THE OX AND THE DAIRY. 251 



the buttons often burst, and ulcerate, producing considerable 

 mischief. They are extremely difficult to heal, but still there 

 is no danger of contagion. 



Mr. Youatt describes the cases of four oxen, which at dif- 

 ferent times, respectively, during the course of three years, 

 were seized with what the farmer to whom they belonged 

 considered as farcy : cording of the absorbents, with farcy 

 buds or buttons extended up the limbs from the fetlock to 

 the fore-arm ; some of the buds were scirrhous, others in a 

 state of ulceration. In each instance the animal laboured at 

 the time under a severe cough. Simple treatment, and the 

 application of the hot iron to the buttons, effected restora- 

 tion to health ; the wounds healed, and the thickening of 

 the absorbents subsided, the cough at the same time dis- 

 appearing. 



In two months afterwards, the cough and thickening of 

 the absorbents returned, and the same means were again 

 resorted to with the same success. 



Although these were believed to be cases of farcy, and they 

 certainly bore a close resemblance to that disease, yet Mr. 

 Youatt is decidedly of opinion that it was in resemblance 

 only that the agreement consisted, and that when such cases 

 occur the farmer need not entertain serious apprehension 

 of the baleful disease known as farcy breaking out in his 

 herd. 



DISEASES OF THE EYE AND EYELIDS. 



The eye of the ox is very subject to injury from blows, from 

 thrusts with the prong of the stable-fork, and from the horns 

 of other cattle ; sometimes the eye itself is destroyed, some- 

 times bony tumours or excrescences are formed on the ring 

 of the orbit, and sometimes the superciliary ridge of the orbit 

 is fractured. In these cases little can be done, but they 

 ought never to have occurred. When the superciliary ridge 

 is fractured, the fractured portion must be readjusted as well 

 as possible, and secured by a bandage, and bleeding and pur- 

 gatives resorted to in order to allay fever and inflammation. 

 Bony excrescences may be sometimes removed by means of a 

 fine saw, the root being afterwards slightly touched by the 

 cautery. In other cases their growth may be checked and 

 exfoliation produced by the application of the cautery, at a 

 low temperature, but a fine saw or chisel is always preferable. 

 These excrescences not unfreqnently degenerate into a state 



