The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1901-08-03
Secondary Ahscesaea.

Secondary AhgCesaea.
M IL Is not uncommon when young
lambs or other young animals die and
are opened to fnd abscesses In the liv-
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 flock OF nd-inbred Bor-
der Leicester ewes, raised upon the
1917 lying, rich, alluvial soil In the
TIL valley Of Northumb 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
Whlte-nosed lambs were Invariably the
seat OF all manner of unsoundness,
and on general principles we were
strongly tempted to knock them on the
mead at birth, so seldom did they sur
Vlye more than a few days. In most
OF these and in some Of the remaining
lambs, that were apparently healthy
Tor day or two we found, on opening
them after death, that the liver was
a mass of pus, which in some had
purst, and in others remained enclosed
IN cyst. In the liver of one lamb
there was a large abscess, and some
smaller ones. The large one was adj
herent to the diaphragm and had an
opening into the right side of the chest
where extensive Inflammation and ad-
heslon 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
dlsorganlezd and the parts presented
the appearance of a mass of corrup-
ton. For a long time we were at a
loss to explain these assesses, and
shepherds consulted attributed them to
tuberculosis and thought that they
We're 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 to
suppuratiVe microbes stryptococci-
which gained access to the
system at the raw navel cord.
the open umbilical vein pre-
sents a highway, so to speak, for
the carrying of germs to the liver and
IN all the cases thoroughly examined,
the navel cord was found to be infam-
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. Judgment 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 a 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 hu-
man infant-should be most carefully
attended to. It is not merely neces-
sary to cut and tie it to stop profuse
bleeding.
It 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-succumb
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 it
is entirely healed up. Any good disin-
fectant will do the work necessary.
For infants and lambs nothing is bet
ter than a mixture Of one part OF iodo-
form with six parts Of boracic acid to
cotton retained in place by means of a
bandage and to be renewed once daily.
A strong solution Of carbolic acid Or
similar disinfectant, one drachm in
eight ounces of water, applied two or
three times daily will also prove ef-
fective as preventive, but the most
effective of all is a strong solution OF
corrosive sublimate in water. In addi-
ton to the application of medicine the
lam bing pen, and similar places for
other animals should be kept scrupu-
lously clean.