226 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. 



In fact, I think cows in certain barns where they have that 

 sort of abortion are worth a little more after they have 

 aborted and gotten over it than they were before, because 

 we feel a little surer of them. But in some cases they are 

 apt to abort a second time and sometimes a third ; in other 

 cases they become sterile. It varies considerably. I have 

 seen it act differently on different farms. 



Question. After a cow aborts a second time and then 

 bears a calf, do you feel assured that she will never abort 

 again? 



Dr. Peters. I do not think it is always so, but it is apt 

 to be so. In a majority of cases it is so, but we cannot lay 

 down any hard-and-fast rule for it. 



Question. What are the symptoms of abortion in cows? 



Dr. Peters. Generally you do not get very many 

 symptoms. They generally abort the first thing you know. 

 They may show some slight symptoms beforehand. I have 

 heard of people checking it in some cases. I met a farmer 

 from Vermont last summer, who had used the fluid extract 

 of buckthorn, and he said he had had a good deal of suc- 

 cess. If the calf is going to be born prematurely you can 

 sometimes stop the cow from aborting by giving her some 

 such medicine, but generally you cannot. 



Mr. ITazen. Excuse me for suggesting the idea, but I 

 think there are always premonitory symptoms, if you watch 

 the cows closely enough. 



Dr. Peters. I think there are for a day or two. I have 

 heard farmers say that they could tell from a week to a 

 fortnight beforehand. 



Mr. HaZ'EN. Those symptoms are the same that a cow 

 manifests in calving naturally. 



Mr. Douglas. I would like to ask the speaker, or any 

 other gentleman present, if he can give me any information 

 in regard to calves that come into the world apparently all 

 right and seem to be smart and bright for two or three days, 

 and then for some reason or other droop and die, in spite of 

 all that we have been able to do for them. 



Dr. Peters. I have heard complaints of that kind, but 

 I have not had a chance to see many cases of that sort. 

 "What are the symptoms generally ? 



