170 THE STOCK owner's ADVISER. 



caused by constitutional debility, scrofulous diathesis, or by ex- 

 ternal and preventible causes. Thus we find it in calves which 

 are not allowed to suckle their mothers; in foals when mothers 

 are taken to work during the day and their offspring allowed to 

 suckle perhaps every morning and night, or at most three times 

 a day; young animals fed on artificial food in time of milk and 

 kept without exercise. 



Treatment. — The treatment must be both local and constitu- 

 tional; to be successful it must be energetic and persevering, re- 

 gardless of trouble until a cure is affected, or it becomes plain 

 that the case cannot be treated successfully. If the milk of the 

 mother is suspected, this may be remedied by changing or in- 

 creasing her food, and giving her alteratives and tonics. The 

 mother should take three drachms of sulphate of iron, pow- 

 dered gentian, three drachms, in the feed night and morning. 

 If the bowels are irregular, six drachms of aloes should be admin- 

 istered; if acidity of the stomach be present, lime water and lin- 

 seed oil, or castor oil, may be used. The limbs should be sup- 

 ported by sticking a strong piece of canvas around a strong splint 

 and lacing it around the limb. Care should be taken that the 

 splint does not chafe the limb in any way. The splint of wood 

 should be applied to the concave aspect of the curve, taking care 

 that it is of sufficient length to reach the unbent portions of the 

 limbs, both above and below curves. Keep the patient in a nice, 

 level paddock, and give food that tends to make bone, as bones to 

 a dog and oatmeal to foals. 



MOLLITIES OSSIUM. 



Definition. — An abnormal softening of bone^ due to the pres- 

 ence of a largely preponderating quantity of animal matter and a 

 correspondingly small amount of earthy material within the bone 

 substance. 



Symptoms. — There may be observed difficulty in mastication, 

 which gradually becomes well marked as the disease progresses. 

 The bones become enlarged and take on a soft and cartilaginous 



