MR GILRUTH'S PAMPHLET ON THE MOUTALITY AMONG HOGGETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2525, 6 August 1902, Page 9

MR GILRUTH'S PAMPHLET ON THE MOUTALITY AMONG HOGGETS.

Some of tbe press notices of this pamphlet have alluded to it in such a way tas to .get fhi:Bg6- "considerably mixed aip, and, as the various remarks made may do harm, a few words on "Sic subject are 'desirable.

■ This draaffEfe imz no connection with the death of lambs in early summer, whioh were all » due ;to securing -from ih.6 rush of new grase. This iiegget disease -is essentially blood - poisoning, and the poison is a -roicroije whicb occurs in the soil and is 'principally taken into the system while the hoggets are on turnips. It was only last year that the Government veterinarians succeeded in establishing the fact -that it is a contagious disease. They *are continuing making investigations, and look for the asshtance of sheepowners, as they ore anxious to get correct statistics. By answering to the Chief Veterinary Surgeon, Wellington, the questions at the end of the pamplilet, farmers can assist to this end and help to benefit all concerned. The investigations are being carried on with a view to finding some way of dealing with *he fioil so infected, so as to find a remedy !to prevent infection. The mortality has been very considerable already, and as these diseases may increase from tfre infection from dead carcases and otherwise the subject is one that should command attention. Meanwhile all such carcases should be buried deep at once, and on no .account left to hawks and dogs. Both Mr Gilruth and Mr Wilkie (of the Dunedin Stock Department) have given a great deal of attention -ro this matter, and are still doing so. Mr Wilkie would like his attention called ut once to any oases in the district -under his charge. The matter is of deep interest to 1 all -veterinary surgeons from » scientific point of view, and is, needless 'to say, of great importance to farmers. There are .surely some among the latter who remember the ravages of braxy in the Old Country. The question has assumed such importance in the Western Highlands now that a royal commission has been Appointed to ideal with and investigate it. The pamphlet should be read carefully, oa means for dealing with the disease ure given. Gup means not given, however, we are advised by Mr Wilkio, is to half feed the turnips off with hoggets and finish them with ewe* and, wethers, putting the hoggets on a fresh break ; because it is practically a hogget disease, older animals not 'being nearly co subject to it, and the time of greatest infection occurring when the tin-nips are being iod 'dose to the ground. We reproduce the pamphlet : — XEAFLETS FOB, PABMEES, Xo. 60. MORTALITY OF SHEEP, PABTICULAKLY HOGaETS, ON TTTRNIPS. By J. A. -G-ilbtith, M.R.C.V.S., Chief Veterinarian. A disease, which in many Tespocts is similar to braxy, oiteurs in certain districts of the South Island among sheep which Are ied on turnip^ and takes an .annuaS toll Irom many Sock-owners of irom 2 to 5 or more per cent, of their turnip-fed cheep. Although I h>ve known of this recurring . mortality for some years, it has been iound - impossible -until last year to get a suitable op- " portunity for its 'thorough investigation. ' "The preventive measures which have been t recommended, and have met wit"h a certain degree of success wi-ere -adopted, "have been chiefly the provision of a supply Of dry feed, such as chaff, and, where possible, a run-off ' -for the sheep on to tussock, .stubble, or glass ■ pasture. It was evident, however, that the ' question of food-supply, while possibly acting • under^ suitable circumstances as a pre-dispos-jng agent, would not account entirely for , the mortality. :

Towards "the eiwl oi last winter Mr TVilkie, r.E.CT.S., Government veterinarian, had an opportunity of ■studying the disease in a mob of a thousand haggele, thank* to the .kindness

all in his power to assist in the investigation ; and it is from the reports he has furnished of his careful observations and experiments on the spot, -supplemented by those I have personally -conducted in the laboratory here, that the following brief description of the disease is derived: — STUPTOKS. In the great majority of cases no symptom 3 of illness are observed by the shepherd, the animal being simply found dead, with a bloodstained froth about the -nose and mouth, and putrefaction more or less .advanced. Careful examination .of a -flock in -which cases have occurred may, however, show one or two sheep exhibiting ah inclination, 'to separate from the remainder of the flock, with arched back, weakness of fhe hind legs, knuckling over at the fetlocks, the head carried unusually high or slightly to one side, and frothing at tbe lips, with dropping of saliva. A considerable amount of fever is present, as evidenced by the thermometer and the fact that the wool is readily detached -from the skill. Rapidly the ■symptoms increase in severity, the continues, the thighs and quarters become swollen end discoloured, the animal "becomes drowsy, p-nd is ÜBually found dead next morning lying more or leas maturaily, and with no evidence* ai struggling. .POST MORTEM. As a rule, wlien found, even though the body be not quite cold, decomposition is already fairly well advanced. The carcase is swollen -and fhe skiii tense ; the nostrils and mouth have a quantity of more or less •blood-stained froth exuding from .them; the trachea (-windpipe) and bronchial tubes contain a similar frothy material; «nd''in the abdominal cavity is usually a large quantity of blood-stained fluid, which in certain cases is also found in the cheat cavity. 'The skin and -muscles, particularly of -the hindquarters, are .frequently very dark and congested. Usually the -above are .the chief characteristics observed post mortem, but none are constant. PREDISPOSING CAUSES. These appear to be : — (1) TJie age of the animal ; (2) Nature of the food ; and (3) The stage to which the turnips have been eaten down. 1. Hoggets are the more susceptible, although it is not unknown in older animals. 2. There is no doubt thnt the mortality is practically confined to sheep depastured on growing turnips, although there is eorne reason to believe that occasionally cases occur on gTass, rape, etc., but so rarely as to be inappreciable. ' A -supply of dry food, and paiticiilaTly a run-off to a -gross paddock, without doubt diminishes the risk, but does not entirely obviate the disease where it is prevalent. 3. The bareness of the sail ■will, I •"■entirre to assert, be icirnd to play a not unimportant part as a predisposing cause. On a turnippaddock sheep are 'much more liable lo .get into their systems, either with food or through small abrasions of the skin, the bacteria which experiments prove to "be the cause of the disease.

