188 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



cows also, were treated in a proper manner, if they had proper 

 diet and proper exercise, and the other attentions that they 

 require, parturition would not be such a difficult matter ; we 

 should have fewer diseases of women, fewer diseases of cows, 

 better calves, and better children. 



Now, as to garget, it has got to be a very common complaint, 

 and I am not entirely certain that it is not contagious. I am 

 not entirely certain but that, like the epizootic aphtha, or foot 

 and mouth disease, it may run through a herd sometimes, and 

 of course it would attack the cows, which are more naturally 

 exposed to it. We very often find that it comes in a peculiar 

 manner to our cows, sometimes running through the herd. A 

 few years ago I had a herd of good healthy cows, not subject 

 at all to disease, but I was unfortunate enough to buy an ani- 

 mal that I knew nothing about, and I found that she was full 

 of garget ; her bag was as hard, almost, as a paving stone. I 

 paid a pretty high price for the cow, but all the advantage I 

 derived from her was what I got in the way of the exercise 

 she gave my man in rubbing her bag for a year. But from 

 that cow, the garget extended all through my stables. I stud- 

 ied up the books pretty thoroughly, and I resorted to a cow 

 doctor, and after hearing what he had to say, and what remedies 

 he thought I wanted to use, I came to the conclusion I had 

 better leave him alone. Then I applied the rubbing system, 

 which has been mentioned by my friend from Barre (Mr. Ells- 

 worth), and I have never had any trouble, with proper attention, 

 in reducing the inflammation. I know there are cases where 

 it has been neglected, where medical remedies have to be 

 applied. There are remedies in the books, which are compli- 

 cated, and require a good deal of skill in administering them, 

 but they must sometimes be resorted to. As a general thing, 

 however, I think we shall do better by rubbing them with warm 

 water and milk ; I use that a good deal ; but after all, it is the 

 hand working that does the business. There is a doctor in 

 New York who has effected some wonderful cures in this way. 

 It is a pretty well established fact, that he has restored the eye- 

 sight and hearing of people by hand rubbing. There is no doubt 

 that the great virtue of this method is in the constant irritation 

 of the skin, and in the exercise that the muscles get in this 

 way, bringing them round into a sound condition. 



