148 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



November 21, 1832. 



From the Philodelphia Album. 



A GENERAL DESCRIPTTON OF THE 



DISEASES OF CATTLE. 

 The internal disorders of cattle may with pro- 

 priety, be divided into two classes. 



First, those of the organs snliservieiit to diges 

 tion and cliylification ; secondly, those of the san 

 guiferous system, or blood vessels. The former 

 may be cured by means of the three simple pre 

 scriptions I have alhided to ; the latter by the 

 fleam. Li both, however, the animal's diet is an 

 object of the greatest importance ; for to what 

 purpose would it be to remove the accu- 

 mulated matter which occasions the disorder- 

 ed state of the digestive organs, ware the ani- 

 mal still kept on the same diet which produced 

 it ; or what benefit could be expected from reliev- 

 ing the vital organs when oppressed by a redun- 

 dancy of blood, if the animal were afterwards al- 

 lowed to feed at pleasure, and form as much blond 

 again, in a short time, as that which liad been 

 drawn off? 



In the treatment of the disorders of cattle, at- 

 tention to feeding is an essential olijtct, and is 

 equally, or more important, as a means of jireven- 

 tion ; for it is not too much to assert, that nearly 

 all their disorders originate in improjier manage- 

 ment as to feeding. A morbid susceptibility, or a 

 predisposition to disease, may be propagated by 

 negligence in breeding, and may be produced by 

 taking animals from their native soil and climate, 

 and placing them in colder situations ; for cold and 

 moisture are often powerful agents in lessening the 

 vital power, and especially that of the digestive 

 organs. Still the principal, and often the imme- 

 diate cause of tbeir disorder, is improper feeding. 

 The most fruitful source of disease in rattle, and 

 especially milch cows, is bad hay,» ,ind even such 

 as is by many considered tolerably good. The 

 fibrous parts of such hay gradually accumulate be- 

 tween the leaves of the third, or foliated stomach ; 

 here they are compress^ed froti time to time, and 

 become matted together, and being detained by 

 numerous papilliB, with which the surface of the 

 leaves is covered, produces at length a morbid 

 condition of the fourth stomacli, and often ol the 

 bowels also. The most common symptom of this 

 state of the digestive organs is named the yrlhws ; 

 from the milk in one of the quarters of the udder, 

 becoming of a yellow color, and stringy, as it is 

 termed, that is, mixed with small filamentous co 

 agula, or curds, often offensive in smell and taste, 

 and sometimes streaked with l)loo<l. The acrimo- 

 ny of the milk causes a swelling and hardening of 

 the quarter; and unless it is drawn off several 

 times a day, it often so inflames the cellular texture 

 of the udder, as to terminate in suppuration, and 

 an obliteration of the receptacle, or ipiarier, as it 

 is commonly named. The opening drench never 

 fails of curing this disorder, if given in season, and 

 one dose is sufficient; after taking it the animal 

 must be kept at grass, as that food, and the exer- 

 cise used in obtaining it, is essential to her recov- 

 ery. In higher degrees of this disorder, where 

 the cow ceases to ruminate, or chew the cud, 

 yrhere the appetite goesoff, and the milk is almost 

 entirely lost in all the quarters, the drench should 

 be assisted by whey, as directed in the treatment 

 of red water; and when scouring succeeds, the 



cordial astringent drench must be given, as di. 

 rected in the treatment of scouring or scantering. 

 The swollen udder requires only the application 

 of sweet oil, or foot oil. ' 



When cattle are turned suddenly into good pasl 

 ture, they sometimes fill the rumen or paunch, S(| 

 hastily, and so distend it, that it is rendered inca 

 pable of returning the food to the mouth for rumi 

 nation. Fermentation then takes ])lacc, by whicl 

 much air is generated, and the distention soon be 

 comes such as to suffccatc the animal, unless re- 

 lief is afforded by introducing the instrumen 

 named aprobang, and letting out the confined air 

 As soon as this has been done the opening drench 

 must be given, and the aninial turned into a bare 

 pasture, where she must be for some time attend 

 ed, and have the fermenting food removed from 

 the mouth as it is thrown up ; without this 

 precaution it may be ruminated, and again swal 

 lowed, and the third and fourth stomach so filled 

 with ii, as to produce the flatulent colic, and a fa- 

 tal inflammation of the stonjach and bowels, from 

 excessive distention of the air, which would be 

 generateil, for in those cavities air coidd not es 

 cape upwards in consequence of their valvulai^ 

 structin-e. Should this fresh disorder, through 

 negligence, be permitted to happen, the ojiening 

 drench is still the best remedy that can be em-, 

 ployed. Another method is sometimes made use 

 of for relieving an animal in this disorder, whicl 

 is commonly named hoven, blown, or blasted,* tba 

 is, a sharp knife is plunged through the leftside 

 into the distended rumen, or first stomach. The 

 part where it is most prominent is chosen, viz : 

