60 THE NATURE AND TREATMENT OP 



of food, and lies down upon the straw, where it heaves and 

 snorts, while it breathes heavily, quickly and painfully. 



" 3. Period of last Struggle. — The respiration becomes more 

 heavy, and the breath more fetid, very warm, and even hot. 

 The animal is constantly on the stare, has often a violent thirst, 

 and groans much. The under belly becomes distended, and 

 then generally ensues billions watery secretions from the 

 bowels, of a very offensive character, and frequently tinged 

 with blood, after which the paunch collapses. The animal 

 suffers, in general, from the commencement of the disease, only 

 four or five days, seldom more than six or seven, till death, and 

 in the last struggle breathes or rattles in the throat, with wide- 

 set open mouth. 



^^Administration of Muriatic Acid. — The fuming, unadul- 

 terated muriatic acid, is at the beginning of the disease, so cer- 

 tain a remedy, that of twenty head of sick cattle, scarcely one 

 is lost. Also, in the second period of disease, more than one- 

 half of them are saved. But in the third period, its use be- 

 comes less decided, at the same time that many animals are 

 saved, even in the last extremity, by the administration of 

 strong doses, and the acid is found preferable to every other 

 remedy. Cows far gone in calf, can only be cured in the first 

 period of the disease. As soon, therefore, as the symptoms of 

 murrain, in any case, make their appearance, the cure must 

 immediately be attempted. In case, however, one or more an- 

 imals in the same house have already been attacked, the others 

 may be assumed to have caught the disease as soon as they lose 

 their appetite or cease to chew the cud, and steps may be taken 

 with these accordingly, without waiting for further symptoms. 

 The muriatic acid must be given within short intervals, and in 

 strong doses, diluted with a proper quantity of water, a differ- 

 ence being made according to the character of the murrain, the 

 degree, of disease, the violence of the attack, and the strength 

 and age of the animal. Even the season and the state of the 

 weather must be attended to, in reference both to the degree 

 of murrain and the curative influences. 



