400 CATTLE. 



teats are sore, and the bag generally hard and tender, she should 

 be gently but carefully milked three or four times every day. 

 The natural and the effective preventive of this, however, is to let 

 the calf suck her at least three times a day if it be tied up in the cow- 

 house, or to run with her to the pasture, and take the teat when 

 it pleases. The tendency to inflammation of the udder is much 

 diminished by the calf frequently sucking ; or should the cow be 

 feverish, nothing soothes or quiets her so much as the presence of 

 the little one. 



THE CLEANSING. 



The placenta, or after-hirth, or cleansing, should be discharged 

 soon after the calving. It soon begins to act upon the uterus as a 

 foreign body, producing irritation and fever : it likewise rapidly be- 

 comes putrid and noisome, and if it be then retained long, it is either 

 an indication of the weakly state of the cow, or it may produce a 

 certain degree of low fever that will interfere with he*' condition. 

 Every cow-leech, therefore, has his cleansing diink ready to admin- 

 ister ; but it is too often composed of stimulating and injurious 

 drugs, and which lay the foundation for after disease. The aperient 

 drink recommended to be given after calving, with the addition of 

 half a pint of good ale to it, will be the best assistant in this case, 

 and I he only thing that should be allowed. 



Should the cleansing continue to be retained, some have recom- 

 mended that a weight of six or eicrht ounces should be tied to the 

 cord, the gentle and continual action of which will u-ually separate 

 the placenta from its "adhesions, without any risk of haemorrhage : 

 but if the after-birth should still remain in the womb, and decompo- 

 sition should evidently commence, the hand must be introduced into 

 the passage, and the separation accomplished as gently as possible. 



There is, however, a great deal more fear about this retention of 

 the after-birth than there needs to be, and it is only the actual ap- 

 pearance of inconvenience or disease resulting from it that would 

 justify a mechanical attempt to extract it. It is occasionally retained 

 seven or eight days, without any dangerous consequence. 



Homoeopathic treatment.. — The after-birth does not always come 

 away immediately ; it sometimes remains either entirely or in part 

 in the womb, a circumstance which might bring on fatal consequen- 

 ces. The means to be employed in such a case have been already 

 mentioned under the head abortion. Experience has ascertained 

 the efficacy of several other remedies for the anamolies which may 

 occur (luring the act of parturition ; chamomilla, pulsatilla, and 

 cannabis, when the cow does not lie down, when she is restless, and 

 the pains properly so called are not sufficiently marked ; secule cor- 

 nutum, in case of convulsions and excessive straining ; pulsatilla, 

 when the pains are too slight to advance the labor ; opium in case 



