178 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



great loss which this country sustains, in this pe- 

 culiar departmenl of agricultural husbandry; which, 

 to set down at the lowest figures, would approxi- 

 mate one million of dollars annually! To show the 

 benefits that this country would derive from the ve- 

 terinary art, when, instead of being practiced, as 

 it is often done, by the ignorant and intemperate, 

 who assume the honors of the profession, without 

 a knowledge of its fundamental principles, it shall 

 be taught in our public institutions, and practiced 

 in a spirit of kindness and mercy, by intelligent, 

 high-minded and honorable men, — to point out the 

 benefits arising from a definite knowledge in rela- 

 tion to this science, which has hitherto been shroud- 

 ed in mystery, and associated with degradation, is 

 not, at the present time, my object. I would mere- 

 ly call the attention of your readers to a subject of 

 great importance, which is, — The Poisoning of 

 Cattle with Lead. 



During my professional career, many cases of 

 disease in the brain — spinal marrow — nervous sys- 

 tem, (generally, )and of the stomach, have come un- 

 der my observation, when in some cases the cause 

 of such maladies were as obscure and unsatisfac- 

 tory as the treatment. In some of these cases it 

 came to my knowledge that the animals were in 

 the habit of licking painted buildings, and tearing 

 off small portions of wood, on the surface paint, and 

 carbonate of lead was detected. At that time it 

 never entered into my mind that sufficient carbon- 

 ate of lead could be obtained in this way to poison 

 cattle, yet I have generally supposed that the arti- 

 cle, even in minute quantities, was capable of im- 

 pairing the physiological operations of the animal; 

 yet knowing that the vis medicatriz natura was 

 efficient under ordinary circumstances to restore 

 the balance of power when occasioned by trifling 

 causes, I admit that I did not give the subject that 

 attention which its importance demands. I shall, 

 however, for the future, pay more attention to the 

 subject. This poisonous mineral may, like arsenic, 

 &c., &c., (although introduced into the system in 

 very minute doses,) accumulate there and produce 

 its specific results. It makes no difference whether 

 an animal obtains carbonate of lead from the sides 

 of a painted house, or barn, or if he shall imbibe it 

 at the trough supplied from leaden pipes. The re- 

 sult is the same, provided, however, lead is found 

 to accumulate in the system. And who doubts it? 

 See that young man in the prime of life, (a painter,) 

 suffering from paralysis and rheumatism — his nerves 

 unstrung — living, yet half dead, suffering all the 

 horrors of our great national disease — dyspepsia. 

 Ask his opinion of the matter. It does not enter 

 his system in the same manner just alluded to, (by 

 the stomach,) yet in as certain a manner it enters his 

 system through the medium of absorption and cir- 

 culation, and is finally deposited in a tangible form 

 within the cellular tissues. The following com- 

 munication from the "London Veterinarian," (the 

 editor of which is a man distinguished for his vet- 

 erinary talents,) is worthy the attention of your nu- 

 merous readers. 



The best treatment I know of with a view of 

 counteracting the effects of carbonate of lead in cat- 

 tle, is to give as an aperient one pint of olive oil, 

 and if that does not operate at the end of twelve 

 hours, another dose may be ventured on; in the in- 

 termediate time a generous supply of weak lemon- 

 ade may be allowed. The following injection may 

 be given: 



Powdered Indian turnip, one ounce; 

 Boiling water, two quarts; 



Mix. When sufficiently cool, inject. 



If the animal is evidently in pain and the excre- 

 ment soft, omit the lemonade, and substitute a tea 

 of powdered poplar bark. 



1 am, Sir, with respect, 

 Your ob't servant, 



G. H. Dado, Vet. Practitioner. 

 Boston, May 15, 1851. 



The Poisoning of Cattle with Lead, popularly 

 knotrn as Stagsers or Head Disease. Bead be- 

 fore the Veterinary Medical Association, Edinburgh, 

 1847. With an Appendix and Additional 

 Notes. Bi/ M. Cuming, V. S., Ellon. Pamphlet 

 8vo, pp. 28. Avery, Aberdeen; Sutherland and 

 Knox, Edinburgh. 



A medical man never experiences greater satis- 

 faction than when bis anxious searclies after the 

 origin or cause of some fatal sporadic or endemic 

 disease among living beings, be they men or ani- 

 mals, have in the end been crowned with success. 

 Having made the desired discovery, he exclaims in 

 ecstasy, Tai dccouvert le pot aux roses'. He feels 

 as though he had the lives of those still living in 

 health in the region of the pestiferous agent at his 

 command; while he loses his regret for those that 

 have fallen victims to it in tlie joy he experiences 

 at their dead bodies having aus])iciously furnished 

 him with the knowledge by which he is empow- 

 ered to save others from the same grave. The 

 disease, the subject of the pamphlet before us, had 

 been rife, and as fatal as rife, in the part of the 

 country in which Mr. Cuming practised. During 

 May and June, 1845, his attention was first called to 

 it. Ten or twelve cases of what were called 

 "staggers, or head disease," occurred, which at the 

 time appeared to him "most anomalous." Ani- 

 mals were taken unwell; from beino- slightly be- 

 came alarmingly ill; and in from thirty to sixty 

 hours afterwards were dead corpses. And to ren- 

 der matters worse, their opened bodies exhibited 

 but the appearance of lesions of too trivial a na- 

 ture to warrant deductions from them of any prac- 

 tical or useful description. Although there was 

 not that uniformity of symptoms and post-mortem 

 relic, however, which epidemic diseases are wont 

 to bewray, yet did there exist, on reflection, suffi- 

 cient "points of coincidence" to suggest the infer- 

 ence that in all the same indentical cause had been 

 in operation. 



"I had seen," says Mr. Cuming, "the same dis- 

 ease frequently before, although I had never had 

 to do with treating it. It is no stranger in the 

 district where I then practised, as I could reckon 

 up, upon the authority of the owners of the ani- 

 mals, as many ^s fifty fatal cases of it unthin the 

 circuit of three miles, and a period of twelve years. 

 By the farriers in the quarter it is called 'the ill 

 trouble,' and allowed to pass as a visitation with 

 which there is no use contending. And in other 

 districts it is popularly known as the head disease, 

 staggers, loudness in the head, <^'C., names graphi- 

 cally characteristic of the symptoms observed." 



Being called in, ignorant as he was of the na- 

 ture of the malady and hopeless of its cure, Mr. 

 Cuming was, as a matter of course, expected "to 

 do something." He tried one remedy; he tried 

 another. All to no purpose; the patient died. He 



