CHAPTER XVII. 



THE DISEASES OF SHEEP. 



Practically scab is the only disease which bothers the 

 western sheepmen. Foot rot, intestinal worms and those 

 diseases which are a blight on the sheep industry east 

 of the Mississippi River are unknown in the regions 

 west of it. This is due doubtless to the high dry at- 

 mosphere which offers no climatic conditions favorable 

 to the progress or even inception of these diseases. 



Scabies. Thanks to the tireless work done by the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry, this trouble has been so 

 successfully combatted that it is practically eliminated 

 from many of the range states and is found in very iso- 

 lated cases in the balance. This work was not done 

 without considerable friction and criticism from the 

 very men whom it was intended to help. Naturally 

 the progressive go-ahead sheepmen eagerly welcomed 

 the coming of the government men with their constant 

 inspections and never-ceasing vigilance ; but to many it 

 seemed an unnecessary hardship, as well as an invasion 

 of their individual liberties. 



Some of the states had fought the scab through their 

 local officials but no great headway was made until the 

 Federal Government took a hand in it, and by virtue of 

 its authority to supervise interstate shipments of stock 

 compelled those who would not dip to protect themselves 



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