GENERAL CARE OF CATTLE. 343 



time of the year should be given a good dose 

 of some cooling purgative. I find that a drench 

 of from one to two pounds of Epsom salts dis- 

 solved in as much water as is necessary, which 

 will be about a quart, administered immedi- 

 ately after calving and repeated in five or six 

 hours if it does not act, is an almost certain 

 preventive. I never omit this, as it is beneficial 

 in all cases and highly necessary in some. 



Despite all precautions milk fever will some- 

 times supervene. In that case the most prompt 

 measures must be adopted, as unless taken in 

 the early stages it is almost certain to be fatal. 

 In such a case call in 'a veterinarian as quickly 

 as one can be secured, for professional treatment 

 of the most skillful sort will have enough to do 

 to save the cow. Where a veterinarian cannot 

 be had at once, or not at all, I know of no better 

 remedy than that recommended by Dr. A. J. 

 Murray, in his admirable little work on "Cat- 

 tle and Their Diseases." This is tincture of 

 aconite given in the proportion of twenty-five 

 to thirty drops to a pint of thin gruel every 

 three or four hours, beginning with the earliest 

 premonitions of the disease, till 120 to 130 drops 

 have been taken. In connection with the acon- 

 ite a pound of Epsom salts, mixed with an equal 

 amount of common salt and one ounce of gin- 



