TICK INFESTATION IN COASTAL TRACT OF NORTH CANARA   319

When considering these figures it may be borne in mind that not a single
animal is exported from these tracts, and not more than 100 cattle are used for
food, while about 3,000 cattle or more annually imported. In the face of these
figures it will be meet and right to say that the tick infestation is the main cause
for this state of cattle population.

                                REMEDIES AGAINST TICKS.
Cattle owners in these tracts take resort to a number of native remedies, the
more important of which are as follows :-—

1. Undi oil.

2. Undi oil (Calophillum inophillum) and salt.

3. Decoction of surgi bark.
4. Decoction of betelnut leaf.

5. Decoction of tobacco.

6. Exposing infested animals to dewfall.

7. Satisfying devils and serpent god or witchcraft.

All the above excepting the last one have been thoroughly tried by the writer
and found of little use. A certain amount of beneficial result, although very
transient in character, follows the application of these remedies and thus the
people, absolutely ignorant of the bionomics of ticks, have considerable faith in
the efficacy of these empirical methods of treatment. A bitter viscid oil or one of
the decoctions mentioned above blocks the stigmata of the ticks and the
application of these drugs causes them to drop off their host but only eventually to
find some other host. When the larvæ or nymphæ of intermittent feeders drop
down naturally after engorgement for undergoing metamorphosis, the phenomenon
is ascribed by the stock-owner to the remedies used or to the witchcraft
practised.

Of the very large number of native remedies experimented upon by the writer,
the following has been found by him very efficacious when applied two or three
times:—

Undi oil (Calophillum inophillum) or Karanja oil ( Pangamia

glabra)..........5 parts.

Kerosene oil.........1 part.

Sublimed sulphur........¼ part.

Kymac sheep dip, a proprietary preparation, which was made available by the
Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, Bombay Presidency, was given a