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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



ublished every Saturday, by THORIAS W. SHEi'ARI), lingers' Buiidinjr, Congress Str.: 



Vol. I. 



BOSTON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22. 132.3. 



at $2.5'J i.cr aim, in arfvance, r.r $ 3,00 at the close of tin year. 



No. 30. 



DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



iLECTED AND COMPII.EH FROM THE BKST AUTBOHS, 

 BX THE EDITOR. 



'''^ }» the management of Cows, when they are near 

 the time of cahing. 

 The diseases, which most commonly occur 

 it this time, are strangury, or difficulty in void- 

 ng urine, and costiveness ; and these it may be 

 lighly necessary to attend to, as they may, if 

 leglected, be the cause of the cow slipping her 

 ;alf. When strangury is accompanied withcos- 

 iveness, which is generally the case, and is of- 

 eu the cause of the complaint, the bowels must 



4 



cause an abscess to form. As soon as it is ob- 

 served, let the animal be bled freely, and take 

 a pound of cpsom salts dissolved in a quart of 

 gruel, to which a little castor or linseed oil may 

 be added. The swollen udder should tVequent- 

 ly bo fomented with a decoction of mallows or 

 elder. The best method of doing this, is to dip 

 largp woollen cloths in the hot "decoction, and, 

 after wringing them, let them be applied .«o as 

 to cover the whole udder : this process should 

 be continued for some time, and repeated sev- 

 er.Tl times a day. When, by these means, the 

 inllammation has been removed, some degree of 

 hard, but not painful swelling may remain ; to 

 disperse this, the following liniment may be 



is observed to be 



commg on, they should be 

 They should be kept in a 



)e opened by a laxative composed of a pound 



)f epsom salts dissolved in a quart of gruel, a i rubbed on the part once or twice a day 



;lyster should also be given, consisting of two 



juarts of warm water, and four ounces of lin- 



ieed oil. This may be repeated two or three 



imes in the course of two hours, if found ne- 



;essary. Should the strangury continue after 



he bowels are emptied, give the following 



irink : 



'Of 



Take of camphor 2 dr. 



to be powdered and mixed with 

 spirits of nitrous ether ^ oz. 



Tincture of opium i oz. 



Gruel in which one ounce of nitre 

 has been dissolved 1 pi. 



(Mix.) 

 " Many cows have been lost by allowing them 

 be too fat at the time of calving ; they are 

 hcu said to Jie of (he lullli lever. It in advi^^v 

 )le, theretbre, when a cow, far gone with call', 

 s in too good condition, to reduce her by chan- 

 ti 'ing the pasture, which is preferable to bleed- 

 ng or physic ; but if she has approached too 

 lear her time to admit of this change having 

 »ny efiect, then bleeding will be proper. When 

 a cow. in high condition, appears to be ill and 

 feverish soon after calving, let her be bled to 

 the extent of three quarts, and take a pint of 

 castor oil. Should the fever continue, and par- 

 ticularly if it appears to increase, the animal 

 expressing great uneasiness, with a wildiiess in 

 her appearance, great redness of the upper eye 

 lid, and quick motion of the flanks, the bleeding 

 must be repeated. Many cows have been de- 

 stroyed by the stimulating medicines that are 

 commonly recommended and given," — JVhite's 

 Treatise. 



Dr. Skellett recommends a similar treatment 

 of the strangury m cows, and adds " The cow 

 should have plenty of diluting liquors, such as 

 warm water, gruel, he. and mashes made of 

 bran, or pollard, with a little malt. In two or 

 three hours after she has had the drink and 

 clyster, it will be necessary to drive her gently 

 about for a quarter of an hour, as it greatly as- 

 sists the operation of the medicines. 



" To prevent this disease, the animal ought 

 to have air and exercise daily, and such food 



fiven her as is of a laxative nature, which will 

 e of the greatest utility in her latter months of 

 gestation." 



Inflammation and szselling of the Udder. 

 This disease attacks cows about the time of 

 calving, and is sometimes so coosiderable as to 



41 oz. 

