MANGE. 439 



These two circumstances — hide-bound and a staring coat — are 

 unerring indications of evil. A cow may be somewhat off her feed 

 — she may hoose a httle — she may have various little ailments ; thev 

 should not be neglected ; but while the skin is loose, and the hair 

 lies smooth, the farmer has not much to fear ; if, however, the coat 

 begm to stare, and the skin to cling to the ribs, it behooves him to 

 examine into the matter. 



If the unthrifty appearance cannot be traced to any evident cause, 

 still there can be no doubt that something is wrong. Hide-bound 

 is rarely a primary disease ; it is a symptom of disease, and oftener 

 of disease of the digestive organs than of any other. A dose of 

 physic should be given (eight ounces of sulphur, wiih half an ounce 

 of ginger,) and a few mashes should be allowed. After this, medi- 

 cines should be administered that have a tendency to rouse the ves- 

 sels of the skin to their due action, as sulphur, nitre, and antimonial 

 powder, with a small quantity of ginger. No direct tonic should be 

 administered while the cause of this want of condition is unknown, 

 but warm purgatives and diaphoretic medicines will often have a 

 good eflfect. 



MANGE. 



This is the most serious among the diseases of the skin in cattle. 

 The first symptom is a constant itchiness. The cow eagerly rubs 

 herself against everything that she can get at. The hair comes 

 quite off, or gets thin on various parts of the body. There are few 

 scabs or sores ; but either in consequence of the rubbing, or as an 

 effect of the disease, a thick scurfiness appears, particularly along 

 the back, and in patches on other places. It is first seen about the 

 tail, and thence it spreads in every direction. The cow soon begins 

 to lose condition, the ridge of her back becomes prominent, and her 

 milk decreases, and sometimes is deteriorated in quality. 



The causes are various ; they are occasionally as opposite as it is 

 possible for them to be. Too luxuriant food will produce it ; it will 

 more certainly follow starvation. The skin sympathizes with the 

 overtaxed powers of digestion in the one case, and with the general 

 debility of the frame in the other ; and nothing is so certain of 

 bringing on the worst kind of it as the sudden change from com- 

 parative starvation to luxuriant food. Want of cleanliness, although 

 highly censurable, has been oftener accused as the cause of mange 

 than it deserves ; but to nothing can it more frequently be traced 

 than to contagion. 



The treatment is simple and effectual. The diseased cattle should 

 be removed to some distant stable or shed where there can be no 

 possible communication with the others. The disease, however pro- 

 duced, must be considered and treated as a local one. The scurfi- 

 ness of the skin must first be got off, by means of a hard brush, or a 