-*"* THE ACTTJAI. CAUSE,

That th-e. disease is due to a specific living organism wJiich gains entrance to the system by Borne means fiiere can be no doubt. Mr Wilkie carried out on the affected farm some preliminary experiments, of -which the following is a short resume —

"SEBASUBEB.

A few drops of blood 'from the heart -of a hogget -winch had been dead a very Short ' tun© -were injected undecneath -the skin of * ' .healthy hogget. This -hogget was kept under observation, and in 50 hours -died with -what to ' «11 appearance was the seme disease as -the ' first. .Another hogget which had. never been fed en turnips -was inoculated T,vith a larger quantity of Tilocd from a dead animal, and died ; In 24J hours from the time of inoculation. Still " another hogget which had never been on turnips was inoculated with blood from a dead animal, and succumbefl in 57 hours. From these and other hoggets which had naturally contracted the disease, Mi- Wilki-e ■ forwarded specimens of blood in Pasteur pipettes hermetically sealed. After a large expenditure of time and labour 1 succeeded in isolating and cultivating a microbe whio.. -pro- 1 duced experimentally in sheep symptoms and ' post-mortem -appearances similar to those de--scribed above, death occurring >ia two to "three days. From, these, again, I was able to isolate the same organism. Guinea-pigs also inoculated with a minute -quantity of an ar-tificia-1 culture of these germs siiccvunbed in from 24 to 48 hours, with .similar post-mortem appearances to those -of the -sheep. It will thus be seen that the di.seass is not a, simple ailment due to some error df dietary as generally believed. Being due to a specific microbe, there are certain preventive measures ; one especially that it is imperative should "be ta"ken "by every owner, "both in his own interests «nd -those of th« general farming •community. PREVENTIVE -SEEASUBEB. In out present somewhat limited knowledge of the distribution and extent of -the disease, the chief preventive measure to be recommended, besides tbe variation -of 'the foodaupply already meirtioned, is the destruction -by burial, or by Are where possible, of the carcase of an animal dead of the disease. The experiments .related are a, sufficient indication of ■the danger ol tlie blood or any part of the carcase an a means -of contamination of the soil. The practice of Bkhming the dead animals and allowing the carcase to be torn by dogß and h-.rw-ks cannot be too strongly condemned, and it is by these means that germs of diseases such as this are spread, not -only over parts of the some paddock, but over neighbouring paddocks. GENERAL. The above information ib circnlatid partly with the view of giving the sheep-owner some information regarding the nature of this disease.^aud partly Tvath the hope that by this means we may be able to secure more exact information regarding its prevalence, and also secure the co-operation of owners in our endeavours to further investigate the malady. Although a. considerable amount of time and trouble Has "been spent in the study of the disease germs, yet the investigation hns been chiefly of a preliminary nature, and 3 am anxious to secure further cases for more extensive examination and experiment. As this can only "be done with the cordial assistance of *hose interested, I venture to append a hat of <jueries, for answers to which by those who have experience of the disease I shall feel deeply grateful. QUERIES. This page should be filled in by answers to the annexed tjnestionß, and forwarded to the Chief Tecerinarian, "Wellington, by whom the information -will be considered confidential. 1. How long have you known of the existence of this disease on your property V <o 2. "What is your annual percentage "ol mortality on turnips? 8. Do yon ever find similar cases occur on green pasture or other feed? If so, to what extent ? 4. What breed and age of sheep do yon find most Affected? : 6. Go. £«v find tlw jaltfej? more linbla to con- i

CENZRAL.

tract the disease on any particular class of soil, or on any particular paddock? 6. During the feeding-down of a paddock of•turnips, do you -consider the^eheep jnor-e -liable', to contract the disease at one period than .another? 7. Generally, clo you consider one kind of weather more favourable to the production -of the disease thac another ? If so, what weather I do you fear most? 8. Do you find the percentage of losses has ' increased year by yeai ? 9. "Would you bt willing to provide speci- j mens for -examination -by me if -materials and , instructions were sent to you for the same? 10. Kindly state here any additional infortna-' tion which you think would be o* value in "the investigation of the disease: Signature: Address: Date: , 190 .