PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 170, 30 May 1864, Page 4

PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.

Tins disease among cattle is plainly contusions. The duration of its nieubution is most iim-i-rtuiti, tho best authorities at borne holding that, the period may oxtend from live days to li\e months ; and that the experience of this and the neighbouring colony goes to .-•how that a herd, alter being infected, will not, in ordinary circuniManccs. imd if not driven or knocked about, show any signs of the disease, even to a close and practised observer, under from two lo live months ; and then only in. perhaps, one or two c. L tu-s in a mob of two hundred head. The course of the disease in the animal is generally divided into three singes. VntsT St,\<ik. In bush cattle the llrst noticeable symptoms of their being attacked by plcuro-puciuuouiu may be either—a staring of the coat, a duluess of the eye, a hejuini' behind the mob. an unusual amount of eoughing among cattle when put together or into a yard, a disine'.hiiitiou to feed, or ;:ciici-.illv, ll.e appearance that tells a person aeeuslomed to slnek that an animal is not altogether right. In dairy cows, again, along with any of the above symptoms may id.-o be observed :i 'decided and unaeeounlanle delieiencv in the vii Id of milk, a restless manner, or a ehaii"e in the customarv habits and behaviour of the animal. The most decided pott mortem nppearanci s of the first stage of pKuni-pneumonia are eocgeslum and iullammation ol' portions- generally 11 ie points—of the lungs, or of either of them, iidlauunation of the pleuro. with ellusi"u of lymph on lh»inside of the ribs and diiiphni^m. Stcosu Stacie. The svni].loiiis hen- may !-e all or any of the following, viz. :—A stillness in the fore ].arts- a dir-incli-niiticiii to niovi—a drawn up and eramped appearance when standing, especially noticeable to the prac- [ tised eve at a di^tanei —a hard sbarji cough when n.oved'out of a slow wall;—a sudden and alnio.-t instantaneous .-topping on being allowed to do si—a heaving of the .-ides, and n decided allcclion of the lungs—a protruded and feverish eve tilled with moisture, or a rapid falling olf in condition. A p<,\t mi,rh m elimination of ail animal in til.) second stage of the disease will, in mo.-l ca>.-.-. shows a quantity of lluid of a bloody tinge in the iavi:y of the oflvmph oi'i the inside of the ribs, nnd on the diaphra-m': gr.-nt iull.-iminnl i.m of the pleura, and so.neliu.es attaeliineiit of the long to tilribs. I'.ut the chief and unmistakable symptom of pleuropneumonia is lo be found in the lungs. At this stage of the disease a portion of ca>-h of the lungs oruhalis mon- IVe.piemlv the eas-.-, from a third to three-fourths of one lung -U hepat ised, or (what is commonly called) " marbled," while the rest of thelung thus partially hrpiuiml, and the whole of the other is comparatively sound, exhibiting only some traces of inflammation. The hepati/ation will be found to have changed to the beallbv consistency of the lung to a heavy liver-like substance, which when cut into, exactly resembles a brown marble with while or greyish streaks running through it in all directions.. The hepatization increases the weight, of a lung twenty-fold. Trmti) Stack. In the third, or last stage of the disease, the beast will generally stand up under a tree, emitting a low sound, between a grunt and a moan when moved, and will lVei|uei!t!v charge when stirred. The back will be raised, the "bead protruded, and the e\e will assume a dead leaden tinge; the eoii-h which'is now comparatively soft and faint, will be' frequent ; the tongue will prolude, there will be u great How of mucus from I he month, anil sometimes a I hick ropy dischirge fi-oni the nose and eyes ; hovcnwill not mifrcqiientlv occur, re«pii-niioii will become impeded and and difficult, and the animal will speedily sink aud die. The post hinrtrm appearances here aro the same as those described in stage JN'o. 2, hut in an aggravated form. Thus, the whole ol one lung and the greater part of the other will be found to be hepatized. The hepatization also \i ill in many places be darker and more gangrenous in its appearance. There will be a much greater qiiaiitlly of lluid in the cavity of the chest—sometimes nearly si bucketful, and tlnniing in this lluid will be found Hocks of lymph (a si rawcoloured fatty-looking substance, a coaling of which also generally surrounds the hepati/.ed portion? of I lie lung). Tliii air-tubes and cells will lie liiled up with a frothy blood-coloured mucus, and porlionsofthe limps, pleura, and diaphragm will frequently be found attached in one diseased mass to the rib's. Many cattle recover from the second stage of the disease without any treatment.; and if not much disturbed afu-i wards,' and on uood feed, tbev mav get fat and til for the market ; but those of them which do recover after being badly allcclcd are very frequently subject to a relapse, which always curries them off. I'kkvi.ntivi; MiCAsritKs. Although in this country, when- the cattle imiv be said to intermix Iron, one i-iid to the other, -.en iitlle benefit can be expected from the adoption o'i preventive measures I'm- staying the spread of pli-i.ro-pneuinonia, still it would be well lor stock..wn, i-s to attend as far as possible to the few following points, viz. :—• 1. To make themselves well acquainted with the external and internal symptoms of the disease. 2. To keep a i-oiifhu.-t, watch on their own and their neighbour's stock, in order that they muy detect the earliest approach of the disease ; and the best way to examine cattle is to drive them smartly along for a short distance, keeping a watch for suspicious symptoms, as tho cuttle proceed, and then to run out a gallop for forty or fifty yards any that exhibit symptoms of disease. 3. To emlciuour to retard its advance by changing or travelling their stock as. little a-s possible, by discouraging tho carriage of stores by bullock teams.—by

