260 VETERINARY HYGIENE 



rare occurrence the disease is not of great importance from a hygi- 

 enic point of view. Infection occurs by contamination of surgical or 

 accidental wounds with soil or manure. The wounds which become 

 infected are as a rule those in which there has been considerable 

 laceration of the tissues, and in which there has been a good deal 

 of necrosis. Punctured wounds (e.g., those produced by hay forks) 

 are also especially liable. Malignant cedema also sometimes com- 

 plicates castration, removal of scirrhous cords, sheep shearing, and 

 difficult parturition. Oppermann* during a period of 5 years 

 observed the disease to occur in 22 flocks of sheep following parturi- 

 tion. On one occasion in a flock of 350 animals 46 ewes died. 

 The synonym " hospital gangrene " indicates that at one time the 

 disease commonly occurred after operations, but at the present time 

 this name is hardly justifiable. In any case the infection is always 

 a mixed one, other organisms participating in the production of 

 lesions. Any special seasonal or age incidence that there may 

 be is entirely coincident with the operations above mentioned 

 (castration, &c.). 



PREVENTIVE MEASURES. Those obviously indicated are suit- 

 able surgical treatment of wounds, namely, thorough opening up 

 and cleansing followed by the use of copious flushings of oxygenat- 

 ing fluids such as hydrogen peroxide, &c. Shearing of sheep should 

 be carried out if possible by means of special shearing machines. 

 If the operation has to be done by hand, care should be taken to 

 inflict as few injuries as possible. Lambing should take place in 

 pens which are bedded down with clean soft straw. 



I 



EPIZOOTIC LYMPHANGITIS. 



Epizootic lymphangitis (african farcy, neapolitan farcy, 

 river farcy) is due to a specific micro-organism, the cryptococcus 

 of Rivolta (1873), and is characterised by lesions which bear a 

 strong resemblance to those of farcy. The disease is strictly con- 

 tagious and is confined to equines. Epizootic lymphangitis which 

 was first described in Italy, was introduced into Great Britain by 

 army horses after the South African War (1902), but was stamped 

 out by 1907. Since that date the disease has not made its 

 appearance, though it still remains a scheduled disease. Infection 

 occurs by inoculation of the organism through the skin, and though 

 cutaneous injuries such as abrasions favour entry of the organism 

 infection can apparently occur through sound skin. Spread from dis- 

 * Vet. Rec., 1919, Vol. XXXI., p. 393, Trans. 



