CAEE AND MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 859 



selves. If it were possible to carry out, disinfection of the 

 udder and mouth is of primary importance. Under any 

 circumstances the shepherd must practise such disinfection 

 as is practicable. 



Septic inflammation may occur to the navel of lambs 

 and lead to systemic infection. There is no doubt an 

 organism is responsible for this disorder, which gains 

 access through the unclosed navel ; the affection is a most 

 serious one in a lambing flock. It should at once be met 

 by the lambing-pen being broken up and a fresh site found, 

 isolation of the affected, destruction of the carcases by fire 

 or deep burial, and the adoption of the group system, a 

 separate attendant being told off to each group of ewes and 

 lambs. Cleanliness of the ground must be observed, the 

 frequent use of disinfectants on the floor of the lambing- 

 pen is essential, and all soiled litter must be destroyed by 

 fire. The shepherd is the most important person to look 

 to and disinfect ; overall clothing should be provided, and 

 a rigid disinfection of hands and nails made, under com- 

 petent supervision. This should be carried out with hot 

 water, soft soap and a scrubbing brush, repeated until the 

 dirt has apparently gone ; then followed by washing in 

 alcohol and ether, finally scrubbing in bichloride of mer- 

 cury (1-500). If the disease continues the shepherd must 

 suspend operations. 



This disease can be got rid of by surgical cleanliness, 

 which is a difficult thing to thoroughly apply where all 

 facilities exist, but is intensified where the work is being 

 done in a field, with few appliances, and unskilled and 

 passively obstructing labour. 



What is true of ' Navel 111,' as it is called, is equally true 

 of parturient septicaemia in the ewe. Look to the accoucher, 

 he is the source of infection and its chief method of spread. 

 No matter how far the soil and surroundings are responsible 

 for the first case, it is the hand of the shepherd which com- 

 pletes the evil. 



The same measures must be adopted in parturient septi- 

 cfemia as in other bacterial infections. Isolation of the 



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