234 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



out of hot water; b}^ hanging over the back and loins bags loosely 

 filled with bran, sand, salt, chaff, or other agent previously heated 

 in a stove ; by the use of a flatiron or the warming of the surface by 

 a hot-air bath), or by active friction with straw wisps by two or 

 more persons; the administration of a pint of strong alcoholic 

 liquor, or of 1 ounce of ground ginger, may serve to shorten the 

 attack. After half an hour's sweat the animal should be rubbed 

 and covered with a dry blanket. 



If, on the other hand, there is little or no fever, and only a slight 

 inflanmiation, rub well with camphorated ointment or a weak iodin 

 ointment, and milk three, four, or six times a day, rubbing the bag 

 thoroughly each time. Milking must be done with great gentleness, 

 squeezing the teat in place of pulling and stripping it, and if this 

 causes too much pain, the teat tube (PL XXIV, fig. 4) or the spring 

 teat dilator (PI. XXIV, fig. 3) may be employed. Antiseptic injec- 

 tions of the teats and udder are often useful, and iodoform in water 

 has been especially recommended. It ma}^ be replaced by one of the 

 injections advised for parturition fever, used with the same careful 

 precautions. 



In cases in which the fever has set in and the inflammation is more 

 advanced, a dose of laxative medicine is desirable (Epsom salt, 1 to 

 2 pounds; ginger, 1 ounce), which may be followed, after the purg- 

 ing has ceased, by daily doses of saltpeter, 1 ounce. Many rely on 

 cooling and astringent applications to the inflamed quarter (vinegar, 

 sugar-of-lead lotion, cold water, ice, etc.), but a safer and better 

 resort is continued fomentation with warm water. A bucket of 

 warm water, replenished as it cools, may be set beneath the udder, 

 and two persons can raise a rug out of this and hold it against the 

 udder, dipping it anew whenever the temperature is somewhat 

 lowered. A sheet may be passed around the body, with holes cut for 

 the teats, soft rags packed between it and the udder, and kept warm 

 by pouring water on every 10 or 15 minutes, as warm as the hand 

 can bear. When this has been kept up for an hour or two, the bag 

 may be dried, well rubbed with soap, and left thus with a soapy 

 coating. If the pain is great, extract of belladonna may be applied 

 along with the soap, and a dry suspensory bandage with holes for 

 the teats may be applied. Strong, mercurial ointment is very useful 

 in relieving pain and softening the bag. This is especially valuable 

 when the disease is protracted and induration threatens. It may be 

 mixed with an equal quantity of soap and half as much extract of 

 belladonna. In cases of threatened induration excellent results are 

 sometimes obtained from a weak-induction current of electricity 

 sent through the gland daily for 10 minutes. 



If abscess threatens, it may be favored by fomentation and opened 

 as soon as fluctuation from finger to finger shows the formation of 



