BIGHEAD OF SHEEP 277 



Treatment. — Internal treatment (belladonna, turpentine, 

 strychnin, arsenic, digitalis) has been found useless. On the 

 other hand, smearing the head of the affected sheep with 

 vaselin or olive oil, especially if the sheep are permitted to 

 rest in the shade, has been of service. Scarifying the swellings 

 does no good, and exposes the parts to further infection. 



Prophylaxis. — The disorder is prevented by not driving the 

 sheep too far or too rapidly during the heat of the day, espe- 

 cially before shearing in the spring. Affected sheep should be 

 dropped out of the herd and the entire band allowed rest in 

 the shade if possible. Sheepmen, believing the trouble due to 

 poisonous plants, often, when a case of bighead develops in a 

 band, rush the sheep to get them away as rapidly as possible 

 from the region in which the supposed poisonous plants exist. 

 This in itself tends to produce the trouble they seek to avoid. 



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