2 
tratod, but to the native animals, as for in- 
stance the iguana, the attachment is of long 
duration and does not appear to be injurious. 
A part of the penetrator is always left behind 
when a tick is forcibly pulled out. 
A popular idea is that the tick burrows through 
and lives underneath the skin, and though that 
is the case with some arachnida— as the itch 
insect — it is not bo with the tick. Swelling of 
the surrounding tissues, however, may — as in 
the armpit, nearly bury the tick. 
A bandicoot once shot by me, wa3 directed 
to be skinned ,• ticks were found on its skin, 
and I was told, under it also. The underlying 
ones on examination were found to be metallic. 
In a short time after the attachment of a 
tick some slight pain and swelling results, which 
is often neglected. The tick fills with blood, 
and the pain increases, until in the human 
subject it becomes so severe as to attract 
notice. A few days ago I removed one 
from a gentleman that had been at- 
tached a fortnight. It was half-an*inch 
long, and had caused considerable pain and 
swelling of the neck, together with a sense of 
debility. 
The results upon the dog and eat are more 
serious and demand particular notice. All 
dogs that have been bitten in the scrubs are 
very liable to be attached by ticks, especially if 
they have long hair. If these are not removed 
in the course of three or four days death may 
be expected. They may be felt attached to the 
skin about the neck and other parts the dog 
cannot reach with his teeth. All dogs, large or 
small, should be carefully combed and watched 
for several days, to see if tick-poisoning pre- 
sent itself. I have never seen pups recover 
after this has appeared. In full grown strong 
dogs the following symptoms present them- 
selves. In two or three days after the attach - 
tachment of a tick, the dog begins to look 
weary. The cat in addition by not 
washing itself appears dirty. Food is 
refused and soon after, drink. The 
animal lies down, and seeks for that pur- 
pose some place where he can remain undis- 
turbed. Pups travel away and are rarely again 
found alive. The dog responds to the call of 
his master, but will not follow him far ; 
shortly weakness in the hind legs is observed, 
and in about five days from the attachment of 
the tick the animal becomes unable to walk, 
and may at times be seen to be timid and 
delirious. On attempting to rise up on bis 
fore-feet he may fall over insensible — in a few 
minutes he recovers his consciousness. On 
observing closely one of these attacks, it will 
be seen that the lips of the dog are pale, his 
heart can scarcely be felt to beat, and the con- 
dition of fainting is clearly noticeable. During 
all his illness there is the greatest reluctance to 
take food or drink, and forcible feeding brings 
on his fainting attacks. He tries to creep out 
of sight by the help of his fore-legs, and in a 
few days at the farthest dies in one of the attacks. 
Old dogs endure much longer than pups, and if 
the tick has been removed early, recovery may 
be hoped for. 
The only cat I have seen suffer lay unable 
to walk for a week. She was forcibly fed with 
milk during the time, and made a slow re- 
covery. Cats are said to have nine lives. 
The action of the tick poison I consider to 
be similar to that of the enake. The poison, 
however, produces its effects more slowly and is 
also more slowly got rid of by the excretions. 
The cause of death appears to be chiefly if 
not entirely from muscular paralysis, produced 
by a poisoned condition of the fluids. Those 
muscles most remote from the centre of circu- 
lation and which receive the least supply of 
blood suffering most from the paralysis. The 
hind legs are the first to lose their power, the 
fore legs next, and lastly the heart. Death 
taking place from want of the power of con- 
traction in that organ. 
Printed at 'he "Guardian Office,” Brisbane. 
