10 July. 1918.] Diseases of Sheep. 413 



Another disease wliieli causes a fairly high mortality is. one which 

 has been described, for want of a better term, as a Braxy-like disease. 

 True, Braxy does not exist in Australia, but the disease under con- 

 sideration resembless it in almost all its characteristics, and differs 

 from it mainly in that the organism responsible for it is unlike the 

 Braxy organism in some of its characteristics. The disease is one 

 which occurs only in the winter months, and then chiefly on low-lying, 

 damp pasture. Young sheep are more frequently affected than the 

 mature animals. 



The disease is in some respects like anthrax, being acute, and 

 causing death frequently, without any symptoms being noted. 

 Generally the onset is sudden. The animal is dull, and cannot be 

 induced to rise; movement appears to produce pain; the posterior 

 parts of the body become swollen; and froth may appear at the mouth. 

 On jjost-mortcm, dark purple areas will be found in the lining mem- 

 brane of the fourth stomach, the intestines distended with gas, and 

 decomposition of the body will occur rapidly, and the carcass give 

 off a most objectionable stench. The blood will be dark in colour, 

 but clotted; the liver will be light coloured and soft, and the kidneys 

 in the same condition ; the skin will assume a blue tint, and the wool 

 will pull out readily. The lesion in the stomach is most characteristic, 

 and in it the bacillus which causes the disease is found. So far no 

 method of treatment or system of inoculation has been discovered. 



All that can be done is to move the sheep to higher and drier 

 pasture, and to endeavour to clear the affected areas by allowing a 

 growth, of grass and burning off at later date. On pasture which is 

 well drained there is seldom any loss. 



Another disease which may be classed as contagious, and Avhich on 

 occasion is responsible for heavy mortality, is known as malignant 

 oedema. This is a disease caused by an organism which gains entrance 

 to the system through cuts, and is usually found only at shearing 

 time. The soil of the yards and their surroundings becomes infective, 

 and sheep turned out with cuts on their bodies are thus inoculated 

 with the germs. As the symptoms develop there is a stiffness of the 

 body with jerky movements, breathing is fast and painful, unconscious- 

 ness sets in, and death rapidly follows. Treatment is valueless; there- 

 fore, we must direct all our energies to prevention. This is done by 

 burning all carcasses, disinfecting the yards and soil, and cleaning the 

 shed. Hot soda solutions ai'e advisable for the latter and quicklime 

 for the soil, with all antiseptic precautions and treatment of wounds. 



Tetanus or Lockjaw. 



This is another germ disease, and, like malignant oedema, follows 

 on shearing or the operation of marking and castration ; but differs 

 in that it does not occur until the wounds have practically healed. 

 The animal becomes stiff, and the head is held high; the eyes are 

 withdrawn into the sockets; there is difficulty in mastication, which 

 may become impossible ; the animal is easily startled, and such starts 

 induce spasms of the whole body. Treatment is useless, but the same 

 preventive measures must be adopted as are required for malignant 

 oedema. 



