THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS 229 



and the hoose will be further noticed in par. 548. This complicated 

 disorder is mostly seen in lambs that have been moved from one 

 place to another during the months of August and September, and 

 generally makes itself manifest in and from October till December. 

 The disease is due to the presence of the Strongylus filaria, a small 

 white thread-like worm found in the wind-pipe and bronchial tubes, 

 causing verminous or parasitic bronchitis, accompanied by hoose or 

 cough. These worms, when numerous, are quite sufficient in them- 

 selves to cause death, setting up, as they do, inflammation and con- 

 solidation of the lungs ; but when accompanied and complicated by 

 the presence of other worms — Strongylus contortus — infesting the 

 lining membrane of the fourth stomach and bowels, and setting up 

 an extensive and exhaustive diarrhoea — i.e., scour — the matter is 

 then very serious. This complication causes great pain and induces 

 the affected animals to drink large quantities of water, there is 

 rapid emaciation, and death soon follows. 



341. The lambs pick up the ova or eggs of these worms on un- 

 sound or contaminated pastures, and a few hours is quite sufficient 

 to infect a whole flock. This is a matter of vast importance to both 

 seller and buyer, as both may have good sound grazing lands, and 

 yet the lambs may contract the malady in transit from one place to 

 the other by being put on to an unsound grazing pasture for a few 

 hours' rest on their journey, particularly in August and September. 

 Treatment must be energetic so as to kill the worms in the lungs ; 

 for this purpose, fumigations of sulphur, chlorine, or iodine fumes 

 can be used. The stoving should be repeated about every third or 

 fourth day, while the strength of the patient must be maintained by 

 good, nutritious, and easily digestible foods, such as linseed jelly, 

 milk and eggs, gruels, etc., to which should be added 10 to 15 grains 

 of exsiccated iron and 1 dessert-spoonful of common salt once a day, 

 also a dessert-spoonful of turpentine, mixed with 1 teacupful of 

 raw linseed oil or 1 wineglassful of cod-liver oil, and a little milk 

 may be carefully given as a drench every third or fourth day. The 

 lands on which the lambs have contracted the disease should also be 

 dressed, in June or July, with 6 to 8 hundredweight crushed rock- 

 salt to the acre, to destroy the ova and their hosts. 



