CATARRH, OR HOOSE. 247 



proper nourishment, or to keep up proper warmth ; and the more 

 forward drive the others about, and permit them to obtain only 

 a small portion of their proper share of the provender, and then 

 the depressing effects of cold, and vret, and hunger, so debilitate 

 these poor beasts, that they are seldom without catarrh — and that 

 catarrh too frequently runs on to a more serious disease. 



Some breeds are more subject to hoose than others. The na- 

 tives of a southern district are seldom naturalized in a colder 

 chme without several times passing through severe catarrh ; and, 

 where the system of breeding in and in has been carried to too 

 great an extent, and been pursued in defiance of many a warn- 

 ing, hoose, perpetually occurring, difficult to remove, and degene- 

 rating into confirmed phthisis, will painfully, but somewhat too 

 late, convince the farmer of his mistake. 



The principal error, however, of the agriculturist is, not that he 

 suffers the causes of hoose to exist, or always gives them exist- 

 ence, but that he underrates the mischievous and fatal character of 

 the disease. To this point we shall refer again and again ; and if 

 we can but induce him to listen to the dictates of -humanity and of 

 interest, the present treatise may rank among those which have dif- 

 fused some useful knowledge. 



There is no disease of a chronic nature by which cattle are so se- 

 riously injured, or which is eventually so fatal to them, as hoose ; 

 yet very few of those whose interest is at stake, pay the slightest 

 attention to it. The cow may cough on from week to week, and no 

 one takes notice of it until the quantity of milk is seriously decreas- 

 ing, or she is rapidlj^ losing flesh, and then medical treatment is 

 generally unavailing. The disease has now reached the chest ; the 

 lungs are seriously affected ; and the foundation is laid for confirmed 

 consumption. 



It is far from the wish of the author to inculcate a system of over- 

 nursing. He knows full well that those cattle are most healthy 

 that are exposed to the usual changes of the weather, yet somewhat 

 sheltered from its greatest inclemency. He Avould not consider 

 every cow that hooses as a sick animal, and shut her up in some 

 close place, and physic and drench her, but would endeavor to pre- 

 vail on the farmer to be a great deal more on the look-out. The 

 herdsman should be aware of every beast that coughs. It may be 

 only a slight cold, and in a few days may disappear of itself. He 

 may wait and see whether it will, unless there be some urgent symp- 

 toms; but, these few days having passed, and the cow continuing to 

 hoose, it begins to be imperatively necessary for him to adopt the 

 proper measures, while they may be serviceable. 



If she feed as well as ever, if moisture stand upon her muzzle, and 

 >T",r flanks are perfectly quiet, then one or two nights' housing, and 



nash or two, oi a dose of physic, may set all right. But if tha 



