" BRAXY " SHEEP DISEASE IN AUSTRALIA. 593 



in a few hours. Two cases are mentioned in which inoculation 

 of large doses (1 cc.) of peritoneal effusion and of culture were 

 negative. 



Hamilton affirms that the seasonal nature ofbraxy is due to the 

 blood being bactericidal to the bacillus during the period of year 

 when the disease does not appear, but his observations have not 

 been confirmed. This led him to suggest the immunisation of sheep 

 by drenching with cultures during the " immune " season, in order 

 to induce an active and permanent immunity, and this in spite of 

 the fact that he showed the bacilli thus introduced may multiply 

 in the alimentary canal and be continuously passed for at least 

 two months by the faeces. Numerous experiments were conducted 

 in the field on these lines, which by the report seem to have been 

 satisfactory, but I am advised that this method of immunisation 

 has not been continued in any part of the country affected with 

 the disease. 



Disease of Braxy Type in New Zealand. 



On many farms in the South Island where hoggets (yearling sheep) 

 were fattened on turnips growing in paddocks, for a number of years an 

 annual mortality was experienced varying from five per cent, upwards. 

 Owing to difficulties in communication and the rapidity with 

 which putrefactive changes occurred in the cadavers, attempts to 

 make any investigation regarding the cause were not satisfactory 

 until Mr. H. C. Wilkie, F.R.C.V.S., then a Government Veteri- 

 narian, had an opportunity of making careful observations on the 

 disease occurring in a valuable flock of pure merino ram hoggets. 

 Generally the disease appeared when the turnips became eaten 

 down fairly close to the earth, but with the flock in question death 

 had occurred more or less for months while being turnip fed. 



Mr. Wilkie only observed one animal prior to death, when the 

 chief symptoms exhibited were separation from flock, dulness, 

 arched back, knuckling over at fetlocks, head carried high, pulse 

 thready and weak, and temperature 107 This animal was so 

 observed in the evening. The following morning it was found 

 dead, as was another which the previous evening was apparently 

 normal. A number of post-mortem examinations on animals 

 recently dead were made by Mr. Wilkie, the following being a 

 summary of his observations : — 



More or less froth, at times blood-stained, about nostrils ; sub- 

 cutaneous sero-sanguineous patches ; blood-stained peritoneal 

 effusion, varying in quantity up to a pint ; pleural effusion often 

 blood-tinged, present at times in large quantity, but often absent ; 

 generally some pericardial blood-stained exudate ; kidneys, lungs 

 and liver sometimes congested, and, except in one case where 

 there was slight congestion of the abomasum, the intestinal tract 

 was normal. In these cases, which were examined very soon 

 after death (in one immediately afterwards), no mention is made 

 of putrefactive odour. 



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