460 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
beets, potatoes, buckwheat, etc.) which do not harbor the fungus and 
which require much cultivation and exposure of the soil. Drainage and 
the removal of all unnecessary barriers to the free action of sunshine and 
wind are important provisions. 
Other precautions concerning separation from cows in heat — a proper 
construction of stalls, the avoidance of carrion and other offensive odors, 
protection from all kinds of mechanical injuries including overdriving and 
carrying by rail in advanced pregnancy, the exclusion of all irritants or 
strong purgatives and diuretics from food or medicine, and the guarding 
against all causes of indigestion and bloating — have been sufficiently indi- 
cated under "Causes." For protection of the womo and fetus against the 
various causes of disease, available methods are not so evident. For cows 
that have aborted in the last pregnancy, chlorate of potash, 3 drams daily 
before the recurrence of the expected abortion, has been held to be useful. 
eeatmejvt of nox-coxtagious aboetiox. 
Although the first symptoms of abortion have appeared, it does not 
follow that it will go on to completion. So long as the fetus has not 
perished, if the waters have not been discharged, nor the w'aterbags pre- 
sented, attempts should be made to check its progress. Every appre- 
ciable and removable cause should be done away with, the cow should be 
placed in a quiet stall along, and agents given to check the excitement 
of the labor pains. Laudanum in doses of 1 ounce for a small cow or 2 
ounces for a large one should be promptly administered and repeated in 
three or four hours, should the labor pains recur. This may be kept up 
for days or even weeks if necessary, though that is rarely required, as 
the trouble'^either" subsides^or abortion^'occurs. If the laudanum seems 
to lack permanency of action, use bromide of potassium, or, better, extract 
of Viburnum prunifolium (40 grains), at intervals of two or three hours 
until five or six doses have been given. 
PBEVEXTION AND TREATMENT OF COXTAGIOUS AEOETIOX. 
So far as this differs from the treatment of sporadic abortion, it con- 
sists in separation and the free use of germicides or disinfectants. 
(1) Separate all aborting cows in isolated building, yard, and pasture, 
allowing no other cows to have access even to their manure, liquid or 
solid. Not even breeding ewes, goats, sows, rabbits, or mares should be 
allowed to go from the isolated to the non-infected premises. Separate 
attendants and utensils are desirable. 
(2) Scrape and wash the back part of the stall and gutter and w^ater 
it with a solution of 5 ounces sulphate of copper (bluestone) in 1 gallon 
pure water. Repeat this cleaning and watering at least once a week. 
This should in all cases be applied to every stall where an aborting cow 
has stood and to those adjacent. To treat the whole in the same way 
would be even better, as it is impossible to say how many of the cows 
harbor the germ. This is the more needful as that in one to three j'^ears. 
