126 



ground, groauing, feeble pulsation of arteries, heart-actien reduced, breatliiug some* 

 .Vv'hat quickened, the mucun coat of the moutli and eyes looks pale and bluish, paunch 

 mostly full of food, but not distended with gas, nose and extrcniities cold. A. poat-viovterii 

 examination shows that muscular and nervous systems are in a normal condition, and 

 that all the organs within the tlioracic and abdominal cavities are healthy, except the 

 liver, the gall-bladder, the duodenum, and the pyloric portion of the abdomasum, 

 ■which shows no signs of congestion or inflammation, but are bloodless and colorless. 

 The serous coating is of a pale-bluish hue ; the nutscular coat of the duodenum a 

 darker hue; the softened mucus coat of a darker violet. The gruel-like contents of 

 the duodennn, from the point where the biliary and pancreatic duets discharge their 

 fluids into it, are of a. pale or greenish-black color, diti'usiug an intensely penetrating 

 foul smell. The coating of the liver is of a pale-tan color, and its substance soft. 

 The gall-bladder is of a dark-pale green. The* mesentery, stomachs, and digestive 

 canal on either side, from the pyloric portion of the abdomasum .and duodenum, are 

 bloodless and pale. The blood is black, insufficient in iibrine. These facts all indicate 

 that the disease consists of a pccttliar disorder of the liver, caused by a diseased state of 

 the blood ; the bile secreted from the same in turn disorders the digestive function and 

 produces an unhealthy gastric, juice. No treatment has been found effective. To a cer- 

 tain degree the disease may be prevented by avoiding all smutty, rusty, nmsty, or over- 

 riiieued corn, and by feeding roots always seasoned witli a little salt, with an abund- 

 ance but not au overplus of pure, clear water. 



In Betlfortlj Tennessee, several deaths are attributed to tlic same 

 cause. 



In Washington, Kansas, disease, attributed to eating smutty stalks, 

 lias been fatal in few cases. 



Our correspondent in Orange County, Florida, refers to the prevalence 

 of salt-sick, attributing it to the deficiency of phosphates in the grass. A 

 similar report comes from Levy County, Florida. Cattle began to look 

 badly in September, after the wet season and high water of August, and 

 nearly one-third have since died. 



" Black-tokgue " has been very fatal in Suwauee, Florida, destroy- 

 ing from one-tenth to one-half of several herds, while otiiers were entirely 

 exempt. ''The throat swells at the root of the tongue, as in horse dis- 

 temper, and ]3revents the animal from eating.'' The same disease has 

 prevailed in Worth County, Georgia, where the loss has been greater 

 than the natural increase. " The symptoms are stiffness in the legs, 

 turniug around and staggering, slavering, tongue black and coated, 

 unable to eat." 



"ELoof-ail"' lias been common in Essex, New Jersey, and several 

 cases are reported in Htmterdon, supposed to have been brought by 

 drove-cattle from Western New York and Pennsylvania. Blue vitriol, 

 tar, and lard, and sometimes salt and water or fish-brine, were applied as 

 remedies. 



The following extracts from correspondence give accounts of several 

 nameless, misnamed, or unknown diseases : 



Aroostook, Maine. — No fatal disease, but all of my horned-cattle suffered, about the 

 lat of March, from a sudden attack of scours, without any apparent cause, aind there 

 have been quite a number of similar cases while the animals were being fed on dry 

 hay. 



I'utrick, Virginia. — A disease is now prevailing here called '"bloody murrain," "dry 

 raurraiu," or " lung disease." Cattle are often affected some time before the discoveiy 

 is made. The symptoms are sluggishness and emaciation, although the appetite is 

 good, accompanied by a flow of Ijlood froui the bowels when a purgative can be nnide 

 to take effect. A post-mortmn examination shows that the food has become hard and 

 dry in the stomach, and the luugs congested. No specific is known, though a drench 

 sometimes gives relief. The disease seeuis to abate in very cold weather. 



James City, Virginia. — Several cows have been singularly affected this winter. Two 

 milch cows with weakness of loins and partial loss of use of hind legs, and one with 

 inflammation of eyes, bordering on blindness. These animals appeared well iu other 

 respects, and had good appetites. They improved on a change of food from corn to 

 rutabagas. 



Luncnhurfjli, Virginia. — Aj;o&^«!or<cHt examination was made upon some cattle lost last 

 summer from a disease called "distemper." It was found that the first stomach was 



