Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-04-06
Scab in Sheep.

The loss Of wool is in consequence Of skin
disease called "scab," which is closely allied
TO mango in horses and itch in human bugs
1t is caused by a minute parasite, sometimes
referred 10 as an insect; but It would be more
nearly correct to call it "mite," as it is not
a true insect, scientifically speaking. There
are many species of these mites or acari
which iufest our domestic animals in fact
none of these is entirely exempt from the at
tacks Of these pests, when the conditions are
favorable for their appearance.
nj. Walz, a German veterinarian, in speak.
ing Of the species Of acaruS infesting sheep,
says: IF one or more female acari are
placed on the wool of sound sheep they
quickly travel to root of it, and bury them
selves in the skin, the place at which they
penetrated being scarcely visible, or only dis
tinguished by minute red point. On the
tenth or twelfth day little swelling may be
detected with the finger, and the skin changes
its color and has a greenish-blue tint. The
pustuc is now rapidly formed, and about
the sixteenth day breaks; aud the mothers
again appear with their young attached to
to their feet, and covered by portion Of
she'll of the egg from which they have just
escaped. The newly-hatched mites immedi.
ately penetrate the neighboring skin, and
bury themselves beneath it, as did their par.
ents before them and thus the numbers
multiply and rapidly spread over the poor
animal upon which they have once found q
lodgment. The male acari, placed on the
skin of sheep were also found to burrow into
it and disappear for while, a postule form.
ing over them, as with the other SEX"
1t may readily be seen from the above
description that these parasites could scarcely
fail to produce cutaneous eruptions which de-
stroy the roots Of the wool and cause it to
fall off.
Sckly, poor, half.starved animals, which
are exposed to cold storms in winter, are the
first to be attacked by this parasite, as really
healthy animals, carefully cared for, resist
the attacks of such pests; but when very
numerous they pass over what would seem to
be natural barriers, and the best animal Of the
flock will succumb to their disastrous ad-
vances.
To prevent scab, keep the sheep healthy
by giving them an abundance of good food
and shelter from storms at all seasons, in dry,
clean sheds or barns. Then, at every shear.
ing time, examine the skin carefully, and if
there are any signs of a cutaneous disease, or
lMeiophaguS orinuS), dip the entire flock in
tobacco water With proper tanks, which
every shepherd should always keep on hand
in good order, both the old sheep aud lambs
may be dipped very rapidly, and at cost
Of not more than five cents a head, and
thereby freedom from parasitic pests insured
for the season.
About one pound Of tobacco will be re-
quired for every FIVE gallons Of water, and it
must be stepped in hot water long enough to
extract its strength. The liquid should be
about bloodwarm when the dipping is per-
formed, and if little -four of sulphur is ad-
ded, it will increase the efficiency of the So
luton. A fresh supply of the liquid must
be kept in readiness, in extra vessels pro-
vided from the purpose, and the temperature
kept up to 1009 or a little more.
OF course, tanks Of the proper size must
be provided for this purpose, and a tight
platform, at one side, should be so arranged
that as the sheep are taken out of the bath,
they must rest upon it moment, and the
| liquid which runs off will return to the tank,
thereby saving unnecessary waste.
There are few hocks which would not be
greatly benefited by an annual dipping in a
solution of the kind named Ifthere is no
scab among them, ticks or some such pests
usually abound, causing much annoyance to
the animal, If not a positive injury to health.
-RuraL Nelo Yorker.