The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-02-17
I.t,ment by Government Expert Stiles,
a Who Has Been Investigating.
|ses Are the Sole Cause OF the Disease and No
k~e IS Known; 1t Can Be Prevented, but 1t
/ Il Infectious and Not Contagious.

ulsSected out IL was present In small
comparatively, with the others,
and with the exception of one or two
cases WAS not doing much harm. Still
third worm toesophagostoma Columbia
num) was found in both cattle and sheep.
causing nodular disease of the bowels.
Finally tapeworm (thysanosoma actini-
oides) was found In two Sheep bus onl''
In few numbers. and in one steer another
small strongyle was found. but it was I'M
important
vermnous bronchitis Cworms in lungs):
In cattle this worm (strSngylus mi RI
rus) WIS found in most cases; in two
calves it was present in large numbers,
and was undoubtedly doing considerable
damage but in most of the cases con-
sidered 1t of secondary Importance. In
sheep another lung worm (strongyluS
filaria) was found n considerable NUM-
bers and seemingly causing more damage
to the sheep than the strongylus mlcrurus
Is causing in the cattle
or other parasites found may be NEIL
toned grubs in the head. known as oestrus
owls. which l believe is of more import
ance than most other scientists admit. In
the sbdom cavities of many of the
cattle are found also a long thread-ltke
worm (filaria llbato pl pillosa), hut 1t does
not appear to be of much Importance. In
addition to these, all the cattle have
more or less ticks Cboop'lus bovis) and
grubs in their backs. which are the larvel
form of the oestrus owls. From this 1t
will be seen that the encysted stomach
worms strongylus ostertagi are loohed
upon as the most imoort3nt of the para
sites found in cattle. while the bowel
worm tulrunsriai oernua) Is the worst
form found in the sheen. When the
strongylus ostertagi is present In large
numbers 1t DESTROYS the lining membrane
of the fourth stomach so that the cattle
can not digest their food. no matter what
kind OF food may be given them, and
when the unoenara cernua are present IN
large numbers in the sheep. not only do
they prevent the proper digestion of tina
food. but they drain their systems Of
blood.
TREATMENT.
AS the remedies are more or less OF H
poisonous character ! think 1t best for
the present not to say much regarding
treatmen especially since my expert
ments are nothing like completed. am
will ng to state. however. that l look on
nodular disease in the sheep as incuraDle.
Many men claim that thev can cure YER
minoaus bronchitis. Once thought /
could. but lately have tried practically
all of the remedies that are known and
have been suggested, and have reluct-
antly come to the conclusion that as
rule the remedies prescribed either do
more harm than good or are entire faii-
ures. AS for kill ng the worm that is
encysted in the walls Of the stomach, the
proposition is a difficult one. presenting
conditions very similar to parasitic hem
optysis and thricinoss N man. am not
ready yet to say that treatment for the
parasite is hopeless. for some OF my ex-
periments are slightly encouraging Treat
ment for the larger stomach worms
(strongylus eontortusl and for the bower
worm (uncinaria cernua) is possible, but
often tedious. I am at present trying 10
discover a mixture which VIII Kill both
these worms and the encysted stomach
worms In one dose. so as to save as little
handling of the cattle as possible, but L
many fail in this attempt.
SOURCES OF INFECTION.
The life history Of the following para
sites are net known, hence 1t Is impos-
sible to give the exact source of infectio
in their cases The lung worm Cs.rong
ylus micrurus) of cattle and tstronsylus
rlaria) of sheep, the thread worm tfla Ia
,ladito papillcsa) Of cattle and the tape
worm cd sheep (thanosoma ac:iloides).
But certain things seem TO inuiea.e that
the germ OF the lung worm, upol leaving
the cattle, are taken In by the ca tn
worms and in them undergo cert III
changes before they are capable OF re-
injecting other cattle Tbs point, how
ever, has never been abs lutely estalo-
lished. for ssme of the. other worms, tae
life history Is already estsblishe WI
for others II can be forseen with a degree
Of probability which borders on GER
tainty. The two stomach worms lstron-
gyus contortus) and tstrougjls 81 r.
tagi) and the three bowel worms (uncen-
aria cernua, uncernua ralia.a and esrf
GO ora % UNI nam may al be exp c Q
10 run through about he following 4 I
cycle: The worms are in pairs, male anc
female, the female lays eggs whlcl p 81
out in the droppings Of cattle ana sheep
each egg devel ps into small worm
known as a rhab iitiform em5ryo, whicf
CASTS it's skin several times, and ther
swims around in pools of water or era
around on the moist warm ear h. Tde
worms are then capable of being taken 1
with the water or food and reintect tn
cattle or sheep. as the case may be, with
out arst passing a part of tn 7ir life II
other animals as some other parasites do
PREVENTION POSSIBLE.
The life history shows us tha5 proven
tion Is poss.bl The methods Of PIE
vention are simple. although in ia
cases they Will require the eSp niilure Q
time and money. First every ranch sh11l'
have b spital pas ,ure, sitlaied OF nj q
dry ground, with NJ pools or pom V ia
ana with raised troughs Of water a
, feed, he water supplied from a well an
the grass kept short. This pa clra slo5t
be fixed so that IL could no. Train | {
any other pasture. AS soSn IS aag sic
animal Is noticed In the he d, II SEOUL
be separated fr m the heal NJ oles an
J placed In this hospital, as 10 allow %
J diseased animals to remain Ia the la &
! pastures, where the oyhcr aaimsis a
? grazing, Is TO deliberately spread he N
Fiction broadcast, and thus endanger e.
2 rest 81 he stock
! Sec dl ovide PRO er wat rae Pa c
for the s.ock ~ digging wells and eTtc
; ing. windmills, to pump the wafer Int
2 tanks. which win be raised above t.
r ground 50 that they can not become o.
taminated with the animals drop E
8 being washed into them by the rains an
| floods.
4 Thirdly. drain the pastures 90 that Their
a viii be no permanent po5ls OF sag N
water from which the animals can drini
5 A permanent pond or tank, far from bel
: a desirable feature in pasture when Z
, feoted with these parasites Is the reYers'
v II is a frst-class breeding place for m
: disease.
!, Fourthiy, burn the PASTURES regilarl,
thoroughly aud systematically. This W!
: DESTROY the germs which are on the grss
+ aud ground and IN the droppingS
: THE FUTURE OUTLOOK
IL is rather doubtful whether any {