Diseases of Young Stock. 185 



too rich should have the supply limited, the mare being 

 milked on the ground, and a dose of pepsin given; raw 

 eggs with brandy and several other drugs are often rec- 

 ommended. Subnitrate of bismuth in suitable doses is a 

 very valuable drug when the digestive tract of young 

 animals is in an irritable condition. 



Navel-ill is rather a common disease of foals, occasion- 

 ally of calves and lambs. The measures to be adopted 

 by the stockman are those of a preventive character, such 

 as dressing the navel with antiseptics; have the mare to 

 foal on the grass, and if the disease has appeared, the 

 thorough disinfection of the foaling or calving box or the 

 lambing pens, as the case may be. The symptoms shown 

 are feverishness and constipation, loss of vigor, being 

 quite dull and reluctant to suck; and lameness with 

 swelling of one or more joints. The latter symptoms, 

 lameness and possibly a swelling of a joint mislead the 

 average stockman, he thinks the foal has been stepped 

 upon by the dam, when really the cause is the introduc- 

 tion of germs by the navel. The navel, instead of 

 drying up and dropping off, remains on and is clammy 

 to the touch and tap-like in appearance. The later 

 stages exhibit more swelling of joints, formation of ab- 

 scesses and exhaustion usually terminating in death. 

 The urine may trickle from the navel in this disease. 

 The early employment of a veterinarian will only be 

 profitable; the death rate is high on account of skilled 

 treatment being given too late. Some authorities con- 

 sider this trouble as caused by the same germ as that 

 causing contagious abortion. 



