84 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



of the stifle or knee joint, and a few scattered nodules on the surface of the 

 meat. The percentage found affected is also very high, as will be seen from 

 the following examination of the consignments from only 2 vessels. Of 4,617 

 hind quarters examined, 2,839, or 61.49 per cent, were found to contain the 

 parasite S. reticulata. Of SOS hind quarters examined, 564, or 70 per cent, 

 were found to be affected. . . . The worm in the hind quarters is generally 

 situated deeply, requiring considerable cutting in order to And the worm and, 

 when found, to insure that the whole of the worm, with the surrounding tissues, 

 has been removed." 



It is stated that the Commonwealth of Australia has instituted a rigorous 

 system of inspection of beef for export and that in the future all flanks and 

 briskets from fore quarters will be cut off before being allowed to leave the 

 country. 



The inheritance of spirochetal infection in Argas persicus, E. Hindle 

 {Proc. Cambrklge Phil. Soc, 16 {1912), No. 6, pp. //57W/.59 ) .— The experiments 

 reported indicate clearly that once a tick becomes infected with Spirocliceta 

 gallinarum its offspring of the first generation is infective in all its stages, and 

 moreover that the infection is transmitted to the second generation. " It is 

 evident, therefore, that once the Argas of any locality become infected with 

 spirochetosis it will be very difficult to eradicate the disease." 



Investigations relative to arsenical dips as remedies for cattle ticks, B. H. 

 Ransom and H. W. Graybill (U. S. Dcpt. Agr., Bur Aium. Indus. Bui. I'l'/, pp. 

 65, pis. 6, fig. 1). — This bulletin reports the details of 22 dipping experiments 

 of which 12 were with arsenic, soda, and pine-tar dips ; 1 with arsenic, soda, 

 and pine-tar dip containing emulsified crude petroleum ; 2 with arsenic and 

 zinc sulphate dip ; 2 with arsenic-alum dip ; 1 with sodium arsenate dip ; 1 with 

 sodium sulpharsenite dip ; 2 with potassium arsenite dip containing soap ; and 

 1 with repeated applications of the arsenic, soda, and pine-tar dip. In most 

 of the experiments the arsenical solution used was a modification of the Mayo 

 formula, the amounts of arsenic varying from 8 to 12 lbs., and of sal soda 

 from 24 to 45 lbs., for each 500 gal. of dip, in different instances. When pine 

 tar was used it was added in the proportion of 1 gal. to each 500 gal. of dip. 

 In some of the experiments arsenical dips of somewhat different composition 

 were used. The amount of arsenic in solution in the various dips, expressed 

 in its equivalent of arsenic trioxid, varied from 0.16 to 0.495 per cent. 



" The effects of the dips upon the cattle in the various experiments were 

 almost invariably slight. . . . Cattle not infested with ticks, dipped repeatedly 

 in a dip containing an equivalent of about 0.22 per cent arsenic trioxid at inter- 

 vals of 2 and 3 weeks gained less in weight than other uninfested cattle kept 

 under the same conditions undipped, but it is uncertain whether this difference 

 was due to the dipping. In all cases in which cattle were diiiped or sprayed 

 once or twice in arsenical dips containing an equivalent of from 0.16 to 0.24 

 per cent arsenic trioxid the injurious effects observed were confined to the 

 action of the dips upon the skin, and scarcely ever was this action more than 

 very mild, though in some cases the animals were treated in hot weather when 

 the injurious effects from dipping are especially likely to appear. The signs 

 of the effects of dipping on the skin in various instances became evident in 

 from 3 to 9 days after the treatment, at which time a more or less well-marked 

 epidermal exfoliation or dandruff-like peeling of the superficial layers of the 

 skin appeared, coiifined as a rule to the dewlap, neck, escutcheon, inner side of 

 thighs, and scrotum. No marked inflammation preceded the exfoliation, though 

 occasionally a slight irritation of the skin in places was observed." 



The authors conclude that " cattle may be safely dipped or sprayed with 

 arsenical dip containing an equivalent of 0.24 per cent arsenic trioxid or less, 



