4 Department Circalor kl \ U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



Doubt as to the cause of the trouble can be removed by an exami- 

 nation of the fourth stomach. For examination purposes, any one 

 unfamiliar with the ailment can well afford to kill an affected lamb. 

 If there is any uncertainty as to the position of the fourth stomach 

 it can be ascertained by taking hold of any part of the small intestine 

 and following it forward. The fourth stomach is one of the 4 com- 

 partments into which the stomach is divided and is the portion con- 

 tinuous with the forward end of the small intestine. When the 

 fourth stomach is found, it should be held so as to prevent the 

 fluids from leaving it at either end, and an incision made along 

 nearly the full length of the upper part. When this is done the 

 stomach worms, if present, can be seen, often in large numbers, 

 wriggling around in the fluids. They are from one-half to \\ inches 

 long, about as thick as an ordinary pin, and spirally striped with 

 red and white. It is often necessary to look closely for some time 

 in order to distinguish them. When the stomach is emptied some 

 of the worms can be seen adhering to the inside walls. 



HOW DO THE WORMS INJURE THE SHEEP? 



The injurious action of the stomach worms may be attributed to 

 two things: First, the loss of blood abstracted by the parasites, and 

 second, the destruction of red corpuscles by a poisonous substance 

 which is secreted by the parasites and taken up by the blood. Evi- 

 dently the older, stronger, and larger sheep are better able than the 

 lambs to withstand the loss of blood, and can better endure the loss 

 due to the destruction of red corpuscles. Furthermore, in the blood 

 of adult sheep there may be substances tending to neutralize the 

 poisonous matter produced by the parasites that are absent from the 

 blood of lambs, or that, if present, occur in smaller quantities. 

 Besides the direct injury caused by stomach worms it is not unlikely 

 that damage is also done by bacterial infection through the wounds 

 the worms make in the mucous lining of the stomach. 



HOW SHOULD INFESTED SHEEP OR LAMBS BE TREATED? 



MEDICINAL TREATMENT. 



If taken in time, most cases of stomach worms can bo treated 

 successfully according to the following directions: 



Dissolve one-fourth pound (avoirdupois) of the powdered crystals 

 of copper sulphate (bluestone) in 1 pint of boiling water, using a 

 porcelain or enamel-ware dish, as the bluestone corrodes most metals. 

 Then add cold water enough to make the solution up to 3 gallons, 

 using wooden, earthenware, or other nonmetallic receptacles. This 

 will make approximately a 1 per cent solution and will be enough to 

 dose 100 adult sheep, allowing 10 per cent waste. In tho preparation 

 of the dose use only clear-blue crystals of copper sulphate. Crush 

 tho crystals to a line powder when ready to make up tho solution. 



