INDIGESTION GROOMING 275 



except among town dairy cows that are very heavily fed, 

 but it is apt to occur with often startling symptoms when the 

 food is suddenly changed. The animal suffers from great 

 thirst, and will not eat or chew the cud, but it groans and 

 paddles with the hind feet from pains in the belly, and 

 irritable passage of faeces occurs. In a bad case the acute 

 symptoms are expressed by the animal standing with arched 

 back and with all four legs drawn together, a dry staring 

 coat, high temperature, rigors, and saliva streaming from the 

 mouth. Occasionally brain affections coma and delirium 

 occur. The treatment is to give a purgative followed by 

 stomachics carbonate of ammonia, and tincture of nux 

 vomica or gentian in I oz. doses in oatmeal gruel. Day's 

 drenches are much in repute with cowkeepers. 



Heifers feed faster than bullocks, especially when young. 

 The great drawback is their coming in season and not 

 feeding for a day or two each time they do so, and, if loose, 

 keeping others that jump on them from settling to feed 

 properly. The ancient and excellent practice of " spaying " 

 or de-sexing heifers or cast cows for feeding purposes has 

 been to a great extent discontinued in this country ; but it is 

 clearly one of those simple old-time practices the revival of 

 which would lead to an important conservation of wealth to 

 the owners of grazing cattle. 



Tied-up cattle ought to be regularly groomed, especially 

 about the rump, shoulder-head, and neck, or on such places 

 as they cannot easily or at all reach with the tongue to lick. 

 They should be kept quiet, and at a uniform temperature of 

 about, but not over, 60 F. If the hair be very rough when 

 they are first put up (as is often the case when the animals 

 are left during the first part of the winter in a strawyard, 

 until room is made in the stalls by the sale of those that 

 finish first), the back, half-way down the ribs, the thighs, 

 neck, and tail, may be clipped bare. This removal of hair 

 prevents excess of sweating, which naturally takes place at 

 first on cattle being introduced into a warm shed from an 

 open court, and allows of their being more easily kept clean ; 

 they, consequently, also feed faster ; but in some markets where 

 the practice is not understood the appearance produced might 

 be a drawback in selling. 



A heifer or bullock that would yield 40 to 45 stones of 



