The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1899-08-24
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Stomach Worms in Sheep.

flock of about forty lambs, of Ave
different breeds, belonging to the
Ohio Experiment Station, began to
die. They continued TO drop off at
intervals until thirty per cert Of
the flock had died. Post mortem
examinations were held in almost
every instance and there seemed
to be no other cause for the trouble
than the stomach worm, (Strong-
ylus contortus After allowing
the trouble to continue for two
months, or until about the first OF
September, we began the benzine
or rather the gasoline treatment.
At this stage of the trouble hut few
of the flock appeared healthy and
some of them were quite thin in
flesh; there was every indication
that from one-third to one-half of
the remainder of the flock would
succumb to the disease. The gaso-
line treatment seemed to check the
trouble at once as we did not have
single death after beginning the
use of it. r-|
This treatment, as followed out
in this instance, consisted simply
of giving gasoline in flaxseed in
the form of a drench. To describe
more accurately: about one gallon
of flsxseed was placed in cheese
cloth sack and securely tied, then
put into kettle containing at least
two gallons of soft water, placed
over the fire and allowed to steep
for couple Of hours. The sack
was then removed and allowed to
drain out into the kettle while the
tea was cooling. When the tenn.
perature was reduced to about that
of freshly drawn milk we measured
out into nurse bottle four ounces
of the tea and poured into it, for
each sheep weighing from 60
pounds to 80 pounds, one ordinary
tablespoonful of common gasoline;
then placing the thumb over the
mouth of the bottle it was shaken
vigorously for at least half a minute,
after which 1t was poured quickly
into small-sized drench bottle
and at once given to the sheep.
In giving this drench care is re-
quired not to strangle the animal;
it should be set on it's rump and
held between the knees, using care
not to throw the top of the head
farther back than the line of the
back of the sheep.
1t is not necessary to make the
tea fresh for each treatment; it
may be made in quantity, but
should be warmed before adding
the gasoline, as it will emuIsify
more readily and will possibly be
little more palatable, as the warm
ing makes it less adhesive. ~
Before giving the treatment we
house the sheep in the evening and
allow them to remain without any,
thing to eat until ten o'clock Of the
day following; then this dose is
given and the lambs are allowed to
remain without food or water three
hours longer; we then let them eat
until evening. We repeat the same
housing, fasting, dosing and feed
ing for two more days-or three
days in all. After week has
elapsed we repeat the three days
treatment and again ten days later
repeat it the third time.
From our experience with the
flock of 1898 we had reason to be-
lieve that the above treatment had
been the means of destroying the
worms. During the late fall and
winter months we gave similar
treatment to some of our young
sheep and to all the older ones
without a single instance OF bad
effects, and we certainly believe
that the treatment of the entire
flock was a decided help to them.
About the middle of July this
season our lambs began to die as
last year. An examination of three
dead ones gave evidence of the
same trouble. The first Of August
we began the above described
treatment again, and while it has
not yet been completed we have
found, after the first three doses
were given, that a number of lambs
had passed worms which we were
able to identify in the droppings.
This is certainly good evidence
that the gasoline treatment will do
the work. Certainly 1t Is worthy
OF trial where the lambs are dying
as they are in many focks. 1t
should be added that we have; in a
few cases, used milk to mix with
the gasoline insteadiof the fiaxseed
tea, and have not found any object
ion to 1t. Though our experience
xyitb fha 40 voaaA Loo hoo.