54 THE FARM DOCTOR, 



those that are out of condition. Yet the finest animals, kept for 

 show, will sometimes suffer. So it is in cattle, the young, weak, 

 and ill-thriven are the most exposed, but all may sufter. For 

 the same reason, poor, damp, and exposed localities suffer more 

 than the rich, dry, and sheltered. 



Prevention. — Destroy the dogs, or, if they must be kept, deny 

 them sheep's heads until cooked. Examine them at frequent 

 intervals and expel all tape-worms by vermifuges (oil of turpen- 

 tine, male-fern, kousso, areca nut, etc.). Keep the young sheep 

 at all times in good, thriving condition. Drain all wet pastures, 

 shelter exposed ones. 



Treatment. — In rare cases, spontaneous recovery may follow 

 rupture of the cyst in connexion with a blow on the head or a 

 fall. Hogg passed a long knitting wire through the nose into 

 the brain, and Youatt advises a small trocar for the same 

 purpose. But the cyst is more easily punctured and extracted 

 through the upper part of the skull. In advanced cases, the 

 internal pressure of the cyst has sometimes caused absorption 

 of the bones and the formation of a soft spot on the upper part 

 of the skull. This should be laid open with a sharp lancet or 

 penknife, just enough to introduce a trocar and cannula one- 

 eighth inch in diameter, through which the liquid may escape 

 slowly. The animal may be turned on its back to complete 

 the evacuation, but held firmly so that no struggling can take 

 place. As the cyst is emptied, a membrane will be found pro- 

 jecting through it, and should be slowly drawn out. This is 

 the parasitic cyst, and from its inner surface will be found 

 projecting one hundred to two hundred little elevations like 

 pin-heads, each representing the head of a tape-worm, and 

 being capable of development into the mature parasite if 

 swallowed by a dog. The wound should be covered with a 

 pitch plaster and a leathej- hood, and the patient placed in a 

 dark, quiet, secluded box, on soft, laxative diet for a week. 



If the bones are not softened the point to be perforated 



