222 VETERINARY LECTURES 



331. Mesenteric Disease. — The mesentery, or net, particularly 

 in well-bred cattle, is often the seat of abscesses, or tumours, of a 

 tubercular nature, and such animals go under the name of dyers, piners, 

 etc. The skin has a dirty yellow, scurfy appearance, very tight on 

 the body, and hide-bound ; there is also great emaciation and, as a 

 ruje, diarrhoea. Little can be done in these cases, medicine having 

 little or no effect. Sometimes, however, on the first appearance of 

 this disease, from 10 to 25 drops of strong sulphuric acid in 1 pint of 

 cold water may be serviceable, along with a wineglassful of cod- 

 liver or linseed oil daily. The most profitable plan is to test the 

 animals with tuberculin, and although they react, in some cases this 

 has a marvellous action, the disease is arrested, and the animal 

 commences to improve and get well ; but should this not take place, 

 then make away with them. Milk from such animals should never be 

 sold or used. 



3^2. Calves. — As already stated, the fourth stomach is the 

 largest in the calf, on account of the young animal living principally 

 on a milk diet. The first, second, and third compartments are not 

 required to prepare the food until the animal begins to eat hay, or 

 other rough material. The fourth stomach of the calf contains the 

 acid juices (the rennet, used in cheese-making), which have the 

 property of coagulating milk. This fact is of great importance in 

 the feeding of calves, showing that they should be fed frequently 

 and with small quantities for the first fortnight, at least. They 

 ought not to be fed less than four or six times a day, although most 

 farmers feed them only twice a day, giving large quantities at once. 

 This practice is much to be condemned, for, as soon as the milk 

 comes in contact with the walls of the stomach, it is coagulated, or 

 curded, this being the first process of digestion. The weak digestion 

 of the calf is quite unfitted for disposing of a large bulk at a time, 

 and perhaps some of the old curd is still in its stomach when next 

 fed. This sets up irritation and inflammation of that organ, which 

 Nature tries to relieve by means of diarrhoea, called white scour. 



333- White Scour is a discharge from the bowels of a dirty 

 white or yellowish coloured watery fluid, and due to the presence of 



