VETERINARY PROBLEMS. 35 



Mr. Hills of Plaistow, N. H. If I may be allowed, I 

 would like to inquire of the doctor whether there are any 

 simple remedies that may be used in cases of puerperal 

 fever, as we term it, which occurs very often among cows, 

 where they are well kept and in high condition. 



Dr. Salmon. There are no very simple remedies for this 

 disease ; and, in fact, if it occurs in a bad form, it is usually 

 fatal, in spite of remedies. The simplest way is to keep the 

 cows in a low condition at the time of calving. The disease 

 is not confined to cows that are well kept ; in fact, it occurs 

 often where cows are in poor condition. In such cases, the 

 best treatment has been the application of irritating agents 

 along the spine, cold applications to the head, and a dose of 

 purgative medicine. I believe, also, the most successful 

 practitioners give stimulants, such as carbonate of ammonia, 

 perhaps, and nux-vomica. 



Mr. Everett. I would like to inquire in relation to a 

 disease prevalent, when I was young, in Worcester County, 

 which was called " bloody murrain." A great many cattle 

 were lost by this disease. They would be taken, perhaps, 

 in one leg, with very rapid and great swelling, infused with 

 bloody matter, and would usually die in two or three days. 

 There were a great many died in the town of Princeton, 

 where I reside, and some of the adjacent towns. For the 

 last thirty years I have not seen anything of it in my own 

 herds, or among those of the farmers surrounding me. 

 Whether it is prevalent in other sections at the present 

 time, I do not know. I would like to inquire of the doctor 

 whether he knows about that disease. 



Dr. Salmon. This disease is what we call " black water.'* 

 It used to be considered as a form of anthrax, but within the 

 last few years it has been discovered that it is an entirely 

 ■different disease. It is very widely distributed over the 

 country ; in fact, over the world. It is one of those dis- 

 eases of which the germs have been recently discovered, and 

 from which we are endeavoring to obtain a vaccine. I do 

 not know whether our efforts will be successful or not, but 

 it is not improbable that in the future we shall be enabled to 

 obtain a vaccine from the germs of this disease, which we 

 can use in inoculating, and thus prevent it. At present 



