SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
Braxy: A Sheep Disease and Some Generalities. 
By Prof. W. J. DAKIN, D.Sc., F.L.S., F.Z.S.* 
During the last three or four years the farmers and pastoralists of 
certain districts in Western Australia have been faced with mysterious 
losses amongst their sheep. At first the trouble attracted little attention, 
but unfortunately it gradually increased in intensity. During the last 
two years it has been a matter for considerable discussion, and goodness 
knows how many theories have been brought forward to account for it. 
Many correspondents to the newspapers never seem to examine their sick 
or dead animals before taking up pen and writing off to the editor of 
this or that journal. Others, again, have neither lived in nor even 
visited the stricken districts. But this sort of thing is not exactly 
confined to problems associated with sheep. 
The disease (if it is a true disease at all) appeared to resemble a sheep 
disease termed braxy. The writer of this article, when commencing his 
own investigations, endeavoured to find out whether it really was braxy; 
now, as a result, he is wondering whether any one knows what braxy is. 
Yet braxy has been diagnosed in most of the Australian States, and has 
only lately been notified as occurring in South Australia. It is note- 
worthy that in some cases in Australia a sheep disease has been termed 
a braxy-like disease, only. Perhaps a certain amount of doubt was 
felt by the recorder. One needs to be quite certain on every ground 
before a characteristically North European disease is scheduled for 
Australia. Whether doubt existed in the various investigators’ minds 
or not, it certainly exists in mine at present, for I do not understand 
exactly what features are to be taken as characteristic of braxy. I will 
expound this at greater length in a moment. Before doing so, let me 
point out a fact which seems to me rather extraordinary—perhaps because. 
it is only recently that I have been interested in sheep disease. Take up, 
most works on veterinary anatomy and therapeutics, and you will find. 
that the sheep occupies a very subordinate position indeed. Attention 
has been focused on the horse, the cow, and dog. The fact is, sheep, 
unless stud sheep, are not of much yalue individually, and have not 
counted for so much to the veterinary surgeon. They are, however, of 
great value collectively. The pastoral industry is the most important 
in Australia, and in 1916 the total value of the pastoral production was 
£89,940,000. Of this, about 80 per cent. represented sheep products. If 
the pig paid the “rint ” in Ireland, the sheep is doing so in this country. 
Wow much money is being spent on the investigation of sheep diseases? 
If losses were negligible, one might suggest leaving that work to coun- 
tries where sheep diseases were prevalent. Losses are, however, not 
negligible in Australia. According to Dr. Dodds, of Sydney, a braxy- 
like disease alone in New South Wales is responsible at present for 
_losses approaching £400,000 annually.. A similar disease is responsible 
for considerable losses in Victoria and Tasmania, but I have no actual 
figures by me. The losses due to a braxy-like disease in Western Aus- 
tralia only run into thousands of pounds, and the trouble is still rather 
local compared with the great extent of pastoral country in the State. 
To the above must be added the losses due to blow-fly, to liver fluke, and 
to other worm parasites infecting parts of the different States. 
* Professor of Biology in the University of Western Australia, 
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