Congenital Infections of Calves 683 



first sign of this, the fault should be corrected. Very largely 

 it is too much milk, at least too much for the calf in ques- 

 tion. The milk supply should therefore be decreased and 

 care should be taken to see that it is clean, and, if boiled, 

 that the boiling has been efficient. At the same time, if 

 conditions at all justify, calf scours serum should again be 

 given or, often with better effect, bacterins made from cul- 

 tures from its feces or stock cultures from the herd. In 

 such cases enemas of salt solution, as recommended at birth, 

 repeated twice daily, are useful. 



As an economic measure, in order that the milk may be 

 sold on the market, substitute foods have been recommend- 

 ed. There can be no material objection to them if they 

 maintain the condition of the calf as well as good clean 

 milk, no more than there should be objection on the part of 

 the dairyman to synthetic milk or butter placed upon the 

 market for human use. I think it has not yet been shown 

 that any substitute can equal good milk in either field, 

 though a good substitute may be superior to bad milk. The 

 calf may have supplementary foods very early, perhaps 

 most profitably oatmeal or linseed meal in moderate amount. 

 When these infections have been neglected and a calf per- 

 mitted to become feeble, abscesses occur in the lips and 

 cheeks. The underlying infection must be handled first. 

 The abscesses should be opened early and freely and they, or 

 any ulcers, cauterized with silver nitrate or sulphate of 

 copper. Calves suffering from dysentery or lesser alimen- 

 tary disturbances, acquire morbid appetites and swallow 

 straw, hay, feces, shavings (bedding), and various in- 

 digestible substances. The abnormality is probably never 

 seen in a healthy calf. If it proceeds far, there are usually 

 very severe symptoms, which are often confusing. Some- 

 times the presence of indigestible material, usually packed 

 into a large dense mass in the stomach, causes an obstinate 

 dysentery against which all remedies are futile. Some- 

 times the masses pass on into the intestine and become im- 

 pacted there. In some cases the calf has severe convulsions 

 similar to those due to lead poisoning from licking paint. If 



