126 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



iodide of potash is given through the 

 milk duct of each teat, without injury 

 to the tissues of the udder. From 

 some experiments it appears that good 

 results may be obtained from tbe 

 hypodermic use of iodide of potash 

 and also from the injection of anti- 

 septics such as lysol into the udder. 

 Quite recently, however, a very effective 

 treatment has been found in the injection 

 of oxygen or filtered, atmospheric air 

 into the udder. Special apparatus has 

 been devised for this purpose, which may 

 be obtained from veterinary dealers. 

 All that is necessary is to pump each 

 quarter of the udder as full as it will 

 stand with air, after which the udder 

 may be kneaded slightly. Improvement 

 is ordinarily shown within a few min- 

 utes and recovery takes place within a 

 few hours in 95 per cent or more of 

 cases. 



Garget or mammitis_Quit e com- 

 monly in heavy milkers the udder be- 

 comes swollen, hot and somewhat tender, 

 just before calving. The swelling may 



Fig. 80 — COW AFFECTED WITH MILK 

 FEVER 



extend slightly forward, along the belly. 

 This swelling is ordinarily of a physio- 

 logical nature but may in some cases be 

 so intense as to require treatment. As 

 a rule the swelling disappears within a 

 few days after calving and the normal 

 condition is regained more quickly if 

 the calf is allowed to suck the cow. At 

 first, if the congestion persists so as to 

 lead to the secretion of bloody milk and 

 the formation of pus in one quarter or 

 more of the udder, it may be desirable 

 to give large drinks of warm water and 

 apply hot poultices to the udder, held 

 in place by means of straps passing over 

 the loins. The udder should be care- 

 fully milked clean and if the milk ducts 

 become closed, it may be necessary to 

 make use of a milk tube. This should 

 be used cautiously, however, so as not to 



injure the tissue of the udder and 

 should be perfectly clean before insert- 

 ing, otherwise a serious inflammation 

 and gangrene may take place. 



Contagious mammitis — The more se- 

 rious form of the disease is known as 

 contagious mammitis and is due to in- 

 fection with bacteria. In these cases the 

 inflammation is more extensive and the 

 trouble requires still more careful treat- 

 ment. In milking out the affected quar- 

 ter, care should be exercised to collect 

 all the milk and destroy it in order to 

 prevent infection. The hands of the 

 milker should also be carefully cleaned 

 before milking another cow. The milk 

 may be drawn through a milk tube or 

 teat-dilator and the milk ducts injected 

 with a solution of peroxide of hydrogen. 

 In case of closure of the milk duct, 

 which may occur during the later stages 

 of lactation, it may be treated similarly 

 if the trouble persists. 



Joint ill — This disease occurs in calves 

 within a month or so after birth and is 

 commonly associated with disease of the 

 navel. The symptoms include swelling 

 of one or more joints, lameness, lack of 

 appetite, high fever and a discharge from 

 the navel. Occasionally other symptoms 

 are noted. The disease appears to be 

 due to infection through the navel cord 

 at the time of birth, and for this rea- 

 son it is desirable to treat the navel cord 

 of calves with an antiseptic solution in 

 order to prevent infection. If the dis- 

 ease appears, it may be best treated by 

 painting the navel daily with tincture 

 of iodine and applying the same remedy 

 or biniodide of mercury to the swollen 

 joints. In bad cases the iodine may be 

 injected under the skin of swollen joints 

 by means of a hypodermic syringe. 



Scouring i s a common result of indi- 

 gestion and usually indicates an im- 

 proper ration. Sour milk, especially if 

 it is given cold, is a frequent cause of 

 scouring. Sometimes the disease is con- 

 tagious in nature and occurs in an epi- 

 zootic form. In addition to the quality 

 of the milk, the condition of the cow at 

 time of calving may have something to 

 do with scouring. Occasionally scour- 

 ing spreads quite rapidly through all of 

 the calves of a given herd. This form 

 of the disease is commonly known as 

 white scours and is due to an infection 

 through the navel cord. In fact, white 

 scours may be merely one set of symp- 

 toms directly connected with joint ill 

 and having apparently the same cause. 



