DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF CATTLE. 313 



Symptoms. — When it does not kill the animal it falls paralyzed 

 and unconscious, the muscles relax and are soft and flabby, and in 

 some cases there will be twitching of the muscles, the animal will 

 breathe hard and slower than natural, and in most cases there 

 will be spots of hair singed off the body. 



Treatment. — Dash cold water on the head, rub the body and 

 legs well to get the circulation up, then apply a thin mustard 

 plaster on the back of the head and sides of the neck; blanket the 

 animal well to keep the body warm, and keep the head cold by ap- 

 plying cold cloths, and as soon as it is strong enough to swallow, 

 if it is a cow or horse, give it half a pint of whisky in a pint ol 

 warm water; if it is a sheep, dog, or pig give a wine glassful ol 

 whisky in half a pint of warm water, pour the drench down slowl)/ 

 so as not to choke the animal ; give a drench every hour, and 

 turn it over from side to side every once in a while, and attend to 

 its general comfort until it is better. After the shock has passed 

 off, if the animal seems to be paralyzed, for a cow or horse give 

 a teaspoonful of powdered nux vomica twice a day on its tongue 

 with a spoon, or in its feed, this is for a nerve stimulant. Give a 

 sheep, dog, or pig one-quarter of a teaspoonful of powdered nux 

 vomica twice a day until it is strengthened. 



THE APPEARANCE OF AN ANIMAL KILLED BY LIGHTNING. 



If a thunder-storm has just passed over, and the animal, 



which was previously healthy, is found dead shortly afterwards, 



the muscles are soft and flabby and you can move its legs any 



way you like, and in some cases there will be spots of hair 



scorched off the body, this indicates that the animal was killed 



by lightning. 



ERGOTISM. 



This disease is most often seen in cattle, and shows itself 

 mostly in the winter and spring of the year. 



Causes. — From eating ergotized grass, which is nothing more 

 than diseased grass. (Ergot also affects rye wheat). The dis- 

 eased grass is cut along with the hay and other food, dried and 

 brought into the barn and fed during the winter with the good 

 hay and other parts of food. This is how the animal« get it. 

 The ergot affects the grass, etc., on the same principle as smut 

 does the corn. Ergot is mostly seen in grasses and rye wheat, 

 but may affect other kinds of grain that is grown on low, rich 

 land in wet, hot seasons. 



