272 CATTLE. 



and the health of the animal. In all these cases of chest affection 

 there is so little prospect of savintr the beast, that it would be the 

 interest of the owner to have him slaughtered at the beginning, if he 

 be at all in condition, or rather if he be not deploribly thin. 



HomKOjyathic treatment. — The chief remedy to be employed is 

 aconitiun, of which one dose is to be taken every two, three, or four 

 hours, according to the severity of the fever, until it has entirely 

 ceased. The same doses of hryonia are to be given, at intervals of 

 from eio-ht to twelve hours at least, which remove the remainder of 

 the disease. Chamomilla contributes to restore the secretion of milk 

 in milch cows. 



PHTHISIS, OR CONSUMPTION. 



This is only a continuation of the same subject, or, rather, it is a 

 description of another termination of chronic disease of the lungs. 

 One of the consequences of continued inflammation of the lungs is the 

 formation of tubercles. There is a greater or smaller number of little 

 distinct cysts, or cells, into which some fluid is poured in the progress 

 of inflammation. These enlarge, and occupy a space varying from 

 the size of a pin's head to that of a large eg^. By degrees the fluid 

 changes to a sohd, and the tumor becomes harder than the surround- 

 ina^ substance, and so continues for awhile — the consequence of 

 inflammation, and the source of new irritation and disease. 



At leno-th it once more changes. The tubercle begins to soften at 

 its centre', something like suppuration goes on there, and the contents 

 of the swellings become perfectly fluid, but of a difierent nature from 

 that which first filled the cyst. It is now pus. The cyst increases 

 with greater or less rapidity ; it comes in contact with neiohboring 

 ones, and the walls of each are absorbed by their mutual pressure. 

 They run together and' form one cyst, which is called an abscess, or 

 vomica. 



An animal possessing this tuberculated state of the lungs, and the 

 tubercles running into abscesses, is said to be consumptive. So much 

 of the lunor is destroyed, that there is not enough left for the purposes 

 of life, and the patient w^astes away, and dies. 



The lungs of the cow, after chronic or neglected catarrh, or bron- 

 chitis, or pneumonia, or pleurisy, are much disposed to assume this 

 tuberculated and ulcerated state. The symptoms of consumption are 

 not always to be distinguished from those of pleurisy, or even pneu- 

 monia or bronchitis ; and sometimes there may be extensive ulceration 

 of the XxxxiQS without any indication of disease sufficient to attract 

 notice. When a bullock is fattened for the butcher, and killed, we 

 occasionally wonder to observe how little of the lung is left for the 

 purpose of breathing. 



A cough is the earli^-st symptom, but a cough of a peculiar char- 



