248 CATTLE. 



muzzle be a little dry, and the root of the horn hot, and she heaves 

 (although not much) at the flanks, and the coat is not so sleek as 

 usual, and she is a little oflf her feed, let her be bled. Experience 

 will teach the farmer that these ch.st affections, in cattle, often and 

 speedily assume a highly inflammable character, and that they must 

 be conquered at the first, or not at all. 



To bleeding should succeed a dose of Epsom salts, with half an 

 ounce of ginger in it, to prevent griping and to promote perspiration, 

 and to excite the rumen to action ; but no hot, stimulating drinks. 

 To this should be added warmth, warm mashes, warm drinks, warm 

 gruels, and a warm but well ventilated cow-house. 



Cough and Fever Drink. — Take emetic tartar, one drachm ; pow- 

 dered digitalis, half a drachm ; and nitre, three drachms. Mix, and 

 give in a quart of tolerably thick gruel. 



Purging Drink. — Take Epsom salts, one pound ; powdered cara- 

 way-seeds, half an ounce. Dissolve in a quart of warm gruel, and 

 give. 



It will be proper to house the beast, and especially at night ; and 

 a mash of scalded bran with a few oats in it, if there be no fever, 

 should be allowed. It is necessary carefully to watch the animals 

 that are laboring under this complaint ; and, if the heaving should 

 continue, or the muzzle again become or continue dry, and the 

 breath hot, more blood should be taken away, and the purging drink 

 repeated. At the close of the epidemic catarrh, the animal will 

 sometimes be left weak and with little appetite. It should be weL 

 ascertained whether the fever has quite left the beast, because list- 

 lessness and disinclination to move, and loss of appetite, and slight 

 staggering, may result as much from the continuance of fever as 

 from the debihty which it leaves behind. If the muzzle be cool and 

 moist, and the mouth not hot, and the pulse sunk to nearly its natu- 

 ral standard, or rather below it, and weak and low, the following 

 drink may be ventured on : 



Take emetic tartar, half a drachm ; nitre, two drachms ; powdered 

 gentian root, one drachm ; powdered chamomile flowers, one drachm : 

 and powdered ginger, half a drachm. Pour upon them a pint of 

 boiling ale, and give the infusion when nearly cold. 



When the beast begins to recover, he should not be exposed in 

 any bleak situation, or to much rough weather. 



In some years this epidemic disease destroys a great many cattle. 

 In the winter of 1880, and in the spring of 1831, thousands of 

 young cattle perished in every part of the country. Some of them 

 were carefully examined after death, and the membrane hning the 

 windpipe was found to be inflamed, and the inflammation extending 

 down to and involving all the small passages leading to the air-cells 

 of the lungs, and the passages filled with worms. 



There are some substances which are immediately destructive to 



