Then the yellow moisture, evaporating, gives place to a yellow scab, which adheres firmly to the skin and wool. Raw places appear at points which the animal can reach with his teeth and hind feet. The disease is complicated in sum mer by the presence of the larvm of the blow-fly, the maggots burrowing under the scab. The animal becomes nervous, excited to wildness, and can not obtain properly either food or rest, thus losing flesh and becoming reduced to a skeleton, from constant irritation and lack of nutrition, only the strongest animals recovering if left without treatrnent. Destruction of the parasite and its eggs is the only object of reme dial treatment. Arsenic and mercury are often employed very effectually, but they are poison ous, and therefore injurious and dangerous to the sheep. These and other solutions are used both as washes and dips. Sudden changes of weather and locality, or a deficiency of food after such treatment, often induce serious or fatal results which can not be guarded against. Whole flocks have thus been lost. Mercurial ointment, with olive oil and a little turpentine, is popular in England, nevertheless, and is regarded as improving the yield of wool. Experi ment proves that the acarus will live in arsenic and sulphur for some hours ; potash is more fatal, and tobacco is more deadly still, killing in a few minutes. But carbolic acid is probably the most potent remedy used. When combined with one hundred times its bulk of wa.ter, it has killed acari in two minutes ; when used with fifty' times its bulk of water, a degree of potency harmless as a dip, it kills in forty to ninety seconds. Prof. Brown thus describes the manufacture of the carbolic acid dip, which, it is claimed, has never failed when properly used : First, it is necessary that carbolic acid should be obtained of uniform strength, and experience has proved that the crystalline product is less efficacious in the destruction of parasites than the liquid residue, which is sold under the name of terebane, or cresylic acid, which can always be obtained of the rnanufacturers. The liquid is, when fresh, of a very light straw color, becoming dark brown on exposure to the atmosphere. The pure carbolic acid was employed in many experiments, at first with only partial success, but even had it proved to be superior to the liquid terebane, the price would have been a serious objection ; terebane, however, is very much cheaper, and in every experiment was found to be more active as a remedial agent than the pure carbolic acid, while its fluid condition at all temperatures renders it more easy of manipulation. To effect perfect combination between the terebane and the water used for dilution care is essential, as imperfect mixtures are capable of doing injury, and may cause the death of some of the sheep, particularly of those which are first introduced into the bath. The reason of this is obvious. An incomplete mixture allows the separation of the terebane, which floats on the surface of the fluid in the form of a brownish, oily, or rather tarry scum; the first few animals which are dipped become covered with the undiluted acid, which acts at once and energetically as a caustic, causing pros tration and death, unless immediately on observ ing the symptoms of distress means are taken to.
wash off the agent with warm water and soap ; this. treatment is not, however, at all times succe,ssful. An accident of the kind never ought to occur and,. in fact, never can occur if the dip is properly pre pared and used. It is not probable that the aver age farmer will attempt to make the compound; the following directions, therefore, may be taken as meant for the instruction of the practical chem ist or the veterinary surgeon who has charge of' the diseased flock. A quantity of terebane, pro- portioned to the number of sheep to be dipped, is. to be placed in a convenient vessel of iron or earthenware, and, if possible, the vessel should be suspended in a larger one containing water, and so arranged that heat can be applied. In all chemical laboratories a water-bath will be avail able; but for the purpose of making small quan tities of the dip, an iron bucket suspended in an_ ordinary copper filled with water, which may be kept hot, but not up to the boiling point, will answer perfectly well. As soon as the terebane is placed in the temporary water-bath, a certain proportion of soap, one bar weighing over two. pounds to each gallon of terebane, is to be added. The rnixture should be stirred with a wooden. rod until the soap is entirely dissolved, care being taken that the fluid does not boil. When the solution is complete the compound should be. removed from the fire, and as soon as it ceases to give off vapor, oil of turpentine is to be added in the proportion of one pint to each gallon of. terebane. The rnixture, when cold, may be poured into carboys or casks ready for use. While the above remedies may be entirely effica cious, and are to be recommended as the best, it rnay not be amiss to give a few which have been. popular heretofore: An infusion of arsenic, half. a pound of the mineral to twelve gallons of water. The sheep should be washed in soap- suds and then dipped in the infusion. This. treatment is preferred by Mr. Spooner. Mer curial ointment, incorporated thoroughly with, four times its weight of lard, rubbed upon the head and upon the skin (the wool being carefully parted) in parallel lines from head to tail, four inches apart. The mixture applied should not exceed two ounces, and a half an ounce may bc enough for a lamb. A light second applica tion is sometimes necessary. It is preferred by Youatt. One pound of sulphur gradually mixed. with half a pound of oil of tar, the mixture rubbed down with two pounds of lard, may be applied in the same way. Mr. Randall would prefer this, because not poisonous, if sure to be effectual. Another mixture contains a halt pound of corrosive sublimate, three-fourths pound of white hellebore. six gallons whale oil, two pounds rosin, and two of tallow. This is powerful, and should be sparingly applied. Tobacco decoctions are much u,,ed in this country and quite effectually, if thoroughly applied after the wool is taken off.