428 THE dairyman's manual. 



The next usual symptom of disorder is the suspension 

 of rumination, or 'Moss of cud." This is generally ac- 

 companied by roughness of the skin, dullness of the 

 eyes, and apj^arent lassitude, tlie cow moping and stand- 

 ing apart with the head down and occasionally grinding 

 the teeth. When these symptoms are noticed it is time 

 to be on the alert to discover the cause of the trouble 

 and apply an immediate remedy. Usually some circum- 

 stance may be recalled which will account for the dis- 

 turbance — some over-feeding, some exposure, or neglect, 

 or even some change of feeding, which is often sufficient 

 to disarrange the system and cause sickness. Neglect of 

 timely precautions may in such cases bring on serious 

 disease of the blood and a general inflammatory condition 

 which will subject the animal to danger of infection by 

 means of germs of disease which are always present in 

 the atmosphere, waiting for a favorable opportunity of 

 becoming sown in a suitable soil, so to speak, where all 

 the requisite conditions for their immediate growth may 

 be presented. The first approaches of disease are usually 

 silent and inconspicuous. Some little changes may be 

 noted, but these seem so insignificant that they are passed 

 over without any serious thought, and are forgotten. 

 Here is the greatest mistake that is made. It is far 

 easier to prevent mischief than to cure or avert it when 

 it has arrived. The lower animals, witli dull nervous 

 systems, patient and uncomplaining, exhibit no signals 

 of distress until the strength fails and disease has taken 

 a strong hold upon them. In many cases remedies are 

 then too late which at the outset might have successfully 

 prevented a serious attack. 



A dose of some simple purgative medicine, as a pint or 

 a quart of raw linseed oil when the digestive organs are 

 disturbed, or a pound or twenty-four ounces of Epsom 

 salts when there are inflammatory or febrile symptoms, 

 or one-ounce doses of hyposulpliite of soda when the 



