176 



CATTLE— DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 



To bleeding, physic should succeed, in 

 order to lower the system, and relax the 

 spasm; but no medicine must be given 

 that would in the slightest degree increase 

 the flow of urine. Sulphur, or aloes, or 

 both combined, would be indicated here. 



Should not the flow of urine be re- 

 established, mechanical means must be 

 resorted to. Here a skilful practitioner 

 should be consulted. The water may be 

 readily drawn from the cow by a catheter; 

 but in the ox, from the curvature of the 

 penis, this would be a very difficult affair. 

 Some have recommended to cut down 

 upon the penis, behind the bag, and lay 

 open the urethra, and so pass a catheter 

 into the bladder ; but this will produce a 

 wound, difficult to heal from the passage 

 and excoriation of the urine. Others 

 would puncture the bladder through the 

 rectum, and others through the belly; 

 but both operations may be accompanied 

 and followed by various unpleasant cir- 

 cumstances. 



The farmer, nevertheless, having fully 

 ascertained the nature of the case, may 

 often evacuate a great portion of the urine 

 in a very simple way. The bladder of 

 the ox lies more in the pelvis than does 

 that of the horse — it is more easily felt 

 than in the horse — it is more readily 

 pressed upon by the hand — and the 

 muscle at the neck of the bladder is much 

 weaker; so that the hand being intro- 

 duced into the anus, and gentle pressure 

 made upon the bladder, a great quantity, 

 or almost the whole, of the urine may be 

 forced out, without danger. 



A catheter may be introduced into the 

 bladder of a cow without difficulty. 



Inflammation of the bladder itself is a 

 disease more frequent, and from the same 

 causes, namely, cold and acrid herbs. 

 Here the animal should be bled and 

 physicked, and fomented across the loins, 

 and every diuretic medicine carefully 

 avoided. The Drink for Inflammation of 

 the Bladder may be administered with 

 good effect, after the bleeding and purg- 

 ing. (See No. 42, Domestic Animals, 

 Medicines for.) 



It should not, however, be forgotten, 

 that in cows that are near parturition 

 this discharge of urine is not unfrequent, 

 and arises from irritation of the bladder, 

 caused by the pressure of the fetus, or 

 from sympathy with the uterus, now much 



excited, and not from actual inflamma- 

 tion. When she has calved, this will 

 gradually cease; or a dose of salts, 

 followed by one or two of the powders 

 just recommended, will afford immediate 

 and considerable relief. In some cows 

 this incontinence of urine has been pro- 

 duced by the retention of a dead calf in 

 the womb beyond the natural period, 

 and it being at the same time in a state 

 of putrefaction. The mingled influence 

 of long-continued pressure, and of prox- 

 imity to a large body in a state of de- 

 composition, will occasionally produce a 

 state of extreme irritability. The animal 

 should have warm mashes once or twice 

 daily. 



CATTLE, Eye, Diseases of the.— Oxen 

 are very apt to receive injuries about the 

 eye, as wounds penetrating into the orbit 

 of the eye, or even fractures of the orbit. 

 The principal thing is to prevent or abate 

 inflammation, by fomentations or poul- 

 tices, and a little physic, and to leave na- 

 ture pretty nearly to herself. Either from 

 injury or from a disposition in the bullock- 

 to throw out tumors of every kind, there 

 are frequently bony enlargements about 

 the eyes of oxen. It will be easily seen 

 how far they are a nuisance to the ani- 

 mal, or impede the sight; and if it is 

 necessary to remove them, the aid of a 

 professed practitioner on cattle should be 

 obtained, as an important vessel may be 

 divided, or a sad blemish left. 



Soft, fungous tumors sometimes grow 

 out of the orbit, or from the bone around. 

 These can only be got rid of by the use 

 of the knife, and that should be placed in 

 a skilful hand ; but even in the most skil- 

 ful hands, the knife often fails; or, rather, 

 there is a disposition to reproduction in 

 these tumors, which it is impossible to 

 repress. 



The eyelids of the ox are very subject 

 to disease. Sometimes there is scaliness 

 around the edges ; sometimes a row of 

 pustules resembling the stye of the hu- 

 man being: both of these diseases are- 

 frequently a great source of annoyance. 

 They appear early in the spring of the 

 year, and continue during the summer 

 and the greater part of the autumn, and 

 disappear as winter comes on. A solu- 

 tion of white vitriol, in the proportion of 

 a drachm to a pint of water, will often be 

 a useful application. If this fails, the 



