Scabies (Mange) in Cattle

Bulletin No. 107 of this Station, issued by the Department of Veterinary Medicine, contains· a report of the results obtained by this department in a co-operative experiment with the United States Department of Agriculture, in order to determine the relative efficiency of the various constituents of coal-tar dips in the treatment of sheep scab. Subsequently; the experiments were continue in co-operation with the Bio-Chemic Division of the Bureau of Animal Industry, in order to determine the percentage of the different constituents of coal-tar dips which should be present to render them effective in the treatment of scabies in cattle. In order to render the results more intelligible to the present reader it will be necessary to repeat portions of the above mentioned bulletin. In the distillation of bituminous coal there are given off numerous volatile bodies which are condensed into a dark, thick liquid, or semi-liquid substance to which has been given the name of coal-tar. The composition of coal tar is very complex and varies considerably with the temperature at which the distillation of the coal is effected. From among the various products obtained by this distillation we have a large number of so called coal-tar dips; the uses of which have become so familiar. These dips contain a varying percentage of coal-tar oils and cresylic acid (cresols and other phenols) which are rendered capable of being emulsifie9- by the addition of resin or linseed oil soaps.