292 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



and is sometimes owing to increased or altered quality of the 

 bile. It is manifest by the yellowness of the eye and skin, 

 and high color of the urine, and poor appetite. Remedy. 

 Bleeding and purgatives with Epsom salts ; or, if taken in 

 season, 2 ounces ground mustard, mixed with a liquid, and 

 given twice a day. Green food is a good preventive. 



MAD ITCH. This disease exists in some of the western 

 states, and shows itself by jerking of the head and itching 

 around the nose and base of the horns. They will lick their 

 sides and backs, and jerk and hiccup till they fill themselves 

 with wind ; afterwards they froth at the mouth, and in 24 

 hours, die raving mad. Remedy. Give as much soot and 

 salt as the animal will eat ; soon after give 3-4 or 1 Ib.brim- 

 stone or sulphur, and 8 hours, after as many salts. 



BLOODY MURRAIN, OR RED WATER. This disease first 

 shows itself in a cough, then heaving of the flanks, with bloody, 

 black and foetid faeces, tenderness over the loins, and coldness 

 of the horns. Tumors and biles sometimes appear. The 

 animal holds down the head, moans, and is restless and stag- 

 gers when walking. 



We have lost several animals by this fatal disease, and are 

 riot aware of having cured any when severely attacked. In 

 repeated instances we have seen large flukes taken out of the 

 liver, strongly resembling the common leech, which abounds 

 in many of our swampy lands. It is certain that on new, low 

 swamps and clay lands, cattle are most liable to it ; and when 

 they have been subject to repeated attacks in such localities, 

 clearing and draining have checked it. Youatt attributes it 

 to certain kinds of forage which is peculiar to the above situ- 

 ations. We are rather inclined to attribute it to exposure, to 

 excessive dampness, and especially to miasma ; for although 

 the brute creation are perhaps less sensitive to these influences 

 than man, yet, as they are governed by the same unvarying 

 laws of nature, when subjected to conditions totally unsuited to 

 their economy, they must suffer equally in kind, though prob- 

 ably not in degree, with the more refined human frame. But 

 it is evident the disease, its causes, and remedies, are as yet 

 imperfectly understood. Remedies. However intelligent men 

 may differ as to its causes, all agree that the animal should 

 first be bled and then thoroughly purged. In obstinate cases, 

 this last is a difficult matter. We have given repeated doses 

 of powerful cathartics without producing any effect; and 

 whenever the medicine is inoperative, death speedily follows. 

 Large doses of common salt, or Epsom salts dissolved in wa- 



