FARMERS' INSTITUTES. G7 



from the possibility of coming in contact with liquors from the stable or barn- 

 yard ; in this way wo will guard against the invasion of many of the internal 

 parasites of the lower animals. Nearly all of the internal parasites of ani- 

 mals pass some stage of their development in the water; passing thence into 

 the animal to undergo another stage of development, and sometimes passing 

 into another animal, as the final host; thus we find that the disease of the 

 brain of sheep so prevalent in some parts of the Old World is caused by a 

 cyst formed in the substance, or in the covering membranes of the brain. 

 This cyst is known as the hydatid form of one of the tape worms of the dog 

 Tcenia Canurus. In the dog the mature form of the tape worm is found giv- 

 ing off, constantly, portions of its body, or joints, which pass out through the 

 fceces of the dog. These joints contain the eggs of the worm, and being libera- 

 ted are washed by the rain and become lodged upon blades of grass or in the 

 water, and are finally taken into the system of the sheep, where it finds its 

 •way to the brain and commences its growth as a hydatid, and soon destrys the 

 sheep. These hydatids are often taken out of the sheep's brain by the shep- 

 herd and are eaten by his dogs, or in examining a dead body he gives the brain 

 to the dogs and the hydatid is soon changed into the mature worm, which fixes 

 itself to the wall of the intestines, and the round of changes is commenced 

 again. In the same way the Tmnia Solium of man is furnished by so called 

 *' measly pork," and the Tcenia Mediocanellata by measly beef. The eggs of 

 these pests are taken up by pigs or cattle, in the stomachs of which they are 

 hatched and the young bore their way into the muscles, where they rest as 

 hydatids ; and the pig or ox is fattened and butchered and the hydatids are set 

 free in the system of some lover of rare done ham, roast beef or steaks, who in 

 his turn gives a fresh supply of eggs to pigs or cattle. And through the list of 

 animal parasites we might go, finding this interchange of different forms from 

 one animal to another, and nearly always finding that water Avas the connecting 

 link. Such being the conditions for transmitting these often dangerous yisit- 

 ors from one host to another, does it not become every farmer, not only for 

 the safety of his animals but for the safety of his family, to see that there is 

 no communication between his barn yard and wells or springs, and between 

 cesspools and streams of water? 



En restcnie: I have endeavored to show that the farmer's aims, in wintering 

 his animals, should be to give food suited to the particular needs of his differ- 

 ent animals, preventing a waste of the food within the bodies of the animals; 

 and lastly, to conserve the health of the animals by supplying the conditions 

 necessary to health in food and surroundings, and to avoid or to prevent the 

 access of injurious elements to his animals. 



DISCUSSION". 



Mr. Scranton said he differed from Dr. Fraser in regard to clipping horses. 

 It appeared to him as foolish as it would be for a man to strip off the heavier 

 clothing worn as a protection from the cold of winter and then depend upon 

 stimulating food to keep up the animal heat, lie believed that the long, thick 

 coat of hair was nature's protection from the cold of winter and it was a cruelty 

 to the animal to deprive him of it. 



Mr. Lapham said that if as farmers we would take heed to the many excel- 

 lent suggestions contained in the lecture our animals would be much more 

 comfortable, look much better, and also be more profitable to their owners. 



The propriety of clipping horses in winter was questioned by several others, 

 who thought it was not the proper thing to do in this climate. 



