CATTLE— CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



165 



Is, to a greater extent, a local malady : 

 the spinal cord at the region of the loins 

 is affected ; but the brain is comparative- 

 ly exempt; and thus, though the hind 

 extremities are paralyzed to a great ex- 

 tent, yet the insensibility is by no means 

 general, and consciousness is retained. 

 In both the severe and mild form the di- 

 gestive organs are altogether deranged, 

 and in fatal cases the third stomach is 

 found loaded with hard, indigestible food, 

 and the other viscera are often tound in- 

 flamed. 



The cause of the disease has net been 

 ascertained, but it appears connected with 

 a high- state of condition, and is best pre- 

 vented by keeping the cow short of food 

 some days previous to her calving. 



The treatment of this disease must be 

 modified according to the severity of the 

 symptoms, and the fact of its being the 

 milder or the severer affection. It is im- 

 portant also to ascertain whether the se- 

 cretion of milk has ceased; as it has been 

 ascertained that when this is the case the 

 disease is fatal, and when not so the cow 

 recovers. If the pulse is strong, it will 

 be proper to bleed to the extent, perhaps, 

 of four or five quarts. The principal ex- 

 pectation of relief, however, must be 

 placed on the exhibition of strong Purga- 

 tive Drink. (See No. 30 Domestic An- 

 imals, Medicines for.) 



One-half of this draught may be re- 

 peated twice a day until the bowels are 

 properly opened. In the severer affec- 

 tion it will be proper to add from ten to 

 twenty drops of the croton oil to the first 

 draught, and even two drachms of car- 

 bonate of ammonia and ten grains of can- 

 tharides have been conjoined with advan- 

 tage. It is of importance to administer 

 the draught slowly and carefully; and 

 when the cow is any way unconscious it 

 will be better to give it by means of 

 Read's syringe, putting the tube half way 

 down the neck, so as to prevent any of 

 the medicine getting into the windpipe, 

 where it has been known to produce fatal 

 inflammation. The action of the physic 

 should be assisted by frequent clysters, 

 and the bladder should be emptied from 

 time to time by a catheter. A blistering 

 liniment should be rubbed on the course 

 of the spine : in the milder disease it may 

 be limited chiefly to the loins, but in the 

 severer affection it should extend from the 



head to the tail, and be often repeated. 

 It is astonishing what a vast quantity of 

 purgative medicine may often be admin- 

 istered in this disease without producing 

 any effect, the stomachs being in such a 

 torpid state. 



In the milder disease, the treatment 

 must be similar in its nature, though not 

 so powerful as that here recommended; 

 trie croton oil may be dispensed with, and 

 the blistering application confined to the 

 loins. 



The cow should be made as comforta- 

 ble as possible. A good bed of straw 

 should be got under her, and her fore- 

 quarters should be considerably raised, so 

 that the dung and urine may flow away. 

 It not unfrequently happens, that as soon 

 as the cow begins thoroughly to purge 

 she gets up and walks about, although 

 still continuing for a while in a very weak 

 state. 



In order to make her as comfortable as 

 possible, the cow should be shifted from 

 side to side twice in the day ; all filth of 

 every kind should be carefully removed, a 

 warm cloth thrown over, and warm gruel 

 or linseed tea frequently offered to her 

 with mashes, if she will eat them. 



It will be a very bad symptom if she 

 begins to swell, and there are frequent 

 belchings of very foetid gas. If the di- 

 gestive powers are thus weakened there 

 is but little hope. The Cordial Drink, 

 (See No. 31 Domestic Animals, Medi- 

 cines for,) should then be given, still 

 continuing the purgative medicine if 

 necessary. 



This, in the form of a ball, will proba- 

 bly find its way into the paunch. Half 

 the quantity of the above ingredients 

 should also be given morning and night 

 as a drink, in a pint of warm ale, and the 

 same quantity of thin gruel. 



If the cow should continue to swell, 

 relief must be obtained by means of the 

 flexible pipe for that purpose ; and if the 

 proprietor has the pump which should 

 accompany the pipe, some gallons of 

 warm water in which a little ginger has 

 been boiled may be thrown into the 

 paunch, in order wash out a portion of 

 its contents. Should not the pipe be at 

 hand, an opening may be made into the 

 paunch at the flank with a sharp-pointed 

 knife, in the usual manner ; or, if the case 

 is becoming absolutely desperate, the op- 



