546 Journal of the DEPARTMEiNT of Agriculture. 



As to the remedial measires, stimulants are valuable. The 

 animal could also be washed well with a solution of epsom salts in 

 water; an hypodermic injection of a watery solution of glauber salts 

 is also recommended. 



Very recently another coal-tar dipping fatality, involving- the loss 

 of many valuable sheep, has come to notice. The dip, here called 

 " C," for scab eradication, was directed to be used at a strength 1 :70. 

 The strength used ])y the farmer Avas 6 dijj to 680 water, or, rougldy, 

 1 to 113, his object being to destroy " keds." The water contained 

 carbon-dioxide, and was moderately hard (26.5 grammes carbonates 

 per 100,000 c.c). It gave an imperfect emulsion with Dip " C " ; 

 but a mixture of the same water wath storm water gave an emulsion 

 from w^hich practically nothing separated ; the mixed water also con- 

 tained carbon-dioxide, but was only about one-half as hard as tbe 

 fountain water. 



The result of the dipping was as follows : — 



Of 1st lot of 26 8 died, or 30.7 per ceut. 



Of 2nd lot of 25 T ,, ,, 28.0 ,. 



Of 3rd lot of 43 2 ,, ,, 9.3 ,, 



Of 4th, 5th, or 6th lot of approximately 



20 sheep .'. 1 ., ,, 5.0 



Of last lot of 125 2 ,, ,, 1.6 ,, 



Total 20 6.9 per cent. 



The above figures show very pointedly the progressive decline in 

 the toxicity of the dipping fluid as the sheep are dipped. 



The following are the symptoms described by Government 

 Veterinary Officer Simson, who saw some of the sheep before they died, 

 and who also made post-mortems: — 



Ante-inortem — 



(1) Respirations accelerated with occasional grunt, as if 



respirations were painful. 



(2) Odema between jaws and on face of one animal. 



Post-mortem (3 rams)— 



(1) Subcutaneous odema and congestion, most marked in one 



with heavy folds on neck ; the other two animals were of a 

 plainer bodied type. 



(2) Lungs : Intense congestion or pneumonia. 



(3) Nephritis in one. 



(4) Bladders contracted and containing whitish mucoid 



material. 



(5) Blood smears ; negative. 



(These post-nuutems were not made immediately after death.) 



It jnay be stated that Mr. Simson's diagnosis in connection with 

 the above mortality was that the " sheep had been poisoned in dipping 

 by absorption of phenoloid substances through incomplete emulsion 

 of dip and water." 



