122 



Rene (C). Les Poux chez les Moutons. [Sheep Ticks.] — Progres 

 Agricole, Amiens, xxxi, no. 1534, 10th June 1917, pp. 275-276. 



Against parasites of sheep such as the Hippoboscid, Melophagus, and 

 the louse, Trichodectes, the author deprecates the use of insecticide 

 powders and ointments and recommends dipping. Titrated extract of 

 nicotine of State manufacture, | gal., and water, 100 gals., can be used 

 as a bath, the sheep being dipped twice at eight days' interval, care 

 being taken that none of the liquid is swallowed by the animals. The 

 most efficacious bath is composed of carbolic acid 2| gals., black soap 

 10 lb., water 200 gals. The black soap and phenic acid are separately 

 dissolved in a little warm water, the two solutions are then mixed and 

 the rest of the water added. The bath should be kept warm by 

 occasional additions of hot quantities of the solution. The animals 

 should be kept in it for some minutes in order to soak the fleece, 

 shearing being unnecessary. To prevent re- infestation, the folds 

 should be thoroughly cleaned and washed down with milk of lime. 

 For Ixodes the usual methods of control are removal of the ticks by 

 hand or covering them with a drop of oil, benzine and petrol mixture, 

 or baths, using either the carbolic formula given above or an arsenical 

 dip composed of arsenic anhydride 4 lb., carbonate of soda 10 lb., 

 Norwegian tar 3| gals., water 180 gals. The usual precautions in 

 using this poisonous solution must be taken. 



Die Bekampung der Gastruslarve. [The Control of Gastrophilus Larvae.] 

 — Deutsche Landwirtschftl. Presse, Berlin, xliv, no. 39, 16th May 

 1917, p. 325. 



According to P. Larisch, the abundance of Gastrophilus larvae in 

 the stomach and duodenum of German army horses on the east front 

 is due to the animals being kept in the open from June to October, 

 when they are constantly exposed to bot-fly attack. The Russian 

 horses suffer to a still greater extent for the same reason. Insufficient 

 and imsuitable fodder appears to favour the presence of the larvae, 

 which occur in both old and young animals. In 60 per cent, of all 

 cases 6^. equi was present, and the disease was severe where G. pecorum 

 and G. nasalis occurred. The horses rapidly lost weight, from 500 to 

 750 larvae being present in the stomach. In about 20 cases from 250 

 to 350 larvae were found at the beginning of the duodenum, of which 

 about two-thirds were those of G. equi. Colic was sometimes noticed 

 and the beginning of perforations of the stomach and the walls of the 

 small intestines. Of 80 horses dissected between mid-February to 

 mid-May, 1916, 55 had succumbed to infestation by these larvae. 



Carbon bisulphide was used for 725 horses, 1,800 pills being 

 administered. The usual doses were found to be too strong. For 

 heavy German horses three 10-granmie pills should be given at hourly 

 intervals ; for light German horses, two 10-gramme and one 8-gramme 

 pills ; for very small Russian horses, two 8-gramme pills. Should colic 

 supervene, treatment must be discontinued and begun afresh some 

 days later. Treatment causes a lack of appetite for a couple of days. 

 This method saved a large proportion of the animals and no larvae 

 were found in treated animals that subsequently died. Prophylactic 

 treatment lies chiefly in the care of the coat, which should be well 

 cleaned dailv in the late afternoon from June to October. 



