896 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



Two distiBCt dif^eases prevailed in sliee]) during- tlie autumn and 

 winter — (1) Pneunio-enteritis or contagious pneumonia, and (2) liver 

 rot or fluke. 



Pneumo-enteritis extensively prevailed in Victoria^ New South 

 Wales and Tasmania. I succeeded in isolating and cultivating 

 the germ that causes the disease. The germ in the blood and in 

 sections of organs of sheep dead of the disease is rod-like, motile 

 3 to 5 micro-millimetres long, grows well in gelatine and agar under 

 aerobic as well as anaerobic conditions. 



The guinea pig is not harmed by the disease, but the pigeon is. 

 Large doses of blood from a sheep dead of the disease kill the pigeon, 

 but cultivations have not a lethal effect. Cultivation of the bacillus 

 attenuates its virulence. Sheep inoculated with cultivations suffer 

 only a slight ti"ansient illness. 



In 1834-5 there prevailed in New South Wales as an epizootic a 

 disease called epizootic catarrh. It caused the death of 50 per cent, 

 of the animals attacked. Judging from the description furnished of 

 the disease, it is identical with outbreaks I have been investigating. 

 A full account of the disease and of the experiments conducted will 

 be published in the Journal in due course. At preseiit various 

 experiments are being conducted to endeavour to procure a prophy- 

 lactic vaccine. 



Liver rot, fluke, or fascioliasis is causing much concern to sheep- 

 breeders. It is prevailing widely on damp, marshy tracts of country, 

 and the mortality is fairly great. The disease is due to liver flukes 

 (Distomurti hepaticiiin, Distovium lanceolatumj in excess in bile ducts 

 of the liver of sheep. A full description of the disease, with illustra- 

 tions and methods of prevention, as well as treatment of affected 

 animals, will be published in a subsequent issue of the Journal. 



Multiple absci'sses in sheep — the germ of which I described in a 

 report furnished to the department in July, 1898 — are occasionally 

 encountered in sheep at the abattoirs. This coming season I appre- 

 hend the disease will be a source of great trouble. In wet seasons it 

 is noticed that it is very prevalent, and exceptional care will be 

 required in inspecting sheep for export to see that no abscesses are 

 left in the carcases and to reject those badly affected. 



Foot rot made its appearance in some districts, but the disease 

 with care is one that can be kept under control. Paring the feet and 

 driving the sheep through arsenical and copper foot baths is the 

 treatment. When the sheep are unable to walk the feet should be 

 pared and dressed thrice daily with the solution. 



Fowl Tick. 



Fowl tick has been steadily combated during the year and from 

 many farms it has been eradicated by the efforts of Inspector Smitli 

 and the various police officers acting as tick inspectors. The pest 

 fortunately has been kept well within the restricted areas and from 

 Hopetoun and Goyurra, which districts have been placed in quaran- 



