MILKFEVER. 79 



of straw should be got under her, and her fore-quarters should be 

 considerably raised, so that the dung and urine may flow away. It 

 not unfrequently happens, that as soon as the cow begins thoroughly 

 to purge she gets up and walks about, although still continuing for a 

 while in a very weak state. 



In order to make her as comfortable as possible, the cow should be 

 shifted from side to side twice in the day ; all filth of ev^ery kind 

 should be carefully removed, a warm cloth thrown over, and warm 

 gruel or linseed-tea frequently offered to her with mashes, if she will 

 eat them. 



It will be a very bad symptom if she begins to swell, and there are 

 frequent belchings of very foetid gas. If the digestive powers are thus 

 weakened there is but little hope. The following ball should then be 

 given, still continuing the purgative medicine if necessary : — 



RECIPE (No. 31). 



Cordial Drink. — Take caraway powder, one ounce: gentian, powdered, half an 

 ounce ; ginger, powdered, half an ounce ; essence of peppermint, 20 drops. 



This, in the form of a ball, will probably find its way into the paunch. 

 Half the quantity of the above ingredients should also be given morn- 

 ing and night as a drink, in a pint of warm ale, and the same quantity 

 of thin gruel. 



If the cow should continue to swell, relief must be obtained by 

 means of the flexible pipe for that purpose; and, if the proprietor has 

 the pump which should accompany the pipe, some gallons of warm 

 water in which a little ginger has been boiled may be thrown into 

 the paunch, in order to wash out a portion of its contents. Should 

 not the pipe be at hand, an opening may be made into the paunch at 

 the flank with a sharp-pointed knite, in the usual manner; or, if the 

 case is becoming absolutely desperate, the operator will be justified 

 in enlarging the opening so as to admit the hand, and gradually take 

 out the greater part of the undigested food. The edges of the wound 

 should then be brought together and held by two or three stitches, 

 the divided skin and the wall of the paunch being included in each 

 stitch. 



Tiiere is one thing that should not be omitted, and that is the at- 

 tempt, two or three times every day, to bring back the milk, by dili- 

 gently stroking the teats. As the dryino- up of the milk is the earliest 

 symptom of the attack of the disease, so the return of it is the happiest 

 promise of recovery. 



If the cow does not get up on the third or fourth day, there is but 

 little chance that she ever will. The case, however, should not be 

 abandoned, for she has done well even after the fourteenth day. 



If the udder is hard and knotty the camphorated oil (No. 11, p. 53) 

 should be well rubbed over it twice every day ; and if it is very hot 

 and tender, fomentations of warm water should be used, but no cold 

 lotion is admissible in such a case. 



As the cow is frequently unwilling, and sometimes unable, to take 



