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

Besides utilizing sheep as source
OF food and clothing. the careful
studies of the United States Public
Health Service have demonstrated
which carry Rocky Mountain spotted
fever become entangied in their long
greasy wool and die. This prevents
TIE spread OF the disease. no ticks
no fever
We have in the United States a
truly American disease. So far as
it IS known bis is the only disease
xhich is peculiar TO the United
states Il : called Rocky Mountain
tfcally all of the ROCKY Mountain
states. It is conveyed 20 man by the
bite OF wood tick WHICH burys It's
head beneath the SKIN OF lis victim
and thus introduces the virus which
causes tick fever IN man: of the
states. such as Colorado and Jtah.
the disease is DOT very fatal only
about five per cent of sae persons
stricken with the disease losing their
lives.
on the west side os the Bitter Roo
valley in Montana the disease is un-
usually severe and the United states
government. acting through the Pub
lie Health Service. has been endeav-
orins to discover a way TO eradicate
It.
Passed Assistant surgeon T. B. Nc
Clinic visited Bitter Root valley IN
the summer OF 1911 for the purpose
OF studying the disease and deteFm.
ing If possible a way in which 10
stamp IL out. It was found that on
the west side of the valley in the
lands which had not been cleared o.
underbrush that ticks existed in large
mum bers The immature or BABY
ticks were found attached 20 small
animals, such as ground squirrels,
weasels and chIpmunks- while the
adult ticks were to be found on cat
tie and horses.
DR.. McClintic laid out an area
about three miles wide and five
miles long and built q dipping vat
in which he gave all the cattle ana
horses in the neigh borh God an anti
septic bath every two weeks. He
also killed off as many OF the ground
squirrels. chipmuEks and weasies as
possible. The following year, Dr.
McCIiptic returned TO continue tho
work, and lost his life from the dis
ease which he was fighting
In 1913. another officer volunteer
ed for this highly dangerous work
He established his headquarters at
Victor. Mont. and there began op-
erations against me disease IN
studying the two sides of the valley.
he noticed that whereas there were
sheep on the east side of the valley
where Rocky Mountain spotted fever
does not exist. there We're practicaiiy
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 q smaller valley
in which are a good many sheep. IN
fhis valley tick fever does not exist
This set him to thinking and he Won
dered If 1t were not possible that the
ticks became eutangI in the ionS'
wool OF the sheep and died before
they could reach the skin of their VIC
tim. IN this way il might be possio
that sheen grazing over a given piece
of land would free it of ticks He
then drove some through the badly
tick infested country and found thai
they picked up many ticks. Just as
he had supposed. these ticks became
eptans led In the long wool and died
The following year the United
States Public Health Service rented
band of sheep and pastured them IN
that part of the Bitter Root Nalis!.
which hitherto had had the mosi
cases. II was found that they col
lected large numbers Of ticks. Tn1
sheep were carefully dipped every
ten DAYS to Kill the ficks which they
picked up. and so successfully did
they do the work that not a single
Gaze has occurred in that area since
The sheep began their sanitary cam-
paign. More than this. the owners
OF the sheep have discovered thai
sheep raising in the Bitter Root val
lev is a profitable industry. and this
year many more sheep are being pas
tured there than formerly So Well
satisfied is me Public Health Service
with the results that It has extended
me measures against Rocky Noun.
tain spotted fever into the state OF
Idaho.
DoGs POISONED.