DISEASES OF CATTLE 399 



cause lethargy or paralysis. It also operates to cause contraction of the 

 uterus, and may thus cause abortion. 



Treatment. Regarding the treatment, change of food and local 

 antiseptics are, of course, indicated. The former may be useful as a 

 preventive, but when the symptoms have appeared the animal is nec- 

 essarily so completely saturated that recovery is likely to be tedious. 

 Tannin may be given internally in doses of one-half dram twice daily 

 for a few days to neutralize the unabsorbed alkaloids of the ergot. 

 At the same time give castor oil. To dilate the blood vessels give 

 chloral hydrate. Bathe the affected parts with hot water. If slough- 

 ing has gone far, amputation must be resorted to. 



Other Poisonous Fungi. Many other fungi poison herbivora. 

 In some instances, however, where fungi are blamed for causing dis- 

 ease their presence on the foodstuff or herbage is but coincidental with 

 some other and more potent disease-producing factor. For example, 

 if the conditions are favorable to the growth of fungi they are also 

 favorable to the growth of bacteria, and bacteria may produce poisons 

 in foods. In general it may be said that any food that is moldy, 

 musty, or putrid is possibly dangerous. Silage, properly cured, does 

 not belong to this class, because the curing of silage is not a bacterial 

 process. But spoiled silage and silage matted with mold is dangerous 

 and should not be fed. 



POISONING BY BITES AND STINGS. 



Snake Bites. The poison contained in the tooth glands of cer- 

 tain venomous reptiles, particularly some of the snakes, which is in- 

 jected into or under the skin of an animal bitten by the reptile, is a 

 very powerful agent. It is likely to produce a serious local irritation, 

 and in the case of the more poisonous snakes serious constitutional 

 disturbances, even to causing death, which it may do in either of two 

 ways. First, when very strong, by exerting a narcotic influence simi- 

 lar to that of some of the powerful poisons, checking heart action. 

 Second, by diffused inflammation of the areolar tissue, gangrene, and 

 extensive sloughing. The symptoms of snake bite are a local swell- 

 ing caused by an intense local inflammation, pricks showing where 

 the fangs penetrated, depression, weakness, feeble pulse, difficult 

 breathing, bluish discoloration of the visible mucous membranes, 

 stupor, or convulsions. If the poison is not powerful or plentiful 

 enough to produce death, it is, at any rate, likely to cause severe local 

 abscesses or sloughs. 



The treatment may be divided into local and general. Locally 

 every effort should be made to prevent absorption of the poison. If 

 discovered at once the bitten part had better be excised. If that is 

 impracticable and a ligature can be applied, as in the case of a bite 

 to one of the limbs, no time should be lost in applying it above the 

 injury. It should be made sufficiently tight to so far as possible arrest 

 circulation in the bitten part. The wound should be freely incised, 

 so that it will bleed freely, and the poison should be extracted by cup- 

 ping or pressed out by squeezing with the fingers. Permanganate of 

 potash in 5 per cent solution should be applied to and injected into the 

 wound. The depressing effect of the poison on the general system 