 between the last rib and ihe hi]) bone ; and always, 

 on the left side. The air being thus completely 

 let out, the wound is closed by a pitch plaster, and 

 the animal tinned into a bare pasture, where it 

 may get plenty of exercise and little food, that is, 

 after the fern)enting food has been removed from 

 the mouth as before described. This method, 

 however, is Eventually injurious, and must be su- 

 perseded by that of introducing a probang, and 

 letting out the confined air by the mouth ; a uielh- 

 od first proposed by Dr Alunroe. The wound in 

 the rumen, as it heals, always adheres to the side, 

 and thus a regular contraction of the cavity is over 

 aft<'rwards prevented, and rumination thereby 

 rendered dilficult and imperfect. Sonieiinies 

 when an animal is turned into good grass, espe- 

 cially about the month of August and September, 

 when the grass is high and abundant, from having 

 been well watered, they eat a great deal during 

 both the day and the night, but not so mi;ch as to 

 hinder rumination. Thus they gradually fill all 

 the stomachs, and towards morning become so op- 

 pressed, that they lie down on the cold grass, 

 which is, perhaps, wet or covered with hoar frost. 

 Digestion is thus put a stop to, and the animal of- 

 ten suffocated by the excessive distention of the 

 stomachs. In this disorder, which is commonly 

 called fog sickness, the probang must be intro- 

 duced, and the opening drench given. The ani- 

 mal must then be made to move if possible, and 

 the food that is thrown up into the mouth must be 

 removed. Here, also, a bare pasture is necessary 

 afterwards ; no other medicine is required ; but a 



•Unwholesome water is often a cause of di; 

 ixttls, especially milch cowc. 



' I have lately been infornieil that hoven or blasted 

 cattle have been quickly relieved by {;iviiig four ounces 

 of carbonate of soda, half a pint of castor oil, and a pint 

 of water. The person who gave me this information, 

 says be has never known this to fail. 



free access to water is necessary to soften and 

 carry oft" the accumulated food, and when this has 

 been accomplished, the cordial astringent drench 

 may be necessary, morning and evening, for two 

 or three days, to restore the tone of the injured 

 stoinachs and bowels. It is probable, however, 

 that this would be more eftectually, though more 

 slowly accomplished, by keeping the animal in a 

 bare pasture. 



Sotnetimes when the animal is kept in rich pas- 

 ture during the month of June, the appetite is 

 powerfid, and the digestion quick and iicrfect, and 

 thus, in a short tiine, so much rich blood is 

 formed, as to exceed the capacity of the blood 

 vessels, and then inflammation is produced in some 

 vital organs, and nothing but the most copious de- 

 pletion of the blood vessels will save the animal's 

 life. The lungs are the part most likely to suffer, 

 and next, the brain and the kidneys; producing 

 mad staggers, or the inflammatory red water : and 

 in steers or heifers, or in yearlings, the quarter ill 

 is thus produced. In all cases of internal inflam- 

 mation, the animal appears stupid and heavy; the 

 breathing is disturbed ; the nose and the upper lip 

 hot and dry ; the horns hot, especially at the roots, 

 and the vessels of the eye distended. The pulse 

 rises to above 100, and the appetite is usually lost. 

 All these symptoms quickly increase, and unless 

 the animal is properly treated, terminate fatally. 

 IJIceding is the essential remedy, and must be per- 

 formed as early as possible. The quantity of 

 blood drawn should not be regarded, but the ef- 

 fect which is produced by it, that i.s, faintnessf 

 Ills gradually ceases, and after a few hours he 

 jipears relieved and cheerful, and often desirous 

 of food. But this must be given caulioi:sly ; the 

 iatcet i)asture is the best place for him; but lie 

 jiiay be allowed now and then a ciuart or two of 

 fresh whey, which will serve to unload the stom- 

 achs and bowels. This remedy (bleeding to faint- 

 ncls,) alw.ays succeeds pcrli'ctly if employed in 

 seion, and followed by a suitable diet. In the 

 rnaitli of September and October, scouriuB,^eD 

 takes place, especially in animals predi^UVlo 

 thel disorder by hereditary weakness, Wc^ent 

 calling, weakness of the stomach and bowols, 

 gradually induced from several winters' feeding 

 on lad hay. Animals that have been taken from 

 their native soil and climate, are also subject to 

 thisHisorder, as well as remarkably good milkers, 

 andfhis is the period when scouring generally 

 coninences. In this case the cordial astringent 

 dreii'h must be given every morning and evening, 

 as drected in the Compendium, but must always 

 be |re*edcd by the opening drench, at whatever 

 periiil the disease may occur. This remedy, I 

 havelieason to believe, will always succeed, if em- 

 ployed in season, and if the time of the year will 

 admitof the animal being kept at grass. 



In fery cold and wet weather, when shelter 

 hecoties necessary, intervals of fine weather 

 must De taken advantage of, for some grass and 

 some exercise are essential to recovery ;* and 

 when frass is deficient, either in quantity or qual- 

 ity, tbt best food is good hay, in moderate quanti- 



* I hive lately been Informed that many scouring 

 cowshEVe been cured by giving once or iivice a day a 

 drench tnade by boilinif thrte or four sheets oi large 

 common writing paper in three pirits of skimmed milk, 

 until re(bced to a pulp. One pint of this is a dose ; and 

 my corrtfpondent adds, that he has never known it to 

 fail. The cow is fed on the sweetest hay, and turnadeut 

 for exercke when the weather is fine. 



