90 
WARBLE FLY. 
Tlie mixture of sulphur with various applications, or its use 
merely as a dusting on the bach of the cattle, is also noteworthy. 
The use of lard or butter by the so-called “ Charmers ” in the wild 
districts of Co. Mayo is a great confirmation of how much may be 
done by the very simplest application which will choke the breathing- 
apparatus of the maggot. On hearing that cures were really made by 
these reputed “ charmers,” I wrote over to request an account of the 
whole of the ceremony, and, stripped of the incantations, the appli¬ 
cation is obviously so useful it is worth adding to the list. 
The following notes refer to application of mercurial ointment. 
“ June 10th, 1885. Kesulting from your advice, I have within 
two months dressed about 250 head of cattle out of 800 with mercurial 
ointment for warble maggots with speedy and complete success, and 
without any bad effect whatever. My herdsmen all now swear by your 
remedy ; but I think at a very early period in spring, dressing down 
the backbone with sulphur might be a great prevention also.”—J. A. 
Farrell, Esq., D. L. Moynalty, Kells, Co. Meath, Ireland. 
“We put the mercurial ointment on to the swellings this year, 
and I was much pleased with the effect, as the cattle were certainly 
much smoother than last year.”—Col. G. Coussmaker, Westwood, 
Guildford. 
“ I have used the mercurial ointment on several beasts, and in 
most instances the grub has been killed. I am going to dress again 
the lumps where there seems to be a grub alive.”—Hon. Cecil Parker, 
Eaton Estate Office, Eccleston, Chester. 
“ After reading Miss Ormerod’s pamphlet on the subject, I sent for 
some mercurial ointment, both blue and yellow, and got the bailiff to 
apply it at once, as most of our cattle were infested with warbles. 
This he did by putting a small quantity sufficient to cover each hole, 
and slightly rubbing it in, and I believe in every case it had the 
desired effect. It either choked or poisoned the maggots, for on 
pressing the warbles a few days afterwards it was evident they were 
killed and decomposed, as nothing but a yellowish matter came from 
the sores. Both ointments appeared equally efficacious, and no harm 
resulted to the cattle from its use. I intend to renew the treatment 
next year.”—T. A. Sutton, Yew Tree Farm, Tarporley, Cheshire. 
The two following observations refer to McDougalVs smear as 
effective to kill the maggots, and as preferred to mercurial ointment or 
the application of salt and water :— 
“ The cattle that came under my own observation were successfully 
treated with mercurial ointment. The cases were about two hundred. 
Passing the hand over the sides of the poorer ones it was perceived 
that there were innumerable grubs in the skin, or possibly they were 
