416 DISEASES OF THE BLOOD. 



right along the floor of the abdomen and between the hind legs become 

 swollen and black. This gangrenous tissue, when present before death, 

 can be peeled off without pain to the animal. On post-mortem examina- 

 tion various conditions are met with. The animals are generally found 

 to be among the best of the flock and in fairly good condition. The 

 scrotal and perineal regions in lambs (between hind legs and below 

 tail) are ahvays, or almost always, gangrenous, this condition extending 

 along to the floor of the chest, and sometimes implicating the tail. 

 Many of the muscles, generally those of the shoulders, haunches, and 

 loins, are dark in colour and infiltrated with a black, watery fluid. The 

 intestines are generally healthy, though sometimes the peritoneum is 

 inflamed. The spleen and liver are in the usual condition after death, 

 due to febrile disturbance. In the chest, either the pleurae (coverings 

 of the lungs) or pericardium covering of the heart) are often inflamed, 

 with occasionally a fibrinous exudation, causing surfaces to adhere. 



Cause. In Gilruth's report for 1900 he demonstrated the cause of 

 blood-poisoning to be a microbe known as the malignant oedema bacillus 

 (Vihrion septiqiie of Pasteur). This organism, which is found in many 

 dirty yards, swampy soils, etc., on gaining entrance to the system of 

 almost any animal by means of a wound, rapidly increases in numbers, 

 producing gangrene, or death, of the part affected first, and ultimately 

 the death of the animal. 



Curative treatment is practically useless. 



PreYentive measures. Destruction of the carcases of animals which 

 have succumbed to this disease by efficient burial or by fire. Disinfection 

 of surface soil of yards, etc., by quick-lime. Cleansing of floors and walls 

 of sheds with strong hot lime wash containing crude carbolic acid in the 

 proportion of 1 to 50. Disinfection of flesh cuts made by the shears or 

 the docking or castrating knife. Boiling of docking and tailing knives 

 before use. Observance of antiseptic applications even when temporary 

 yards are employed. Sheep and lambs after operation to be kept in a 

 paddock free from swampy patches. 



PIROPLASMOSIS. 

 Under the title piroplasmosis is included a group of diseases caused 

 by haemosporidia, and found in animals of the bovine and ovine species. 

 These affections are far from having the same importance in temperate 

 as they have in tropical countries ; nevertheless, it is very important to 

 be able to recognise them. 



BOVINE PIROPLASMOSIS. 



Bovine piroplasmosis has been described under different names, such 

 as haemoglobinsemia, haemoglobinuria, Texas fever (U.S.A.), tick fever 



