€o On the Bifea/es to which young Calves are expofed» Feb. 



fome kind of refemblance to firings pafTing through the internal 

 parts, from which probabl'/ the difeafe has its name. Every 

 ijmptom indicates a confiderable degree of plethora, if not a very 

 high de^^ree of inflammation. 



I have commonly obferved that calves are moil liable to be af- 

 fected during the lirft days or weeks after they are calved. If 

 they outlive Hve or fix. weeks, they are feldom in any danger. 



Calves that fuck their mothers, I believe it will be found, are 

 not fo liable to the difeafe as thofe who are fed by the hand. 



The greateft number of calves who fall a facriiice to this dif- 

 eafe, if not the whole of them, are thofe w^ho are clofe confined 

 to the houfe from their birth, without ever being expofed to the 

 free open air without doors. It is a well known fa6l, that calves 

 who are dropt without, and remain in the fields, are in little or no 

 danger. Cows that are laid on to grazj for beef frequently turn 

 out to be in calf; and it is no uncommon thing to fee them 

 drop their calves in the middle of froil and faow, and yet thefe 

 young creatures, if they can only once get to their feet, without being 

 frozen to the ground, are hearty and well. Calves, lambs, and 

 foals, require exercife and frelh air, and nature direfts them to 

 fake a great deal. It is ailoniiliing to fee with what -force and 

 vigour (particularly the calf \ and how long, they will run. I 

 have often beheld them with admiration, while I was in pain for fear 

 of fome pending mifchief. But this free, unconftrained, and fevere 

 exercife without doors feems to be the very thing that makes them 

 thrive, and to be necelfary to their very exiftence. 



Such are fome of the facts relating to this diforder which have 

 come under my obfervation, and, if they apply generally, they 

 would feem to lead us not only to its caufe, but to its prevention. 



The diforder feems to proceed from plethora terminating in 

 fomething of an inflammatory nature, and to be increafed, if not 

 occafioned by confinement, and want of full and free exercife in the 

 open air. Wliatever plan, then, is adopted which tends to counter- 

 aft and diminifh fuch plethora, and to contribute to fuch exer- 

 cife, will operate as a preventative to the diforder. And, with 

 this view, would it not be prudent to turn out calves as foon as 

 pofTible after they are calved, and let them run about a few 

 hours every day ? But as either the wxather, or fome other cir- 

 cumftances, may not permit this in every cafe to be done, might 

 it not be adopted as a fubflitute, to take a little blood from them 

 every week for a Ihort period of time ? I only throw out thefe 

 hints for better information, and will be very glad to fee the fubjeft 

 followed up, through the channel of your magazine, by fome perfon 

 of more judgment and experience than I can pretend to. I am, 

 &:c. ' W. D, 



JJOT^ 



