266 THE OX AND THE DAIRY. 



into an emulsion, and a scruple of ginger, may be added to a 

 little thick gruel to form a drench. This is a safe and generally 

 an efficacious medicine ; but no necessity for it ought to have 

 existed. 



Some farmers, again, anxious to render their calves fat for 

 the butcher as expeditiously as they can, and forgetting both 

 the natural weakness of the digestive powers and the small 

 volume of the stomach (the first three being undeveloped), 

 allow the calves either to suck ad libitum, or give them, if 

 brought up at the pail that is, by hand a greater quantity 

 of milk than can be digested. The idea of oppressing or 

 overloading the stomach never enters into their minds. They 

 imagine that the more food the young creature takes the 

 more it will fatten ; and they allow it no exercise lest it 

 should " wear the flesh off its bones." The stomach soon 

 becomes deranged ; its functions are suspended ; the milk, 

 acted upon by the acid, coagulates, and forms a hardened 

 mass of curd, which fills the abomasum even to distention. 

 The muscles are now affected with spasms ; they are violently- 

 cramped, and feel hard and knotted : this the farmer calls 

 being affected with the cords. Flatulent colic next ensues, 

 which often runs into inflammation and terminates fatally. 

 Generally the bowels are obstinately confined ; but this con- 

 dition is sometimes preceded by diarrhoaa. The quantity of 

 hardened curd which is taken from the stomach after death 

 is often enormous ; and it is not unfrequently compressed 

 into a mass resembling new cheese in appearance and solidity. 

 We may easily form an idea of the agony which the poor little 

 animal must have suffered ; and we are sorry to say that 

 numerous calves are subjected to it till released by death. 



Prevention in these cases is easier than the cure : indeed, 

 unless remedies be early applied, all attempts are futile. 

 What can break up and dissolve a mass of indurated curd, 

 filling the stomach and oppressing all its powers? As we 

 have said, early treatment alone can be expected to succeed. 

 Some practitioners recommend the frequent administration 

 of warm water, in which two ounces of Epsom salts are dis- 

 solved ; this they direct to be given by the stomach-pump ; 

 or if by a horn, to be poured gently down the gullet. 

 Others recommend drenches of lime-water, potass, salts, and 

 gruel, with the design both of acting upon the bowels, and at 

 the same time correcting the acidity of the stomach. The 

 farmer should always keep a bottle of " solution of potass in 



