The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-05-03
Acts as Tick Catchcrs.

/ BESIDES UTILIZING Sheep DIS d SooISS
of food and clothing. the careful
studies of the United states Public
Health Service have demonstrated
their value as sanitary agents. Ticks
which carry Rocky Mountain spotted
fever become entangled in their long
greasy wool and die. This prevents
the spread of the disease. No ticks
mo fever.
We have in the United states
truly American disease So far as
it Is known this is the only disease
which is peculiar to the United
states. It is called Rocky Mountain
spotted fever, and is found in prac-
ticaIly all of the Rocky Mountain
states II is conveyed to man by the
bite of a wood tick which burys IT'S
head beneath the skin of its victim
and thus introduces the virus which
causes tick fever In many Of the
states. such as Colorado and Utah.
the disease is not very fatal. only
about five per cent of the persons
stricken with the diesase losing their
lives.
On the west side of the Bitter Root
valley in Montana the disease IS IN
usually severe and the United States
government. acting through the PUP
lie Health Service. has been endeav-
oring TO discover a way to eradicate
1t.
Passed Assistant Surgeon T. B. Nc
CIintic visited Bitter Root valley IN
the summer of 1911 for the purpose
of studying the disease and determ-
ing if possible a way in which, TO
stamp il out It was found that on
the west side of the valley in the
lands which had not been cleared OF
underbrush that ticks existed in large
numbers The immature or BABY
m
animals, such as ground squirrels,
weasels and chfpmunks, while the
adult ticks were TO be found on cat
tie and horses.
DR.. McCIintic laid out an area
about three miles wide and five
miles long and built a dipping vat
in which he gave all the cattle ana
horses in the neighborhood an anu
septic bath every two weeks He
also killed off as many of the ground
squirrels. chipmunks and weasles as
possible. The following year. Dr.
McCIiptic returned TO continue tho
work, and lost his lifa from the dls-
ease which he was fighting
In 1918. another officer volunteer
ed for this highly dangerous work.
He established his Headquarters at
Victor. Mont. and there began OPP
eratfons against the disease. In
be noticed that whereas there We're
sheep on the east side of the valley
where Rocky Mountain spotted fever
does not exist there were practically
no shep on the west side OF the val
lev where the disease appears every
year. Opening into the west side OF
the valley there is smaller valley
in which are a good many sheep N
this valley tick fever does not exist
nd no n
dered If ii were not possible that the
ticks became entangled in the lonE
wool of the sheep and died before
they could reach the skin of their VIC
tim. In this way it might be possible
that sheep grazing over given piece
of land would free 1T of ticks. he
then drove some through the eadiy
tick infested country and found THAI
they picked up many ticks Just as
! he had supposed. these ticks became
tentangled in the long wool and died
The following year the United
states Public Health Service rented a
band of sheep and pastured them II
that part of the Bitter Root valley
which hitherto had had the most
cases. 1t was found that they col
tIected large numbers of ticks. Tne
sheep were carefully dipped every
! ten DAYS to kill the dicks which they
nicked up- and so SUGGEST ully did
they do the work that not single
case has occurred in that area since
he sheep began their sanitary cam
| paign. More than this, the owners
of the sheep have discovered thar
sheep raising in the Bitter Root val
lev is a profitable industry. and this
wear many more shaep are being pas
| tured there than formerly SO Wen
satisfied is me Public Health Service
with the results that it has extended
! the measures against Rocky Noun
tain spotted fever into the state OF
Idaho