540 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



In the fall of 1909 rabies appeared in the herd of M. C. Towns- 

 wick, near Story City. Three animals were lost, and the usual 

 measures taken to curb the disease by the tying and muzzling of 

 dogs, etc. 



Babies among dogs was discovered in Davenport during the 

 month of May, 1910. As a result of this four patients had been 

 treated for rabies at the Pasteur Institute at Iowa City up to 

 June 19th, from Davenport alone, not fatality resulting. 



Several cattle were bitten near Lawler, Chickasaw county, and 

 some killed in June of this year. An investigation disclosed the 

 presence of the disease in the animals. 



In May of this year a strange dog appeared at the place of Mrs. 

 Bjorge, near Highlandsville. The dog appeared to be sick. At- 

 tempts at driving it away were unsuccessful. The next morning it 

 was found dead in the pasture. More than a month later the cattle 

 began to get sick and it was found that they had rabies. Four cows, 

 one steer and one horse died. All dogs and cats on the place were 

 destroyed and several others in the township. Those remaining 

 were tied up or muzzled. Upon further investigation no evidence 

 of the prevalence of rabies was found in that vicinity. 



SCABIES. 



One of the diseases commonly brought to our attention by the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry is scabies. The following is an article 

 on the subject by Dr. L. U. Shipley: 



Scabies, or scab, is a parasitic disease of sheep (Psoroptic Com- 

 munis) commonly known as scab or itch mite, being the parasite 

 causing the disease commonly affecting sheep. 



There are three other varieties of sheep scab recognized, but of 

 such rare occurrence that only the first mentioned will be considered 

 in this report. 



Psoroptic Communis, or common scab mite, are very small, being 

 only about the fortieth of an inch in length in the female and one- 

 sixtieth of an inch in breadth, the male being still smaller. The body 

 is oval in shape, slightly rounded above and flat below, and pos- 

 sessed of eight short legs. The head is pointed and set close to the 

 body, the color is reddish or yellowish gray. They are too small to 

 be recognized by the unaided eye on the body of their host, but 

 placed upon a dark background in strong sunlight, they may be 

 seen to crawl. 



