The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-06-03
Kerosene Emulsion For Sheep Scab.
'reSS EulIatin No % nf Sortb DnEofo Txno,

Press Bulletin No. 20, of South Dakota Expert.
ment Station. ?
4 recent press bullctinof the Station report
ed the successful use oil kerosene emulsion for
lice on stock. Since publishing it, we have
been enabled to test the same remedy for
sheep scab. This disease, as is we'll known,
is produced by the work ola small mite in the
skin. These mites differ from lice in many
characteristics Of structure and habits. They
are much more difficult to kill, as is i%llustrat-
ed by the fact that two specimens placed in
strong alcohol continued to exhibit signs of
life for nine and fourteen minutes respectively.
Under such conditions, lice would live but a
few seconds.
Our emulsion was made as follows: Twen-
ty gallons of soft water was heated to the boil
ng point, ten pounds Of hard soap 1--WE used
Kinks "Coronct," a cheap BRANDY was dissol-
we'd in it. and five gallons Of kerosene added,
the mixture was then pumped briskly through
1 cheap spraying pump back into the vessel.
The violent agitation thus produced caused
the materials to emulslfy in about five min
utes. After allowing the emulsion to stand
two or three minutes a little free kerosene
rose to the top and was skinned off with a
shovel, perhaps to the extent of a pint in all.
We then diluted the emulsion by adding
forty-five gallons Of water, SO that it contain
cd about ! per cent Of kerosene. We were
careful not to dip any sheep while free oil
was floating on the surface.
In all seven sheep were dipped during the
progress OF the experiment. These were af-
iected by the scab in all degrees, some but very
little and Others SO badly as to be almost ell
tircly naked from its effects, and barely able to
walk. They also varied greatly as to the
amount of wool they carried. One was a
yearling that had never been sheared and had
a very heavy fleece; another had been shear
ed about six weeks; others, just previous to
dipping; while two, although not sheared this
season, were almost naked from scab, as
stated. These last ones were dipped just as
the experiment was about to return to Brook
ings and it was therefore IMPOSSIBLE to study
the effect upon them: Although the weather
was rainy and the sheep dried of very slowly
not the slightest injury to skin or wool was
shown. On the contrary both seemed to be
improved. The dip was used about blood
warm, and it penetrated the scab to a very
surprising deglee. Except in the very worst
cases, it seemed unnecessary to scrub the
scabs with a brush las is recommended with
our dip)because they were perfectly saturated
in an instant without it. The yellow deposit
which clings to scabby wool close to the skin
was almost wholly dissolved and washed out.
On making a tolerable close examination OF
the sheep twenty-four hours later. using a
hand lens, no live mites were found, and but
very few dead ones, even in situations where
they were known to be living and abundant
before dipping. Two days after dipping, a
sheep was selected which we had examined
several times previously and knew to have
been badly infested; this sheep was laid on a
table in a good lig t and tied down, IL. scab.
by places were clipped bare and a careful ex.
animation of over an hours duration was
made. with lhe same hand lens used al
through the work. The result was that On
single live mite was found and quite a large
number of dead ones, Ii is a Singular fact
that the whole number found was not more
than one-tenth Of what were alive on the
same area two days before. Perhaps par
were washed out in dipping, but this is nc
well explained at present.
1t was the opinion of several sheepme1
who saw the wool after dipping that thu
cleansing properties Of the emulsion moult
make it a very valuable dip, even wher
sheep were Tree IRON parasites. The WOO
certainly came out looking. remarkably clea,
and soft. Further experiments are now ar
ranged for to ascertain just what effect, upol
the value Of the wool, is produced by thi
dip.
The finding of single live mite upon tn
dipped sheep we do no regard as surprising
considering the t~horoughness of our se,rcl
1t is Customary to dip twice or three times 70
scab with any remedy.
The cost Of this dip will depend %entlrel,
upon the price Of soap kerosene. At the rat
Of five cents a pound for soap and elghteel
cents a gallon for kerosene, the emulsion cost
two cents a gallon. We do not figure tn
cost Of the pump, for a two dollar sprayin!
pump ought to be regarded as a household
necessity, and will pay for itself many time
in applying poisons TO plants and in othe
! uses. !. M. ALDRIcu.