DISEASE AMONG SWINE AND OTHER DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 107 



extensive inflainuiationaud serous effnsiou. The only remedies in this disease in popular 

 use, which are relied on, seem to be hercnlean and to some extent empirical. The first 

 remedy which I will mention is to bleed profusely on the discovery of the first symp- 

 toms of the disease, and then give a dose of spirits of camphor, spirits of turpentine, 

 and tincture of asafetida, and whisky. All of this seems very contradictory, but it 

 is confidently relied on by many who have witnessed its eftects. I saw it tried once 

 in an advanced stage of the disease — too late for any remedy to do any good — but in 

 two or three minutes perspiration poured out from every pore. I think if there is any 

 good in this dose it is owing to the almost caustic and destrnctive effect of turpentine 

 on the flesh of the brute creation. I kuow that bleeding alone will not arrest the dis- 

 ease. The other remedy is to take two switches, sharpen and introduce them through 

 the nostrils in the region of the brain, then give them a thrust and pull them out, 

 when the blood is said to flow freely, and if used in time the horse recovers. I heard 

 one man say that he once tried the remedy, and the hoi-se fell as dead as if his brains 

 had been shot through with a ball. The preventives are simple and sure. They are 

 simply sound food. I know that damaged grain will produce it, even if the damage is 

 so slight as not to be I'eadily discovered, as new-ground corn often is, or sliipped corn, 

 slightly heated from incipient fermentation, or late corn affected with smut. My 

 experience on these points is full. In lS',i6 I lived in Montgomery County, Alabama. 

 The corn and cotton crop that year was a failure. Most persons got their corn from 

 New Orleans, which had been shipped down the Mississippi Eiver in flat-boats. The 

 corn generally looked well, and when planted came up, but much of it was damaged 

 and great numbers of horses died of " staggers." I was a boy then, and I heard it 

 attributed to the shipped corn ; and I have never liiown a case of " staggers " which I 

 could not trace to some of the above-mentioned causes. A few years ago I sold some 

 corn to two log-men for the use of their oxen. They had one horse each, and both 

 were valuable animals. I knew the corn had been heated, and in the most urgent 

 manner cautioned them against giving it to their horses. But they fed their animals 

 with it, and both horses died of " staggers." Some pastures at certain times are said to 

 produce the disease. In such cases it would seem that it is caused by a web on the 

 grass. 



The following remarks on the treatment of horses will perhaps be new to many : 

 About twenty-three years ago I had a horse very badly foundered. I tried various 

 remedies of empirics, but my horse grew worse. After witnessing his sufferings for 

 several days I resolved to kuow what the founder was (having a contempt for such 

 works on farriery as I had then seen). I prepared to cut into and lay off the whole 

 of the thin covering of the bottom of the foot. Setting my knife obliquely to avoid 

 puncturing the capillaries as much as possible, I introduced it at a point between the 

 frog of the foot and the toe. As soon as I punctured the thin horny covering a serous- 

 looking Huid was emitted. I extended the incision far enough to examine the integu- 

 ment underneath this covering. I discovered the mucous covering of the capillaries 

 entirely separated from the horny portion of the foot. The vascular portion of the foot 

 was highly inflamed and as sensitive as an exposed nerve. I then cut into the other 

 foot and let out this serum. It seemed to me to be analogous to an ordinary blister 

 on the skin, where the cuticle is lifted up and leaves the mucous coat or serum inter- 

 vening. This serum showed no disposition to harden on exposure to the air and stop 

 up the orifice, but continued to be as limpid as oil of turpentine. He was a long time 

 recovering, Init when he did recover the cure was radical. The foot .was not the 

 least afifected. After he passed out of my possession I continued to inquire after his 

 welfare. He never foundered again or complained of his foot. Had this lymph re- 

 mained in the foot it would have formed a fungus substance, which would eventually 

 have produced what is known as chronic founder. This operation should never be 

 performed until several days after the founder is known to have caused this effusion. 

 The incision should not be large, and should be made very oblique in order to cover 

 the integument. After the inflammation had entirely subsided the exposed parts were 

 very tender, and I had thin, solid shoes put on, which covered the entire bottom of his 

 feet, and he traveled without any difficulty. 



I have had several horses foundered since, and I never found any difficulty in curing 

 them in twenty-four hours by fastening around their ankles cloth or rags and pouring 

 warm water on the bandages. I have generally carried it so far as to produce blis- 

 tering of the ankles, which has sometimes been slow in curing up. This remedy should 

 be applied as soon as the founder is discovered, and before the formation of the serous 

 discharge. In no case should the horse be used for several days. I believe that oil of 

 turpentine would answer the desired end if used on the ankle after several hours' use 

 of the warm bath, applying after the hair is wiped dry. 



I have observed in horses a very marked tendency to metastasis when diseased. This 

 peculiarity may account for their susceptibility to the action of counter-irritants. 



All other agricultural interests sink into littleness when compared with cattle-rais- 

 ing. In the Gulf and South Atlantic coast it is blended with our hygiene and civili- 

 zation, and yet it is hard to find an example of any interest so much neglected. Per- 



