4 Department Circular 47, 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 14 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 be 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 the preparation 
of the dose use only clear-blue crystals of copper sulphate. Crush 
the crystals to a fine powder when ready to make up the solution. 
