NEUROTOMY. 173 



The most frequent caus€ of palsy is the turning out of beasts of 

 every kind, but particularly cows, too early to grass, after they have 

 been housed during the winter and first part of the spring. One- 

 fourth of the stock is sometimes completely chilled and palsied be- 

 hind in the course of two or three nights. The general health will 

 not be much affected, except that, perhaps, hoose comes on ; but 

 the beasts will lay three or four weeks before they recover the use of 

 their limbs. 



The treatment of this disease may be summed up in one word — 

 comfort. The cattle should, if possible, be immediately removed 

 into a warm, but not close, cow-house, and well littered, and a rug 

 thrown over them, turned twice in the day, and so laid that the faeces 

 and urine will flow from them. 



Physic should be first administered. This species of palsy is 

 usually attended b}'- considerable constipation, ichkli must he over- 

 come ; but with the physic, a good dose of cordial medicine should 

 always be mixed. Give an ounce of powdered ginger, and a half 

 pint at least of good soun>l ale. Except in diseases of a decidedly 

 inflammatory nature, or of such a state of nervous irritability as 

 tetanus, the physic of cattle should be mixed with aromatics, and 

 frequently with ale. It is to the administration ©f these cordials in 

 cases of fever that we object ; no fuel should be then added to fire ; 

 but in general cases, with the constitution of the cow mild cordial 

 medicine does not disagree. 



In palsy, there is usually an indifference to food. This is reason 

 for giving a little cordial with the physic. The beast should be 

 coaxed to eat — the food which is in season should be off"ered to it, 

 and frequently changed. Hand-rubbing, and plenty of it, should be 

 used two or three times every day about the loins ; a stimulating 

 liniment may be applied, consisting of equal parts of spirits of tur- 

 pentine, camphorated spirit, and hartshorn. The chief dependence 

 is on keeping the bowels open, and the animal comfortable ; and then 

 in from ten days to a month he will usually get up again. 



Strychnine would be worth a trial where the purgative comforta- 

 ble system fails ; but that succeeds so often, that we should be 

 loth to have recourse to anything else in the first instance. 



nomaoxiatliic treatment. — The chief remedies to be used are : 

 aconitum, arsenicum, arnica, belladonna, hryonia, crocus colcnrea, 

 carhonica causticum, dulcamara, rkus toxicodendron, ruta, sulphur, 

 ferrum, cinchona, &c. If paralysis result from rheumatism, we 

 should employ arnica, ferrum, rhns, rhuta, lycopodium, and sulphur. 

 If from debility, cinchona, fernm, hurytn, carhonica, silphur, and 

 calcarea. If from apoplexy, arnica, helladonna, hryonia, nux vo- 

 mica, &c. If from injury, arnica, aconitum, dulcamara, &c. 



NEUROTOMY. 



Veterinary surgeons, to relieve the pain which the horse must 



