, stomach worm, tape worm, intestinal worm, besides sovoral encysted and hydatid forms. He was making this post mortem examination of tho animal to-day to show where tho various parasites and the effects produced [ by them wore to be found, so that if anyone observed anything wrong i with his own sheep he could himself I make an examination and so identify tho imtiiro of tho disease, Tho lecturer then removed the various internal organs and examined them for disease. A largo watery looking cellular sac was the first thing abstracted and handod round for inspection, This tho lecturer explained was one of the oncysted forms of tho tape worm, but it could never be anything else from what it thon was in tho sheep, but if eaten by a dog it would develop tape worm,- The various parts of the stomach were thou opened up and handed round, The work of the stomach and intestinal worms were visible throughout a portion of those organs,

Tbo liver was tbo homo of a number of cysts; some dead, others alivo. Tlio dead ones were tbo result of the sheep being in a sufficiently healthy condition to cast them out of the economies of the system, and nature had coated them with a hard bony substance. Tbo lungs exhibited several signs of having boon attacked by lungworm when young, and Mr locking said that so long as lambs wore allowed to go uneared for, this lung trouble would continuo .to produce sheop which would noither give tlio quantity of wool thoy should nor yet mutton, Tlio lungs were for the purification of the blood by respiration. The presenco of parasites in cither the bronchial tubes or substance of tlio lungs produced irritation, inflammation, congestion, hepatization or collapse of tissue, and, in Borne cases, a form of disease identical in its deadly characteristics with tubercular consumption. Thoro was also another form identical with plonra-pneumonia in cattle and just m fatal.

The lower portion of tlio lung of tbo shoep operated upon was very weak, which could be Been by the diflerenee of hue, this portion being of a whitish colour. Thore were traces of other hydatid forms of disease, several of winch would be invisible to tbo naked eye, but they were there in tbo embryo forms, and in dealing vyitli • lung trouble, Mr Becking said lie would remind those present that it was not the worm itself that killed, but the diseases they set up. Tbo heart of;

the animal under examination wasa comparatively healthy one, The heait might bo affected with yericarditis, which caused suspension of heart action. Loss of muscular fibre from debility of the general system, often occurred, At the closo of the autopsy, Mr Booking said he had touched lightly on the various forms of troublo he had discovered, and which ho pointed out to them. This was not the place to givo an exhaustive lecture, but ho trusted that ho had shown them sufficient to induce them to take more care of their flocks when young, and so prevent these after effects, lie would also ask them to handle their lambs more carefully, as careless and rough handling was tho cause of considerable loss. There was onecomforting feature, however, in these troubles that sheep are heir to, they did not extend themselves to tho flesh, but confined their ravages totlie internal organs and membranes, thus preserving the flesh or mutton free from danger to humanity. He considered mutton to be tho cleanest and safest of all flesh foods. Tho firm he represented (Messrs John Potlie & Sons) did not claim lobe magicians, but if sheep-growers would rare for their sheep at the critical period of their lives, and would not gorge them at one time, and almost starve them to death at another; his firm claimed that their mode of treatment could assist nature, and in a generation or so, almost entirely rid the sheep of these diseases. Ho would impress upon farmers the necessity of keeping lambs and sheep from drinking at stagnant pools; if no other means.- could be adopted, the pools should be fenced round. Mr Booking's interesting experiment was watched with marked attention by several sheepgrowcrs and others. We understand that ho will remain in Masterton for a few days longer, and mav be seen at Mr J. Mandel's Club Hotel. Mr William Watson was taken suddenly ill yesterday afternoon, while on his way home from Masterton. Tho symptoms are those of accidental poisoning, but no particulars are yet to hand. We understand that under medical treatment Mr Watson is getting all right ngnin.

I Mirk Iwivm s'loast. -'i'lio Babies-AVo have all been babies. Heaven bless them I To make them strong and healthy use Dr Kirk's Farinaceous Food. Sold by all storekeepers.