THE LUNG PLAGUE. 49 



preservatives — an objection to which Professor Nicklas gave utterance 

 at the first international veterinary congress hekl in Hamburg in 18G3 — 

 it is certain that they far surpass all other means in the treatment of the 

 early stages of the lung plague. Professor Mcklas said with much truth 

 that where pleuropneumonia appeared there were often persons who pre- 

 scribed sulphate of iron to check the progress of the disease ; the isola- 

 tion of such cattle was not attended to, and the malady continued. 

 Whereas if the sick were isolated, or slaughtered, and the remaiuing 

 animals of a herd inoculated, there would be an end to the outbreak. 



But, on the other hand, if attention be paid to the segregation of the 

 sick, and those indubitably free from the disease were inoculated, there 

 is still a number, and often not a small one, sure to die within a month 

 or six weeks, simply because inocvdated too late. These animals, if 

 of great value, and proper facilities are afforded for treatment without 

 inciuTing the risk of extensions of the malady, may often be treated 

 with success. 



Thermometer in hand, a good observer and anscultator can detect, 

 some days — and even as long as ten days or a fortnight — before marked 

 symptoms appear, the invasion of this disease. At that stage the 

 peculiar yellow deposit which first slowly invades the interlobular tissue 

 of the lungs is penetrating into the organ, and its extension may, as I 

 have noticed frequently, be checked by active internal astringents. The 

 best of these are the sesquichloride and the sulphate of iron. But our 

 choice extends further, since vegetable infusions or decoctions contain- 

 ing tannin, besides the astringent preparations of lead, may likewise 

 retard and arrest the exudation. 



1 have on several occasions been called to prescribe for herds iu which 

 I have readily traced cases of pleuro-pneumonia in advanced stages of 

 the disease. I have removed the marked symptoms, and still a large 

 proportion of the animals had the peculiar cough so well noticed by the 

 French commission, yet to have neglected means to arrest the disease 

 would have resulted iu many deaths. Before I was led to approve, as I 

 do strongly, of the practice of inoculation, and since when there haye 

 been insuperable obstacles to its adoption, I have placed all the herd, 

 sometimes in the stable and at other times in the open field, on regular 

 daily doses of sulphate of iron, allowing about half a drachm or a 

 drachm to a bullock, mixed with a similar amount of bruised coriander 

 seeds, and perhaps some bran, the better to disguise the iron. Thus 

 mixed with fresh coriander seeds, cattle will leave grass to eat the 

 medicine, and I have uniforndy found a mitigation of the cough, a dis- 

 appearance of the malady, and the herds have preserved an admirable 

 condition. 



I can confirm Sauberg's statement that it is dangerous to resort to 



active purgatives, and the common symptom, even in the earlier stages 



of i)leuro-pneumonia, of constipation, can be better corrected by diet and 



the administration of a stinudant, such as carbonate of ammonia, com- 



4 



