DISEASES OF YOUNG CALVES. • 259 



clogs the stomach ; feeding from the pail milk that has been held over 

 in unwashed ( unscalded ) buckets, so that it is f ennented and spoiled ; 

 feeding the milk of cows kept on unwholesome food ; keeping the 

 calves in cold, damp^ dark, filthy, or bad-smelling pens; feeding the 

 calves on artificial mixtures containing too much starchy matter; or 

 overfeeding the calves on artificial food that may be appropriate 

 enough in smaller amount. The licking of hair from themselves or 

 others and its formation into balls in the stomach will cause obstinate 

 indigestion in the calf. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms are dullness, indisposition to move, un- 

 easiness, eructations of gas from the stomach, sour breath, entire loss 

 of appetite, lying down and rising as if in pain, fullness of the abdo- 

 men, which gives out a dnmilike sound when tapped with the fingers. 



The costiveness may be marked at first, but soon it gives place to 

 diarrhea, by which the offensive matters may be carried off and health 

 restored. In other cases it becomes aggravated, merges into inflam- 

 mation of the bowels, fever sets in, and the calf gradually sinks. 



Prevention. — Prevention consists in avoiding the causes above 

 enumerated or any others that may be detected. 



TredtWjent. — Treatment consists in first clearing away the irritant 

 present in the bowels. For this purpose 1 or 2 ounces of castor oil 

 with 20 drops of laudanum may be given, and if the sour eructa- 

 tions are marked a tablespoonful of limewater or one-fourth ounce 

 calcined magnesia may be given and repeated two or three times a 

 day. If the disorder continues after the removal of the irritant, a 

 large tablespoonful of rennet, or ^ grains of pepsin, may be given at 

 each meal along with a teaspoonful of tincture of gentian. Any 

 return of constipation must be treated by injections of warm water 

 and soap, while the persistence of diarrhea must be met as advised 

 under the article following this. In case of the formation of loose 

 hair balls inclosing milk undergoing putrid fermentation temporary 

 benefit may be obtained by giving a tablespoonful of vegetable char- 

 coal three or four times a day, but the only real remedy for these 

 is to cut open the paunch and extract them. At this early age they 

 may be found in the third or even the fourth stomach; in the adult 

 they are confined to the first two, and are comparatively harmless. 



DIARRHEA (SCOURING) IN CALVES ( SIMPLE AND CONTAGIOUS). 



As stated in the last article, scouring is a common result of indi- 

 gestion, and at first may be nothing more than an attempt of nature 

 to relieve the stomach and bowels of offensive and irritating contents. 

 As the indigestion persists, however, the fermentations going on in 

 the undigested masses bex^ome steadily more complex and active, and 

 what was at first the mere result of irritation or suspended digestion 



