134 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



carefully studied, and the real nature of the disease ascertained before resorting to any 

 remedy. The common diseases of cattle that are most to be dreaded are perhaps garget, 

 puerperal or milk fever, and idiopathic or common fever. 



Fortunately for the present age and the races of cattle generally, the number of ignorant 

 quacks who resort to bleeding, boring into the horns, cutting off or splitting of the tail, and 

 other equally barbarous practices, is much smaller than formerly, and is gradually being 

 reduced, while those who resort to a common sense and humane method of treatment, are 

 taking their places. 



The &quot;heroic treatment,&quot; however, still prevails quite too extensively with herdsmen, as 

 well as those having the care of other domestic animals, and is quite as likely to kill as it is 

 to cure. 



Prescriptions for such supposed and ridiculous maladies as &quot;tail ail,&quot; &quot;hollow tail,&quot; 

 &quot;horn ail,&quot; and &quot;wolf in the tail,&quot; will not be found in this work; for the treatment of 

 imaginary evils with torturing remedies is not only needless, but as absurd as it is cruel, and 

 is the result of ignorance and superstition. The remedies that have been recommended for 

 these supposed diseases are often as ridiculous as they are strong and pungent in their 

 nature ; for instance, the former popular remedy for the above supposed diseases of the tail, 

 as is well known, was first to split the end of the tail five or six inches, and supplement this 

 by putting on a quantity of red pepper and salt, after which the tail was wrapped in a cloth 

 and tied up. In the same connection with the former, a pint of spirits of turpentine was 

 frequently rubbed into the skin on the back of the animal from head to tail. If the poor 

 beast lived through these tortures, the sage doctor considered it a remarkable cure, and an 

 additional proof of his wisdom and skill! If the tail is soft and full at the end, it is owing 

 to an effusion, the result of a disordered condition of the animal system, instead of a disease 

 of the tail. 



With regard to &quot;hollow horn,&quot; we would say that the horns of all cattle after three 

 years of age, are hollow at or near where they are attached to the head; the hollow increas 

 ing with the age of the animal; the only exception being with bulls or those cattle with very 

 short stubby horns.. The coldness or heat of the horns, as the case may be, is only an indi 

 cation of the condition of the general system, and not of a disease of the horns. 



Many valuable animals are lost through the treatment of ignorant quacks or those who 

 follow their teachings, in the treatment of real or imaginary diseases. Some judgment, 

 or what might be termed practical common sense, is particularly essential in the management 

 of stock, and when this is exercised, but few remedies will be required to maintain a general 

 sanitary condition among cattle, or any of the other farm animals. In most diseases there is 

 a natural tendency to recovery, and in the majority of cases the animal will recover if allowed 

 a fair chance. There is no doubt that many animals are doctored to death, when if left to 

 nature, they would have gone safely through. Good care and tender nursing are better than 

 medicine, and to all having charge of animals we would say, nurse well, give good care, but 

 dose sparingly; rather let an animal take his chances of recovery or dying a natural death, 

 than of killing him with powerful nostrums. 



&quot;We give in this connection some of the more common diseases of cattle and accidents 

 to which they are incident, with remedies for the same, which department has been carefully 

 prepared by consulting the best European and American authorities on the subject, as well 

 as from personal experience and observation. 



The cause of diseases and their prevention will be found to have received considerable 

 attention, these being regarded as of primary importance, since it is much better in all 

 respects to prevent the evil in the first place, than to eradicate it when once developed. 



Abortion. Abortion, or the slinking of calves by cows, is a source of serious loss to 

 many farmers and dairymen, and is liable to occur at almost every month of gestation, but 



