140 POSTSCRIPT TO 



'tion, acting under ?ndi a powerful excitemont as to produce such distressing: Bj'mp- 

 loms, would not tlie brain become sympatlictirally aflected ? Would we not have an 

 apparent case of IMirenitis? Whereas, the iniinl, /renerally, rHiuains quiet. We 

 Boinetiirtes sec mental depression, but rarely ever mental aberration." 



Professor Drake enumerates the animals liable to this disease, as the cow, horse, 

 eh-ep, hop, dog, goat (doubtful), and the mule and buzzard. " The characteristic 

 eymptoms," pays he, " are so much alike in all, that an account of them in one of 

 the species will serve for the whole," and he sQlects tub cow. 



" In the earliest stages of this malady, in the cow, it may not display its exist- 

 ence, if the attack be not violent and the animal left to itself; for in the beginning, 

 as in all stages of the disorder, the appetite seems to be unimpaired, and the thirst 

 not increased. Even this early stage, not less than the more advanced, appears, 

 liowever, to be attended with constipation of the bowels. The animal at length 

 begins to mope and droop, to walk slower than its fellows, and to falter in its gait. 

 If under th'se circumstances, it should be driven, and attempt to run, the debility 

 and stiffness «)f its muscles are immediately apparent. It fails rapidly, trembles, 

 pants, ami sometimes seems blind, as it runs against ob.'^tacles, but this may ariso 

 from vertigo ; at length it falls down, lies on it.sside quivering, and is not, perhaps, 

 able to rise for several hours, sometimes never. Now and then, the quivering amounts 

 to a slight convulsion. When the disea.<5e is not violent, the animal, after a longer 

 or shorter period, is again on its feet ; but its capacity for muscular effort is greatly 

 impaired, and, if hurried in the slightest degree, it is seized with trembling and stiff- 

 ne.-s, and may even fall again. Of the state of the circulation, when it lies seriously 

 ill, but little is known, as the pulse has not been inspected. One observer perceived 

 tliat the nose of a heifer was hot, but others have found that part and the skin 

 generally cool. Perhaps their observations were made in different stages of the dis- 

 ease. While lyiii? unable to walk, the animal will still eat freely, and also take 

 drink, but does not seem to have excessive thirst. Its costiveness continues to the 

 last when the malaily goes on to a fatal termination. Of the symptoms which pre- 

 cede dissolution we could not obtain a satisfactory account. Our witnesses getierally 

 declared, however, that the abdomen does not swell in any stage of the disease. 

 When it assumes a chronic form, the animal is liable, for weeks and even months, 

 to muscular infirmity under exercise, looks gaunt and thin, its hair assumes a dead 

 appearance, and sometim'es falls off in considerable quantities, especially from the 

 neck." 



Finally, as to the remedy for this dreadful disorder in cattle, we quote Professor 

 Drake— Dr. Mcllhenny's observations applying to the treatment of milk-sickness in 

 the human subject — and then append the article on mad-itch and black-foot from 

 Governor Vance with the following introductory remarks:— 



" Treatment of the Trembles.— We met with no medical gentleman who had .«uh- 

 jected animals labouring under this disease to a systematrr;, or even varied empirical 

 treatment. All the people of the district have one and the same indication to fulfil, 

 that of opening the bowels. When this can be effected, the animal, they say, scarcely 

 ever dies— wh-n it cannot, death occurs. For the fulfilment of this indication, epsom 

 salts has been administered in very large quantities, even to pounds, but without 

 effect Drenches of lard and various mixtures have also been given, with no satis- 

 factory result. Judge Harold, near South Charleston, has exhibited calomel followed 

 by lard— no essential benefit. Dr. Toland has administered the oil of turpentine, in 

 dosfs of eisht, twelve, and sixteen ounces, without advantage. An opinion is pre- 

 valent that drenching animals injures them by causin? them to struggle. On the 

 whole, we found among the people of the di!»trict a total want of confidence in all 

 kinds of cathartic medicines ; and an exclusive reliance on Indian com. Some pre- 

 ferred old corn, some new, and others that which had been frost-bitten. This is fed 

 to all those species of animals that are accustomed to eat it, and is said never to he 

 refused. The more the animal will eat, the greater is the hope of the owner. It is 

 sail to produce purrring, when every other means have failed, and then, it is affirm- 

 ed, recoverv is almost certain. On these points we found but one opinion in the 

 district. Several of its physicians, after trying other things, had, with the people, 

 settled down on this. 



" We found bloodletting not in favour. Dr. Toland supposes it has, generally, been 

 euipl)yed at too late a period. Many nonprofessional persons spoke of liaving re- 

 Eorted to it without advantage, and some, thought it had done harm. 



