THE OX AND THE DAIRY. 



of caries. The animal should be destroyed, and the sooner 

 the better. 



Ophthalmia often arises in cattle from injury to the eye, or 

 from the presence of irritating substances lodged beneath the 

 eyelids. Sometimes it proceeds from constitutional causes 

 alone, and returns periodically : indeed, this form of ophthal 

 mia is hereditary, like consumption, and a radical cure is 

 almost hopeless. Ophthalmia arising from irritating sub- 

 stances, or from blows, generally yields to bleeding, to pur- 

 gatives and fomentations, or the goulard lotion (composed of 

 the liq. plumbi super-acetatis and water), with a little lauda- 

 num ; when the active inflammation is subdued, a lotion of 

 the sulphate of zinc (white vitriol) may be used with advan- 

 tage. Periodical ophthalmia, though relieved for a time, 

 usually terminates in blindness ; it might perhaps be treated 

 with good effect by small doses of calomel and opium, 

 repeated daily for a short time, and by mercurial lotions ; but 

 when the character .of the disease is ascertained, the farmer 

 prefers preparing the beast for the slaughter-house ; and 

 probably this is his best course. 



Severe inflammation of the eyes, with eruptions about the 

 mouth, and swellings of the tongue and throat, often occur in 

 young cattle fed on wet pasture-lands, especially if much 

 wooded. Sometimes superficial ulcerations of the cornea 

 make their appearance, and if the case be rashly treated 

 blindness 'will ensue. It may be as well under these circum- 

 stances to take away a little blood ; gentle purgatives must 

 be administered, and the eyes fomented with warm water or 

 a decoction of poppy-head ; some prefer cold evaporating 

 lotions, as cold water with a little spirit, the goulard lotion, 

 and afterwards a weak wash of sulphate of zinc. Change of 

 locality is essential, and while the disease continues, the 

 animal should be housed. 



Cataract and amaurosis or gutta serena are not unknown 

 among cattle ; the latter, however, is very rare. In the 

 aqueous chamber of the eye of the horse a small hair-like 

 parasitic worm, nearly an inch in length, has been occasion- 

 ally discovered ; and we believe that in the eyes of horned 

 cattle a similar parasite has been known to occur, accompa- 

 nied by the ordinary symptoms of ophthalmia. 



The eyelids of cattle are frequently affected with diseases, 

 independent of the inflammation which extends to them in 

 cases of ophthalmia; the ed^es. alongr which the sebaceous 



