OUR YORKSHIREILETTER.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIX, Issue 225, 23 September 1907, Page 2

OUR YORKSHIREILETTER.

ANTHRAX IN SHEEP.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) BRADFORD, Aug. 9. The question of anthrax in wool and mohair is receiving at this time unmitigated attention by the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, its special bacteriologist having for many months been engaged in investigating this tell disease. Then the Home Office has j rcently published special instructions of a very drastic nature in regard to sorting Asiatic wools, and now East Indian wools have been scheduled amongst the dangerous classes. A good week ago the chairman of the Anthrax Investigation Board (a- Bradford body specially constituted for dealing with this question) gave his report of the conference at the Home Office, and the chairman said that it had been ascertained " beyond doubt" that some cases of anthrax which were said to have arisen from East Indian wool had really arisen from East Indian goat hair. That pronouncement lias been challenged, the independent testimony of the Imperial bacteriologist in India being entirely opposed to that view. As he is in no-sense interested in the getting of wool into this district without any embargo put upon it in sorting, he naturally gives the following facts without any prejudice whatever. And what does he say on the question? He states that a severe outbreak of anthrax occurred amongst some persons working in wool—wool, mark you, not goat hair— in the Central Goal at Bareilly, in December, 1905, and there were 15 cases and seven deaths. That is positive proof that East Indian wool is liable to be impregnated with anthrax germs, and therefore wants handling carefully in sorting. The Anthrax Investigation Board a few days ago definitely stated that as a result of .experiments and tests made by their bacteriologist and others, they felt justified in publicly expressing the -opinion that the three disinfectants— -cyllin, formic-aldehyde, and Leach s fluid—will effectually destroy anthrax bacilli and spores under the following conditions, when the material can be steeped prior to washing and in a loose state, suca as to afford thorough penetration:—Cyllin, 1 per cent, by volume, when steeped for one hour; formic-aldehyde, 2£ per cent, by volume, when steeped for two hours; loach's fluid, 2 per cent, by volume, when steeped for one hour. This question of anthrax in sheep and wool, as well as Angora goats, interests the colonial grower very much, though neither Australian nor South African wool, nor even Cape mohair, is regarded as being as dangerous as wool and mohair from other countries. Still, acting on the adage that prevention is better than cure, even colonial growers need to be aware of the fact that both sheep and goats everywhere are liable to be attacked by anthrax. MjT attention was recently drawn to two complaints of losses of sheep from a disease which the symptoms showed to be anthrax, .in both cases the owners telling of the sheep dying quickly and immediately bloating, with the wool pulling out easily, but the most characteristic 1* symptom they mention is that blood issues from the nostrils and rectum after death, while on "opening the sheep the blood is found black and tarlike. Anthrax is incurable, contagious, due to a specific germ known as the bacillus anthracis, and communicable to man in the form of

'•'malignant pustuls," which come upon the hands or other parts of the body which happen to be cut or scratched at the time infective matter

.is touched. It is quite common to be--«ome infected in this way while skinning a sheep dead of anthrax, while it may also be acquired by the bite of an insect which has sucked the blood from an anthrax carcase left unburied. " Wool sorters' disease " is a form

of anthrax acquired by persons who handle the- pelts of sheep from some foreign countries, where anthrax is much more common than- with us. What has been said .should indicate the danger of handling a sheep showing symptoms suggestive of anthrax, and on general^ principles it always is well not/to skin a sheep that has blood come away from it after death, or that^dies after showing lameness confined to one quarter and characterised by swellings which crackle when handled. This symptom indicates the presence of "black-leg," which technically is known as " symptomatic anthrax, and while not so malignant as true anthrax, may cause dangerous infection of any part to which its germs find access. Anthrax, unlike black-leg, affects any animal to which its germs find access. It quickly kills cattle of all ages, and may spread to horses as well. Black-leg, on the -contrary, affects young cattle, and does not spread to horses or other animals, with the exception that it sometimes attacks sheep, buT when opened these have no enlargement of the spleen, which is a characteristic -symptom of anthrax, nor is the blood

