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to it; it appears to hurt them almost as much as a puncture through 
the skin. The objection to the scapel, &c., is that when you treat 
an animal for this attack all the grubs are not in the same stage, 
and some have no orifice developed, or only a small one, through 
which it would be difficult to make an insertion ; whereas, whether 
visible or not, a little of the ointment rubbed in would destroy the 
grub effectually. 
“ Tar had the desired effect in every case but one, and in that I 
think the hair kept it from the opening. Acetic acid was perfectly 
effective.”—R. Stratton. 
Other notes of approval of the application were sent in, from 
which I have chosen the following, as being from large cattle-owners, 
or, in the first instance, from Professor Riley, who has given special 
study, practical as well as scientific, to warble-treatment:— 
“ In America it has been found that a little mercurial ointment 
applied to the swellings in autumn acts very well in killing the 
young Hypoderma larva, but the simpler and equally effectual way 
is to rub the back and sides, and especially the back, with pure 
kerosine oil.”—Prof. C. V. Riley, Consulting Entomologist, De¬ 
partment of Agriculture, Washington, U.S.A. 
“ The smallest quantity of mercurial ointment (as much as a small 
pea) p>laced on the hole in the skin carries death within twenty-four 
hours. After applying the ointment to about forty-five cows, I 
cannot tell exactly the numbers that were in the cows’ backs, but 
my impression is that there were seldom more than six in one 
beast.”—E. E. McBride, Glendonagli, Middleton, Co. Cork. 
“ June 10th, 1885. Resulting 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. 
“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. 
If used under proper superintendence, and according to direction, 
mercurial ointment is a safe and serviceable remedy, but, seeing 
the liability there is to carelessness in the matter, I have alluded to 
it, as the case may be, slightly (or not at all) in the later editions 
of my leaflet on Warble Fly, where there was not space to enter on 
