NEW DISEASE ("JOHNE'S") IN CATTLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 17

NEW DISEASE ("JOHNE'S") IN CATTLE.

In reply to u, (|uestion suggesting- that "Johne's" disease in cattle is an old one under a new name, the agricultural editor of the North British Agriculturist replies a* follows: "We may say that there are several complaints in cattle, in which the symptom* presented simulate thoee of the malady known as the new or 'Johne's' disease. First, young stock when turned out to graze on strong, wet, badly-drained pastures and on lands where the water lodges in pools, are in danger of being affected with parasites, as it is on these Lands that the embryos of somo of the parasites that infest the digestive organs of animals, undergo

trans-formation and are picked up with the food bv the young cattle, the worms or their embryos being the Strongylus oontortus, Strongvlus fillicosie, and other allied pests. These, according to Sir John Macradvean's finding, become located in the lining membrane of the fourth or true digestive stomach and small intestine—or may we say the winter quarters of these parasites? 'Their presence sots' up great irritation, which interferes with the process of digestion and the proper assimilation of the food, thus causing general emaciation and debility, accompanied by exhaustive diarrhoea inducing great thirst. The animals mostly affected are stirk s from 12 to 20 months olel. The post-mortem of such cases reveals a very amende condition of the whole tissues of the body, as well as a very much enlarged gall bladder gorged full of watery bile. This we consider a preventive "disease, yet it has been in oxistence longer, and is allowed to carry off moro young stock, than any other complaint we can remember. It is the banc of the brooder, and how easily it could be preventedl—.namely, by keeping the young animals indoors until they are turned 12 months old, and draining anel salting the unsound lands —even five to six cwt. of salt to the acre would answer for itself. "The same thing applies to the liver fluke, which causes somewhat similar symptoms to those we have described, and is almost as common in young stirks as it is in sheep (liver fluke rot.), and for which we recommend the same method of prevention. Wo may hero add that for several years back adult cows, many of them fed fat, have extremely bad livers, the walls of the bile ducts or* tubes being very much thickened and enlarged, and containing quantities of degenerate fluke s which had undergone calcification or turned into lime products, hard and gritty. "The flukes in these cases had not been so numerous to to cause the death of the a.nimal earlier on. However, some such cases are so bad that the animals lose fleshi, becoming practically nothing but skin and bone, with intermittent diarrhiea, anel have a dirty, scurfy yellow skin, and very much hidebound. Again, tuberculosis of the liver, the mesenteric glands of the intestines anel the lining cif the belly (peritoneum). also sets up analogous symptoms—the great wasting of the body, exhaustive diarrhoea and thirst. Here, however, we generally have a reaction when applying the tuberculin test. We may say that the prevention of tuberculosis is still in its embryo stage. "Now we come to an old-fashioned common chronic wasting disease accompanied bv intermittent diarrhoea, anemia, and general debility, wherein the animal, although feeling fairly well, yet gradually loses flesh, and this trouble is what we think 'Agricola' refers to as an old complaint with a new name. It used to be recognised as chronic diarrhoea, but now it is what may be termed the new complaint, or 'Johne's' disease, the cause having been discovered by a German scientist of the name of Johne, hence the name. "Johne reports the complaint-to be duo to the presence of a minute bacilli in the lining membrane of the small intestine, causing thickening and corrugation of the lining of the bowel, which prevents the healthy process of digestion and assimilation of the food, and when tested with bovine tuberculin >no reaction takes place, although if, is stated that a reaction can bo procured when the patient is inoculated with ovine tuberculin. It is thus distinguished from tuberculosis. If, as is thought, the malady is due to a small germio body ro bacilli, generally taken up by the fooel, it ought to be prevented. Wo have met with solitary oases, anel occasionally three or more cases in one herd, and are inclined to think that the disease is not infectious —that is to say, one affected animal cannot communicate it direct to another; but, like the liver fluke, the germs are spread on the grazing pasture through the agency of the excreta from an affected beast, and are then taken up by other animals grazing on the land, they in turn being infected. "Treatment so far has been anything but satisfactory. We have had the best, results from a combination e>f saline, vegetable, a.nd mineral tonics given daily with a teaoupful of best cod liver oil night and morning, but our motto is prevention, and seeing that for countless age's the salts of the soils have be>en washed into the great salt oceans, and the lands thus robbed of these agents, is it any wonder that there is now a scarcity? To parody a quotation, ' When the earth has lost its savour, wherewith will it be salted.' "This want of salt no doubt favours the development of gcrmic and insect, life, anel we therefore repeat, if grazing pastures were yearly dressed with six to seven cwt of crushed rock salt to the acre, these small infinitesimal germio pests would be anlhihilated. Salt, the great germicielal agent, abounds extensively in Nature, and we ask, What, could we elo without it? It is the safest, cheapest, a.nd best agent that can bo used; in we may exclaim, 'How manifold are the virtues of this abundant commodity; it preserves useful articles from decay, assists our manures to net, sweetens cur meadows anel pastures, exterminates both i-wsect anel weeel pe'sts of the farm, and gives health and energy to our flocks anel herds; in a word, it is lift? to the healthy, medicine to the diseased', anel death to the destroyer.'—Vet. Ed."