CATTLE— DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 



injury to the milk, and without any pre- 

 caution being needed. (See Alterative 

 Drink, No. 55, Domestic Animals, Med- 

 icines for.) 



Connected with mange, generally ac- 

 companying it, and often producing it, are 

 lice. The presence of these vermin ar- 

 gues extreme negligence, and is an abso- 

 lute disgrace to the farmer. They rap- 

 idly spread from cow to cow ; the slight- 

 est touch transfers some of them from 

 one beast to another; they are crawling 

 continually in the stable or on the the pas- 

 ture; and although they are never originally 

 bred in the skin of a diseased animal, 

 yet in one that has been half-starved or 

 mangy, and whose coat clings to the 

 skin, and will not come off when nature 

 usually sheds it, these vermin find too fa- 

 vorable a shelter. They are both the 

 consequence and the cause of mange, and 

 other affections of the skin. Myriads of 

 them are sometimes found on the poor 

 beast, teazing it almost to death. 



The mange ointment above recom- 

 mended will often be effectual in destroy- 

 ing them, or should it not be sufficiently 

 powerful, a weaker kind of mercurial 

 ointment for vermin (See No. 56, Domes- 

 tic Animals, Medicines for,) may be 

 applied. 



Some prefer a lotion. The best Lo- 

 tion for Vermin, is No. 57, Domes- 

 tic Animals, Medicines for. 



This is strong enough to kill the ver- 

 min, but cannot possibly injure the beast. 

 An ointment, however, is best, for it 

 can be more thoroughly rubbed among 

 the hair, and into every lurking place 

 which the vermin may occupy. A por- 

 tion of the liquid is often lost in the act 

 of applying it. The ointment or the lo- 

 tion should be used daily, and three or 

 four dressings will generally remove the 

 nuisance. 



Scotch snuff has been dusted on the 

 beast with partial good effect; the animal- 

 cule have been thinned, but not extir- 

 pated. The snuff cannot possibly reach 

 naif of them. 



While the lice are attacked, the condi- 

 tion of the animal should, if possible, be 

 improved. Poverty and bad condition 

 are sad encouragers of these pests. The 

 alternative drink just recommended 

 may be advantageously combined with 

 tonics. (See Alterative Tonic Powders, 



No. 58, Domestic Animals, Medicines 

 for.) 



Warbles may here be not improperly 

 considered. The breeze, or gad-fly, or ox- 

 fly, appears about the end of the summer, 

 and is a sad annoyance to the ox. At 

 the very hum of the insect the cattle wilt 

 gallop distractedly over the field, and 

 sometimes do themselves serious injury. 

 When the fly has the opportunity of 

 alighting on the beast, he chooses the back 

 or the loins, and piercing the skin, depos- 

 its an egg under it. Some venom is also 

 distilled into the wound, tor a tumor is 

 shortly afterwards formed, varying from 

 the size of an hazel-nut to that of an egg. 

 It is a kind of abscess, for it speedily 

 bursts and leaves a little hole on the top 

 of it for the grub, which is now hatched, 

 to breathe, and where he lives on the fat- 

 ty matter that he finds in this curious 

 abode. 



These warbles are often a sad nuisance 

 to the animal. He licks them when he 

 can get at them, and rubs himself vio- 

 lently on anything within his reach. 



Country people sometimes get rid of 

 them by compressing them between the 

 finger and thumb and forcing the maggot 

 out. Others, with more certain effect, 

 either pull off the scab around the mouth 

 of the tumor, or open it with a lancet or 

 pen-knife, and then pour in a few drops 

 of spirit of turpentine, or introduce a 

 heated needle. 



The farmer is scarcely aware how much 

 injury this fly does to the hide, for, al- 

 though the holes may apparently close up 

 that part will always be weak. 



CATTLE, Throat Inflammation of the. 

 — In many cases, if attended to imme- 

 diately, nothing more will be necessary 

 than confining the animal to a light diet, 

 with frequent drinks of linseed tea, 

 warmth and moisture applied locally in 

 the form of a slippery elm poultice, which 

 may be kept in close contact with the 

 throat by securing it to the horns. But, 

 in very severe attacks, mullein leaves 

 steeped in vinegar and applied to the 

 parts, with an occasional stimulating in- 

 jection, together with a gruel, are the 

 only means of relief. 



CATTLE LARYNX, Inflammation of 

 the. — See Cattle, Throat, Inflamma- 

 tion OF THE. 



