THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



395 



inoruiug she was still lyiug, ber pulse quite feeble, and other 

 appearances of languor. On being supplied with a wine-glass 

 full of brandy in some warm gruel, she raised herself on her 

 feet, and recovered. 



Pleuro-pneitmonia. — During the year 1856 pleuro-pneu- 

 mOnia prevailed to some extent in the neighbourhood, more 

 especially amongst the dairy cows about Leeds. Its first 

 appearance in my immediate vicinity was in the herd of my 

 next neighbour, who lost several, and sent others off imme- 

 diately for slaughter — in all 16 to 18. Towards the close of 

 July, and during the hot weather of August, my own herd of 

 cattle, more especially my milk cows, were also attacked. I 

 sent some few off which were in a forward state of fatness ; 

 the return for these being small in proportion to their value 

 for milking, together with the unpleasant idea of sending otl 

 animals at all ailing for slaughter, influenced me to use every 

 means for their restoration, and to give their treatment my 

 best attention. At first my treatment underwent various mo- 

 difications, and I lost two cows. Without describing the 

 change, I proceed to supply particulars of the treatment I 

 afterwards adopted, and which I have since continued with 

 little alteration. 



My feeders are strictly enjoined without loss of time to 

 report to me any appearance of ailment, a practice I strenu- 

 ously recommend to any one who concerns himself about the 

 treatment of his cattle when sick, more particularly as regards 

 the disease of which I am speaking, the chance of success in 

 which depends essentially on early application. 



The first appearance which arrests the feeder's attention is 

 loss or partial loss of appetite. If on examination I detect any 

 of the symptoms which characterize pleuro, viz., cough, quick- 

 ness or deepness of respiration, loss of cud, and acceleration of 

 pulse, intermittent warmth and chillness of horns and feet, I 

 proceed at once to bleed till the pulse is sensibly affected : 

 this requires usually 5 or 6 quarts to be taken. I then give- 

 Epsom salts .. .. 8 oz. 



Sweet spirits of nitre , . 1 oz. 



Tartar emetic . . •• i drachm. 



Digitalis., .. ,. ^drachm. 



Flour of sulphur . . 4 to 6 oz. 



Trescle 16 oz. 



Cocoa olein .. ., 6 oz. 



These ingredients are mixed and given ia plenty of warm 

 gruel, for which I use my pig food, boiled Indian-meal with 

 one-fourth proportion of pea-meal. On a renewal of the diffi- 

 culty of breathing or acceleration of pulse, I repeat the bleed- 

 ing to a less degree, say 3 quarts, and give likewise the tartar 

 emetic and digitalis in the gruel. 



I continue to give, morning and evening, ia gruel — 



Sweet spirits of nitre. . ^ oz, to 1 oz. 



Flour of sulphur . . 4 oz. 



Treacle or sugar , , 8 oz. 



Cocoa olein , . . , 4 to 6 oz. 



At noon I give gruel, with addition of a little sugar only. The 

 doses of treacle and sulphur are modified so as to keep the 

 bowels moderately open. It will be observed that I give 

 Epsom salts as the first dose, on account of their quick action, 

 but afterwards I prefer treacle with sulphur. The patient re- 

 quires watching with the greatest care. The sick room ought 

 to be well ventilated at the top, but kept warm day and night ; 

 B depression of temperature or a draught has been observed to 

 disturb the breathing. When the feverish symptoms have 

 abated 1 give oatmeal instead of Indian-meal in the grue). I 

 continue the cocoa olein in the gruel throughout, with doses 

 of ^ oz, to 1 oz. sweet nitre, and 3 to 4 oz. of flour of sulphur. 

 In several cases, when the puUe has become feeble, and 

 below 60 beats per minute, accompanied by weakness and 



languor, I have given a wine-glass full of brandy in the moru" 

 ing's and evening's gruel with apparent advantage. The at- 

 tendant is instructed to offer the animal change of food — 

 brewer's grains, bran-mash, a little hay, grass, green rape 

 plant, or other palatable material. It is encouraging to find 

 the animal begin to eat and make its selection of food. 



Smce I used the precise treatment I have described, upwards 

 of twenty in succession have recovered. In this number I 

 include those belonging to my neighbours who have used the 

 same means under my advice and direction. 



The time the cattle have been unwell has ordinarily varied 

 from 14 to 21 days; some have exceeded this. The healthy 

 action of the skin is stimulated ; the animals continue to lick 

 themselves with little intermission throughout; they likewise 

 retain or otherwise resume their cud, under conditions I should 

 not have expected ; frequently when supplied only with the 

 gruel and its ingredients, with not more than a pound or two 

 of hay per day, I have observed them cudding. 



They have lost in live weight \\ cwt. to IJ cwt. A consi- 

 derable portion of this will doubtless be in bulk from the use 

 of the purgative medicines. The milk cows, whilst suffering, 

 have reduced their yield of milk from 2 to 4 quarts per day ; 

 but on recovery have almost wholly regained their former 

 quantity. In no instance have I found a greater diminution 

 than what might have been expected from the loss of condition 

 and of time. 



The cocoa olein is prepared in Messrs. Price and Co.'s 

 candle manufactory expressly for cattle, being lower in price 

 than what is used by medical practitioners. 



In a conversation with Mr. Garnett, of Ciitheroe, I learnt 

 that some time ago he purchased eight or ten polled Galloways 

 from a lot of 50 which were exposed in a market for sale. 

 Nine weeks after this they became affected with pleuro-neu- 

 monia, from which he lost the greater part of them. He 

 afterwards learnt from the dealer from whom he bought them 

 that the remainder of the herd of 50, which were sold to six 

 or eight parties who resided at a distance from each other, 

 were also affected with the disease in the same week and with 

 the like result. 



From this, to which numerous instances similar in cha- 

 racter may be added, we may infer that the origin of the 

 disease is somewhat remote. The 50 Galloways, being 

 nearly the same age, would have been purchased from va- 

 rious breeders, and sent together from Galloway to Ciithe- 

 roe, a distance of J 50 miles. It seems not improbable 

 that, from exposure to a sudden change of temperature, to 

 which they were subjected after they had been collected 

 together by the dealer, the process of respiration has been 

 impeded, by which some impurity of the blood is engen- 

 dered, which slowly and imperceptibly increases, until the 

 symptoms I have described attract attention. 



Cattle from Ireland are more subject to this complaint 

 than others. They are brought on board vessels, crowded 

 together in the hulls or on the decks ; and, on reaching 

 land, travel usually on foot considerable distances to mar- 

 kets, for sale. 



My milch cows are housed during winter in stalls of 

 more than ordinary warmth ; and are turned out to grass 

 in the month of May, which, in the season 18oG, was un- 

 usually wet and changeable. The pleuro has prevailed 

 among them since Jul}', At the commencement of this 

 illness, the feeder states that, up to the meal before the 

 cow has eaten up her food, given her usual yield of milk, 

 and shown every symptom of health. Thus, though the 

 disease has hitherto been imperceptible, and of slow pro- 

 gress, it arrives at a stage to cause a sudden irteriuption 



