SECRETARY'S REPORT. 89 



■warm. That is the most successful treatment, I thhik, in the 

 early stages of the disease. 



Then Dr. Thayer alluded to two more confirmed cases, in 

 which he prefers to use iodine, in some form. In diseases of the 

 mammary glands iodine was usually very effective. 



A Member. — It seems to me there is a great dififerencc 

 between garget and inflamed bag. There is no trouble in 

 removing any inflammation from the bag ; but I don't believe it 

 is within the power of man to cure garget, because the glands 

 are closed. A few years ago I thought I would know something 

 about diseases of cattle. I studied Dr. Dadd and everybody 

 else, and finally I became disgusted with myself for thinking I 

 knew anything about the matter. I have used oils and iodine, 

 and everything that could be named. At last I gave it up that 

 I knew nothing about it. As a general thing, the cow that has 

 the greatest strain on the glands has bloody milk. The garget 

 I don't believe can be cured. 



Mr. Stone, of Sturbridge. — I agree with the gentleman last 

 up. I had a most excellent cow that was troubled with garget. 

 I tried hot water, but could not stop the flow of milk. I applied 

 to Dr. Richards and gave the remedies he prescribed, but could 

 not cure her. She calved in April, and the disease came on in 

 September. She had been milked regularly all the time. I 

 sold her in December. The bag was running when I sold her. 

 If that was the garget I believe it could not be cured. 



Mr. Thompson, of Nantucket. — I would like to say a word 

 about applying a remedy before you might think it was needed. 

 Why do we vaccinate the human system to prevent the small- 

 pox ? If we take such a course with the human lystem, why 

 may we not give a heifer a pound or a pound and a half of salts 

 before we know she is going to have an inflamed bag or not ? 

 All of us agree that none of us can tell when and how this 

 trouble is to come. • 



As to the high feeding being the cause of the trouble, I had a 

 friend on our island who fed a cow on salt hay that had a bag 

 terribly inflamed for three weeks, and the calf nursed all the 

 time, and punched and bunted all he wanted to. 



I had to reduce that inflammation by my method. It is not 

 always, therefore, the best kept animal that has this trouble, as 

 I know from that case and others that I have seen. We talk 



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