MEDICINES USED IN THE TREATMENT OF CATTLE. 459 



of salt with the food of cattle. It appears to be the natural and 

 universal stimulus to the digestive organs of animated beings, in 

 this place, however, its medicinal power alone is the subject of con- 

 sideration. It is a purgative, second to the Epsom salts in the first 

 instance ; and, whether from the effect of the change of medicine, or 

 of some chemical composition or decomposition which takes place, it 

 is the surest aperient that can be given when the Epsom salts has 

 failed ; but the writer does once more indignantly protest against the 

 disgraceful, beastly menstruum in which it is frequently administered. 

 It is a tonic as well as a purgative, and therefore perhaps somewhat 

 objectionable in the early stage of fever. It frequently recalls the 

 appetite more speedily than any stomachic. When a dose of it is 

 given to the animal recovering from acute disease, debilitated, listless, 

 careless about or refusing its food, it sometimes has an almost magi- 

 cal effect in creating a disposition to feed. It is a vermifuge which, 

 in cattle, seldom fails. 



Silver, Nitrate of. Lunar Caustic. — Used for the destruction 

 of warts, either in its solid state, or that of a strong solution ; 

 and, from the full command which the operator has over it, and the 

 firm eschar which it forms, is the very best caustic that can be applied 

 to a wound inflicted by the bite of a rabid dog. 



Sulphur. — A very good aperient when the object is merely to 

 evacuate the bowels, or when there is any cutaneous affection ; but 

 not sufficiently powerful in cases of fever : yet even there purgation, 

 once established, may be kept up by means of it. The dose varies 

 from eight to tw^elve ounces. As an alterative for hide-bound, mange, 

 or generally unthrifty appearance, it is excellent combined with 

 ^thiop's mineral and nitre ; and it constitutes the basis of every 

 ointment for the cure of mange. 



Tonics. — These are indicated in cases of great, and especially of 

 chronic debility, but, administered injudiously, they have destroyed 

 thousands of beasts. They have done so when they have been poured 

 in while the fever continued, or too soon after the subsidence of the 

 fever, and when too great a disposition to its reappearance prevailed. 

 When disease has been once removed, the powers of nature are 

 usually sufficient to re-establish health. Gentian, Colombo, and cas- 

 carilla, are the best, and almost the only safe tonics for cattle. 



TumiERic, or colored pea-flour, for it is seldom anything more, is 

 fit only to give that yellow color to cattle-medicines, which long usage 

 has accustomed the cow-herd and the cow-leech to consider as indis- 

 pensable. 



Turpentine. — Several of the products of the fir tree are more or 

 less useful in the medical treatment of cattle. 



Tar, spread upon coarse cloth, is the best covering for broken 

 horns, and excludes both the fly and the atmospheric air. It is use- 

 ful for the ^ame purpose in cases of wounds puncturing the belly or 



