SEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK-PART X. 505 



trial on head scab. It is prepared as follows: Mix in a nonmetallic 

 vessel, as a porcelain mortar, 4 ounces of iodine with 1 ounce of sub- 

 limed sulphur, gently heating the mixture until it liquifies; the red- 

 brown liquid upon cooling becomes a gray-black crystalline mass, in- 

 soluble in water, but soluble in glycerine and fats, with 8 or 10 parts of 

 which it is mixed for ointments or liniments. An ointment of flowers of 

 sulphur and carbolated vaseline would also probably give good results. 

 One author advises for head scab and foot scab a mixture consisting of 

 1 part of mercurial ointment and 11 parts of sulphur ointment. Foot 

 scab and head scab would also probably respond to treatment with the 

 various dips used for common scab. 



Hand dressing is not recommended for common scab; in fact, it must 

 be looked upon as directly responsible for a considerable amount of the 

 disease, since it is too often relied upon to cure the diseases, while in 

 reality it is only a paliative. The only condition under whch hand 

 dressings can be advised is in case scab is discovered in one or two sheep 

 of a flock during severe winter weather, when dipping would be im- 

 practicable. In that event the infected sheep should be immediately 

 isolated from the flock; and they might be hand dressed, if desired, in 

 order to hold the disease in check. It can not be too strongly insisted 

 upon that "pouring," "spotting," etc., are only expensive and temporizing 

 methods of dealing with scab. 



"Pouring" is done as follows: Part the wool on the -back by making 

 a furrow with the finger from the head to the tail; furrows are also made 

 along the shoulders and thighs to the legs and on the sides; pour the 

 ointment or dip in these furrows. A still better plan is to pour the warm 

 dip from a coffee pot or tea pot directly on the affected parts, rubbing 

 it well in with the hand, a brush or a corncob. It must be repeated for 

 emphasis, however, that such treatment can not be relied upon and should 

 be used only in emergency cases when dipping is impracticable. 



A mercurial ointment may be made as follows: (A) Dissolve 1 

 pound of resin in one-half pint of oil of turpentine; (B) mix 1 pound of 

 mercurial ointment with 6 pounds of lard, with gentle heat; and (C) 

 when cool, mix the two compounds, A and B. It should be remembered 

 that mercurial ointments are not unattended with danger, and on this 

 account it is better to prepare a small amount of dip and pour it on the 

 affected part as described above. 



By far the most rational and satisfactory and the cheapest method of 

 curing scab is by dipping the sheep in some liquid which will kill the 

 parasites. The dipping process is as follows: 



(1) Select a dip containing sulphur. If a prepared "dip" is used 

 which does not contain '^'•imiur it is always safer to add a,^out IGV2 pounds 

 of sifted flower of sulphur to every 100 gallons of water, especially, if 

 after dipping, the sheep have to be returned to the old pastures. 



(2) Shear all the sheep at one time and immediately after shearing 

 conflne them to one-half the farm for two to four weeks. Many persons 

 prefer to dip immediately after shearing. 



(3) At the end of this time dip the entire flock a second time. 



