1*6 



CATTLE—DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 



they see the profuse bleeding which some- 

 times takes place from deep or lacerated 

 wounds. Except some large arterial 

 trunk is divided, there is little or no dan- 

 ger of the animal bleeding to death. 

 When a certain quantity of blood is lost 

 the stream will flow slowly, and a coagu- 

 lum, or clot of blood, will be formed in 

 the vessel, and plug it up, and afford a 

 mechanical obstruction to the hemor- 

 rhage. Sufficient blood, however, may 

 be lost to interfere materially with the 

 condition of the beast, and to leave con- 

 siderable and lasting weakness behind. 

 We are therefore anxious to stop the 

 bleeding as soon as we can. 



Where the situation will admit of it, a 

 dossil of lint, placed upon or in the 

 wound, and secured by a firm bandage, 

 will often be effectual. If the vessel is 

 but partly closed by the pressure of the 

 lint, yet that may be sufficient to produce 

 a coagulation of the blood, and the con- 

 sequent stoppage of the stream. 



The next preferable way of proceeding 

 is to endeavor to pass a ligature round 

 the bleeding vessel. This is often practi- 

 cable by means of a tenaculum or any 

 hooked instrument, by which it may be 

 drawn a little from its situation, and some 

 waxed silk or twine passed round it. 

 Sometimes it may be laid hold of with a 

 pair of forceps or small pincers, and so 

 secured; or, should neither of these 

 methods be practicable, a crooked or 

 glover's needle, armed with waxed silk, 

 may be plunged into the flesh or cellular 

 membrane in two or three places around 

 the wound, and when the silk is tight- 

 ened the vein or artery will probably be 

 compressed and closed. The hot iron is 

 sometimes applied, but usually a great 

 deal too hot, so as to destroy the life of 

 the part, instead of simply searing it, and 

 thus causing renewed hemorrhage when 

 the dead part is thrown off. As for styy- 

 tic powders or lotions, they appear to 

 have little or no effect in stopping pro- 

 fuse bleeding in cattle. 



The bleeding is generally arrested with 

 most difficulty when the horn is broken 

 off in some of the fights among the cat- 

 tle. The bone of the horn is full of 

 blood-vessels, and it is only by plaister 

 after plaister of tar that a compress is 

 made all round the horn, and through 

 which the blood cannot penetrate. These 



plaisters should not be removed for many 

 days, otherwise the bleeding from such a 

 vascular part will return. 



Of all the wounds, however, to which 

 the cattle are occasionally exposed, the 

 most dangerous are those about the 

 joints, and especially when the joint it- 

 self is penetrated. The ox is not so sub- 

 ject to this as the horse ; but the fetlock 

 and the knee are occasionally deeply 

 wounded, and the joint laid open, either 

 by falling, or by being brutally wounded 

 by a fork. 



Here, as in all other wounds, the first 

 thing to be done is carefully to wash 

 away all dirt and gravel. The probe 

 must then be introduced; and the depth 

 to which it will penetrate, and, more par- 

 ticularly, the grating sound which will be 

 heard when it comes into contact with the 

 bone, will generally determine whether 

 the joint has been injured. If any doubt 

 remains about this, a poultice should be 

 applied. This will not only abate or pre- 

 vent inflammation, but if the joint has 

 been penetrated the synovia, or joint oil, 

 will escape and appear upon the poultice 

 in the form of a glairy, yellowish fluid. 

 Then there is no doubt as to the course 

 to be pursued. The flow of this must be 

 stopped, and that immediately. It was 

 placed there to be interposed between the 

 ends of the bones, and thus to prevent 

 them rubbing against each other, and be- 

 coming irritated or inflamed. The mem- 

 brane with which the heads of the bones 

 are covered is in the highest degree sen- 

 sitive, and with the slightest injury pro- 

 duces inflammation, attended by the ex- 

 tremest torture. There is no agony equal 

 to that caused by an opened joint. We 

 must then confine the interposed joint 

 oil, and prevent this dreadful friction be- 

 tween the membranes. 



There are two ways of accomplishing 

 his. That which seems to be the most 

 humane is to place a small compress on 

 the part, exactly covering the wound; 

 to- bind it down tight, and not to remove 

 it for many days. Yet it has often hap- 

 pened that when the compress has at 

 length been taken off, the joint oil has 

 flowed as quickly as before; therefore, we 

 believe, we must go back to the old meth- 

 od, and apply the hot iron to the wound. 

 The iron, being of a dull red heat, should 

 be run lightly across the surface of the 



