152 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Avater eight gallons — bearing in mind that this solution is a deadly 

 poison, hence requiring care in its use. It must also be kept in wooden 

 buckets, afterwards whitewashed. A little precaution along preventive 

 lines will do much toward holding in check the spread of these contag- 

 ious diseases. Treatment, other than good care, the giving of a tonic, 

 and the use, perhaps, of a little carbolic acid, is of little value. 



Another disease I wish to speak about at this time is a parasitic 

 disease affecting sheep, caused by the stomach worm, as it is commonly 

 called. This disease, in some parts of the State, is causing a great 

 deal of disturbance. It affects lambs most often, although older sheep 

 are not exempt. The lamb manifests the symptoms of the disease 

 throughout the fall and winter. The symptom first noticed is general 

 unthriftiness; the lamb is not doing as well as others of the flock, al- 

 though it may appear bright and eat well. If the worms which cause 

 the disease are not present in too great numbers, this unthriftiness 

 may be the only symptom noticed; if, however, the worms are present 

 in large numbers, the animal will become poorer and poorer, get weaker 

 and weaker, lose its appetite and finally die. In many cases a persistent 

 diarrhoea sets in and hastens the ultimate termination. A post mortem 

 diagnoses the disease for a certainty, and we find in the fourth stomach 

 the little worms which are the cause of the trouble. These little worms 

 are about an inch in length, generally of a reddish color and somewhat 

 twisted. In severe cases they are present in great numbers, forming 

 at times a squirming mass; in less severe cases they are found dis- 

 tributed over the membrane lining the stomach. 



The old line of treatment for this disease, and the one that is still 

 used by many is turpentine. One ounce of turpentine is thoroughly 

 mixed with sixteen ounces of milk, and from two to four ounces of this 

 mixture is given at a dose. The dose is repeated each second or third 

 day until four or five doses have been given. Gasoline has also been 

 recommended; it is given in the same manner, the dose being a little 

 less. Santonin is considered of some value, the dose is from two to five 

 grains for the lamb. It is practically insoluble in water, but may be 

 given in thin gruel; give once a day for a week or more. Sulphate of 

 iron is of value in removing worms, and aside from this action is an 

 excellent tonic and hence valuable to use at this time. It may be given 

 along with the grain; an ounce- of finely pulverized sulphate of iron 

 thoroughly mixed with a grain ration of moistened oats or bran would 

 be about the amount for thirty lambs; it can be given once, or even 

 twice, a day, for two or three weeks, or longer if conditions favor it. 



Preventive measures are of great value in keeping a flock free from 

 these parasitic diseases. The flock should not be confined to the same 

 pasture continuously. Water supplied from troughs is much better 

 than that from pools, inasmuch as the water from pools is apt to con- 

 tain the eggs or larvae of these parasites. Close grazing also tends to 

 facilitate infection. 



It would be to the advantage of the flock owner to post mortem all 

 sheep that die from any cause, for the purpose of determining their 

 condition with reference to internal parasites. If a number were thus 

 found to be free from internal parasites, he might with a good degree 

 of safety suppose the flock to be comparatively free, while if parasites 

 were found to be present in considerable numbers, he might safely 

 conclude that measures should be taken to rid the flock of the pests. 



