THE DISEASES OF CATTLE. 199 



ach ; then an opposite mode of treatment must be pursued, 

 such as a change of food to that of a more nutritious character, 

 and the frequent administration of small doses of ginger and 

 goldenseal. 



Breeding cows require a great deal of care and some watch- 

 ing ; careful selection of the right kind of food for the neces- 

 sary wants of the animal and her foetus in utero is indispen- 

 sable ; neither the one nor the other can be expected to enjoy- 

 good health on a diet of slops, swill, brewer's grains, cornstalks, 

 rotten potatoes, frozen turnips, damaged meal, musty hay, or 

 sotir apples, etc. 



Care is also requisite in providing for the animal's wants in 

 regard to " watering" This is a subject of great importance 

 yet very few husbandmen give it that attention which its im- 

 portance demands. The horrible stagnated stuff found in some 

 pastures and water-troughs, which the thirsty creatures are 

 compelled from sheer necessity to imbibe, is surely operative 

 in producing very many unnecessary diseases, derangements, 

 and abortions. 



Some Watching is Necessary. — A cow likely to abort, 

 is generally " off her feed," does not ruminate according to her 

 accustomed activity ; she fails to yield the daily quantum of 

 milk ; her condition is noticed to be unthrifty, and on inspecting 

 the vagina it is observed to be the seat of a glairy discharge. 

 Such an animal should be immediately isolated from the rest 

 of the herd, and proceeded with as above directed. 



It is said that a very common cause of abortion is sympa- 

 thetic influence. (See " sympathy," page 255. 



There is another matter of some importance to be considered 

 in view of prevention : I allude to breeding, and I refer the 

 reader to an article under that caption, page 147. It is my opin- 

 ion that thousands of the abortions which occitr among our 

 domesticated animals in this country, are for the benefit of the 

 several races, present and to follow. For, if the offspring of 

 cows, whose systems have been debilitated by a too early use 

 of the sexual organs ; and those of other parents, laboring 

 mder organic disease, malformation, and stunted growth ; 



