148 THE farmer's veterinarian 



preparations, in addition to being used as parasit- 

 icides, have become very popular disinfectants in 

 hospitals. These preparations are used with good 

 success on all open wounds, where a disinfectant is 

 required. In poll evil and fistulous withers they 

 are extremely valuable, owing to the fact that in 

 addition to their power as a germicide they have 

 been perfectly safe to place in the hands of persons 

 not accustomed to handling drugs, because of their 

 non-poisonous nature. They have been found quite 

 efficient when used in three per cent solution. 



DISHORNING.— Some cattle breeds are horn- 

 less. Most, however, are not. Removing the horns 

 is done quickly and is more humane than to permit 

 them to remain, by which death frequently follows 

 to stock and even to people. The dishorning ma- 

 chine is intended for animals whose horns are 

 not removed when young. The simplest method 

 of dishorning is to use a stick of caustic potash. 

 Apply it to the small horn button when a calf is a 

 few days old. Moistening this and rubbing the 

 potash over the skin will permanently destroy the 

 horn tissue and no horns will result. 



DISTEMPER.— See Strangles. 



DROPSY. — A condition in which the fluid por- 

 tion of the blood escapes from the blood vessels and 

 collects in the body cavities or under the skin. Any 

 sluggish condition of the blood occasioned by dis- 

 ease or faulty nutrition may induce this collecton 

 in various parts of the body. Dropsy is, therefore, 

 not a disease, but a symptom of some other dis- 

 ease. This being the case, treatment depends upon 

 the original disease, upon the nature of which de- 

 pends in turn the possibility of permanent or tem- 

 porary cure. 



