BRAXY. 403 



old sheep — liogp;s — prevailing during the autumn and winter 

 months, and is known in Scotland under two different terms, 

 namely, " dry braxy " and " wet braxy," the latter form being 

 characterised by more or less effusion of a reddish coloured 

 serosity into the peritoneal cavity. This latter condition is to 

 be looked upon as an endeavour to excrete the morbid material 

 from the circulation, and may be compared to the compensatory 

 pleurisy and hydrothorax witnessed in septic broncho-pneumonia 

 subsequent to parturition, or as a result of the ingestion of food 

 containing ptomaines of animal origin. 



The Symptoms. — Unfortunately in the majority of cases a 

 sheep left quite well at night is found dead in the morning, and 

 the shepherd judges of the nature of the disease by the swollen 

 and discoloured appearance of the carcase. But if seen some 

 time prior to the fatal result the first symptom seems to be 

 manifested by a short step, then the animal stands apart from 

 its companions with the head depressed and back arched. Tym- 

 panites rapidly follows, the stomach becoming enormously 

 swollen and distended with gases, and is resonant on percussion 

 The other signs are those of colicky pains, lying down and rising 

 alternately, or standing apart with the head and ears hanging 

 down, the eyes dull, and the back arched ; prostration and 

 swelling of the belly rapidly increase, the sheep then goes down, 

 and, although struggling, is unable to rise, when death closes 

 the scene. 



The post mortem appearances are analogous to those seen in 

 cattle, namely, a great tendency to rapid decomposition of the 

 blood and tissues ; the blood-vessels are full of dark semi-fluid 

 blood ; bloody froth issues from the nose, mouth, and some- 

 times anus ; the flesh has a dark red appearance ; petechial spots 

 are visible upon the serous membranes and in the subcutaneous 

 tissues; the abomasum and duodenum are highly congested, and 

 covered with large dark-coloured spots of ecchymosis ; the ali- 

 mentary matters are mixed with blood, and the mucous mem- 

 brane generally infiltrated in its substance, and coated on its 

 surface with a layer of semi-coagulated, dark-coloured blood. 

 The peritoneal cavity is generally filled with serum, and the 

 bowels distended with foetid gas. 



The pathology of braxy has yet to be determined, but it 

 seems to be one of the forms of mycotic (jastro-cnteritis arising from 



