PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 933, 17 January 1890, Page 18

PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL.

THE VETERINARIAN.

typhoid fever, pink-eye, and OTHER FORMS OF INFLUENZA IN HORSES. Every season it becomes necessary to record outbreaks of disease amorg horses in different districts of the country, and now and then we get information of the prevalence of similar forms of disease abroad. Years ago, great alarm was caused among horsemen in these isles on account of an affection which was reported to be killing horses in America at a wholesale rate—to such an extent, in fact, that it was impossible to go along the streets of New York, and some other large towns, without seeing carcases of tramway horses which had dropped on their journey , and at one period in the course of the disease the road cars had to stop running for want of horses. After reading the reports of the ravages of the American horse disease, horse-owners in this country were urgent in their demands for prohibition of horses from America. But it was considered that no case had been made out to justify so strong a measure, and further inquiry into tho character of the malady proved that no such measures are necessary, At first the veterinary surgeons in the affected districts in the United States did not recognise the malady, and adopted remedial measures of a somewhat heroic character, including bleeding and purgative medicine ; but it was ascertained that this system of treatment led to disastrous results, and it was abandoned in favour of a more conserv. ative plan, in which time, stimulants, and nutritious food, with rest from work, played the chief part. Under the improved method of treatment the horse disease assumed a different aspect. It was no longer looked upon as destructive, but rather as afebrile disease of a low or typhoid character, of the same nature as our influenza ; and a little later some of the veterinary authorities which bad practised in | this country had no difficulty in recognising the disorder as the common influenza, aggravated apparently by climatic influences, and m.ado even more serious by the neglect with which it was treated by the proprietors of the large studs among which it appeared. At the outset veterinary aid and the avoidance of exertion would have most probably resulted in saving nearly all of the hbrsea which were first, attacked. No fear of consequences seems to h avede fcerred horse-ownera in the States from continuing to use the sick animals iu tho tramcaro as long as they could work ; and, as might have been expected, the consequences were tfcn enormous loss of life, and a serious interruption to the traffic in the cities which were invaded by the disease. The American horse disease, which excited so much alarm at first, ceased after a fow months, only to reappear from time to time —not, however, as a new plague among the equine race, but as influenza, now fully recognised and perfectly understood, very amenable to treatment, and not by any means a serious affliction under proper management. A few years after the horse distemper had startled people on both sides of the Atlantic, another affection appeared in the States, and was reported to Europe as pink.eye. For a time it was believed that a new American horse plague was threatened, but association of this new disease with an old of form of influenza was so evident, that a very short time elapsed before the connection was admitted and excitement subsided. Before and since the reports of the American horse distemper and the accounts of pink-eye reached this country, English veterinary surgeons knew all about influenza in its varied forms and stages. First, in its most benign, and perhaps most oommon aspect, influenza presents itself as an ordinary catakrh, beginning with discharge from the eyes and nostrils, sore throat, cough, loss of appetite, and that extraordinary degree of lassitude which is a feature in every one of the many forms of the disease. A second variety of influenza which was very common some years ago, and prevailed as an epizootic, Is tho biliouß form, which is know as as bilious fever. This was a serious phase of the malady, which often ended fatally from lung complications which followed the derangement of the liver. Most probably the canse of the fatality in this form of influenza was the contamination of the blood with morbid products, which should have been carried off by the excretory organs, but, in the disordered state of that important system were retained in the circulating fluid. In another variety of influenza the lnngs suffered chiefly ; congestion of those organs occurred at the commencement of the attack, and unless relef was obtained in a short time, the animal died from blocking-up of the respiratory passages. Recovery in these cases was often preceded by a long period of convalescence, during which rheumatic affections of the fibrous tissues of joints, sometimes of the large tendons, and attacks of fever in the feet, were explications fre. qucutly met with, and necessarily very much opposed to the animal’s restoration to health. Bink-eve, according to the American phrase, was at once referred to a well-known form of influenza which had been seen in this country from the earliest times. This form of the disease always began with swelling of the eyelids of one or both eyes, with watery discharge, which soon became thick and purulent. In some cases, under a system of good nursing, with the use of

