434 ON THE HUSK, OR HOOSE IN CATTLE. 



extent in the neighbourhood; that it appeared but httle under- 

 stood, and very difficult to cure ; that having found hme would 

 destroy the worms when taken out, I had in addition to several 

 other remedies caused them to inhale the dust of fresh slaked 

 lime, with (as I considered) a beneficial effect. 



I have this autumn had another attack of the same disease 

 among my cattle. It made its appearance about the same time 

 as last year, but did not prove so fatal in its effects. The 

 symptoms were precisely similar, being cough, with frothy 

 discharge at the mouth, short breathing, weeping of the eyes, 

 hanging of the head and ears, and continual inclination to rub 

 the throat, either on the ground or over a rail or fence. 



About a dozen of my cows and heifers have had it this year ; 

 my weaned calves were slightly affected, but all have recovered. 

 The only remedies I applied this year were lime, by inhalation, 

 and spirits of turpentine diluted and pom'ed into the nostrils 

 every other morning ; but although I have taken considerable 

 pains to ascertain the comparative merits of several remedies, 

 particularly in the previous year, I am unable to speak con- 

 fidently as to the effects of any of them — all I know is, that in 



1834 fourteen died of the disease, and several others were so 

 weakened and stunted from its effects, as to be worth only about 

 half of what they would otherwise have been ; and that in 1835, 

 with similar treatment, all have recovered ; and not only so, but 

 when the disease goes off, those to which no remedy has been 

 applied appear to recover as well as the others. 



It may be worthy of remark, that the season in 1834 and 



1835 were, in this part of the country, similar; both being dry 

 summers, and moist growing autumns. The disease in both 

 years came on about August, and went off in November. At 

 one time I thought it contagious, but from all I have been able 

 to observe myself, and learn from others, I am of opinion that 

 it is epidemic, but not infectious — that the cause is in the state 

 of the atmosphere, as with the cholera* and other epidemic 

 diseases, and probably taken by inhalation. 



Out of the fourteen which died in 1834, two or three which 

 had been as bad as any, but had rather stronger constitutions, 

 remained in a dwindling state for some weeks after the disease 



* Dr. Jenkins, in his treatise on the cholera, remarks, that it rages most in 

 seasons when the progress of vegetation is most rapid. 