keeping their own bullocks at home— by preventing stranger-!, as fni" ns possible, from mixing with their rattle—by closely watching nnd examining all travelling, enttie—by being most particular to burn all carcases of dead cattle on their, or their neighbour's runs or Inuds —and in the rasp where cattle aro craw'ing about in the last stage of the disease to kill and burn them. Txocrr.ATtnx. AXII I'KX VOIt IXOPrLATfXO. On n. stMticu where the number of cuttle does not exceed 20P0 to 3000, and where a spaying bail and forcing yards arc already creeferi, the brril might bo inoculated in them, although only half the number could be got through in a day, that would be done were the proper yards nnd hail creeled. Where the. herd is large it would save time and expense to erect a small forcing yard, ■with a five railed, six feet high pen, of eight or ten pannclsin lenrrth, nnd two feet six inches wide inside. The posts should bo round, morticed through and through, with tho mortices worked close to the inner"pidr of the post, so as that when put up the sides of the post may not project further into the pen than the rails, and'tbey should be three, feet in and eight feet, out of the ground, with caps on ciieb pair across the pen. A pen made made of round rails will be found more convenient and safe to work at. than if if they wore split, is less liable to injure the cattle, nnd 'would cost less for the erection. The pen should of course be logged, and have the proper gates and fastening at each end. Tn such a yard nnd pen five or six hands could inoculate from 500 to 600 head a day. In whichever way the operation is performed, or whatever sort of'pen is used in inoculating, the tail ought to bo kept steady; and where cattle (especially small beasts and calves) do not pnek so closely in' the pen that they cannot move, their heads should be roped to a rail'of the pen ; and tho operation should, like spavins, be steadily arid enretully performed, nnd not bustled and hurried over as cutting and branding generally i.s. Tiik Viiius. The virus is to be taken from o lung of a young benst in the second stage of the disease s and the animal selected is to be slnusrbtercd and bled as if killed for meat, every care being taken that the lungs arc us free as possible from blood, as blood in the virus renders it unsafe nnd comparrtively useless. Around the more firmly and earlier hepatized portion of the lung of an'animal in this stage of the disease will be found a. soft, jelly like part, gradually becoming hepatized, and plainly charged with quantities of lymph. This is the. portion to be used, nnd the lvmph when extracted should have but a very slight tinge of blood. The part thus selected is then to be placed in an earthneware Ti ssel, to be cut, up in small pieces and put into n cloth of open texture, and the virus pressed from it into a clean bottle, which is to be made quite airtight, and to be kept in n cool place, the virus being taken out in small quantities, as required. Tf, after being allowed to stand, it coagulates, it will again become liquid by shaking. The virus must be perfectly inodorous, and before putting it in tin- bottle it is to be filtered through a. piece of fine muslin. Piii-si:nvATio>" of Vinrs. As virus when exposed in the least to the air becomes putrid nnd useless in less than twenty-four hours in hot weather, nnd in two or three days when carefully corked and kept in a cool place, many idtempt's bine been made to preserve it, but with indifferent success ; and it appears very questionable whether the articles sold as preserved virus or lymph or under some other more bighllowu appellations, be not worse than worthless. It might, perhaps, be possible, by using compararntivelv large glass tubes, to preserve virus in the same manner as vaccine lymph is saved—by filling the glass tubes, and bermet'ieally sealing them. But this mode has not yet been adopted, and practically speaking it is not necessary, for any stoekowner wishing to inoculate his cattle before the disease has shewn itself anions; them can always obtain a supply of virus on its routing within a day's ride of bis station. The best practicable mode of keeping virus sound for a time is that recommended by Dr. Smith, Professor of Chemistry, Sydney; namely, to fill the bottle (which should be'pcriccly clean) in which the virus is to be put with the fuines of sulphur, and then to pour tho virus into the bottle, carefully corking and scaling it before the whole of the fumes lire expelled. Jsy adopting this plan, and keeping the bottle in a cool place, virus can be preserved for at anv rate several days longer than it would othcrwisr be, which is a great advantage in inoculating a herd. OK I.VOCI'I.ATIOK. The safest and most etliencious mode of inoculating is to use a sctoning needle about five or six inches in length, with the point ground narrow and fine, and fo draw a soft thread of twine or worsted of three thicknesses, well saturated with virus twice throusrh the upper or oukr side of the tail, at about f one aud a-hali" inches from the tip : und having done I so without drawing the stitch, which is thus made, tight, to cut of:' the thread, leaving about two inches ai ca.