DISEASES OF CATTLE 175 



offensive odors, protection from all kinds of mechanical injuries, 

 including overdriving and carrying by rail in advanced pregnancy, 

 the exclusion of all irritants or strong purgatives and diuretics from 

 food or medicine, and the guarding against all causes of indigestion 

 and bloating have been sufficiently indicated under "Causes." For 

 protection of the womb and fetus against the various causes of dis- 

 ease, available methods are not so evident. For cows that have 

 aborted in the last pregnancy, chlorate of potash, 3 drams daily be- 

 fore the recurrence of the expected abortion, has been held to be 

 useful. 



TREATMENT OF NONCONTAGIOUS ABORTION. 



Although the first symptoms of abortion have appeared, it does 

 not follow that it will go on to completion. So long as the fetus has 

 not perished, if the waters have not been discharged, nor the water 

 bags presented, attempts should be made to check its progress. Every 

 appreciable and removable cause should be done away with, the cow 

 should be placed in a quiet stall alone, and agents given to check the 

 excitement of the labor pains. Laudanum in doses of 1 ounce for a 

 small cow or 2 ounces for a large one should be promptly adminis- 

 tered and repeated in three or four hours, should the labor pains 

 recur. This may be kept up for days or even weeks if necessary, 

 though that is rarely required, as the trouble either subsides or abor- 

 tion occurs. If the laudanum seems to lack permanency of action, 

 use bromid of potassium, or, better, extract of Viburnum, pruni- 

 folium (40 grains), at intervals of two or three hours until five or 

 six doses have been given. 



PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CONTAGIOUS ABORTION. 



So far as this differs from the treatment of sporadic abortion, it 

 consists in separation and the free use of germicides or disinfectants. 



(1) Separate all aborting cows in isolated building, yard, and 

 pasture, allowing no other cows to have access even to their manure, 

 liquid or solid. Not even breeding ewes, goats, sows, rabbits, or 

 mares should be allowed to go from the isolated to the noninfected 

 premises. Separate attendants and utensils are desirable. 



(2) Scrape and wash the back part of the stall and gutter and 

 water it with a solution of 5 ounces sulphate of copper (bluestone) 

 in 1 gallon pure water. Repeat this cleaning and watering at least 

 once a week. This should in all cases be applied to every stall where 

 an aborting cow has stood and to those adjacent. To treat the whole 

 in the same way would be even better, as it is impossible to say how 

 many of the cows harbor the germ. This is the more needful as that 

 in one to three years, if the aborting cow is kept on, she becomes 

 insusceptible and carries her calf to full time. A cow may therefore 

 be infecting to others though she herself no longer aborts. 



(3) Dissolve 1 dram corrosive sublimate, 1 ounce each of 

 alcohol and glycerin, and shake this up in a gallon of water, to use as 

 an injection into the vagina and a wash for the parts about the vulva 

 and root of the tail. Being very poisonous, it should be kept in a 

 wooden barrel out of the way of animals or children. Every morn- 

 ing the vulva, anus, back of the hips, and root of the tail should be 



