The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-01-20
PARASITES PREY ON SEAL PUPS.
Cause of the Heavy Mortality on the
Rookerics

Cause of the Heavy Mortality GA the
Rookerics.
The fur seal pup is commonly a pre-.
TO a peculiar parasitic understanding
worm which lodges In the intestines
and sucks until the victim dies. DR..
S~tejneger and Mr.. Lucas, who were sent
to the Pribylof islands last summer
by the Smithsonian institution, have
brought back a lot of these worms In
a bottle. They got them from the
bodies of dead pups on the rookeries
Hence a very extraordinary discovery.
Large numbers of seal pups die an
nually on the rookeries from no appar-
ent cause. Hitherto II has been taken
for granted that they were killed by
being stepped on by their parents, o.
by the sighting bulls. Now for the first
time il is ascertaiued that this theory Is
wholly a mistake. The fact is that
the pups are bled to death by the worms
aforesaid. The parasites were found IN
the intestines Of every dead pup ex-
amined by Mr.. Lewis and DR.. Stejneger.
The discovery is due to DR.. Stiles,
government specialist in animal para
sites. He finds that the worms are prac.
tically the same as certain bloodsuck-
ers which cause a dreadful disease IL
man. The disease is called miners
aneamia." and 10 always fatal unless
checked by proper remedial measures
The parasites, whether in man or in
seal, fasten themselves upon the walls
of the intestines and suck. They can
be destroyed. however, by any eflicieu;
vermifuge. such as "thymol," and the
patient quickly RECEIVERS health.
Here it has been suggested is a nev
and sure method of increasing the
number of seals on the rookeries. The
annual diminution by what was hither-
to supposed to be trampling can be
prevented entirely by administering a
simple remedy to such Of the pups a.
show signs of lack of vitality. There
is no great difficulty in handling the
pups on the rookeries, and native
Aleuts, properly trained to the work.
can go among them and pick out sus.
pected cases, pouring down the throa;
of each u dose Of vermifuge. Two OF
three doses will cure, and thus one i'm
portant cause of the destruction OF
these valuable p~innipeds will be re-
moved.
The worms do not multiply in tn,
bodies of the seal pups. They lay eggs
however-more properly speaking, EN-
bryos-which are discharged by tn,
animal. The pups s%crambling arouno
on the sand, swallow some Of thes'
eggs, which are Matched in the mites
tine. where the young worms at one,
take up the business of b~lood-sucking
The disease called "miners'anaemia,
caused by a parasite so nearly like as I,
be practically the same as the enemy o
the seal pups, seems to have originate
in Italy, and a few years ago 1t becom
epidemic among the laborers in the s;
Gothard tunnel. 1t was doubtless in
troduced by italian workmen VIII
CHANGED to be infected with it. and LACE
Of proper sanitary arrangements en-
couraged its spread. Many died o
it.. Recently three or four case
have appeared in the country, an
ii is predicted that the malad
will surely appear in the coal mines @
the United States before long, brough
by Immigrant miners. 1t has bee
making a good deal of trouble in Ger
trail America lately.
The parasites are threadlike worn
about an inch. long, and, as in the ca.
of the seal pups. the eggs get into III
body by accidental swallowing. Ever
time the creatures stop sucking at III
walls of the intestine there is a lit.
hemorrhage at the point attacke,
Pretty o o the man becomes pale an
thin, and he gets worse until deat
comes TO his relief.
The same parasite, PRACTICAL,
though again a different species, n
tackled dogs. 1t is accountable for IL
fact that so many high-bred dogs
every litter are apt to die. The remed
is the same-namely, an efficient verm
fuge.-St. Louis Globe-Democrat.