black and tarlike as seen in anthrax.,] When a sheetf has died suddenly, and .symptoms indicative of anthrax have been noted, the first step should be to destroy the carcase by fire or to bury it very deeply and well covered with quicklime. Shallow burial is highly dangerous, and .spores of the bacillus often get into water passing through a grave, and thus are carried on to grass at considerable distances, or are -taken in by sheep drinking water from a contaminated stream. When a case of the disease has been diagnosed, the entire flock should at «nee be shifted on to high and dry pasture, or at least to pasture distant from that upon which the disease appeared, and all animals should be kept out of the affected pasture for some time. Then, if the disease hase been prevalent, or more than one animal succumbs, all of the remaining animals should be treated with anti-anthrax vaccine, provided a reliable and guaranteed vaccine can be obtained. Otherwise, there is danger in using alleged anti-anthrax vaccine, for disastrous results have been known to follow the use of vaccine which was found to contain the bacillus of anthrax in a most virulenf state. 'JLhe following description of the postmortem lessons of true anthrax is given by Dr. Rushworth, as based upon several good authorities, and therefore may be considered trustworthy:—"Liquid, bloody effusions

directly under the skinj the blood in the arteries and veins is black, and does not coagulate; red spots wtfl be noticeable on the peritoneum covering the bowels, and on the kidney capsules; effusions of blood will be found in the stomach and bowels; the spleen is greatly enlarged and the partitions on it side are broken down, so that by holding it up by one end its contents will gravitate to the other. This condition is not present in any other disease, and' is of itself diagnostic ,oi the complaint. The liver is enlarged and the urine in the bladder appears to be mixed with blood." If the owner thinks it best to open a sheep to make sure whether anthrax is present as shown by these lesions, he should, if possible, wear rubber gloves. If this cannot be done, then carbolised oil should be freely smeared upon the hands, and then the hands should be frequently washed in a strong solution or disinfectant such as carbolic or coal tar disinfectant, while the post-mortem examination proceeds. On no account, even then, should the examination be made if the hands are wounded or scratched.

MERINOS EXCEEDINGLY FIRM. Mid-summer holidays have this week somewhat interfered with business, most mills standing two and three days. After the hard pressure at which both men and machinery • have been working during the past few months, a little respite is very acceptable, and where it is convenient to do so, many hands are playing the whole week. There is a scheme on foot for the worsted industry to stand one whole week, as is done in the Lancashire cotton industry, but arrangements have not so far matured to allow of this being carried out this year- • •! ) Business is practically at a standstill, but men everywhere are in a fairly hopeful frame of mind, and esI pecially so in fine wool departments. ! Since my last report some fair weights of merino tops have changed hands, and on all sides what topmakers were ' asking a fortnight ago can now be j made. Merinos are particularly [ strong, and some seem to think that I after the holidays we shall see a still higher range of values. My own view is that as the time is approaching for buyers to leave for Australia, that values will not be pushed up much, for it is already acknowledged that things are pretty high to start the season with. There is wisdom-in this, for only by a continuance of excellent trade conditions can prices be maintained. The summer season has been a disappointing \one as regards weather, and clothiers everywhere are carrying larger summer stocks than ! usual. At the same time local topmakers and spinners are booked very far ahead, and all chances of them slowing down this year is very remote indeed. Everything above 50's quality is looked upon as being very safe, but below a man can operate.at a very reasonable figure indeed. Coarse crossbreds remain in a somewhat limp condition, though a little more inquiry has been met with, and there is a feeling abroad that for the time being prices have about touched the bottom. Good 40's prepared tops are a little firmer if anything, though 44's and 46's carding are no more than firm. At the same time good coarse, combing wool can be sold at fully last sales' closing values, and stocks of good 40's are by no means heavy in colonial sorts. Commission wool-1 combers, while not slack, are not experiencing the pressure of two months ago, especially in crossbred departments. Mohair is very quiet, -nough consumption is fully maintained. Cape firsts are only worth 15d, and Turkey average 17d to 17£ d. ,

Whooping Cough is a very dangerous disease unless properly treated. Statistics show that there are more deaths from it than from scarlet fever. All danger may be avoided, however, by giving Chamberlain's Cough Remedy. It liquifies the tough mucus, making it easier to expectorate, keeps the cough loose, and makes the attacks of cough:up; less frequent and severe. For «>als by J. Benning, Blenheim, and W. Syms. Picvton. * A correspondent (" Mater ") sends the Auckland Star an extract from a letter received from a stockman who is resident in Hawke's Bay: "A strange thing has been happening in one of my paddocks lately," he writes. "I used to find two or three lambs nearly every day with skulls smashed in; very often they were still alive. At first I thought it was the hawks killing them; but I came to the conclusion afterwards that a hawk could not do it, as a lamb's skull i? pretty hard. The other day I found out what caused the damage, and was simply astounded. It was a horse; T caught him in the act; there he ,wnc sucking the little lamb's brains and blood, and evidently enjoying his unnatural feed. It was a good thing iW that horse that I had no gun, or m would have received a charge of slim You may guess I lost no time in tin-t:----i ing him out."