318 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



lowed by inflammation, and the development of false 

 membranes. 



Symptoms. — Loud, stridulous noise or murmur, quick- 

 ened breathing, excitation, fever, and threatening suffo- 

 cation of the animal, cough and distress. 



Treatment. — Place the animal in the open air, if in 

 summer time, in the shade, and give aconite in the form 

 of tincture, twenty-five drops to a dose. This will allay 

 the excitement, fever and irritation. If this give relief, 

 repeat the dose in a few hours again. But on the con- 

 trary, there being relief in half an hour, give no more 

 aconite, nor indeed any thing else. There will be but 

 one of three things to be done : either to kill the beast, if 

 it be in good condition, and fit for market ; wait for the 

 animal to die, or have the boldness to cut out a hole in 

 the windpipe, about the middle, and on front of the neck. 

 Tighten the skin on the front of the windpipe, and make 

 a clean cut fair down the centre, and through the skin ; 

 when the white shining windpipe is brought to view, 

 have an assistant to hold the edges of the skin back out 

 of the way, till a hole is cut out of the cartilages of the 

 tube, as large as a fifty cent piece. This will give in- 

 stantaneous relief. The hole will gradually fill up, and 

 close again without any trouble whatever. This, I am 

 satisfied, is the only sure way of cure in this disease. 



Cud, Loss of. — This occurrence is the symptom of, 

 and not a disease. Loss of the cud, or rumination, ac- 

 companies almost every disease of any importance attack- 

 ing the ox or cow. When rumination has ceased for a 

 time, and is resumed again, it is a good symptom that 

 the animal is somewhat better, and an indication that 

 the functions of the body are about being resumed again, 

 and are demanding food for their nourishment. Loss 



