DISEASES OF YOUNG CALVES. 279 



Trashing and scraping of floors and walls, followed by a liberal applica- 

 tion of chloride of lime (bleaching powder), 4 ounces to the gallon, are 

 indicated. Great care must be exercised in the feeding of the cow to 

 have sound and wholesome food and water, so apportioned as to make 

 the milk neither too rich nor too poor, and to her health so that the 

 calf may be saved from the evil consequences of poisonous principles 

 that may be produced in the body of the cow. The calves should be 

 carefully kept apart from all calving cows and their discharges. Simi- 

 larly each calf must have special attention to see that its nurse gives 

 milk which agrees with it, and that this is furnished at suitable times. 

 If allowed to suck it should either be left with the cow or it may be fed 

 three times a day. If it comes hungry twice a day it is more likely to 

 overload and derange the stomach, and if left too long hungry it is 

 tempted to take in unsuitable and unwholesome food, for which its 

 stomach is as yet unprepared. So if fed from the pail it is safer to do 

 so three times daily than twice. The utmost cleanliness of feeding- 

 dishes should be secured and the feeder must be ever on the alert to 

 prevent the strong and hungry from drinking the milk of the weaker in 

 addition to their own. In case the cow nurse has been subjected to 

 any great excitement by reason of travel, hunting, or carrying, the first 

 milk she yields thereafter should be used for some other purpose and 

 only the second allowed to the calf. Indeed, one and all of the condi- 

 tions above indicated as causes should be judiciously guarded against. 



Treatment will vary according to the nature and stage of the disease. 

 "When the disease is not widespread, but isolated cases only occur, it 

 may be assumed to be a simple diarrhea and is easily dealt with. The 

 first object is to remove the irritant matter from stomach and bowels, 

 and for this 1 or 2 ounces of castor oil may be given according to the 

 size of the calf. If the stools smell particularly sour, it may be replaced 

 by 1 ounce calcined magnesia, and in any case a tablespoouful or two 

 of lime-water must be given with each meal. Great harm is often done 

 by giving opium and astringents at the outset. These merely serve to 

 bind up the bowels and retain the irritant source of the trouble j liter- 

 ally " to shut up the wolf in the sheepfold." When the offending agents 

 have been expelled in this way carminatives and demulcent agents may 

 be given : One dm in anise water, 1 dram nitrate of bismuth, and 1 

 dram gum arabic, three times a day. Under such a course the consist 

 ency of the stools should increase until in a day or two they become 

 natural. 



If, however, the outbreak is more general and evidently the result of 

 contagion, the first consideration is to remove all sources of such con- 

 tamination. Test the milk of the cow with blue litmus paper, and if 

 it reddens reject the milk of that cow until by sound dry feeding, with 

 perhaps a course of hyposulphite of soda and gentian root, her milk 

 shall have ln--n made alkaline. The castor oil or magnesia will still 

 be demanded to clear away the (uow infecting) irritants, but they should 



