290 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



water ; a wine-glass full of powder, mixed with cold lard and 

 forced in balls into the stomach ; a tea spoonful of unslaked 

 lime dissolved in a pint of warm water, shaken and given 

 immediately, or a pint of tolerably strong lye. The proper 

 mode of giving the above remedies, is for a person to hold 

 the horn and cartilege of the nose, while another seizes 

 and draws out the tongue as far as possible, when the medi- 

 cine is thrust below the root of the tongue. If liquid, it must 

 be inserted by the use of a bottle. The probang is used when 

 the former remedies are ineffectual. This consists of a tarred 

 rope, or a flexible whip-stalk three-fourths of an inch diame- 

 ter, with a swab or bulbous end. Two persons holding the 

 head of the animal so as to keep the mouth in a line with the 

 throat, while a third forces it into the stomach, when the gas 

 finds a passsage out. A stiff leather tube with a lead nozzle 

 pierced with holes, is best for insertion, through which the gas 

 will readily escape. Some one of the above purgatives should 

 be given after the bloat has subsided, and careful feeding for 

 some days must be observed. Light gruels are best for 

 allaying inflammation, and restoring the tone of the stomach. 

 When no other means are available, the paunch may be tap- 

 ped with a sharp pen-knife, plunging it li inches forward of 

 the hip bone towards the last rib in the left side. If the hole 

 fills up, put in a large goose-quill tube, which to prevent slip- 

 ping into the wound, may remain attached to the feather, and 

 the air can escape through a large hole in the upper end. 

 Prevention is vastly better than cure, and maybe always 

 attained, by not allowing hungry cattle to fill themselves with 

 clover, roots, apples, &c. When first put upon such feed, 

 it should be when the dew and rain is off, and their stomachs 

 are already partially filled ; and they should then be with- 

 drawn before they have gorged themselves. 



CHOKING is frequently relieved by some of the following 

 expedients. The use of the probang or whip-stock, mentioned 

 under the head of remedies for Hoven, by which the root is 

 forced into the stomach. A soft root may be crushed so as 

 to allow of swallowing, by holding a smooth block against it, 

 and striking with a mallet on the opposite side. If within 

 arms length, the root may be removed by hand. It is said 

 this can be done by tieing up the fore-leg with a small 

 cord close to the body, and giving the animal a sudden start 

 with a whip ; or by pulling the fore-leg out forward ; or by 

 pouring down the throat a pint bottle full of soft soap, mixed 

 with sufficient hot water to make it run freely. Prevention 