-h end like a sctnu, twice inserted, and letl untied. The double insertion renders the ellects of the iuoculalion much mole certain—a most material matter, when it is so dillicult to discover whether or m>l the virus has taken eil'ect —while experience proves that this mode docs not increase the risk of evil effects from the operation. The tail should be doselv clipped around the proper spot, and, in operating, tho needle should be ourifullv inserted 'betw. en the skin and the llesh, or just deep enough to reach the blood, and no furl her. Ti> economise virus, only about three or four inches oT the thread should be Saturated at a lime, audit should be so for every bead of cattle. A spaving needle mav be used, when a scrolling one cannot "lie obtained," but. the larger is (he better both on account of its being held more firmly in the hand, and from its making a larger opening, whereby a healthy discharge is more likely to occur. iWaking a slight incision in the tail, and placing u drop of virus in the wound, or using a grooved " inoculating:" knife, is a more expeditious mode than the needle, and saturated thread; but it is not nearly so certain, as the blood from the wound, is apt. to carry oil'the virus before it lias done its work. >'or is ii so safe ; for, as clean wounds in cattle are very apt to close, the comparative clean wounds thus made in inoculating with the knife sometimes do so, and tho discharge Mopping, dangerous consequences ensue. This, the thread, by acting »s u seatou, in a great measure prevents. 8.--Ki:MKI)Y rOH KxOtSfiIVKSwKLLIXG. As tin- ellecls of the most mild ami careful inoculation are sometimes dangerous, through causing exdessiyc swellings and gatherings in tho tail and hindquarters of some of the cattle inoculated, it isnecesary to consider bow these may be best counteracted. Experience now goes to show that it is better not to cut oil' any portion of the tail, at least not close to the rump; although blood-letting by making a longitudinal incision hi' the underside of tho tail, five or six inches from (he bud, has a beneficial effect. \Vhcii taken at an early stage, while small and soft, these gatherings may * generally be removed by inserting a plegot of low,' well saturated with equal parts of butyr of antimony, and Venice turpentine, in an incision made in the swelling right through ! Hie centre, till the sound llesh be reached at the back, with a good sized pocket knife. The mouth of the incision should be downwards, so that the discharge will run readily olf. This dressing should ! be renewed three or four times, at intervals of two I da\s. I Whore the catde were worth the trouble,; they might be cured even aflo.v the swelling bad reached a dangerous extent, by ripping open the skin und cutting away the calous flesh, when the proper dress- | ing could hi- tippled and the skin sewed up. I In inoculating care should be taken that none of ' the virus gets into wounds or scratches in operators' i arms or bands, as threatening and rather dangerous results have soinetiii.es followed its doing so. ' Vaccination'. I If the sUtoments put forth by Mr. Mitchell, V.S., 1 Melbourne, with regard to the efiiciicy of vaccination for plouro-pucumoniu be correct (which judging from i the hislory and ellects of vaccination of the human i subject, llieiv are good grounds for believing) and, if a si'iflieient supply of lymph could be always obtainable, then, ns a" matter of course, cattle should be vaccinated instead of inoculated. Uut in the first place tf.cse, premises have not yet been fully established ; and, in the next, wo have our own experience of upwards of two years, and that of tlie Cape of Good J lope und several countries of Kurope for nearly ten years, that inoculation, with the properly selected virus from a diseased lung, is comparatively innocuous, and highly beneficial. Ai.ex. Truce. Sydney, 10th April.

The plucky manner in which the Panes at first met their superior antagonists and subsequently retreated most mysteriously from the Dannewerke has mnde people arotious to know something about their commander, De Meza. In the first place he is seventy years old, tail, gaunt, nnd angular, reminding you of the photographs of General Forey. He is what the French call an " original." He has a great veneration for the French language and literature, and visited Paris solely to hear the language spoken. "When their he heard Louis Philippe's elocution highly praised, lint on procuring an audience—an ea»y matter in those days—-what was his horror to he;ir tho King address him in Danish, with the remark that he considered it a very fine language! In 1848 lie was appointed chief of tWnriillcry, but was by no means popular. How could a man who never allowed door or window to be opened, who was always highly scented with can de Cologne, who used to go />iit muffled up to the eyes, and who almost fainted if he heard bad French spoken —how could he " lead the tented field:-" But in the field no one cared less for wind or weather, and he distinguished himself as a brilliant soldier, winning his General's brevet with heaps of stars and miles of garters. As a political he belongs to the old school, lie is also a good musician, composing during his leisure hours the pieces played by the bands of his division ; ho paints butterflies , and flowers, writes sonnets, and does his best to obtain tho smiles of young and pretty women. His opponent, " Papa Wrangel," is nigh eighty, and was never seen in a cloak; his admirers say that he will still head a charge with as much fire as ho exhibited at Waterloo. Tjik iiicnasi> in the mumifactiirc of crinolines is eoiurlhing miuc.rouutablc;. One firm alone in .Slicllield requires 100 tons of metal a week to make into crinoline.