200 THE OX AND THE DAIKY 



diaphragm exhibit the ravages of inflammatory action. Gene- 

 rally the fourth stomach is inflamed, and the maniplus filled 

 with hardened material. From the horribly putrescent state 

 of the gorged blood in the lungs, this disease has been called 

 gangrenous inflammation of those organs, but the term is in- 

 correct. This disease, at various times, has appeared in dif- 

 ferent parts of the continent, in Germany, France, Denmark, 

 &c. ; in England it is also known, and is often the cause of 

 great mortality. It is only at the commencement of this fear- 

 ful malady that there is much chance of doing good. A free 

 use of the lancet is imperative ; bleeding must be pushed to 

 its utmost extent, and smart aperients with injections must 

 succeed ; these having acted, sedatives, as nitre, digitalis and 

 emetic tartar combined, may be given at regular intervals. 

 Some veterinary surgeons recommend as a purgative two 

 scruples of the powder of croton seeds, to be followed up by 

 salts and the injection pump. (No farmer should be without 

 the enema-pump of Read's invention, or at least a simple ap- 

 paratus, always at hand.) Setons in the dewlap, and firing 

 the sides, or blisters, should not be omitted. Should the in- 

 flammatory symptoms yield, care and a cautious diet will be 

 all that is ordinarily needed, unless the debility be such as 

 to render tonic draughts advisable. 



The following observations by Mr. Lord, in the Veterinarian, 

 for July, 1841, are very interesting: " In the latter end of last 

 April," he writes, '* the Earl of Kingston sent for me, and told 

 me that his cows were dying very fast from some disease that 

 had been in his farms for the last year, and which his steward 

 believed to be incurable. After a minute examination I found 

 the symptoms as follows: pulse in almost all that were 

 affected from 93 to 120, but very small ; horns, ears, and legs 

 cold ; the animals heaving violently at the flank, and grunting 

 as if in great pain, also grinding the teeth. With the stetho- 

 scope I could discern the bronchial respiration in some, and 

 the mucous rale in others. 



" Treatment. In the early stage I bled largely, notwith- 

 standing that the pulse was small, as I consider this arises 

 from pulmonary congestion, which bleeding removes. I next 

 fired and blistered the sides, and gave white hellebore half-a- 

 drachm, morning and night, as long as they could bear it, 

 and changing it then for tartarized antimony and nitre, keep- 

 ing the bowels open by occasional laxatures. With this treat- 

 ment I cured four out of five of the beasts which the steward 



