A WARNING TO FARMERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18200, 26 February 1929, Page 3

A WARNING TO FARMERS.

To the Editor of the “Timaru Ileraia.” Sir.—Of seven cases of after-dipping mortality, which have recently been investigated in this district, six were found to have been due to traumatic pneumonia, and one to malignant oedema. or so-called blood-poisoning. Traumatic pneumonia is the name given to all cases of pneumonia induced by foreign bodies other than bacteria’: and in these after-dipping cases, the foreign substance is always a. portion 01 the dipping fluid which the infected animals have inhaled. As great liberties can be taken with sheep that are being washed or dipped; as they can with impunity be tumbled about the bath, and immersed and reimmersed repeatedly with safety, the point to bo elucidated is: How does li. so frequently happen that, at every dipping season', hundreds of sheep and lambs inhale some of the contents of the bath ? The answer seems to be that the “crutcher’’ stands too close to where the sheep raise their heads after their first plunge into the bath, and pushes them under before they have had time to empty their nostrils of the contained fluid, and before they have had a chance of taking breath, the result being that they are compelled to perform the respiratory act while they are completely submersed, •Anis drawing the surrounding fluid intotheir lungs. That this is the correct explanation may be gathered from the fact that, when dipping operations have been suspended, owing to considerable numbers of the dipped sheep having succumbed to traumatic pneumonia, dipping with exactly the same mixture, may be resumed without a, single mishap, the,, only difference in the dipping arrangements being that the first “crutcher” is placed farther down the edge of the bath, and the second nearer to the outlet. “Cr.itching” is by far tlic most important feature of sheep-dipping. So important is i't that careful and experienced men prefer to do it themselves; and they allow the sheep to swim ten or twelve feet before they push the heads under, which they do bv smartly pressing at the back of the neck, instead of pushing heavily on the middle of the back, and instantly allowing the head to be raised again. As all the better known makes of dip are occasionally associated with these losses, farmers will see that the material used is not the cause of the trouble. If they mix the dip carefully according to directions, they need have no fear about the dip; and, if they allow iheir sheep to swim three or four yards before pshing them under, they need have no dread of traumatic pneumonia. —I am. etc., A. M. PATERSON, M.R.C.V.S.