Lung Worm.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 18 October 1890, Page 2

Lung Worm.

The prevalence of lungworm in the Wairarapa having considerably affected the sheep in that district, the G vernmeut recently instructed Mr McOleau's M.R.C.V.-S., to report upon it. Mr Me lea-is report is : — That until pastoralisisacquciiutthotnI selves mure closely with the life and I history of the lung- worm and recogi nis » that year by year the pest will •increase its ravages, a cording to I the ocality and the suitableness of i the seasons, but little benefit can accrue from any recommendation he may make. Dealing with remedies, the report proceeds as follows : — " There is no doubt that where lungworm is prevalent the bnst remedy of all is to plough up and crop t lie i'ifuctod nrea for one or two seasons The substitution of cattle for sheep for ;» season wil ! also go a very long way towards cleaning a a country, as the limg.vorm of sheep does not affect cattle, and vico versa. Then, again, there is the Australian method of shutting up the infected aro ; tor some months, and then firing the growth that has taken place. Wlutg owners cannot or will not adopt any of the above me ; hods, it only remains for them to take all care that their lambs are in good condition before and at the time of weaning, and thus lvndpr their systems le-s liab'o to Call an eisy pivy to the disease. This, I iife.l harllv say, can cnlv he attained by good f.^ed and pure water in liberal quantity, an 1 general good management. h\ the cuuntry I have been c-auiiuing I cannot t o strongly recommend the al owance of a free supply of salt from the middle of summer right through the autumn. For this purpose I would prefer to use inferior common salt, commonly known as Liverpool salt, p aced in troughs abmt the paddocks. Rock salt, though infinitely bettor than no salt at all, is too liable to injure the teeth of lambs and thus render them unfit for turnips later on in the season. Another advantage Liverpool salt possesses is that any other medicament may be incorporated with it and for this purpose I know of! nothing bet er than the following nurture: — ivei poo salt 100 parts, chlorate of potash 10 pans, sulphato ot iron 5 pirs. lambs provided with this mixture will render themselves worm-proof. I am often a-^ked if drenching lambs is any j good, and am forced to reply in the ' negative, for lam of opinion that

unless in the hands of a competent and careful ma -I much unnecessary i>a'n and seiious damage is 'oo ften inflct'd'n aniivial-, mostly in a delicate st-ite of hea th by the injudicious mixing and ad inistraiion of the various drugs u^-d. If on owner is of opi iion that he ought to drench his am 1 s, let it be done two or three tim. s early in the year, and advised y, w tli tnrpeni ie and mlk th roughly incorporated. It is wn'sc tb,m useless to wait till such 'iino .-is tlu* hovgeia are coughing; lli<j object of divijching should be to cause the expulsion of the worm before it has gained an entry into the iungs or blood stream. The Limbs should carefully handlod, the mouth gently opened by an assistant, and the medicine slowly allowed to fall into the mouth in order that the auimal may have time to swallow it, and not, as one two often sees the month roughly torn open by one man while another aa roughly squirts the medicine out of a syringe, the bulk of it not outer - ing the gullet as intended, but passiug direct into the larynx, setting up a violent fit of coughing, and in the end causing severe bronchial disturbance. In conclusion Mr McClean expresses an opinion that if owners attend to these directions it may be confidently expected that lungworm will be* reduced to a minimum.