GENERAL CARE OF CATTLE. 355 



when ejected, and the afterbirth comes away 

 slowly and is extremely noisome. Such cases 

 are almost invariably followed by great loss of 

 flesh and general breaking down of health. 

 The coat becomes staring and rough, with the 

 cow dull and feverish at first, and a general 

 decline ensues. She comes in heat quickly 

 and is likely to be very irregular in her bull- 

 ing. Such cases are often fatal, and if there is 

 any taint in the animal's blood by inheritance 

 the congenital defect is sure to show itself. 

 The only treatment is good fare and general 

 tonics. No attempt to breed the cow should be 

 made for weeks, or till she has regained her 

 normal appearance and regularity of heat. 

 Should she be bred while the uterine trouble is 

 actively present she will in most cases fail to 

 stand, and the disease will be aggravated; and, 

 if she should stand, a second abortion would 

 almost surely follow. Indeed, one of the great? 

 evils of abortion is that a cow having once 

 aborted may do so again and again in suc- 

 cessive years; generally at the same period. 

 This fact, that the time of a subsequent abor- 

 tion is apt to be approximately that of the pre- 

 ceding, gives warning and enables the owner to 

 make use of preventives. 



Where the calf is born alive or if dead is yet 

 not offensive, showing that it has only died in 

 the immediate process of expulsion serious 



