112 



THE GENESEE FAEMER. 



THE BEST DOCTOR FOR ANIMALS. 



""We have seen a great deal of doctoring for sick 

 animals, — some successful, and a great deal of it 

 nnsuccessful, — and we have long since come to the 

 conclusion that the most skillful physician we have 

 ever met with is 1 )octor Nurse. If an animal, (as 

 well as hunuui being,) is not carefully taken care 

 of, — nursed, — all the medicine in the world can 

 do but little good. And, on the other hand, with 

 good nursing, medicine is generally unnecessary. — 

 Our own observations lead to the oinnion that in 

 at least nine cases out of ten, as commonly admin- 

 istered, medicine does more harm than good. 



An eminent New York Physician said that 

 taking medicine was always a choice of evils — that 

 being poisons in nearly all instances, they necessa- 

 rily did harm to the system, and were never to be 

 employed unless there was a strong probability 

 tliat they would benefit more than injure. This is 

 not the rule adopted in doctoring horses, by most 

 horse-jockies, and others having care of these ani- 

 mals, if we might judge from the way in which 

 gunpowder, salts, red pepper, turpentine, whiskey, 

 corrosive sublimate, and other violent remedies, are 

 administered at hap-hazard, increasing in nearly 

 all cases the violence of the decease. It may be 

 laid down as a general rule, that it is much safer to 

 give too little than too much medicine ; and that 

 none should be given unless we know distinctly 

 how it is to operate, and what it is for. 



Some years ago, a valuable horse caught cold, 

 and was troubled with a cough so severe that he 

 might be heard half a mile, and which appeared to 

 be rapidly reducing his flesh. "We had an abund- 

 ance of prescriptions from neighbors of all kinds 

 of frightful medicines, enough to have killed him 

 had he been in perfect state of health. "We con- 

 cluded to discard all, and to place him under the 

 attention of Dr. Nurse. Great care was taken 

 never to work him to perspiration — he was blan- 

 ketted whenever the weather w^as chilly — he was 

 fed regularly and moderately on succulent food, 

 all such food partaking of the character of expec- 

 toi-ants, and favoring a free discharge from the 

 lungs — and all his other wants were observed as 

 well as we were able to, and promply supplied. In 

 six weeks he was perfectly well. Had some nos- 

 trum been employed, it might have injured him 

 and prevented recovery ; or if it had not, Dr. 

 Nurse might not have been called in ; but if he 

 had, and the medicine had not greatly retarded his 

 recovery, and he had got well in six months, itjwould 

 unquestionably have been regarded as an extraor- 

 dinary cure. At another time, a valuable mare, 

 eleven years old, was badly sweenied by hard work 

 — the worst case of sweeney we ever met with. 

 It was generally regarded as a hopeless case — but 

 various remedies were proposed and offered, cost- 

 ing from §2U down to $3. "^^e concluded that our 

 friend Dr. Nurse should be again called to the ex- 

 clusion of all these fellows, and the consequence is 

 that with simple careful moderate treatment, the 

 animal is well and the sweeney filled up. 



The majority of sick horses get well ; every 

 owner tries so.tw remedy ; and that particular 

 medicine that he happened to be using at the time, 

 gets all the credit — atthough, as a general thing, it 

 retarded more or lesa his recovery. 



"We must make one exception in the general re- 



jection of medicines — there is one, which if given 

 moderately, can scarcely ever injure, and may do 

 much good. This \» powdered charcoal — a power- 

 ful antiseptic, and absorbent of bad matter, while, 

 unlike most other medicines, it does not irritate — - 

 a most important advantage. A clear illustration 

 of this advantage recently occurred in the case of 

 a fine calf five months old, which had become 

 bloated by eating too many apples, blown down by 

 a violent gale. Its sides became extended by wind 

 to an almost incredible size ; a solution of saleratus 

 was poured down its throat repeatedly, and aa 

 often thrown out violently on account of its irrita- 

 ting action on the throat of the young animal. It 

 continued for eighteen hours with little or no im- 

 provement, when a large tablespoonful of powdered 

 charcoal mixed with half a jiint of water was given. 

 The dose was swallowed without any difficulty, 

 and in four hours the calf appeared to be perfectly 

 well. Charcoal may be given in nearly all cases 

 of derangement of the digestion, whether with 

 men or beasts, with great advantage. One-half to 

 a teaspoonful is a full dose for a man, and as much 

 for an animal as his food exceeds that of a man. 



We do not mean to say that there are not other 

 medicines that do not occasionally prove eminently 

 useful ; but unless they can be given understand- 

 ingly, — with a full comprehension of their mode 

 of action, and with an undoubted knowledge 

 of the exact nature of the disease, — and their use 

 sanctioned by very clear and distinct previous 

 success, — it would be much safer to discard them. 

 — Country Gentleman. 



BREEDS OF CATTLE IN ENGLAND. 



From statistics published in the last Journal of 

 the Eoyal Agricultural Society^ we learn that the 

 cattle exhibited at the Metropolitan Market, in 

 London, consisted of the following breeds : 



Shorthorns 33.00 per cent 



Herefords 9.25 " 



Devons 5.00 " 



Longhorns 1.00 " 



Crosses 16.00 " 



Highlanders 2.00 " 



Polled Scots 4.00 « 



Ayrshire 0.25 " 



Irish Crosses 8.00 " 



Welsh runts 1.50 " 



Irish 9.00 « 



Bremen, Toning, Dutch and German 9.50 " 



Spanish and Portugese 1.50 " 



100.00 " 



" The above table shows that the Shorthorned 

 breed of beasts now stands at the head of the lisfc 

 of stock, for what may be termed general consump- 

 tion. They have gone on progressing at a wonder- 

 derful rate since the commencement of the present 

 century, and they are now to be found in almost 

 every county in England, as well as in Ireland and 

 Scotland. We may further observe that half-bred 

 beasts, between the Scots and Short-horns, have 

 considerably increased within the last twenty 

 years. The changes in the various breeds in this 

 period have been remarkable. Whilst the Short- 

 horns and crosses have incrersed, the Herefords, 

 Devons, Longhorns, and polled beasts bare de- 

 clined considerably. The same may bo naid of 

 Welsh runts ; but wo find a great increase in Irish 

 cro.?se.s, no doubt with the short-horned breed im- 

 ported from this country." 



