DISEASES OF THE OX AND SHEEP. 547 



and the feces are dry, hard, scanty, and buttoned, of a chocolate, 

 clayey, or even white colour, and generally coated with mucus. 

 The milk, if the patient be a milk-giving cow, is yellow and pro- 

 duced in small quantity, and the cream is thick and ropy. The 

 animal may occasionally be troubled with pains like those of 

 colic. The skin has a harsh and staring appearance, and is 

 coated with a brownish matter. The urine is scanty in amount, 

 frequently passed, and of a very yellow or deep-brown colour. 

 In fact the kidneys and the skin furnish the channels by which 

 the bile is conveyed out of the system. The number of respira- 

 tions is increased slightly, and the pulse is soft, weak, and 

 generally frequent, if there be inflammation, but otherwise slow. 

 The animal is very dull, depressed, listless, devoid of energy, 

 thirsty, and has a dry muzzle. 



If the disease becomes chronic, and the liver enlarged, there 

 is a great dejection and loss of condition, and a marked dis- 

 inclination for exertion. It is then very difficult to cure. The 

 animal may gradually succumb or be carried off by an acute 

 attack of diarrhoea. After death the liver may be found 

 atrophied, or much enlarged and softened (though softening of 

 the liver is not very frequent), or containing abscesses. The 

 peritoneal covering may show deposits of lymph. In regard to 

 treatment, it is well to stimulate, or in some cases to blister, the 

 region of skin corresponding to the seat of the diseased organ. 

 For this purpose mustard and turpentine or the tincture of 

 croton may be used. 



A simple saline cathartic will be found beneficial, or a drench 

 made of about twelve ounces of solution of aloes, six ounces of 

 sulphate of magnesium, and one drachm of mercury with chalk, 

 given in ale gruel, and repeated in twenty-four hours' time, if 

 purgation does not take place. One drachm of mercury with 

 chalk may be given daily for a day or two. If any soreness of 

 the mouth is thereby caused, or much discharge of saliva, this 

 must be desisted from at once. The bowels should be kept open. 

 The food should be nutritious, but supplied in small amount, 

 and consist of carrots, turnips, mashes, oilcake, and so on. A 

 little diluted nitro-hydrochloric acid (see the Veterinary Phar- 

 macopoeia) may be added to the water supplied, but only just 

 sufficient to impart an agreeable acid taste. Careful nursing is 

 requisite. Enemas may sometimes be advantageous. 



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