DISEASES OF CATTLE 421 



often some fever associated with the disease, and in practically all 

 cases the cattle cease to ruminate, and will stand about with ears 

 lopped and eyes closed, exhibiting all symptoms of severe suffering. 

 Milch cows usually fall away in the amount of milk secreted, or in 

 severe cases it may be stopped entirely. Owing to a closing of the 

 eyes, together with the pain, animals do not eat well, especially while 

 at pasture, and as a result fall away in flesh. 



Since practically no animals die from the effects of this dis-. 

 ease, and only a few are permanently affected by the loss of sight, 

 the greatest loss is in the shrinkage of flesh that follows an attack of 

 this disease. 



Treatment. If possible the disease should be prevented by 

 keeping infected animals away from the healthy. After the disease 

 is once introduced among a bunch of cattle, by separating and iso- 

 lating the affected animals as soon as the first symptoms are shown, 

 the disease can be checked. It is not practicable to attempt to treat 

 a large number of animals, unless they should be especially valuable 

 or suffer from the disease in a severe form. When it is advisable to 

 treat an animal, it should be placed in a darkened stable, the eyes 

 thoroughly washed with cold water, all secretions removed, and a 

 solution of boric acid, twenty grains dissolved in an ounce of water, 

 should be applied. A little ointment made by mixing one part of 

 finely pulverized iodoform with twelve parts of fresh lard or vase- 

 line, can be applied directly to the eyeball, by putting it on the in- 

 side of the eyelid, and gently rubbing it over the surface. Cloths 

 wet with cold water and kept over the eyes are useful in reducing the 

 inflammation. Practically all animals make a good recovery in 

 three to four weeks. 



Prevention. Whenever this affection appears in a herd all the 

 unaffected animals should be moved to another locality that is, to 

 fields which possess a different character of soil and feed. The water 

 should also be changed, especially if they have been obtaining their 

 drinking water from a stagnant pond. 



KERATITIS (CORNEITIS). 



This is an inflammation of the cornea proper, although the 

 sclerotica at the cornea! border becomes involved to some extent. It 

 may be divided into diffuse and suppurative. 



Causes. The cornea constitutes the most prominent portion of 

 the eyeball, hence it is subject to a variety of injuries scratches, 

 pricks, contusions, lacerations, etc. Inflammation of the cornea may 

 also be due to the extension of catarrhal conjunctivitis or intraocular 

 disease, and it may occasionally occur without any perceptible cause. 



Symptoms. Diffuse keratitis is characterized by an exudation 

 into and an opacity of the cornea. The swelling of the anterior part 

 of the eyeball may be of an irregular form, in points resembling 

 small bladders, or it may commence at the periphery of the cornea 

 by an abrupt thickening, which gradually diminishes as it ap- 

 proaches the center. If the whole cornea is affected it has a uniform 

 gray or grayish white appearance. The flow of tears is not so 

 marked as in conjunctivitis, nor is the suffering so acute, though 



