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Show SHEEP USED TO TRAP SPOTTED FEVER TICKS Washington, D. C, Aug. 18. The free grazing of 2,500 head of sheep upon ths llltterroot nat onal forest, lr tho state of Montana, has been au thorlzed by the secretary of agrl u ture us part of a novel exponiuti In trapping tho de&tdly spotted fovoi tick. Tho forost servlco nnd t public health servlco ore working t gether in co-operation with ion sheep growers In this now cuinpu An It Is tho general bollof of the leading lead-ing medical authorities that tho mys terlous and frequently fatal disease commonly Known as spotted fever i spread by tho tick Dcrmacnntor and ersonl which, In purts of tho Hitter root forest, occurs In such abundanc that It consltutcs a real menner man and beast Surgeon McOllntle c tho public health service dlod las year of spotted fevor contracted d tug1 his study ot tho disease and ' control. Tho plan proposed contemplates th grnlzlng of two bands of sbeop upo tho ports of tho forest whero t tick Is most abundnnt, with tho dei that largo numbers of the ticks wlh attJich themselves to the sheep, fh -ns o""nsl' " rerii'ro thp stieen " bo freed of the tick hv bins dmno-i 'r i in t'ede solution uhch -vl!' kill tho ticks without In any way Injuring the sheep. The engorging of thj female t ck with blood Is one of the essential fun ctions of reproduction, nnd this gorging gorg-ing must of neceslty take place upor tho larger mamals which serve a' hosts to tho tick. The U. S. biological biologi-cal survey has reached the conclusto thnt the great bulk of tho fever which become filled with. blooi""gr t their supply while attached to domes tic stock, and that if the domestic ar mefs aro freed of ticks by dipping, r spraying, or by some other effective method of treatment, tho chances the Infection ot human beings will be vastly reduced. Of tho different don' cstlo animals the sheep Is tho mos readily handled and tho easiest t dip or treat, hence the selection i sheep for use In the experiment. |