288 DYSENTERY. — MANGE. — SYMPTOMS. 



Dysentery, or scouring rot, is a dangerous and trouble- 

 some malady when it becomes seated. 



The cow suffers from painful efforts to pass the dung, 

 which is thin, slimy, olive-colored, and offensive, and 

 after it falls rises up in little bubbles, with a slimy sub- 

 stance upon it. She is restless, lying down and soon 

 rising again, and appears to be in great distress. The 

 hair seems to stand out stiff from the body, and this 

 stage of the malady indicates an obstinate and fatal 

 disease. 



It is often brought on by a simple cold at the time of 

 calving, exposure to sudden changes, and by poor keep- 

 ing, which exhausts the system, especially in winter. A 

 dry, warm barn, and careful nursing, will do much ; and 

 dry, sweet food, as hay, oat-meal, boiled potatoes, gruel, 

 &c. Some linseed-meal is also very good for cows with 

 this complaint. A little gum-arabic or starch may be 

 mixed with the medicine. 



The treatment is much the same as for diarrhoea. 



The Mange is commonly brought on by half starving 

 in winter, and by keeping the cow in a filthy, ill-ven- 

 tilated place. It is contagious, and if one cow of a 

 herd has it, the rest will be apt to get it also. Blaine 

 says, " Mange has three origins, — filth, debility, and 

 contagion." It is a disgrace to the farmer to suffer 

 it to enter his herd from either of these causes, since 

 it shows a culpable neglect of his stock. I am sorry 

 to say it is too common in this country, especially 

 in filthy barns. 



The cow afflicted with the mange is hide-bound ; the 

 hair is dry and stiff, and comes off. She is constantly 

 rubbing, and a kind of white scurfiness appears on the 

 skin. It is most perceptible towards the latter part of 

 winter and in spring, and thus too plainly tells the story 

 of the winter's neglect. 



