Prevention. 155 



a few weeks before _ birth into suitable clean stalls (Roloff, 

 Franck), and immediately before birth to place them in a box 

 stall especially used for that purpose. Sometimes the disease 

 does not recur in infected stables if the stable floor and the 

 cribs have been thoroughly disinfected and if the newborn calves 

 are not placed in common pens, but are kept tied with the 

 mothers for two weeks. 



Further it is advisable to disinfect the litter and the vagina 

 of the mother animal before as well as after birth, and to care 

 for the newborn with the utmost cleanliness. In order that 

 the calves may pass the meconium they should, as soon as 

 possible, suck the collostral milk from the previously washed 

 udder, and if they are kept in special pens they should be 

 allowed to feed from the mothers at regular intervals. Further 

 they should be protected against taking cold and therefore kept 

 in a moderately warm, clean place, free from draughts. 



In places where the calves are brought up artificially, steri- 

 lized milk should be given only after the animal has partaken 

 of the collostral milk, and not earlier than the second day, and 

 in such cases a painstaking vigilance should be maintained as 

 to cleanliness, especially of the vessels and the hands of the 

 attendants. The milk should be heated shortly before feeding 

 and given to the calves cooled to 40 °C. in clean sucking pails. 

 In various places keeping the calves in single stalls for the 

 first two weeks after birth has given splendid results. 



Behring recommended the feeding of raw formalin milk (1 to 

 10,000). The raw milk is supposed to have the preference over the 

 (Sterilized milk as the activity of the glands of the stomach and in- 

 testinal mucous membrane are stimulated by the presence of ferments. 

 The addition of formalin prevents the spoiling of the milk, and exerts 

 also to some extent a slight inhibiting action on the intestinal bacteria 

 (according to the investigations of Kolles the addition of formalin to 

 milk in 1 to 40,000 or 1 to 25,000, inhibits only the development of 

 the lactic acid bacilli but not the peptonizing bacteria). Unfavorable 

 results, however, were observed from this method of treatment 

 (Raebiger), and it will probably not meet with favor as the 

 formaldehyde retards or inhibits the digestion of the casein by the 

 pepsin and the trypsin, and besides the milk containing formaldehyde 

 no longer acts on the rennet (Lowenstein). 



Poels Method. The external genitals of the mother as well as the tail and 

 the udder are washed with a 3% creolin solution. The vagina is irrigated with a 

 corrosive sublimate solution of 1 to .5,000, or with a liberal quantity of hike warm 

 followed by cold water. The calf is caught in a clean sheet, the umbilical cord is 

 ligated as close as possible to the abdominal wall, severed and the stump is painted 

 with a 5% solution of potas-sium permanganate. Then the mouth is cleaned and a 

 tightly woven muzzle applied. The calf should immediately suck out the collostral 

 milk ; however, it is recommended to first milk from each teat a few strokes into the 

 straw, as the first few strokes may be infected. The milk may be also drawn into 

 clean vessels and fed to the calves (immediately after birth, and again after % to 1 

 hour, % to. 1 liter each time). The quantity of milk required by newborn calves is 

 on the first day 3^ to 1 liter collostral milk, on the second day 1% liter on the third 

 day 2% liters, and later up to the sixth day it increases y^ liter per day. Later the 

 milk should be given fresh and in small rations. The muzzle is removed only during 

 sucking or feeding. By this method, which of course can be also applied to foals, 



