234 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



breaking up of the bag may be greatly hastened by the sucking of a 

 hungry calf and the kneading it gives the udder with its nose, by 

 stripping the glands clean thrice daily, and by active rubbing at each 

 milking with the palm of the hand, with or without lard or, better, 

 with camphorated ointment. 



The congestion may be at times aggravated by standing in a draft 

 of cold air or by neglect to milk for an entire day or more (over- 

 stocking, hefting) with the view of making a great show of udder 

 for purposes of sale. In such cases the surface of the bag pits on 

 pressure, and the milk has a reddish tinge or even streaks of blood, 

 or it is partially or fully clotted and is drawn with difficulty, mixed, 

 it may be, with a yellowish serum (whej^) which has separated from 

 the casein. This should be treated like the above, though it may 

 sometimes demand fomentations with warm water to ward off in- 

 flammation, and it may be a week before the natural condition of the 

 gland is restored. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE UDDER (SIMPLE MAMMITIS). 



Congestion may merge into active inflammation, or it may arise 

 direct, in connection with exposure to cold or wet, with standing in a 

 cold draft, with blows on the udder with clubs, stones, horns, or feet, 

 with injury from a sharp or cold stone, or the projecting edge of a 

 board or end of a nail in the floor, with sudden and extreme changes 

 of weather, with overfeeding on rich albuminous feed like cotton 

 seed, beans, or peas, with indigestions, with sores on the teats, or 

 with insufficient stripping of the udder in milking. In the period 

 of full milk the organ is so susceptible that any serious disturbance 

 of the general health is liable to fall upon the udder. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms and mode of onset vary in different 

 cases. 'Wlien following exposure there is usually a violent shivering 

 fit, with cold horns, ears, tail, and limbs, and general erection of the 

 hair. This is succeeded by a flush of heat (reaction) in which the 

 horns, ears, and limbs become unnaturally warm and the gland swells 

 up and becomes firm and solid in one, two, three, or all four quarters. 

 There is hot dry muzzle, elevated temperature, full, accelerated pulse, 

 and excited breathing, impaired or suspended appetite and rumina- 

 tion, with more or less costiveness, suppression of urine, and a lessened 

 yield of milk, which may be entirely suppressed in the affected 

 quarter. 



In other cases the shivering escapes notice, the general disorder of 

 the system is little marked or comes on late, and the first observed 

 sign of illness is the firm swelling, heat, and tenderness of the bag. 

 As the inflammation increases and extends, the hot, tender udder 

 causes the animal to straddle with its hind limbs, and, when walking, 

 to halt on the limb on that side. If the cow lies down it is on the 



