414 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



When the tumors are external and attached to soft parts only, an early 

 removal may lead to recovery. This, of course, can only be undertaken 

 by a trained veterinarian, especially as the various parts of the head 

 and neck contain important vessels, nerves, and duct.s which should 

 be injured as little as possible in any operation. Unless the tumor is 

 completely removed it \rill reappear. Disease of the jawbones is at 

 best a very serious matter, and treatment is likely to be of no avail. 



In March, 1892, an important contribution to our knowledge of this sub- 

 ject was made by M. Ifocard, of the Alfort Veterinary School, in a com- 

 munication to the French Central Society of Veterinary Medicine. He 

 showed clearly that the actinomycosis of the tongue, a disease which 

 appears to be quite common in Germany, and is there known as " wooden- 

 ton gue," could be quickly and permanently cured by the administration 

 of iodide of potassium. M. Nocard calls attention to the success of M. 

 Thomassen, of Utrecht, who recommended this treatment as long ago 

 as ] 885, and who has since treated more than eighty cases, all of which 

 have been cured. A French veterinarian, M. Godbifle, has treated a 

 number of cases of actinomycosis in the tongue with the same remedy, 

 all of which have been cured. M. Nocard also gives details of a case 

 which was cured by himself. 



All of the cases referred to were of actinomycosis of the tongue, and 

 no one appears to have attempted the cure of actinomycosis of the jaw 

 until this was undertaken by Dr. Norgaard, veterinary inspector of the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry. He selected a young steer in April, 1892, 

 in fair condition, which had a tumor on the jaw, measuring 154 inches 

 in circumference, and from which a discharge had already been estab- 

 lished. This animal was treated with iodide of potassium, and the 

 result was a complete cure. 



The treatment with iodide of potassium consists in giving full doses 

 of this medicine once or twice a day until improvement is noticed, when 

 the dose may be reduced or given less frequently. The size of the dose 

 should depend somewhat upon the weight of the animal. M. Thomassen 

 gives one and one-half drains of iodide of potassium daily in one dose, 

 dissolved in a pint of water until improvement is noticed, which he 

 states is always within eight days. Then he decreases the dose to one 

 dram. The animals do well 'under this treatment, showing only the 

 ordinary symptoms which follow the use of iodine, the principal ones 

 being discharged from the nose, weeping of the eyes, and peeling off of 

 the outer layer of the skin. These symptoms need cause no uneasiness, 

 as they never result in any serious disturbance of the health. 



M. Godbille has given as much as four drams (half an ounce) in one 

 day to a steer, decreasing the dose half a dram each day until the do'se 

 was one and one-fourth drains, which was maintained until the twelfth 

 day of treatment, when the steer appeared entirely cured. 



M. Xocard gave the first day one and one-half drams in one dose to 

 a cow; the secou* and succeeding days a dose of one dram in the morn- 



