50 COLD AND COUGH HOOSE, 



pear sunk in tlie head, and he rapidly loses flesh. The best remedy 

 here, so far as both the owner and the animal are concerned, is the 

 pole-axe of the butcher ; for in the early part of the disease the meat 

 is not at all injured, and may be honestly sold. If, however, it is 

 wished that an attempt should be made to save the animal, the cough 

 and fever drink (No. 1, p. 46) may be given daily; more attention 

 should be paid to the warmth and comfort of the beast ; and, if the 

 weather is favourable, it should, after a while, be turned into a salt 

 marsh, either entirely, or during the day. 



CHAPTER VI. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS. 



When common catarrh has been neglected, it will sometimes run 

 on to inflammation of the lungs, or the beast may be attacked with 

 this disease without any of the previous symptoms of catarrh. This 

 is a very serious complaint, and requires the most prompt and deci- 

 sive treatment. 



The symptoms are dulness, shivering, and cough that is particu- 

 larly sore; the ears, roots of the horns, and legs are sometimes cold, 

 but not invariably so, as the quantity of cellular membrane about the 

 legs is often sufficient to keep them warm in spite of the nature of 

 the complaint; the breath and mouth are hot; the mouth is generally 

 open, and there is a ropy discharge from it; the beast will often lie 

 down, and can scarcely be induced to move ; the flanks heave very 

 laboriously, and the head is protruded, showing the great difficulty 

 of breathing. The pulse is not always much increased in number, 

 but is oppressed, and can sometimes scarcely be felt. 



Inflammation of the lungs is caused by the perspiration being ob- 

 structed from sudden and great changes of the weather, especially 

 when accompanied with wet. Cattle that are driven long distances, 

 and then exposed to the cold and damp air of the night, are particu- 

 larly liable to it. In most cases it can be traced to the cattle being 

 imprudently exposed to cold ; but when the cause is not so apparent, 

 it oftenest attacks those that are in good condition. 



Young cattle, and particularly calves, are more subject to this dis- 

 ease than older ones ; and in them it must be principally attributed 

 to their being in a state of plethora, that is, having a redundancy of 

 blood in their systems. 



Sometimes the membrane covering the lungs and lining the chest 

 is the })art principally attacked ; the disease is then termed pleurisy^ 

 and is in this form often complicated with rheumatism, but it is more 

 usual for the substance of the lungs to be affected in common with 

 their envelopments. 



