CATTLE. 



inserted in the dewlap. Those of black hellebore-root are the best, 

 as producing the quickest and the most extensive inflammation. 



If the animal be not seen until the inflammatory stage of the fever 

 has nearly passed, the skill of the practitioner will be put to the test. 

 Has the animal been bled ? if it has not, nothing can excuse the 

 neglect of bleeding now, except debility too palpable to be mistaken. 

 It may perhaps be more truly affirmed, that even that should be no 

 excuse. This congestion of blood is a deadly weight on the consti- 

 tution, which the powers of unassisted nature will not be able to 

 throw off. It must be very great debility, indeed, which should 

 frighten the practitioner from this course ; and debility which, in 

 ninety-nine times out of a hundred, would terminate in death. As a 

 general rule in this stage of the disease, the effect of bleeding should 

 certainly be tried ; but cautiously — very cautiously — and with the 

 finger constantly on the pulse. If the pulse gets rounder and softer 

 as the blood flows, the abstraction of blood will assuredly be service- 

 able ; and if the pulse becomes weaker, and more indisiinct, no hann 

 will have been done, provided that the orifice be immediately closed. 



Physic will, in this stage of the disease, also be indispensable ; but 

 double the usual quantity of the aromatic should be added, in order 

 to stimulate the rumen, if the drink should get into it, and also to 

 stimulate the fourth stomach and the wliole of tlie frame, if fortunately 

 it should reach so far as this stomach. A pound of the Epsom salts 

 at first, and half-pound doses afterwards, until the bowels are opened, 

 will be sufficient in this stage ; and if, after the fourth dose, (injec- 

 tions having been given in the meantime,) purging is not produced, 

 the quantity of the aromatic, but not of the purgative, may be 

 increased. It is probable that the medicine has found its way into 

 the rumen, where it will remain inert until that cuticular and com- 

 paratively insensible stomach is roused to action by the stimulus of 

 the aromatic. No other medicine should be given until the bowels 

 have been opened ; and in many cases very little other medicine will 

 afterwards be required. 



The bowels having been opened, recourse should be had once more 

 to the pulse. If it indicate any degree of fever, as it sometimes will, 

 (for the apparent debihty is not always the consequence of exhaustion, 

 but of vascular congestion,) the physic must be continued, but the 

 constitution would perhaps be too weak for the direct sedative medi- 

 cine. On the other hand, however, no tonic medicine must be given. 

 If, however, the pulse be weak, wavering, irregular, giving sufficient 

 intimation that the fever has passed, and debility succeeded, recourse 

 may be had to tonic medicines. The tonics, however, which in such 

 cases would be beneficial in cattle, are very few. Mineral tonics have 

 rarely produced any satisfactory rc^sult — but in gentian, calombo, and 

 ginger, the diseases of cattle find almost everything to be wished. 



