Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1915-05-08
SHEEP ENLISTED
TO CATCH TICKS
United States Public riealtn Service
Says They Are Sanitary
Agents


Besides utilizing sheep as source
Of food and clothing, the careful
studies Of the United States Public
Health Service have demonstrated
their value as sanitary agents. Ticks
which carry Rcky Mountain spotted
fever become entangled in their long
greasy wool and die. This prevents
the spread Of the disease No ticks
no fever.
We have in the United States a
truly American disease. So far as
1t is known this isthe only disease
which is peculiar to the United Stat
es. 1t is called Rocky Mountain
spotted fever, and is found in prac-
tically all Of the Rocky Mountain
States. 1t is conveyed to man by
the bite Of a wood tick which burys
its head beneath the skin Of it's vic
, tim 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 per cent Of the persons
stricken with the disease losing their
lives.
On the west side of the Bitter Root
'oiiCS Ill Tie disease is I'M
usually severe and the United States
Government, acting through the Pub.
lie Health Service, has been endeav-
orlng to discover a way to eradicate
it,
Passed Assistant Surgeon II. J. Nc
Clintic visited the Bitter Root Val
ley in the summer of 1911 for the
purpose Of studying the disease and
determining if possible a way in
which to stamp it out. 1t was found
that on the west side of the valley
Il the lands which had not been clear
nd OF underbrush that ticks exist
=" large numbers. The immature
49, t''7o were f0und atta or~'
80! . Ni~,n'~ ~1o| &c ~.,-...,'
IS weasels and chpmurks. WI.
- adult ticks were to be found O,
lie 9"1 horses.
DR.. McClintic laid out an area
about three miles wide and five
miles long and built a dipping val
IL which he gave all the cattle and
horses in the neighborhood an anti
septic abth every two weeks. He
also killed off as many of the ground
SQUIRRELS, chipmunks and weasles as
possible. The following year, DR..
McClintic returned to continue the
| work, and lost his life from the dis
ease which he was fighting.
In 1913, another officer volunteered
for this highly dangerous work. He
established his headquarters at Vic
| tor, Montana. and there began op-
! eratlons against the disease. In
| studying the two sides CT the valley
he noticed that whereas there were
| many sheep on the east side Of the
valley where Rocky Mountain spot
ted fever does not exist, there were
practically no sheep on the west side
Of the valley where thed isease ap-
pears every year. Opening into the
west side Of the valley there is a
smaller valley in which are a good
| many sheep. In this valley tick few
er does not exist. This set him to
| thinking and he wondered if it were
not possible that the ticks became
entangled in the long wool Of the
! sheep and died before they could
reach the skin Of their victim. In
this way it might be possible that
| sheep grazing over a given piece of
land would free it Of ticks. He secur.
ed some sheep and picked all of the
ticks off of them. He then drove
them through badly tick infested
country and found that they picked
w many ticks. Just as he had sup.
posed, these ticks became entangled
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 Val
ley which hitherto had had the most
cases. 1t was found that they collect
ed to kill the ticks which they pick.
ed up, and 80 successfully did they
dc the work that not a single case
has occurred in that area since the
sheep began their sanitary campaign
More than this, the owners of the
sheep have discovered that sheep rails
ing in the Bitter Root Valley Is a
profitable industry, and this year
many more sheep are being pastured
there than formerly. SO we'll salts
| fed is the Public Health Service with
these results that it has extended
! the measures apainst Rocku Mour