APPENDIX. 293 



head, which are generally discharged by the nostril, if not 

 interrupted by the gimlet and officious meddling. 



The mucous membrane is a duplicative of the skin, and is 

 folded into all the external orifices of the animal, as the 

 mouth, ears, nose, lungs, stomach, intestines, and bladder ; but 

 not being exposed to the action of external agents, it is not 

 so strong or thick as the skin. It performs nearly the 

 same office as the skin. If the action of one is suppressed, 

 the other immediately commences the performance of its 

 office : thus a common cold, which closes the skin, immediately 

 stops insensible perspiration, which is now forced through the 

 mucous membrane, producing a discharge from the nose, eyes, 

 bowels, &c. ; so, when great derangements of the mucous 

 membranes exist, debilitating perspiration succeeds. It is 

 evident that a proper attention to pasturing, stall-feeding, 

 and due consideration of the comfort and convenience of the 

 animal, would prevent horn, as well as any other ail that neat 

 cattle are often attacked with. If the horns are cold, it is 

 indicative of disease in the lungs, liver, or intestines ; if they 

 are hot, the fluids are determined to the brain. 



Mr. Lawson thus discourseth on the diseases of cattle : 

 "It is much to be lamented, that few men of requisite knowl- 

 edge and experience have written on this subject. The reci- 

 pes usually recommended are perplexing from their number, 

 useless, or, rather, pernicious, from the heterogenous ingredi- 

 ents they contain, and far too expensive for general use. 



" It should be considered that animals living in a state of na- 

 ture, regulated by the experience and reason of man, would 

 be almost wholly exempt from disease ; that their appetites, 

 unlike our own, may be held under a constant control ; that 

 their diseases result purely from the negligence or erroneous 

 treatment of their owners. They are either exposed too 

 much to the rigors and changes of the weather, or they are 

 gorged with food, denied a sufficient quantity, or supplied 

 with such as generally proves injurious. Hence we learn the 

 chief causes of their maladies. 



" Learn to prevent them, instead of undertaking the tedious, 



