752 
H. F. ECKERT. 
TAENIA EXP ANSA IN THE SHEEP. 
By Dr. H. F. Eckert, Markesan, Wis. 
Read before the Wisconsin Association of Veterinary Graduates. 
The subject I wish to dwell upon this evening is the disease 
known as tcenia expansa in the sheep. No doubt this disease 
has caused more trouble to sheep-owners than any other disease 
known. It is extensively distributed all over the United States 
and Europe ; in fact, wherever sheep are to be found, and is a 
source of great concern to the sheep-owners on account of its 
frequent fatalities, which are caused by the irritation of the mu¬ 
cous membrane of the alimentary canal owing to the presence 
of the tape-worm. 
On July 5th, 1900, an outbreak occurred at Markesan. I 
was called to the farm of August Klavon, in the town of Mack- 
ford, to see a flock of sheep where the lambs were dying at an 
alarming rate. The owner stated that he had lost 25 lambs 
within the last two weeks. Upon my arrival I found that the 
lambs were a hard looking lot, they looked stunted or like a lot 
of lambs that had a very poor pasture. They were 42 in num¬ 
ber, three or four of them were dragging in behind the flock. 
The old sheep all looked well and thrifty. By carefully ques¬ 
tioning the owner it was learned that nothing but sheep had 
'been kept on one and the same pasture for 15 years on account of 
the water supply in the pasture. The pasture contained a small 
creek which would only run during the wet season of the year, 
this stream also had two or three stagnant pools where the sheep 
got their water supply during the dry season. This water, I 
believe, was the seat of infection. I also learned from the own¬ 
er that he had lost several lambs the previous spring. After con¬ 
sulting the owner it was decided to dispose of one of the lambs 
and hold a post-mortem examination on the same. On open¬ 
ing the lamb I found that the small intestines were completely 
filled with the tape-worm, tcenia expansa. On places they 
were as many as six deep and from one to fifteen feet in length, 
so it made it almost impossible for any food to pass. The mu- 
