THE DISEASES OF CATTLE. 183 



PUERPERAL FEVER MISTAI^N FOR " HORN-AIL." 



Deplorable Event. — Monday, June 15th, 1 o'clock, p.m.; 

 was requested to proceed to Medford, for the purpose of giving 

 professional advice regarding the treatment of a valuable cow, 

 said to be afflicted with " horn-ail." The animal was owned by 

 Mr. E., a man well known to our citizens as an industrious ex- 

 pressman, and one who could not afford to lose an animal which 

 contributed largely for the support of his family. 



The history of the case may be briefly condensed, as follows : 

 The patient, at that period, was the mother of a fine, healthy 

 calf, three days old ; had been somewhat exposed to the vari- 

 able weather prevailing at the time ; was first observed to have 

 lost her cud, as the saying is, or to have ceased ruminating ; 

 her head drooped ; the udder became hard and swollen ; the 

 secretion of milk small ; the breathing rapid ; eyes dull. Soon 

 after the attack she got down, and turned her head towards the 

 left side, and would occasionally throw it recklessly about. 

 The horns were cold, and in consequence, " the neighbors per- 

 suaded the owner that his cow was the subject of horn-ail." 

 The horns were bored in several places, and pepper, etc., in- 

 troduced within their cavities ; but the suffering creature grew 

 no better very fast. In the meantime she was " dosed and 

 doctored." 



Present symptoms at the time of my visit. — The animal 

 lies on the right, her head turned to the left side ; pulse flutter- 

 ing, cannot be counted. The expiratory murmur is gurgling ; 

 in number, twenty-two. She is unconscious, insensible to man- 

 ipulation, and unable to rise. The eyes have lost their bril- 

 liancy, and are amaurotic. A few tears are passing over the 

 inner canthus, and run down the cheek. She evinces little signs 

 of life, except by respiratory action. Traces of effused blood 

 are seen on a small portion of protruded rectum, and the inner 

 part of the labii of the vagina is brightly reddened. Various 

 parts of the body differ in temperature ; the frontal regions and 

 horns very hot ; lumbar regions cold ; fore extremities warm ; 



