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that there is no cure for pasture animals attacked by it as long as 

 they remain in the coast country, but removal to a sound pasture 

 further inland almost invariably effects a cure. This disease is often 

 described as rickets, but the two complaints are dissimilar. 



RICKETS. 



The disease is more frequently seen in cattle than in sheep. It 

 is prevalent in some portions of the coast country where the soil is a 

 sandy loam that has in it scarcely any lime. The animals raised in 

 such country grow weak and stunted, their bones are extremely 

 brittle, and without strength, the slightest fall occasioning a fracture. 

 No stock should be bred on such country, and any animals kept on 

 it should have access to a lime lick. 



FLIES. 



The common-blow fly frequently causes much mischief by 

 depositing its eggs about the tails of sheep that have been scouring. 

 Unless the sheep are attended to at once the maggots soon effect so 

 much mischief that the animal dies. This trouble generally occurs 

 in autumn, when the growth of young grass causes a slight scour in 

 the sheep. It is much worse in Tasmania than in any part of the 

 mainland of Australia. The remedy is to clear away the soiled wool, 

 and rub in a strong solution of one of the ordinary dips. When a 

 sheep is struck by flies it makes sudden, short movements, and con- 

 stantly works its tail with a quick motion. 



THE WORM. 



Under this description are included all the worm-like internal 

 parasites that affect the sheep. There are in reality many forms of 

 these worms. There are at least three distinct forms of strongylus 

 that inhabit the lungs and air passages of sheep, and probably as 

 many inhabit the stomach and intestinal organs. The most common 

 of the worms inhabiting the air passages is the strongylus filar ia, a 

 white-colored worm which is found blocking up the air passages of 

 the bronchial tubes. The disease known in the old country as husk 

 in calves and lambs is occasioned by this worm. Its presence is 

 easily recognised by the attempts of the animal to dislodge them by 

 coughing. 



The life history of these lung and stomach worms is not clearly 

 known, but that they produce an immense number of eggs is certain. 

 Though these eggs often contain living embryos while in the sheep 

 it is doubtful if they ever advance to maturity while they remain 

 there. It is supposed they are expelled from the sheep and undergo 

 some changes before they seek a host in the sheep. Scientists have 

 as yet discovered no remedy for this disease. The practice among 

 sheepowners has been to subject the infected sheep to the fumes of 

 certain drugs in a close building. This is said to have had a bene- 

 ficial effect in many instances, but the slightest mismanagement often 

 causes serious losses by the sheep being choked by the fumes. The 

 introduction of drugs into the windpipe by means of a specially made 



