REPORT ON MURRAIN. 151 



would not be so severely felt as the subsequent losses in milk or 

 condition in greater numbers. 



As with all diseases of similar origin and specific charac- 

 teristics, all attempts to reduce its actions to the circumscribed 

 limits of our powers and control should be made. Contagious 

 diseases exert their baneful influences by the subtleness of their 

 attack. The minute form and indefinite characters which per- 

 tain to their virus and tendency to such erratic and eccentric 

 modes of action specially illustrate the great necessity for exertion 

 to battle against them. For this purpose the principles of 

 thorough ventilation should be carried out, with scrupulous 

 cleanliness; the hands should be washed effectively before milk- 

 ing sound cattle after attendance on those diseased ; but what is 

 more desirable, complete separation and distinct attendance. 

 The use of quick lime to the floors with M' Doug-all's disinfecting 

 powder, is a most efficacious remedy, which should be used also 

 in whitewash for the walls. The disinfecting fluid, manufactured 

 by the same individual, or that of Condy, Burnett, Ellerman, 

 &c., are all more or less indispensable to arrest contagion, as 

 applied to buildings, stall posts, &c, when fumigation cannot be 

 applied. Chlorine or sulphurous acid water also are valuable 

 remedies, and readily available for washing the floors, drains, &c. 

 As a fumigation, 1 sulphur may be burned in the closed building, 

 or chlorine gas set free from common salt in the usual way, when 

 all cattle are removed.* 



Remedial or curative treatment consists in allaying febrile 

 symptoms by cooling salines, as sulphate of magnesia or soda — 

 in the firdt instance to produce a laxative effect upon the digestive 

 canal, from half a pound to one pound being required according 

 to age and size. The mouth should be washed with astringent 

 solutions, as alum water,* one or two drams to eight ounces of 

 water, acidulated solutions, 3 chlorine water, &c. 4 Good food, 

 nutritious gruel, hay tea, 5 good beds, dry houses, and great 

 cleanliness, with friction to the skin when it can be borne, and 

 clothing under exacerbations of fever, &c., will be found more or 

 less useful and beneficial. Mild cases will require no other 

 treatment scarcely — in fact many recover without — but in my 

 opinion our attention should be directed to a course of proper 

 treatment, with a view of paralysing the powers of the disease as 

 much as possible. 



In severe cases, however, as typhoid fever rapidly sets in, 

 and almost from the first, depletive measures cannot be sustained 

 beyond the first dose of laxative medicine, which should be 

 compounded with vegetable tonics and aromatics, 6 followed by 

 diffusible stimulants, 7 particularly when the temperature of the 



* Directions for the special application of these measures will be found at 

 the end of this report. 



