m JOHNE^S DISEASE 



" Scrapy. — This is a disease of sheep which is 

 only known in a limited area of Scotland ; but it 

 has been reported that the area is extending. On 

 the latter point, however, the evidence available is 

 not convincing, and it is difficult to get full infor- 

 mation on account of the reticence observed by 

 farmers. Apparently the disease only affects 

 ewes after they have had two or three crops of 

 lambs. The symptoms are rather peculiar, and 

 may at first be confounded with scab. One of 

 the first signs is an itchy condition of the skin, 

 which gradually becomes worse, and compels the 

 animals to constantly rub themselves against fixed 

 objects. The skin, however, shows no eruption as 

 in the case of scab, and no acari can be found. The 

 affected animals become very much emaciated. 

 Small abscesses which are probably only the in- 

 direct result of the disease may appear at various 

 parts of the body, particularly about the head. 

 Eventually the animals die from emaciation if 

 they are not previously slaughtered ; but affected 

 animals may live on in a miserable condition for 

 several months. Dipping has no curative effect; 

 on the contrary, it seems to intensify the symptoms. 

 If we accept the local statement that the disease is 

 spreading, one is justified in thinking that this may 

 be a disease which is transmissible either by direct 

 or indirect infection. It has not been possible to 

 obtain a great deal of material, and from local 

 inquiry by one of the Board's Veterinary Inspectors 

 it would appear that shepherds and farmers are 

 inclined to class more than one disease with totally 

 different symptoms under the head of Scrapy, 

 although some of the ailing animals do not show 

 the most prominent symptom of scratching, from 



