468 THE VETERINARY SCIENCE 



2. Scab. 



This disease somewhat resembles mange in horses. It is 

 very serious in some countries, but is not at all common in 

 Canada or United States. 



Causes. — It is a contagious disease, being transmitted 

 through the germ or parisites. These multiply extremely fast 

 and do great injury to the skin, at the same time causing 

 severe irritation. There are three classes, namely: 



Scorcoptes, which burrow into the tissues of the skin ; 



Dermatodectes, which attach themselves unto the skin — 

 those more frequently encountered in this country — and 



Symbiotes, found mostly to attack the feet. 



Fig. 7^. — 1. Snowing the Effect of Scab. 2. The Scab Parasite — Magnified. 



Symptoms. — There is extreme irritation as evidenced by 

 the continual scratching. The germ may be seen clearly 

 with a good microscope and soon spreads until every member 

 of a flock becomes infected. The wool soon begins to fall 

 out because of the ravages of the germ about the roots and 

 the extreme uneasiness soon causes loss of flesh and a gen 

 eral debilitated condition. 



Be careful in handling infected sheep, as there is a possi- 

 bility that you may yourself become infected. 



Treatment. — Clip the wool off in order to allow free ac- 

 cess to the skin for the application of medicine. A very 

 cheap and effective remedy is creolin water, made by adding 

 two teaspoonfuls of creolin to a pint of rain water. Shake 

 well and rub in all over the body with a brush. Do this 

 every second day until the disease stops and the wool starts 



