34^ History of Animal Plagues. 



pel duly the chyme or digesting matter into the lower guts. In order 

 to make a saving in the quantity of the milk which, if used alone, 

 would be considerable, it may be expedient to add some water and a 

 proportion of solid food of the nature above prescribed. The most tit 

 kind of such solid food is corn in a farinous state — -that is, reduced to 

 meal 5 which may be of any sort that is cheapest and most conveniently 

 to be obtained. This will be macerated so as to mix with the fluid 

 given with it if the digestive ferment be ever so weak, and will pass 

 with it forward into the small guts, if the action of the stomachs be 

 ever so slight. By these means proper alimentary matter will be con- 

 veyed into the lower intestines and there digested, as they and the 

 curd-bag are not, at least in the earlier stages of the disease, so disordered 

 and rendered incapable of their office as the three upper stomachs, the 

 default of the action of which will, nevertheless, in this method, be 

 made of much less consequence. 



'The nutrition of the beasts in the latter stage of the murrain will 

 be thus provided for, notwithstanding the impediments which the effects 

 of that disease otherwise produce to digestion, and the inanition thence 

 resulting, which conspires powerfully with the other causes of weakness 

 and putrescence to render the disease fatal, will be, in a considerable 

 degree, prevented. 



' The alkalies, which may be used to hinder the coagulation of the 

 milk given as food to beasts in the murrain, may be a small proportion 

 of soap or chalk. ^ The latter of these may be used more copiously 

 where a looseness comes on too early or too profusely, as it will check 

 such an evacuation without the danger of stopping it in case it be 

 critical. 



' By a proper use of these medicines and regimen it may be presumed, 



^ Tlie use of alkalies has been exploded by some eminent writers in all cases 

 where a putrescent disposition prevails from the notion of their promoting it, and 

 some of the most sensible of those who have treated of the murrain have adopted 

 the same opinion. But this objection to alkalies is not justly founded, as they have 

 not, when taken in moderate quantities, such an effect in the habit. The propor- 

 tion of them given medicinally is far too small to have any immediate action of this 

 kind on the whole mass of fluids, and in their consequence, from the operation they 

 may have in the intestines, they produce often the contrary effect. For by destroy- 

 ing the acescent ferment which prevails in cases of weak and disordered digestion, 

 they promote the proper digestive ferment, and prevent that increase of debility 

 and general injury to the habit which the faulty digestion would produce. It may 

 seem a paradox according to the effects of experiments made on the relative sub- 

 stances out of the body, but it is, nevertheless, absolutely true that alkalies check 

 also the putrid ferment of the digesting matter in the intestines, as is plainly evinced 

 by their removing almost constantly that species of heart-burn which arises from 

 the putrescence of animal food in weak and depraved stomachs. 



