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Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 45, 22 February 1901, Page 3

Medicinal Treatment for the Stomach Worm. —Mr Hopkins, of the Wisconsin Experiment Station, writing on this subject, says: —As the lambs of the Experiment Station were not exempt from the stomach worm scourge, we were forced to take active measures to overcome the ravages of that parasite in the station flock. As we had an experiment under way, which called for frequent weighings of the lambs, we were able to determine to a certain extent the efficacy of the remedies tried. Benzine and creolin (Merch-Pearson) were used on equal numbers of lambs. The benzine was administered in 2dr. doses, fa-sting for three successive mornings, ihe creolin in Idr. doses, fasting also on successive morning's; on the fourth morning a light dose of raw linseed oil (30z.) was given to each lamb. The two drugs mentioned were each diluted with 3oz. of new milk, the mixture being administered as a drench by the etation shepherd. Extreme care is needed in the drenching process, and for novices the rubber tubing and funnel is to be recommended as means of administering the medicine. Postmortems were held and confirmed the diagnosis, although the following symptoms were quite conclusive of the parasite's presence, viz.:—Eapid loss of flesh and weight, loss of appetite, fever, dulness, craving for dirt, coughIng, frequent passing of urine, which was clear and profuse; intense thirst. Diarrhoea was not noticed in the (station flock, although numbers of our correspondents report scouring in their flocks. One of the first symptoms observed by the shepherd was a lagging behind the flock. Previous to using the two remedies, we had used ■worm powder with seemingly little effect. A correspondent reported using 1001b. of worm powders, while his flock continued to die, losing in the entirety 180 out of 400 lambs. In Ihe course of ten days after the administration of the benzine and creolin, the lambs were weighed, and gains of from ?Ib. to 51b. each were shown (the last weighing was two weeks previously, ond it had shown losses in weight or a standing still in the flock). The second weighing, about thrca find a-half weeks ofter the administration of the medicines, showed continued and increased gains. The medicines seemed to be equally efficacious, the benzine, however, being more readily taken, the creolin odour being very distasteful to the lambs.