tonics and stimulants, the attack passed off without any complications ; but in other instances congestion of the lungs, with swellings of the limbs and general signs of blood poisoning followed, and the disease assumed a serious, sometimes a fatal form, in spite of all care. Among the numerous types of influenza, the t3 _ phoid or low fever type was always dominant, and in many cases this character was shown by great prostration, diarrhcea, red spotsin the mucoua membrane of the nostrils and finally the occurrence of small abscesses on the legs, having the appearance of farcy buds, for which they were ofteu mistaken, and the terms ‘typhoid fever’ or ‘scarlatina’ wore applied to these cases. Influenza is held to be an infectious disease, and when diseased animals are kept in contact with healihy ones, there is no doubt that it is communicated from one to tho other. But the infections powers of the disorder are not very active, and the affection seems to spread along a certa n district in accordance with climatic influence, rather than as tho result of the movement of diseased animals. At the present we hear of outbreaks of influenza in some parts of the country, and the form it presents appears to be the most common one; but the disease has not assumed an epizootic form, nor has it proved to be intractable or even serious, when the treatment has been judicious.—The Field. LIVER-ROT IN SHEEP: ITS CAUSE AND EFFECT. Terrible are the calamities that periodically overwhelm a portion of mankind, at one time the farmer groaning under the scourge of drought or deluge, his crops burned up, or washed away by a remorseless torrent, his cattle stricken .by an unknown enemy, » mysterious pestilence that defies all the skill of human science ; such was the late cattle plague. Then we have the due calamities man hpaps on man, the wars that from time to time send countless thousands to an untimely grave. So are all the families of the human race attended with hardship, suffering, and disaster, either from their own hands or the mysterious hand of nature. The Disease amongst sheep con be traced to man’s earliest history, when the human mind fails to realise the lapse of periods so vastly remote. Perhaps no creature has shared so much the fate, tho vicissitudes, and tho effect of that terrible judgment associated with the early history of man, as the sheep. In some parts of the world a kind of hydrothorax or watery rot, in others the scab, lice, braxy, aud liver rot are added to the list of diseases that destroy sheep. Liver rot or fluke is known over a vaßt region of the earth’s surface, affecting many millions of sheep. The ravages in some countries are terrible, sweeping off vast herds ot the ovine race, and periodically in our own country the scoarge is disastrous. The years ISO 9 and 1860 will long be remembered for the fatality among the sheep, but they all pale before the year ISSO. The contemplation of this subject strikes wonder to the thoughtful mind. How oan this be ? YVhere is our boasted Boience, our wondrous knowledge ? Where are oar great discoveries, to think that it should be possible for a known enemy to commit such ravages ? No one can too much regret that such a subjeot should be so little ventilated or so much neglected ; it is only when groaning under the scourge we bring upon ourselves, that we, awakening to the reality, and too late, take up weapons of defence. Rot in sheep is in a great measure preventible and curable, and if the cause and effect of this disease was thoroughly known few sheep would be lost. ‘ Distoma Hepaticum,’ or liver rot:, is a parasite, that develops iu the liver of sheep, but it is not confined to sheep alone, it is found in the livers of cattle, goato, hares, rabbits, and even man; it is widely dispersed, being found in almost every quarter of the globe. It is supposed to originate from the decomposition of grass under the combined influence of moisture and the actinic rays of the sun > the grass no acted upon ferments and decomposes ; it is well known that by decomposition is produced re-anima-tion, or rotting matter either animal or vegetable produces insects or animal life. The result of the decomposing grass is a small insect, resembling a frog tadpole but very small, hardly to be distinguished by the naked eye. These little tadpoles (as we may call them) can be clearly distinguished with a common microscope swimming rapidly about in tho water taken from the little pools in ‘rotten fields ;’ this minute insect or animal is always existent in wet marshy places, but, usually, if the weather is fairly dry, they are oonfined in a small space, with the rank water, but in wot seasons t)>ey spread about in the most unlikely places, and where the sh-op can hardly escape them. Sheep bite very close to the ground and eat these little insects with their food ; upon entering the stoinaeh they follow the great unwritten law of nature and work their way into the biliary canal, thence into the liver, where they form a chrysalis from which produces a fish-like animal, closely resembliog a sole, there breeds and lays eggs in the liver, which pass away with the dung, are hatched, and getting into the little pools of v atsr rapidly spread the disease. It should be remembered that the fluke as found in the liver cannot be develooed until it get 3 into the liver, and is acted upon by that organ. Having explained what liver-rot is, we trust all such foolish notions as worm mounds, river scum, drain bogies, &c., will be dismissed from the minds of farmers, as being simply legendary delusions, and not worth a moment’s consideration. It has been strongly contested by some persons that fluke is a sign of health, and yp existent

1 Bheop ; such opinions are most erroneous. Flukes in the liver are always a Bource of danger, the principle of death, only waiting an opportunit to destroy the sheep. While sheep are in health, and blood in good order little injury will be done by the fluke, for they cannot develop to any extent until an . unhealthy state is set up from the want of proper nourishment or “Other causes. Thesheep may appear healthy aud still have fluke in the liver, but it is not sound. Flukes in wet season are easily taken by sheep ; there are instances of sheep taking ‘rot’ while being driven along a road, also from feeding in a field a few hours. Sheep have been sold from a sound farm and taken to a sound farm, yet died from ‘rot,’ the disease having been taken on the way from one place to the other. PREVENTION AND CURE OP ROT. When the first Bymptom of rot shows itself amongst the sheep, they should be driven to a dry pasture, and fed upon dry food, then some preparation of soda or salt given them, or such remedies that affect the liver and promote oxidation of the blood ; turpentine should not be given to them iu any case, nor have any liquid preparations been found of any effect; many sheep have been killed by the administration of such remedies. About half a teaspoonful of salt for each sheep, given with any kind of dry food, or sprinkled over/hay, will do very much for the sheep, and doubtless keep the disease in check,; let them eat it as they li'.ie, do not drench them. Directly you find your sheep signs of the disease give them salt and dry food ; also sprinkle salt over the wet ‘ rotten ’ parts of the field. Let a boy take a basket of agricultural salt aud sow it well about. . Remember, if sheep are worth keeping they are worth looking after, and I am strongly of the opinion if farmers would take more interest iu their sheep, get rid of idle notions and treat the disease in time, the terrible ravages of lot would be a scourge of the past. Be sure to keep a lump of rock salt in the field or on the mountain ; don’t say they will not lick it, leave it about to take its chance. In fields, parts , which are low or have many pools should be railed off, or salt scattered over them from time to time, which is cheaply done, and has important results, as salt 'kills the rot insect and sweetens the herbage. Lamb cholera is a disease giving great trouble in. some parts of America. It is a contagious disease which attacks the best of' the lambs ; it is similar to ‘ scour ’ in this country, which is generally found where ewes have rich and ahundaut supply of milk. A little chalk-, with dry .food, or Quibed’s Lamb Food, will be found very serviceable.