296 VETERINARY LECTURES 



bed of dry sawdust or moss litter answers well in such cases ; and 

 when the bones of the feet are exposed, and the claws spread apart, 

 antiseptic dressings should be secured over the parts with the figure- 

 of-eight bandage. Milk from the ailing cows quickly affects young 

 calves and pigs, and this often fatally. It should, therefore, never 

 be given to animals until it has been well boiled, yet I have seen farm 

 servants drink the milk fresh from such animals without any ill-effects. 



465. Red -Water, Black -Water, Muir-Ill, or Haemo- 

 Albuminuria. — Known in America as Texas fever, tick fever, 

 and in the Argentine as La Tristuza. A deterioration of the blood 

 and disintegration of the red corpuscles, mostly found affecting 

 cattle, yet I have seen two cases of it in horses. In both of these 

 latter subjects the urine was of a dark port-wine colour, but there 

 was little or no accompanying constitutional disturbance, the animals 

 merely appearing dull and languid, with a great absence of appetite, 

 for two or three days. Both cases readily yielded to saline laxative 

 medicines, supplemented with boiled barley and bran mashes con- 

 taining a little salt. These animals had been grazed on pastures on 

 which red-water in cattle was very prevalent, several of the cows on 

 the pasture being affected at the same time. The disease, although 

 due, in the first instance, to some peculiarity of the food, may be 

 regarded as a deterioration of the blood, and the most striking 

 symptom is the dark red or black colour of the urine, which is passed 

 from the bladder in a slow, jerking, spiral stream, causing a bubbling 

 froth as it falls on the ground ; but there is no coagulation, or blood- 

 clot, as is seen when there is haemorrhage from the kidneys, ureters, 

 or bladder. Formerly, this used to be a very common malady in 

 the North of England; but improvements of late years in the drainage, 

 and the application of artificial manures, have gone far to make it 

 a disease of rare occurrence. Forty to fifty years ago, it was nothing 

 uncommon to see ten or twelve cases in as many hours ; but during 

 the last thirty years, I have had very few cases. I have never seen 

 it follow parturition, nor have I seen it in a bullock or young calf, 

 and only thrice have I seen it affect stall-fed animals ; these cases 

 were, however, very slight, and soon recovered. 



