Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1901-07-04
ssoondarx Abseess.a

are opened 10 uuu aDSceSbeS III tne uV-
er and these may be associated with
similar assesses in the joints or else
where. The earliest experience of the
writer with such assesses was In the
lambs Of a flock of in-and-inbred Bor-
der Leicester ewes, raised upon the
low lying. rich, alluvial soil In the
Till valley Of Northumberland. Eng
land. The lambs referred to probably
showed all the ills that such weaken
ed animals are heir to, and many were
the discussions as to the nature and
cause Of the various LESSONS discovered
upon post norton examination. The
white-nosed lambs we're invariably the
seat Of all manner Of unsoundness.
and on general principles We were
strongly tempted to knock them on the
head at birth, SO seldom did they sur
vive more than few days. In most
lambs, that were apparently healthy
for day or two we found. on opening
them after death, that the liver was
a mass Of pus, which in some had
burst, and in others remained enclosed
in cyst In the liver of one lamb
there was large abscess, and some
smaller ones. The large one was ad-
herent to the diaphragm and had an
opening into the right side Of the chest
where extensive Inflammation and ad-
hesion of the pleura had taken place
caused by the fluid portion Of the alb
scess being discharged into the pleural
cavity. In others the entire liver was
disorganiezd and the parts presented
the appearance of a mass OF corrup-
ton. For long time we were at
loss to explain these assesses, and
shepherds consulted attributed them to
tuberculosis and thought that they
were inherited from the ewes and ex-
listed at time of birth. Later on how
ever, we came to the conclusion, and
have no reason to think otherwise
since, that the assesses are due 70
suppurative microbes-stryptococci--
which gained access to the
system at the raw navel cord.
The open umbilical vein pre-
sents highway. so to speak, Tor
the carrying OF germs to the liver and
in all the cases thoroughly examined
the navel cord was found to be imam
ed and discharging thin pus. In some
instances the navel cord had shriveled
up and fallen off, but an angry spot
remained and this offered suitable
place for the lodgment and propaga-
ton Of the noxious germs. When the
germ gains entrance an abscess usu-
ally forms around the navel; pus is
generated and Is carried into the cir
culation in due course of time to form
fresh colonies in the liver or in the
joints and we then have o typical
case of ''joint ill' which is not gener-
ally recognized as such, but is apt to
be considered rheumatism or tuber-
cular swelling. The raw navel OF ev-
cry young misunderstanding the hui
man infant-should be most carefully
attended to. It is not merely neces-
sary to cut and tie 1t to stop profuse
bleeding.
II should be remembered that the
system is wide open at this point, and
futher that the cord itself is bound to
decompose and the products OF de-
composition absorbed into the system
are liable to produce blood poisoning
or pus infection. Thousands Of young
animals-yes infants too-succumh
annually to such poisoning, due en-
tirely to ignorance OF the subject
hence We would most strongly advo-
cate the invariable application Of
strong antiseptic solutions to the ma
vel cord at time of birth and until Ii
is entirely healed up. Any good disin-
fectant will do the work necessary.
For infants and lambs nothing Is bet
ter than mixture of one part of iodo-
form with six parts of boracic acid to
be applied to the navel upon antiseptic
cotton retained IN place by means OF
bandage and to be renewed once daily
| A strong solution Of carbolic acid OF
similar disinfectant, one drachm In
eight ounces of water. applied two or
three times daily will also prove eff
fective as a preventive, but the most
effective of all is strong solution oil
corrosive sublimate in water. In addi-
ton to the application Of medicine the
lambing pen. and similar places fol
other animals should be kept scrupu-
lously clean.