262 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



Common salt and water, made strongly saline, is a usual country 

 remedy. New milk, with a proportion of tar equal to one-sixth of 

 the milk, is highly spoken of. A strong solution of prepared am- 

 nionia in water often brings off a great quantity of air, and relieves 

 the animdfl. Any of these internal Ifcmedies may be made use of 

 when the hoven has recently taken place, and is not in a violent 

 degree. But when otherwise, the introduction of an instrument is 

 proper, and is now very generally resorted to. The one principally 

 in use is a species of probang, invented by Dr. Munro, of Edinburgh, 

 Another consisting of a cane of six feet in length, and of con 

 siderable diameter, having a bulbous knob of wood, has been invented 

 by Eager, which is a more simple machine, but hardly so effica- 

 cious. It is probable that in cases of emergency, even the larger 

 end of a common cart whip, dexterously used, might answer the 

 end. But by far the best instrument for relieving hoven cattle, as 

 well as for clystering them, is Read's enema apparatus, which is 

 alike applicable to horses, cattle, and dogs. It consists of a syringe, 

 to which tubes of different kinds are applied, according to the pur- 

 pose, and the kind of animal to be operated upon. There is a long 

 flexible tube for giving an enema to horses and cattle, and a smaller 

 one for dogs. To relieve hoven bullocks eifectually, it is necessary 

 not only to free the stomach from an accumulation of gas, but from 

 the fermenting pultaceous mixture which generates it ; for this pur- 

 pose a tube is applied to the extremity of the syringe, and then 

 passed into the animal's stomach, through the mouth, and being 

 put in action, the offending matter is discharged by a side opening 

 When the same operation is performed on sheep, a smaller tube is 

 made use of. The characteristic excellency of Read's instrument, 

 is, that there is no limit to the quantity of fluid that may not be 

 injected or extracted. The same syringe is used for extracting 

 poison from the stomach of man, for smoking insects, extinguishing 

 fires, and syringing fruit trees. The introduction of any of these 

 instruments may be effected by the help of an assistant, who should 

 hold the horn of the animal by one hand and the dividing cartilage 

 of the nose with the other ; while the operator himself, taking the 

 tongue in his left hand, employs his right in skilfully and carefully 

 introducing the instrument; the assistant bringing the head and 

 neck into such an attitude as to make the passage nearly straight, 

 which will greatly facilitate the operation. But when no instru- 

 ments can be procured, or as cases may occur when indeed it is not 

 advisable to try them, as when the disease has existed a considerable 

 time, or the animal has become outrageous, or the stomach so much 

 distended with air that there is danger of immediate suffocation or 

 bursting : in these instances the puncture of the maw must be 



