Practical Hints : East Coast ^'ever. 61 



regular dipping- in the correct strength arsenical solution is absolutely 

 essential, yet even this fails unless it is accompanied with thorough 

 hand-dressing inside the ears, under the tails and brushes of the tails, 

 especially so once the veld is grossly infected. There are several 

 methods of applying the hand-dressing solution, but to start with it 

 is very necessary that a substantial long race should be erected into 

 which the cattle can pass as they leave the tank, and where they can 

 be closely jammed while the dressing is applied. When large 

 numbers of cattle have to be handled perhaps the easiest way is to 

 have buckets containing an arsenical solution of the same strength as 

 that contained in the tank and to apply it by means of a suitable 

 sprayer — a large garden syringe with a spray nozzle answers well; by 

 this method the solution reaches the ticks situated in the depths of the 

 ears ; and when the hand-dressing is left to natives to handle they 

 are more likely so to apply the solution thoroughly than by any other 

 method. If the dip from the tank is used it should be strained 

 through a piece of sacking before use so as to remove hair which 

 would otherwise block the syring-e. A useful solution for ear-dressing 

 is made of Cooper's powder dip — 3 ounces rubbed into paste with 

 a little water; mix with f lb. of soft soap and a little more water, 

 and a wine bottleful of raw linseed oil, mix, then add a wine bottleful 

 of paraffin, mix the whole thoroughly together, then add water 

 gradually, stirring all the time to make the mixture up to 4 gallons; 

 this can be applied with paint brushes or with swabs, or the syringe, 

 both to the ears and under the tails. The brushes of the fails should 

 be clipped, or at any rate the hair cut off level with the docks so that 

 the dip can get at the ticks there. 



A few tips to prevent ill results from dipping : — 



(a) Have an isometer, and so make sure the tank is kept at 



proper strength. If under it is useless for the purpose 

 required, and if over the cattle are likely to get scalded. 



(b) Never send thirsty cattle to be dipped ; they are apt to 



drink the arsenical solution, and it does not take much to 

 kill a beast. I know of two instances, which happened 

 just recently, where valuable imported cattle, a Devon 

 cow and a Shorthorn bull, drank dip before entering the 

 tank — the former recovered, the latter died. 



(c) Remove the thick winter coats over the back and loins by 



means of a curry comb, otherwise they absorb too much 

 dip and it then remains too long in contact with the skin, 

 resulting in scalded and broken skin through which at 

 subsequent dippings the arsenic can gain access to the 

 system with fatal results. These ill-effects are aggravated 

 if cattle with matted coats are exposed to rain, as the 

 moisture dissolves the arsenic. 



(d) Remove all scum from a tank, as this settles on the backs 

 of cattle and is also a cause of scalding, especially if the 

 coats are long. 



(e) Keep tanks full. Cattle are less likely to injure themselves 



when entering or going out. 



(/) Have a good fence around the tank and kraals to prevent 

 cattle gaining access to them when not being dipped. 



