FIRST CENTURY OF DAIRYING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



of this character is anticipated, preliminary treatment is strongly re- 

 commended for about a week before calving which may consist of 

 purgatives. 



Dr. Manning's theory and medicines, like Youatt's, suited in some 

 cases, but still many cows seemed to die notwithstanding ths precau- 

 tions so clearly put by both these authorities. 



About 1892 Professor McConnell, of Wigtown, Scotland, originated 

 a treatment for milk fever, which was said to be -followed by much 

 success. It was as follows : Place the cow on a level floor, put 

 bundles or sacks of straw on cither side so as to maintain her in as 

 natural a position as possible. The head must be kept on a level, 

 but not raised above the body, and the uppermost hind leg should be 

 well drawn out so as to save unnecessary straining or bruising. The 

 position must be changed from side to side every two or three hours, 

 and no milk should be taken from the udder until recovery is apparent, 

 and then only very little at short intervals .for two or three days. The 

 nnimal must be kept as quiet as possible. In the very first stage of 

 the disease administer from 7 dr. to i oz. of chloral hydrate, accord- 

 ing to the size of the animal and the severity of the symptoms, along 

 with from lib. to 2lb. ot treacle. If in two hours there is no improve- 

 ment, another dose of i oz. of chloral hydrate with lib. of treacle 

 should be given, and afterwards repeated every four or six hours, as 

 often as is necessary. It very seldom happens that more than four 

 doses are required, and as soon as the cow can hold her head up 

 steadily the medicine should be stopped and the animal receive well- 

 boiled oatmeal gruel. 



Professor McConnell's theory was scarcely known before the Mary- 

 land (U.S.A.) Agricultural Experimental Station issued a bulletin 

 upon the Schmidt treatment of milk fever in cattle, claiming 670 re- 

 coveries out of 779 cases treated, or over 86 per cent. This treatment 

 assumed the disease to be due to the elaboration of a toxin in the 

 udder. All the apparatus required is a 3in. .funnel, 4ft. or 5ft. of iin. 

 rubber tubing, and a small glass pipette or milking tube. The follow- 

 ing is the method of procedure : First, dissolve 120 grains of iodide 

 of potash in one quart of water, which has been boiled and allowed 

 to cool to about the temperature of the body. The iodide of potash 

 must be thoroughly dissolved. Second, introduce the funnel and pipette 

 into the ends of the rubber tube and place in a bucket of antiseptic 

 fluid made from either of the three following formulae : (i) Creolin, 

 one part ; water, thirty parts ; (2) thymo-cresol one part, water thirty 

 parts ;. (3) chloro-napatholeum one part, water thirty parts. Third, 

 milk the udder dry ; then place under the cow a piece of oilcloth 

 about a yard square, so that the udder will be about the middle of the 

 cloth. Wash the udder and teats carefully and thoroughly with 

 caustic soap and warm water, rinsing carefully with antiseptic fluid. 

 Fourth, insert the pipette into the end of the teat, and fill the funnel 

 with iodide of potash solution. By passing successively from one teat 

 10 another, distribute the solution equally among the four quarters 

 of the udder. Fifth, rub the udder from the teats towards the body, 

 and massage thoroughly, in order to distribute the solution through- 

 out. Sixth, eight or ten hours a-i'ter the injection, or when recovery 

 is assured, the udder should be carefully milked out, and then bathed 

 with warm water about i6odcg. Fahr. A second injection is rarely 

 necessary, but if so, it should be done at the end of six or eight hours, 

 if there should be any tendency towards hardness of the udder or 

 "stringiness" of the milk, baths of warm water should be applied every 

 i7iree or four hours until relieved. 



The Schmidt theory was practised successfully in the Illawarra and 

 Shoalhaven districts for a season by a few of the -farmers. It was, 



-'54- 



