Staggers in Sheep.

Southland Times, Issue 11757, 9 June 1891, Page 4

Staggers in Sheep.

(N. Z. Mail.) A correspondent writing f rom Hawkes B»y save that the ahefp disease known as stapgere has broken oat among hie flock. He says: — 'The she.- p in qnention have been for the ls«t three or four weeki grazing in a field of rye, and about 25 out of tome 2000 have been very severely attacked, being ctit on their side and perfectly helpl*B». I attribute tbe cause to the presence of ergot in tbe rye. Tbote affected were at once removed into a field of lucerne, ani the usual remedy of 'bleeding' applied ; And though in one or two instances proving effectual docs not arena to have done much good geierally. The ahee^ have b<en carefully watched and put upon their feet frcqa«ntly through the day tin?e, but have invariably got cast again during the night. I may say that in almost every initance the ■beep are atrong wethers and ewes, and in fairly good condition ; The ataggera is known in Scotland aa 'loupiߣ- : H,' and in France aa ' maladie tremblante ' It ban been diagnosed by Profeisor Willisma a* cauafd by a microacopic organism, which be aaya ht found in tbe fluid around the apinal cord. The symptoms are a lots of power in the limbs and B>roetimei high fever, with of the brain. I 'anally the animal eat*, and »'fmi to be perfectly well in health, but unable to rise. Otbrrs, again, drop uown icsnaatly ariri dif, usually en being suddenly a arted Tbe dieease has been long known in many partr, but its cause was quite ulaccounted for till 1881. pjiocpal Williama m&de thn ciscovery while working at the instigation of tb* Highland and Agricultural Society of rxotland. It haa been noticed that in years when tick* (lxodes) were most abundant, there wie moat death from trembling, and on examinatioa the ticka were found to cmtain tbe same organiama aa did the »pinal fluid. This is suggestive, bat the fall chain of facts necessary for confirmation of the tbeory had not yet been worked out. Mr Broiherston. botaniat in the Highland Society, Loupin 1 111 Investigation Committee, advances the theory that it it caused by ergot often prevalent in rye. I here ia a d fferei.ee of tpioion as to the •fcerp wh:cb lemon! iiable; Fair »a>s the p*e«end lambs 'n beat condition ; another writer (Mathe«son) the thin and ill conduiuced. Bfchtfacfer considers the diseare baa only developed and become hereditary since the utioduction cf the mennoc, and 801l mentions itaa specially a disease of high brei, fine wooiled »»eep. It teems at any rale, ht a iu!e, in to* 1 early stage of the di»easp, the a.imatg a-e •■videntJy in poor condi'i n and filling eff ; they have a dnlj, heavy appearance , and the cja' is dead to the feel. Nervous symptoms te' in Thea« vary in <<;fiVr»'nt c&ies, bring aom»timfs paralytic, sometime* such aa result from hypers intuition of the brain and ep'n&l cord. In tke former th^r* 1 ;• nuWden weaknfsi of the back, »b ck increaaea gradually. When tbe animal is f>pproachea by a man, dog, or evea <. ther sheep, it seems much txcitea, ind tumbles over, and in trying to g»t away it drags its hind legs, being paraplegic; in other caßes,but one limb ia paralysed. When excited tbe poor brute falls on its belly and cheat, with head and neck protruded and on being raised walks away trembling violently. Coarse withered g-asses, used as food, aeem to b« distinctly associated with thf diaonUr. Mr Brydor, of Tr*qn»ir (Scotland), long ago noticed that good fat lambs often Buffer from eating tbe tops of dry rye gnus. Grass which cornea up rapidly to a foil bite ia a fruitful bflaence in its production, and Strangeways and other observers have found ergot in quantity on atagger producing pastures. On the other hand, ergot, when digested, does not induce tbe characteristic symptoms of the disease, and ergot prevails in many paatnres without prodncing it. Waldie, ef Jedburg, long ago suggested that tbe ataggers was due to the liming of the soil, and that it disappeared when the lime became exhausted. Overstocking, poverty, in.and-in breeding, cold or froaty winds, coarseness of pasture, transition from improved to coarse pastures and vice versa have been enumerated as causes. Tbe preventative means which have already proved naeful in practice, are advocated by the principal investigator*, viz, cutting or burning at the proper seaaon, ail excess of rongh herbage, and the pasturing of cattle along with the sheep, especially during early spring. The beat treatment of affected animals, not actually prostrate, is to keep them in a perfectly quiet plase, and to prevent excitement, allow neither man nor dog to go within tight of them. When down fat ahe»p should be killed at once ; poor ones may first be bled, then wellfed, turned from one side to the other, and moved on to fresh ground regularly. One remedy resorted to in some parts of England ia well worth trying : Take glanber e&lts (aoda snlphaa) two ounce*, nitrate of potash (saltpetre) one drachm, powdered borax one drachm, flowers of brimstone •ulphar) oae drachm. Mix well for one dose, apd give in abont half a pint of gruel, well stirred. Uepeat this dose for two or three days, then give a tonic drench as follows : — Gruel or ale, one pint; sulphate of iron, two drachms ; ginger and gentian in powder, of each half an ounce, This quantity makes three doses. Uive one daily for a week.