84 GUIDE TO DAIRYING IN SOUTH AFRICA 



Cause. It is due to gases formed in the stomach 

 brought about by the animal eating too much young 

 and sappy green food, or sudden change from dry 

 feed on to succulent green stuff or overeating 

 lucerne, etc. It may also be brought on by the 

 animal drinking cold water directly after it has had 

 a bellyful of fresh lucerne. 



Treatment. Give the animal i Ib. Epsom salts 

 and 2 oz. of ground ginger dissolved ^ in water. 

 If this does not bring relief to the animal a vet- 

 erinary surgeon should be called in if possible. It 

 is as well to keep a trocar and canula always on the 

 farm. This is an instrument for piercing the abdo- 

 men of the suffering animal and letting the gases 

 escape. The point to pierce is midway between 

 the last rib, the hip-bone and the back-bone, in the 

 soft and slightly hollow part of the cow's stomach 

 on the left side. Puncture the stomach in a down- 

 ward and forward direction, withdrawing the trocar 

 immediately afterwards and leaving the other part 

 in to keep the hole open until all the gases are free 

 and the animal has relief. Wash the wound with 

 antiseptics such as Jeyes' or Condy's fluid, and see 

 that it does not fester. 



Ringworm. 



This is a very common complaint seen on nearly 

 every farm in South Africa where cattle are kept 

 on the kraaling system, and once started it spreads 



