Report of State Veterinarian. 57 



Up to July 1st, a deputy was sent to the point of origin of 

 each of these shipments to investigate the extent of the outbreak 

 and to quarantine all diseased sheep and the shipping pens. In 

 some of these investigations scabies was found to be wide spread 

 and its suppression required considerable time. On account of 

 the veterinary funds running low, we had to discontinue this work 

 on July 1st. Since that time, we have simply written the shipper 

 a letter and sent a notice, through the mail, quarantining the rail- 

 road stock pens. We have no way of knowing whether or not the 

 shipper or other owners of scabby sheep in the neighborhood paid 

 any attention to the letter, or whether the railroad companies 

 properly attended to the disinfection of their stock pens. To say 

 the least, this is an unsatisfactory and loose method of handling a 

 contagious disease that may do great damage to the sheep industry 

 of the State. 



FOOT ROT. 



During the spring and summer, foot rot broke out in two 

 bands of sheep in Chariton county. One of these contained 300 

 head, and the other 600 head. Before the owners were aware of 

 the dangerous nature of this disease it had spread until more than 

 75 per cent of the sheep in each lot were affected. The treatment 

 was slow and tedious, and even after its use these flocks were worth 

 less than in the beginning. The source of infection seems to have 

 been a lot of sheep shipped from Linn county. Mo., but no com- 

 plaint has been received from that county. Both of the herds 

 which were affected with foot rot were placed in quarantine and 

 will be held until completely cured. 



TEXAS FEVER. 



The Texas fever spread over more territory during 1908. than 

 in any previous year. The past winter was warm, thereby allow- 

 ing the fever ticks to live through. There was a heavy crop of 

 acorns in the timbered areas and, to save these, fire was kept out 

 of the woods. The leaves protected the ticks and they have conse- 

 quently been abundant in territory heretofore infested and have 

 spread to new areas. There has been a heavy loss of cattle from 

 Texas fever in Newton and McDonald counties. There was quite 

 a severe loss in the neighborhood of Richards, Vernon county, 

 v/hich apparently resulted from the shipment of cattle from Mc- 

 Donald county. The movement of cattle from Newton, McDonald, 



