12 Farmers’ Bulletin 1150. 
thereby adding to the initial inflammation and producing a certain 
amount of hemorrhage as the scabs are rubbed off and sores form. 
The serum and sores afford lodging and favorable conditions for 
bacteria and become infected. The skin reacts to the continued 
inflammation and becomes thickened. 
The first symptom noticed as a rule is the itching, manifested 
by a disposition to rub and scratch. The wool is roughened and ~ 
broken by the scratching, and this condition suggests the possibility 
of scab. The sheep become restless and spend considerable time 
biting and rubbing the affected spots, finally losing the wool off large 
WiGe i. 
Scabby buck with entire hind quarters and flank affected. (From Imes, 1916.) 
(The discolored area is due to dip stain from hand dressing.) 
areas and leaving scabby sores (fig. 7). The time and energy spent 
in trying to alleviate itching is time and energy lost from feeding 
and growing, and this fact shows itself in the poor condition of 
scabby sheep. Ultimately many of these sheep will die unless treated 
and they are always so weakened as readily to fall victims to other 
diseases. 
The diagnosis of this disease is best made by a capable veteri- 
narian, as the disease is too serious to warrant taking any chance on 
its spread. Itching, loss of wool, and other conditions present in 
scab may also be shown in the presence of lice, sheep ticks, true 
ticks, bearded seeds, cactus spines, eczema, wildfire, summer sores, 
28 ey thie t-, 
