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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



the adhesions. These organs, when placed on the 

 /rround, were viewed with astonishment for their 

 bulk, and were supposed by those present to weigh 

 at least sixty pounds. Their anterior portions were 

 solid, with tuberculous deposit, quite hard to cut. 

 In other parts a similar condition was observable, 

 but not to so great an extent. They contained no 

 blood, when cut scarcely staining the knife. The 

 pleura costalis was healthy, except the adhesions 

 just mentioned. When completely eviscerated, the 

 abdominal cavity of this large animal seemed capa- 

 cious enough to accommodate a small family. 



I would here state, that by the side of the animal 

 just examined lay an imported Dutch cow, which 

 had died the night previous. She was imported 

 in 1857, and had been sick since last June. On 

 my first visit, October 26th, my attention was called 

 to this cow. She was then standing by the side of 

 another Dutch cow, which was imported in 1S55. 

 The former of these two was with calf by a cele- 

 brated Dutch bull, and the owner was desirous to 

 keep her, if possible, until March next, her time of 

 calving ; but she was another victim to this tuber- 

 culous disease. On examination of this cow, the 

 lungs were found to be a In'oken-down mass of 

 disease, and adhering to the pleura costalis through- 

 out their whole surface. They were almost black 

 in colour, and in the anterior and inferior portion 

 of the right lung there was a large cavity, which 

 had doubtless existed for a very long period, as it 

 contained much offensive, streaky, black-and-green 

 pus. The liver also presented extensive disease. 

 The intestines too were discoloured. This, how- 

 ever, may I think be attributed to the animal's 

 lying for twenty-four hours after death before ex- 

 amination. The one spoken of as standing by her 

 side is still living, and well. 



During my visits to the mammoth cow my at- 

 tention was called to an aged cow, of the Durham 

 breed, which my informant told me was as severely 

 attacked as any he had seen among the herd. On 

 examination she exhibited the same symptoms as 

 those I have before described, viz., the quick, 

 small pulse ; injected mucous surfaces ; quick and 

 laboured respiration ; tight skin ; staring coat ; 

 sunken eye ; constipated bowels ; loss of appetite ; 

 the same sighing and grunting ; the surface of the 

 body and extremities cold ; rumination and appe- 

 tite suspended. 



I had the animal warmly covered, gave a diffusi- 

 ble stimulant, inserted setons in the chest on both 

 sides, and ordered her to be supplied with warm 

 drinks. On the following day I gave a gentle 

 aperient, which was followed by tonics and stimu- 

 lants. In a few days she was convalescent, and is 

 now apparently well. 



I was informed that she had before exhibited 

 slight symptoms of the disease, and had mustard 

 poultices applied to her sides, which were sup- 

 posed to have checked its progress for a time. This 

 cow is the only surviving one of five which were 

 purchased in the State of New York, and had never 

 been housed until brought to this place. 



I will now proceed to give a brief history of the 

 disease from its commencement, together with a 

 description of the stable or cowhouse in which the 

 animals were kept. 



The owner informs me that in the spring of 1859 

 he imported, from the north of Holland, four cows. 

 They were shipped at Rotterdam on the 6th of 

 April, and arrived in Boston on the 23rd of May. 

 Two of these cows were in bad condition at that 

 time, supposed to be from neglect on the voyage. 

 They were transported from this city to the High- 

 land farm in Belmont, seven miles distant, in wag- 

 gons, being unable to walk. One of their number 

 died on the 31st, eight days after its arrival, and a 

 second on the 2nd of June. 



Presuming that the only disease of these animals 

 was prostration, induced by injuries or neglect on 

 shipboard, the symptoms were not noticed, only that 

 they had diarrhoea, and that their evacuations were 

 exceedingly offensive. 



About the middle of June a third animal of this 

 importation was observed to feed but little in the 

 pasture, and to absent herself from the rest of the 

 herd, appearing dull and dejected. These symp- 

 toms were succeeded by a hard, dry cough, ears 

 cold and drooping, grinding of the teeth, short 

 breathing, rapid loss of flesh and strength, and as 

 the disease progressed, the breathing became more 

 laboured, the animal making a sort of grunt at 

 every respiration, and a fetid secretion took place 

 from eyes, mouth, and nostrils. The respiration 

 became more and more difficult, until in the last 

 stage, when she stood with her nose elevated al- 

 most on a line with her back, and her mouth open, 

 and thus she died, on the 29th of June, thirty- 

 seven days after her arrival. 



The next one was an imported cow from Holland 

 in 1852, consequently she was fully acclimated. 

 She dropped a calf on the 2nd of August, about 

 two weeks before her time, was taken sick on the 

 10th, and died on the 20th of the same month. 

 Her calf is still living, and apparently in health, ex- 

 cept that it has disease in the joints of the extremi- 

 ties. Under the influence of the iod. potass, ex- 

 ternally and internally, it is improving. 



During this month (August) an ox and a calf 

 showed slight symptoms of the disease, but not an 

 entire loss of appetite, and they both recovered. 



About September 1st five or six animals were 

 taken in the same manner, and in quick succession 

 several others. During this month and the early 

 part of October there were from five to ten sick all 

 the time, and nearly all these cases proved fatal, 

 twenty-four having died, and only eight, which 

 were very slightly attacked, recovered. The aver- 

 age time an animal lived after the attack was about 

 two weeks. In two or three cases they became 

 tympanitic before death, and in one instance, of 

 a two-year-old heifer^, the animal died in three 

 hours after she was discovered to be ill. Strange 

 as it may appear, no animal of the whole herd has 

 died of this disease except those kept in the cow- 

 house, but the first two which died of the last im- 

 portation, and they were not put there. Suppose a 

 building standing on a hill-side, and commanding 

 one of the most extensive prospects of any farm- 

 barn in the state. You would think it in one of 

 the most healthy locations. The cowhouse is fifty 

 feet square inside ; height from floor to ceiling, 

 eight feet ; with a cellar under the whole, for the 

 purpose of making manure, having numerous 



