6HEEP, THEIR DISEASES. 333 
I 
Babies. 
Sheep are apt to be bitten by rabid dogs. The only preventive is to kill all 
strange or suspiciously acting dogs. The remedy is to kill the sheep as soon 
as attacked. The perils attending treatment, and the hopelessness of the case, 
dictate this course. 
Hydatids on the Brain. 
This is a disease of rare occurrence in America, probably from the 
fact that range is greater and dogs fewer to the square mile. The disease 
ouce fixed, nothing, practically, can be done, at least except a thorough 
veterinary surgeon be called, since it involves a delicate surgical operation. 
The bladder worm or hydatid is a form of the tape worm of the dog, in 
an earlier stage of existance. The mature tape worm lives in the bowels 
of the dog, its eggs are voided with the excrement, and in close pasturage 
the sheep take the eggs while grazing ; hatching, they make their way to 
the brain, where they grow, and must remain until eaten by some other 
animal. Thus the dog eats the sheep’s head, acquires the tape worm, 
and the insect again goes its round of life. Allow no sheep’s heads to be 
eaten without thorough cooking, kill all strange dogs, and give your shep- 
herd dogs a good vermifuge occasionally. 
One of the plans adopted to get rid of the hydatid when it can be loca- 
ted is to pierce the cyst with the needle of a strong hypodermic syringe, 
and inject into it half a tea-spoonful of the following ; 
No. 6. 1 Grain iodine, 
5 Grains iodide of potash, 
1 Ounce water. 
Mix. 
Parasites of the Body and Skin. 
Sheep are infested with lice, three different forms of parasites which 
produce scab, also with ticks, intestinal worms, parasites of the liver, 
lungs, etc. 
The Scab. 
This is produced by a minute, almost microscopic insect, which bur- 
rows under the cuticle, producing intense irritation, the escape of serum, 
and which drying, brings off with it wool and all, and, spreading with 
great rapidity, soon infests the whole flock. The tenacity of life of these 
insects is so great that a scabby pasture has been said to spread the con- 
tagion after three years. The prevention of infection should be impera- 
tive with every flock master. 
