The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-06-03
IS Due TO ANOTHER MITE
Doctor Knowles, State Veterinarian,
Imparts Information Of Value
to the Herdsman.

AAA SDC A"15 AANAJ
cases of supposed scabies in Montana
cattle are in reality something entire
ly different-instead of being affected
with scab the animals are simply
lousy Because OF the information
it contains the following statement
of the doctor, published in the Hell
ena Independent a few days ago, is
here reproduced:
my attention has recently been
called to the fact that a number OF
cattlemen are mistaking lousiness for
cattle scab, and, in fact, the symp-
t1ms produced by the most common
louise seen in Montana are almost
identical with those OF cattle scab,"
said Doctor Knowles. This louise,
technically called h~aematopinus to-
.nuirostris, affects the identical local
tiles of the animal body that are in
vaded by the scab mites. The louise
in many instances produces quite as
severe symptoms as the scab mite
and so closely resembles the scab
LESSONS or symptoms that it is diff
cult to distinguish between the two
diseases without the closest observa-
ton.
"Neumann describes this cattle
louise .(haematopinus ~tenuirostris) as
follows: The head is elongated and
somewhat buried in the thorax; the
latter (thorax) is as broad as it is
long, and the abdomen is narrow,
scarcely wider at the sixth segment
the largest-than at the first. The
general tint is a deep chestnut, bright
er ON! the forehead, legs and the
female is 3 nm. long; and the male
2.5 nm. long
How Cattle Are Affected.
Cali of these characteristics Of the
cattle louise can be easily seen through
the medium of a small pocket magni-
flying glass, and the louise can be
easily seen on the animal S body
with the naked eye. AS they multi
ply rapidly, great numbers can be
easily detected on any Of the affected
animals. Lousiness on all animals
is manifested by more or less itch
ing and scratching or rubbing on
available objects; the intensity OF the
itching, of course, being subordinate
to the number of lice and the family
to which they belong.
"In the group We are describing,
the common cattle louise OF Montana,
the rostrum or mouth is formed for
pricking the skin; therefore, this va
riety attacks the skin and feasts upon
the blood, and the skin secret:ons
thrown out on account of this prick
ing OF biting cause a decidedly more
intense itching than that produced
by other varieties of lice.
"As is we'll known, different varie-
ties of lice select different localities
on the body to invade. In the par
ticular one under discussion, the local
ity selected for it's invasion is as
stated above; the localities also Sc
lected by the cattle scab mite-that
is, the withers, the neck, along the
back and at the base of the tail, in
which localities one will observe the
skin devoid of hair or only covered
by small patches of hair; The skin
irritated and thickened, particularly
IN tho rnoiOr 0f tho nnok whore fh q
irritation produces the same condition
as that seen from the irritation of
the cattle scab mite. The animal
irresistably scratches itself against
any available object on the parts &C
cessible; ticks itself constantly with
it's rough tongue.
Disease Easily Managed.
"Lousiness among cattle seems to
be very generally distributed through
out Montana and possibly throughout
our adjoining states and Canada;
while cattle scab in this state is re-
stricted to certain localities. Under
certain conditions, the cattle louise
causes serious loss OF condition and
not ~infrequently impairs the general
health of an animal, particularly dur
ing the winter when feed is short
and the weather cold. However, it is
a disease easily managed and for the
cattlemen 3 protitaple one to treat.
Doubtless some one of the tobacco
dips is the remedy par excellence for
this disease, although other dips may
be eficacious. Where possible, such
animals should be dipped in a vat as
sheep are dipped, twice at an interval
of from five to eight days. a
Where dipping is impracticable,