Vol. X. No. 240. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



219 



pests of stored grain (Fig. 11). In Southern Nigeria, however, 

 these small insects are reported as pests of corn in the field. 

 This is said to result from the practice of leaving the corn 

 standing after the grain is ripe, and the remedy suggested 

 is to harvest the grain as soon as it is ready. 



Cotton in Southern Nigeria is attacked by many of the 

 same pests as in the West Indies. There the boll worm, 

 cotton stainers and aphis are among the serious pests. The 

 principal recommendation made is the destruction of the 

 old cotton plants promptly when the crop has been reaped. 



Cacao is attacked by borers and termites which injure 

 the wood of the stem and branches, and by a moth and fruit 

 tly which attack the pods and cause a considerable amount of 

 injury. Two species of scale insects are recorded as attacking 

 cacao in Southern Nigeria. 



The collecting and burning of all old pods, the 

 disposal of the shells from which the beans have been 

 taken, and the removal of all dead wood and careful 

 tarring of cuts, are among the remedial measures recom- 

 mended. The collecting of the borer beetles, after the manner 

 employed in the West Indies, is also suggested. 



LIVE STOCK. 



NAVEL-ILL OR JOINT-ILL. 



This disease, which is also called navel-evil, joint-evil and 

 specific arthritis, is due to septic organi.sms entering the sys- 

 tem by the umbilicus (navel), and is a very serious affection 

 commonly fatal to foals, calves and lambs. It is known to 

 persist in some breeding establishments, where it causes 

 a heavy annual loss. The disease does not seem to be well 

 known in the West Indies, but in some other countries it is 

 a formidable scourge to young animals: it is characterized by 

 infiammation of the umbilical cord, and usually by a swelling 

 of one or more joints, and lameness. 



CAUSES. There are many predisposing causes, such as 

 bad weather, poor feeding and weakness. It seldom arises 

 when the cord is normal, but usually when it is too short. 

 It is likely that infection occurs after the cord is separated, 

 and that dirty surroundings, soiled litter, etc., are the more 

 common causes. 



SYMPTOMS. The young animal is seen to be dull and 

 listless; it refuses to suck, and remains lying down almost 

 constantly. There is fever, with its accompanying dry- 

 ness of the lips and mouth, the breathing is hurried 

 and the pulse quick and feeble; some constipation occurs 

 at first, followed by diarrhoea and frequent urination in 

 small quantities. There is a good deal of inflammation 

 and swelling at the navel and some abscess formation; 

 probably also a thin watery matter will be seen drip- 

 ping from it. In light-coloured animals, the .skin under 

 the alidomen is often stained yellow. The affection then 

 becomes general throughout the system, the result being that 

 abscesses are formed in various parts of the body, and inter- 

 nal organs more rarely; when the animal is about a month 

 old, the disease assumes a chronic form : the health is not .so 

 much affected, and a large abscess forms at the navel. The 

 young animal .shows a tendency to sleep continually, and 

 later dies from weakness and exhaustion. In the form particu- 

 larly affecting the joints, nothing may be seen until it is 

 noticed that the young animal is lame; such lameness is often 

 thought incorrectly to be due to injury, such as a kick from 

 the mother. The stifle is perhaps the most commonly 

 affected joint, though others are also involved. On examina- 

 tion, it will be found that this is hot and tender, and exhibits 



a fluctuating swelling. The animal is less keen to suck, and 

 the temiierature rises two or three degrees. If two legs are 

 affected, the condition is worse and a general feverish state 

 is evident, accompanied by hurried breathing, some uneasiness 

 and some constipation. The navel, if examined, will be seen to 

 be moist and not healed, or occasionally, it is quite dry and 

 appears to be healthy. 



In another case, the animal may sicken without visible 

 lameness, but with dullness, fever and often some constipa- 

 tion; and here the breathing is more affected. The infection 

 spreads through the system, and the condition of the patient 

 gets rapidly worse, as the lungs and other organs become 

 involved. A foetid diarrhoea may set in, and the animal 

 dies without the joints being affected. In either case, the 

 disease is very fatal; even animals that recover may be 

 deformed, though many accomplish this well, especially foals. 



TREATMENT. Laxative medicines should be given and 

 measures for reducing the fever taken; in addition, hot 

 fomentations and liniments should be applied to the joints, 

 and antiseptics to the navel. 



PREVENTION. This is much more important than treat- 

 ment. It is of the utmost concern to see that the place 

 where young animals are to be born is scrupulously clean, and 

 to this end it is advisable to limewash the walls (adding 

 5 per cent, of carbolic acid to the whitewash), to remove all 

 soiled litter, and to provide a good clean bed for the 

 mother. In the case of animals born in the open, it should 

 be seen that a good piace is provided without any contamina- 

 tion such as pen manure. Fresh air and sunlight are also 

 valuable aids to the destruction of germs, and are insisted 

 upon in temperate countries, while in the West Indies there 

 is usually no difficulty in this connexion. 



As soon as the young animal is born, the cord should be 

 washed in an antiseptic solution (carbolic acid 5 per cent., or 

 corrosive .sublimate 1 in 1,000). Then the cord should be 

 tied, f -inch from the skin, by a linen tape which has previously 

 been soaked in the antiseptic. The cord is then clipped with 

 scissors, about l inch below the ligature, and the end saturated 

 with the solution. In the absence of proper antiseptics, the 

 cord may be smeared with common wood tar. The ligature 

 should be examined every day (twice if possible) and dressed 

 with the solution, or pure carbolic acid may be applied to the 

 stump daily for four or five days, until it separates. If after 

 this, any matter is seen to be accumulating in the cord, it must 

 be washed out, and dressed with the antiseptic. The dressing 

 may be discontinued when the cord is dry, that is probably in 

 seven to ten days after birth; but if the cord is not dried up it 

 should be continued, as experience has shown that the disease 

 may appear seven to twenty days after birth. It will be found 

 that attention to hygiene and cleanliness will certainly decrease 

 the risks from this disease. Lastly, the mother must be 

 liberally fed to ensure a supply of good milk, in order to keep 

 the young animal in a strong condition. 



posT-MOKTEM APPEARANCES. The velu leading from the 

 navel may contain a dirty-grey, thick fluid, or there may be 

 a small abscess. The liver is large and friable, and may 

 have several small abscesses in it. The lungs are also badly 

 affected in some cases. The joints are always inflamed, and 

 may contain matter; matter is also occasionally found in the 

 cavities of the brain. 



It is recorded in Pamphlet I of the Indian Tea A.ssocia- 

 tion that Dhaincha (Seshania spp. — see Agricultural Jfews, 

 Vol. VIII, p. 271, etc.) has shown itself superior to woolly 

 pyrol (Phaseoliis Jluw/o) as a green dressing, in that it has 

 been reported as making very good growth in many platea 

 where the yield of woolly pyrol has been poor. 



