354 VETERINARY HYGIENE 



washing of the houses and the destruction of dirty nest boxes will 

 do much to keep away these troublesome vermin. For fowls infested 

 with lice the following remedies are suggested.* The provision 

 of dust baths, which should be kept in a dry, sunny place to ensure 

 that the dust is kept dry. The application to adult birds of flowers 

 of sulphur or pyrethium powder. Dressing adult birds with an 

 ointment of sulphur and lard. Young chickens may have their 

 heads and necks rubbed with a little lard. The nests should be 

 kept clean and frequently dusted with lime or insect powder. A 

 lime and sand bath, in the proportion of one of the former to three 

 of the latter, helps to keep fowls free from lice. 



FLEAS. 



The fleas to which the veterinary practitioner has his attention 

 called are the human flea, Pulex irritans, which also attacks dogs 

 and cats, the dog flea, Ctenocephalus canis, the cat flea, C. felis 

 and the fowl flea, Ceratophyllus gallincz. 



Fleas act as carriers of infective diseases, e.g., plague, and it 

 is known that the dog flea acts as the host for the cystic form of 

 Dipylidium caninum of the dog and cat. The facility, not to say 

 eagerness, with which they sometimes migrate from the dog or 

 cat to people makes them peculiarly objectionable. The fowl flea 

 causes a considerable amount of trouble among fowls and chicks, 

 and their presence in any numbers is an indication of dirt and 

 neglect. If young chickens are badly infested they do not grow, 

 and may even die from loss of blood and want of rest. A flea- 

 infested nest is not attractive to hens. 



PREVENTIVE MEASURES in the case of fowls call for attention 

 to ordinary hygienic requirements, the provision of properly con- 

 structed fowl-houses, which should be well lit and ventilated. The 

 nest boxes must be of the removable type and be capable of easy 

 cleansing, which should be done frequently and regularly. 



A periodic cleansing and limewashing of the houses and fittings 

 with a pint of kerosene added to each gallon of wash will keep down 

 the number of fleas. Sulphur fumigation is also a valuable method 

 of destroying these pests. Fleas can be kept from dogs and cats 

 by cleanliness and the application of suitable flea powders. Sleep- 

 ing accommodation must be regularly attended to. It is to be 

 remembered that eradication of tapeworms in dogs demands the 

 destruction of the egg-carrying flea. 



* Leaflet, No. 30, D. A. T. I. I. 



