CATTLE— CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



J 59 



COWS, Garget in, or the Downfall in 

 the Udder of. — This is a disease of the 

 utmost consequence to the owners of 

 neat cattle. Young cows in high condi- 

 tion are most liable to it, especially at the 

 time of calving. Such as are aged are 

 chiefly subject to it during hot and sultry 

 weather, particularly those which are 

 fattened for the shambles; when this is 

 the case, the loss is considerable, for a 

 summer's keep is generally thrown away. 



This disorder makes its appearance in 

 one or more quarters of the udder, which 

 become swollen, hard, hotter than usual, 

 and painful when pressed. If the patient 

 is a milch-cow, the secretion of milk is 

 lessened, and mingled with blood, pus, 

 and corruption. At other times the flow 

 of milk is totally stopped, and the tume- 

 fied quarter proceeds to a state of sup- 

 puration. It not unfrequently happens 

 that the hind extremities, at the same 

 time, become swollen and inflamed, espe- 

 cially about the hip joint, hock, and fet- 

 lock, which disables the animal from 

 getting up, almost from moving. 



It is inflammation of one or more 

 quarters of the udder, and is most com- 

 monly induced by the animal catching 

 cold. It particularly attacks those cows 

 that have a redundancy of blood in the 

 system, or are of a gross habit of body. 

 Young heifers are not always exempt from 

 it. 



It will be necessary, as soon as the 

 downfall is discovered, to bring the ani- 

 mal out of the pasture, and take away 

 from three to five quarts of blood, accord- 

 ing to her size or strength. If she is 

 bled at night, it will be proper on the 

 next morning to give her the purging 

 drink, No. 2, or if a stout beast, Physic 

 Drink No. 15 



The cow should be sparingly fed for a 

 day or two on mashes with a little hay, 

 and afterwards turned on rather short 

 pasture. As this is a disease either con- 

 fined to, or most violent and dangerous 

 in, cows that are in high condition, it will 

 be quite necessary to keep the patient for 

 a while on spare diet. The ground oats, 

 and barley, and clover-hay, and oil-cake, 

 that are sometimes given, cannot fail to 

 aggravate the complaint. 



Mercurial Garget Ointment. — The 

 ointment should be well rubbed into the 



affected quarter, immediately after milk- 

 ing, but it must be carefully washed off 

 again with warm water before the milk is 

 drawn. 



This ointment will penetrate into the 

 diseased part of the udder, and be of 

 very great service. 



In obstinate cases the Iodine Ointment 

 (see No. 25 Domestic Animals, Medi- 

 cines for) has been applied to the in- 

 durated udder with great success. 



A portion, varying from the size of a 

 nut to that of a filbert, according to the 

 extent and degree of the swelling and 

 hardness, should be well rubbed into the 

 affected part morning and night. 



It may sometimes be advisable to give 

 the hydriodate internally, and from eight 

 to twelve grains may be administered 

 morning and night in a little gruel, with 

 very good effect. 



During the continuance of the disease, 

 the bowels must be kept open with half- 

 doses of Purging Drink No. 2. The 

 fever drink, No. i, will also be useful, 

 or one or more decidedly diuretic, as Di- 

 uretic Drink. (See No. 26 Domestic 

 Animals, Medicines for.) 



After the purulent and bloody dis- 

 charge has ceased, and the teat seems to 

 be free from inflammation, and nearly of 

 its natural size, color, and softness, it will 

 be prudent to continue the ointment 

 daily, and this last drink occasionally for 

 two or three weeks at the least. 



Cases, however, will occur, either neg- 

 lected at the beginning, or the beast 

 being too fat, and very much disposed to 

 inflammation, in which the teat and the 

 whole quarter will long continue hard 

 and swelled, and tender, and will get 

 worse and worse. The whole of the 

 affected part must then be carefully ex- 

 amined, to ascertain whether there is 

 matter within, and whether it is pointing, 

 i. e., whether there is a part a little more 

 prominent and softer than the rest. If 

 this is detected, it should be freely opened 

 with a lancet or penknife, the matter suf- 

 fered to flow out, and the wound dressed 

 with Tincture of Aloes or Friar's Balsam. 

 Slight incisions with a lancet, where mat- 

 ter cannot be detected, will often be ser- 

 viceable. The flow of blood should be 

 encouraged by fomentations with warm 

 water. The teats are sometimes cut off 



