28 JOHNE'S DISEASE 



stated that the sheep in question were not known to 

 have suffered from itching of the skin, but the emacia- 

 tion had been *' continuous and prolonged." 



The author concludes that the disease known as 

 " Scrapie" is not necessarily a form of Johne's disease, 

 as it is possible, of course, that two different diseases 

 may affect the same animals. It is to be noted, more- 

 over, that the three sheep examined, and mentioned in 

 the extract from the annual report given above, showed 

 the characteristic skin irritation ; but in only one could 

 the lesions of Johne's disease be found ; while in the 

 later outbreak classical symptoms of Johne's disease 

 were observed, but no itching of the skin was noticed. 



In the case examined by M'Fadyean, Sheather, and 

 Edwards, the subject, a Welsh ewe, was suspected of 

 suffering from parasitic gastro-enteritis, and on post- 

 mortem examination many worms (Stroitgyhts cervi- 

 cornis) were found in the abomasum. The frequency 

 with which sheep and lambs are attacked with parasitic 

 gastro-enteritis, and the high mortality often observed, 

 suggest, in such cases, the need for careful post-mortem 

 examinations ; as it is easy to overlook slight lesions 

 of Johne's disease, especially in the presence of an 

 apparently obvious cause, such as Strongyhis contortus. 



M'Gowan and Rettie have recently published an 

 account of an examinatipn of four sheep suffering from 

 scrapie. They give as the usually recognized symp- 

 toms : " great emaciation, pruritus, wool rubbed off, 

 ulcers on nose, top of head, and legs ; bare callosities at 

 root of tail and on either side of it ; . . . rubbing against 

 walls and fences, etc., bleaching of wool over back, but 

 persistence of appetite. A secondary anaemia was 

 present, and the temperature varied within normal 

 limits." These authors found sarcosporidia in all four 

 cases, and no acid-fast bacilli. A description of the 



