INFLUEKZA IN HORSES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2857, 16 December 1908, Page 21

INFLUEKZA IN HORSES.

Ing as -a preventive of parasitio troubles. Yet, ' however, the average American possesses the characteristic trait of overdoing things. They believe where a little will do good a lot will do a whole lot of good. We must remember tobacco is a strong 1 weed and contains much nicotine. A tarn lamb need not chew a. 10-cent. plug per day to keep him in condition, for this amount is not necessary. The common praotice at present is to saturate tobacco leaves with brine and allow the sheep free* access to the mixture. While in some.cases this plan may prove satisfactory yet as a rule it will give uneven and unreliable Tesulto. Why, simply because a few of your sheep wall develop the tobacco habit and consume far larger Quantities than is good for them. There will also be others •in the flock which will not consume enough *o prove of benefit. 13iey will simply Hole the salt from tbe leaves. -•

We have given tobacco a thorough trial *nd for information to fellow breeders we give the following rules: Take by measure salt six parts, powdered tobacco two parts and worm powders one part. Mix these thoroughly and keep before your flock air all times, -also keep before your lambs, from day of birth on. They soon learn "to lite this "mild mixture, "and still it is- plenty strong enough to give ambitious parasites a deathly' headache- r-Qner -Qne which sends, them- to the land of bye and bye. Always powder your tobacco before mixing with ?alt. Tape w<?j*msare\not always destroyed, by the tobacco treatment, yet they • are reduced to a minimum. Excessive feeding of tobacco fe liable to cause neTvous disorders 'and 'also affect the breeding •powers .of both rams and ewes, causing them to become somewhat impotent. Yet when tobacco is allowed in moderate quantities it is a. boon and blessing to all sheepkind. and well worthy of a trial.— i Hakby H. Wheeler. J

For the""past month (says the South Australian Register) the "Government Veterinary Surgeon (Mi J. Desmond) and his assistant (Mr" C. A. Loxton) have had an extremely busy time owing to the outbreak of influenza among horses. In answer to a request for" particulars of the present position and the. effects of the epidemic, Mr Desmond remarked: — "About 70 per cent. of the horeee in the metropolitan area have been attacked by the disease. In some stables all the animals have been affected, while in a few the disease h&s not appeared. Numerous deaths have taken place, but the total is difficult to estimate. The 'knackers' have been fully employed *in removing carcases. One man says that he alone caried away 60 a week during the height of, the epidemic. The principal mortality has been caused by unskilful treatment and working the horses while they were suffering most acutely. Generally the owners wore of the opinion that^ the animals had only a slight cough, andthat j it would not hurt them to be worked. Even with a slight attack of influenza to ' keep the animals at work has a tendency | to bring on chronic diseases of the lungs, ! including broken wind. The administration of medicines such as chlorate of potash in quantities far exceeding the proper dose cannot take place without considerable risk. It is not generally known that chlorate of potash in large doses acts as a poison to tne horee and produces great changes in tbe blood. One farmer killed a valuable animal by drenching it with an excessive dose of saltpetre. A popular fallacy is that the influenza can be cut 6hort by the administration of medicines, but as a matter of fact the disease must run its course, and horses should not be put to hard work until three or four weeks after they have apparently, recovered. Post-mortem examinations disclosed in some cases a violent inflammation of the large intestines, which ■were *of a deep purple colour and considerably thickened. In other instances the lungs were in a highly inflamed condition."