HYDATID ON THE BRAIN. 277 



should suspect " grub in the head," and administer remedies 

 or antidotes on that hypothesis. And after the death of 

 patients, I should as carefully as practicable examine not only 

 the sinuses of the head, but also the entire nasal cavities, to 

 ascertain whether there were any traces of the supposed 

 destructive action of the Iarva3. 



Some farmers protect their sheep measurably from the attacks 

 of the oestrus ovis, by plowing a furrow or two in different por- 

 tions of their pastures. The sheep thrust their noses into this 

 on the approach of the fly. Others smear their noses with tar, 

 or cause them to smear them themselves, by sprinkling their 

 salt over tar. Those fish oils which repel the attacks of flies 

 might be resorted to. Blacklock suggested the dislodgement 

 of the larvae from the head by blowing tobacco smoke up the 

 nostrils, as it is said to be effectual. It is blown from the 

 tail of a pipe, the bowl being covered with cloth. Tobacco 

 water is sometimes injected 'with a syringe for the same 

 purpose. The last should be prevented from entering the 

 throat in any considerable quantity. 



I trust that scientific and impartial investigation will 

 henceforth be more directed to a determination of the actual 

 existence and proper treatment of this real or supposed 

 malady. 



HYDATID ON THE BRAIN. This disease, known as 

 turnsick, sturdy, staggers, etc., is spoken of by Chancellor 

 Livingston, and other writers of reputation, as having 

 occurred in this country within their own observation. I 

 have never seen a case of it, and shall be obliged, therefore, 

 to make use of the descriptions of others. Mr. Spooner says : 



" The symptoms are a dull, moping appearance, the sheep 

 separating from the flock, a wandering and blue appearance 

 to the eye, and sometimes partial or total blindness ; the sheep 

 appears unsteady in its walk, will sometimes stop suddenly 

 and fall down, at others gallop across the field, and after the 

 disease has existed for some time will almost constantly move 

 round in a circle there seems, indeed, to be an aberration 

 of the intellect of the animal. These symptoms, though rarely 

 all present in the same subject, are yet sufficiently marked 

 to prevent the disease being mistaken for any other. On 

 examining the brain of sturdied sheep, we find what appears 

 to be a watery bladder, termed a hydatid, which may be 

 either small or of the size of a hen's egg. This hydatid, one 

 of the class of entozoons, has been termed by naturalists the 



