DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 243 



CHAPPED TEATS. 



These may be caused by anything which irritates them. The 

 powerful sucking of the calf ; the sudden chilling of the teat in winter 

 after the calf has just let it go or after the completion of milking 

 with a wet hand; contact with cold water or stagnant, putrid water, 

 or with filth or irritants when lying down; slight congestions of the 

 skin in connection with overstocking; indeed, any source of local 

 irritation may cause chapping. This may be slight or extend into 

 great, gaping sores and induce retention of milk or even mammitis. 

 Soothing applications of vaseline or a combination of equal parts of 

 spermaceti and oil of sweet almonds may be applied. If healing is 

 tardy, add 10 grains balsam of Peru to the ounce of ointment. If 

 the irritation is very great, wash first with a solution of 1 dram sugar 

 of lead in 1 pint of water and then apply benzoated zinc-oxid oint- 

 ment. 



WARTS ON THE TEATS. 



These are often very troublesome, yet they may be greatly bene- 

 fited or entirely removed by smearing them thickly with pure olive 

 oil after each milking. If they persist they may be cut off with a pair 

 of sharp scissors and the sore touched with a stick of lunar caustic. 

 They may now be oiled and the caustic repeated as demanded to pre- 

 vent their renewed growth. 



Scabby teats may be smeared with vaseline containing carbolic acid 

 enough to give it an odor. 



TEAT BLOCKED BY CONCRETION OF CASEIN. 



Under unhealthy conditions of the gland or milk ducts clots of 

 casein form which, pressed clear of most of their liquid and rolled 

 into rounded masses, may block the passage. They can be moved up 

 and down by manipulation of the teat, and if they can not be pre^ssed 

 out they may be extracted by using the spring teat dilator (PI. XXIV, 

 fig. 3), being held surrounded by its three limbs. Before extraction 

 is attempted an ounce of almond oil, boiled, should be injected into 

 the teat. 



TEAT BLOCKED BY CALCULUS. 



When the calcareous matter of the milk has been precipitated in 

 the form of a smooth, rounded stone, a rough, conglomerated concre- 

 tion, or a fine, sandlike debris, it may cause obstruction and irrita- 

 tion. These bodies are felt to be much harder than those formed by 

 casein, and the milk usually contains gritty particles. Extraction 

 may be attempted, in the case of the finely divided gritty matter, by 

 simple milking or with the spring dilator (PI. XXIV, fig. 3) in the 

 case of the larger masses. Should this fail the teat may be laid open 



