Foot Rot.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 314, 7 November 1888, Page 3

Foot Rot.

There are two kinds of foot rot in-sheepTjr one iB contagious and the other is nefc* The first is due to irritation, produced by wearing of the sole >.o the quick during long journeys on hard roads ; curling in of Overgrown walls on the sole on soft pastures and marshy places ; wounds produced' by sharp stones, glass, nails, etc. ; accumula.tion of clay in the cleft ; irritation produced, by fermenting manures, by iced water or any other cause. The contagious foim js due to a specific transmissible virus which finds a' more favourable soil in the above mentioned unhealthy, conditions. The symptoms, says Dr. Paguin, may vary a little or a good deal, according to intensity of cases, but an alUthere is lameness, and, it the front feet are affected, the sheep may stand on its knees and thus graze. Such is fche case in both forms. At first the lameness may be slight but it may increase* and. on examination of the feet we will detect fche nature ot the injury. If it be simple foot-rot due to ordinary common causes given hei'e it will i.ot be difficult to find the actual lesion. But in contagious foot rob there may be perceptible at first bub a slight swelling, redness and tenderness of the cotonet The two forms of foot rot may be differentiated, however, by the following symptoms : In the ordinary one the "cause or lesion may be found right on J or in the lame toot or feet (for instance, some irritant clay or some foiei^n body), and there is usu : ally but one or- a few isolated cases in a flock, and the disease may be located anywhere about the foot, whilst in contagious foot rot the disease usually appears by a tenderness around the coronet, and the deft of the foot in which a caseous matter- is deposited at an early period, and many cases will occur in one flock. Besides thib, in ordinary foot root the fa ling-oh' of the horny &übf-iance of the feet, if it takeb place, may begin at whatever uoint the legions have occurred, whilst in the contagious form it most always begins behind at the heel and woiks its w.«y foiwaid, under the foot and around. Jn both cate.s, howevei, sores, ulcers, ;ibscesses, pus and even decay of bone and some binu.sec may be formed that are most dillicult to cine. The noncontagious toot rot may be be.^f. treated touching the inw .suriace or the feet with a teatiher (Hoped in a solution of one part ot sulphuric acd und three ef water. Instead of this t tar may be smeaiud over the .-crea au'i a banuapo applied properly over i( them. In cases in" which tfie (horny) hoot falls oft', the loose part should all be excised at once in both forms of foot rot before treatment is applied. The pus or matter that may gather beneath the hoof should be let out; by paiting it (the hoof). In cases of decay of the bones, etc., the surgeonV knife may become necessary. Fungus growths (proud flesh) should be excised and touched with burned alum once every second day during , a week oi-more.-In contagious Jfpot rot the following foot bath is excellent :" Vitiate of mercury, one ounce, nitiic acid, five drachms, water, three pints. The clean feet are plunged in this liquid for two minutes and then the cheep is let loose. Two baths of this, at a couple of days' interval, with a change of pasture from the infected one to higher and dry land, is generally sufficient to effect a cupe in the majority ot cases. As preventive somesheep raisers construct a chute at apart of which thei c is a iiat box tln*ee or four inches high, the whole width of the chute^ and t-oveivil feet long, in which is placed 'a* lime water bath. In this bath the sheep are forced to pass daily. Disinfection of buildings, yards, etc., is of course necessary. Change of location for the healthy and cured sxibjects is always, of necessity to limit the outbreak. — Western Rural.

Hard and Soft Wood Bahrkl Staves. -^- It is 9 great advantage for many purposes to have bm rels which shall be as watertight as possible Bai 1 el& are now being in >deof alternate staves of hard and soft wcod, the latter being slightly thicker than the hard wood staves. The edges of the staves being cut square when these are placed together to form fche barrel with outside surfaces even there is left a V" shaped crack between each stave from top to bottom. Being: so arranged the operation of driving the hoops forces the inside edges of the hard staves into the sott ones until the cracksai'e closed, and the extra thickness of the soft stavee causes their inner edges to lap over those' ol the hard wood staves thus making' the joints exceedingly tight and secure. An issue of couponsby London "Truth " to ascertain the best all-round player, best batsman, best fast bowler, best medium paced bowler, beet slow bowler, and .best wicket-keeper in the world, has resulted? in Blackham being placed head and shoulders over all the world as a wicket-keeper. Sherwin is second ; but Blackham,, outvotes two to one. Grace, according $to those who voted, us best batsmans-best,all-round player, and .best paint.; Lohmapn, best fast bowler; Turner, best, medium; Peel, best 3low bowler. - , Guest (suspiciously eyeing the flattened pillows and the crumpled sheets) : "Look here, landlord, this bedt has 1 been slopt in." Landlord (triumphantly): "That's what it's