BRAXY, BRADSOT, GASTR.O-MYCOSIS OVIS. 



Defininion : Acute, infectious, bacteridian disease of sheep, with colic, 

 enteritis, emphysematous swellings, dark, diffluent blood, and after death 

 rapid putrefaction. Geographical distribution : Iceland, Norway, Faroe 

 Islands, Scotland. Causes : inclement weather, exposed localities, low con- 

 dition, winter feed, chill, frosted grass. Bacteriology : Bacillus gastro- 

 mycosis ovis : 2 to 6/i by im in pairs or filaments, sporogenous, polar 

 staining, anaerobic, liquefying, gasogenic, found in the gastro intestinal con- 

 gested mucosa, serosa, liver, kidneys, blood. Pure cultures by boiling five 

 minutes. Pathogenic to sheep, Guinea pig, mice, pigeons, hens and less 

 certainly rabbits. Symptoms : resemble blackquarter, sudden, rapid, fatal,' 

 back arched, stiff hind parts, crepitating swellings on hind parts or else- 

 where, colics, tympany, anorexia, pulse and breathing. hurried, separation 

 from flock, lying, drooping head, ears and eyelid. Usually found dead in 

 morning when apparently well previous night. Lesions : early putrefac- 

 tion, slight, transient rigor mortis, tympany, foetor, sero-sanguineous 

 exudates under skin, on fourth stomach and bowels, and elsewhere. Con- 

 tents of large intestine dry, hard. Effusions in serosa. Spleen enlarged or 

 not. Liver and kidneys congested, softened, small, pale necrotic areas con- 

 taining bacillus. Prevention : drainage and cultivation, winter feeding, 

 abandon infected pastures in late fall and winter as pasture for young, avoid 

 overstocking, burn old fibrous heather. Immunization by sterilized kidney 

 extract. Treatment. 



Definition. An acute infectious disease of sheep, manifested 

 by sudden attack, colicy pains, inflammatory and sero-hsemor- 

 rhagic lesions of the bowels, and sanguino-emphysematous swell- 

 ings occurring subcutaneously and especially in the hind quarters. 

 The blood is dark, tarry and comparatively incoagulable and after 

 death putrefaction advances with extraordinary rapidity. 



Geographical Distribution. Braxy is generally prevalent in 

 Iceland where it was described over a century ago (1778) by 

 Ketilson as ' ' vinstrarf ar "or " vinstrarpldga " ( " Omasum 

 disease " ) . In Norway it prevails on the whole Atlantic border 

 to as far north apparently as the sheep industry extends (Sta- 

 vanger to Tromso Amt). The Faroe Islands are said to be 

 affected throughout. In Scotland it prevails like loqping-ill along 

 the west coast especially, and embraces Caithness, Ross, Cromarty, 

 Banff, Inverness, Aberdeen, Argyle, Bute, Ayrshire, I^anark, 

 Galloway, Dumfries, Peebles, Selkirk and Roxburgh. 



556 



