Treatment of the Scab. 385 



Treatment. — This consists either in dipping the sheep in 

 a solution of some insecticide preparation ; or in rubbing 

 such a preparation into its skin. As ointments are both 

 expensive and troublesome^ watery solutions are at all times 

 preferable. 



The most effectual of all sheep dips are those containing 

 arsenic. Mr. Finlay Dun speaks very highly of the follow- 



ing:— 



No. 431. Arsenic, 



Pearlash, or soda ash, 



Sulphur, 



Soft soap, of each, 3 lbs. 



Mix in ten gallons of boiling water, and add cold water to make one 

 hundred gallons. 



The sheep, except his head, of course, is held in this from 

 half a minute to a minute, while it is well rubbed into his 

 fleece. He is then lifted on to a slatted drainer, over a tub, 

 and the wool well squeezed out; he isthen placed in a yard 

 for a few hours, as it is unsafe to turn them on a pasture 

 with this poisonous fluid dripping from them on the grass. 

 Horses, cattle and sheep have been known to be poisoned by 

 neglect of this precaution. 



The sulphur in the above receipt whitens and softens the 

 fleece, and for a time keeps away the flies. One gallon 

 of the mixture is the estimated amount used for each sheep. 



Mercurial ointment, and dips containing corrosive sublim- 

 ate, we do not recommend, as they are too dangerous and 

 difficult to control. 



Tobacco is a favorite American remedy, but it is rather 

 dear. A good formula is the one above given, substituting 

 for the arsenic a strong decoction of eight or ten j^ounds of 

 tobacco. 



Carbolic acid, cresylic acid and the commercial oil of tar, 

 properly diluted, are all effective and cheap, but have the 

 disadvantage of discoloring the wool ; and if used too strong, 



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