ABORTION IN COWS. 



strange cow at a sale of cattle, and who witnessed the transmission of 

 the habit, apparently from that one animal, to all his breeding of cows, 

 during the long period of thirty years, who could discover nothing 

 in neither the previous condition or the current treatment oi any of 

 his cows to indicate a predisposition to the habit ; who sold off cows 

 that had aborted, purchased seemingly sound cows in their stead, re- 

 built his cow house, altered the whole economy of his live stock, re- 

 peatedly changed the bull, .and tried every other expedient he. could 

 think of to put an end to the pest ; and who was baffled at every step, 

 and tortured to see the abortive habit as prevalent and powerful as 

 ever, until at last he sold his whole herd, and introduced an entirely 

 different set 01 animals, altogether free from sympathy with any in- 

 dividual of his former set of cows. These instances at first sight serve 

 to indicate the existence of some contagious or infectious virus in 

 the cow's abortion ; but when more carefully considered they show 

 the disorder to be propagated rather by the sympathies of a delicate 

 smell, by the keen power of an irritable imagination, or by some in- 

 fluence of an equally subtle nature, and altogether peculiar to the cow. 

 These views, although not demonstrable nor even tolerably certain, 

 are very far 'from being unphilosophical, and they possess quite as 

 much force as any plausible theory hitherto suggested. The trans- 

 mission, however, of the abortive habit in the seemingly epizootic 

 form is confessedly an obscure subject possibly yet untraced to its 

 real cause, and certainly ill combated by any remedies yet devised. 



A revised leaflet on the subject of epizootic abortion in cows has 

 been issued by the Royal Agricultural Society of England, which 

 urges upon stock owners in whose herds abortion occurs 'from time 

 to time in the epizootic form,, to deal with the disorder as they would 

 with the most virulent cattle disease or other contagious malady, i.e., 

 by isolation of the cows which have suffered, by burning the expelled 

 foetus and membranes, or burning them in quicklime, and by regular 

 and thorough cleansing and disinfection of the premises, and also the 

 cows, both healthy and diseased, which are kept in the sheds. 



It should not be forgotten that a thorough washing with water is 

 an essential part of any system of disinfection, after which a strong 

 solution of blue vitriol, sulphate of copper, or carbolic acid one part 

 to fifty parts, may be used. 



Disinfectants are of various kinds carbolic acid and other tar pro- 

 ducts, sulphate of copper, and corrosive sublimate (mercury chloride) 

 are in common use for this purpose, and are obtainable almost any- 

 where. 



For the cows, the disinfecting solution should be applied to the 

 under parts oi the tail, the arms, vulva, and parts below. 



Professor Norcard, of whom it may be said there is no better 

 authority, considers that the regular use of the following will eradicate 

 abortion from a herd : 



Corrosive sublimate, 2i drachms. 



Hydrochloric acid, 2i oz. 



Rain or distilled water, 2 gallons. 



During the first season of this treatment, he remarks, only a mode- 

 rate amount of improvement is to be expected, but after the next 

 season abortion will cease entirely, which statement is its own recom- 

 mendation. 



It will be seen from these remarks that once abortion appears hi a 

 herd, immediate 'and regular constant action must be resorted to with 

 the mean* at the -farmer's disposal. No quarter must be given to the 

 cause of the trouble. Cleanliness and the constant use of disinfectants 

 inside and outside the affected parts seem to be the most important 

 items. 



R 273. 