 1 oz. 

 i oz. 

 sometimes occurs 



Take of linseed oil 

 Spirits of turpentine 

 Liquor of ammonia 

 InOainraation of the udder 

 in consequence of catching cold, or a chilt, as it 

 is more commonly termeil ; in this case, the ap- 

 petite is diminished, the cow stares, the breath- 

 ing is quickened, and there is some degree of 

 f...v.T. Here bleeding is generally necessary 

 ai lirst, and the following warm laxative : — 



Common salt 6 to 8 oz. 



Oil or lard G oz. 



Flour of mustard 1 oz. 



Whey or water 1 qt. 



(Mix.) 

 The animal should be taken under cover, and 

 fed with warm mashes of bran or malt. One 

 ounce of nitre may be put into her water, morn- 

 ing and evening. 



This inflammation is generally confined to 

 one or two quarters of the udder, but sometimes 

 spreads over the whole. The milk drawn from 

 the infected quarter is of a yellowish or whey 

 color, and contains small flakes or curds. When 

 the inflammation is not scascnably checked, it 

 often proceeds to suppuration. If the matter 

 be suffered to accumulate, a large abscess will 

 form, and the gland, or quarter will be so disor- 

 ganized as to be incapable ever after of forming 

 milk. It is probable, however, that, when this 

 happens, the other three quarters will have 

 their capacity for forming railk gradually in- 

 creased. Whenever matter has been formed in 

 the udder, and can be distinctly felt, it is proper 

 to open it in the lowest part, that the matter 

 may flow ofl" freely. When this has been done, 

 the part should be kept clean, and no matter 

 allowed to lodge in the cavity, which should be 

 syringed with warm water. To get rid of the 

 matter, it sometimes becomes necessary to make 

 an opening in the teat, a little above its extremi- 

 ty, or the orifice. There is no occasion for 

 cramming tents into the cavit3', or daubing the 

 udder with filthy ointments ; it is quite sufficient 

 to bathe and syringe with warm water twice or 

 three times a day, which will prevent ihe accu- 

 mulation of matter ; and if the healing process 

 goes on languidly, a mixture of spirit and water, 

 or a solution of white vitriol may be injected. 



Cows that are near calving should be attended 

 to with reference t9 their complaint ; and if it 



bled, and milked 



bare pasture, or put into a cow" housTfmd'be 

 a lowed but little hay, and a little of the liniment 

 above mentioned, or some other emollient oint- 

 ment made use of to soften the udder. 



What by some is called the Snarled Bag, or 

 Swelled Udder, requires no other treatment 

 than rubbing the part with elder ointment, and 

 as the complaint is merely temporary, from the 

 extension of the milk vessels and is, in fact, a 

 proof of a good milker, it will soon yield to this 

 application. 



li'oi/7uh of Cattlr. 

 " The wounds of cattle are most commonly 

 caused by goring each other with their horns, 

 or by breaking over fences ; and, when deep or 

 extensive, arc generally followed with consider- 

 able inflammation. The treatment of these 

 wounds, though represented by farriers as an 

 intricate *id mysterious branch of the art, is, in 

 fact, extremely simple. When the wound is 

 considerable, and some important parts have 

 been injured, the irritating treatment commonly 

 adopted by farriers, often destroys the animal"; 

 and, in slighter wounds, their stimulating appli- 

 cations rather tend to retard^ than promote re- 

 covery. Indeep and extensire wounds, affect- 

 ing important parts, every method must be em- 

 ployed, as early as pof%ible, to prevent a 'fatal 

 inflammation from taking place. Bleeding is 

 the first remedy ; and immediately after, let a 

 jmrgattiTc jT laxaHve drink be given, receJiits 

 lor which may tc found under ihsTioAA, Orbies. 

 and other diseases.* On no account should the 

 wound be probed, or havo any tents crammed 

 into it, nor should any stimulating mixture be 

 applied. The emollient fomentation [a decoc- 

 tion of mallows and elder] directed for swollen 

 udder, is the onl}' application that can be used 

 with advantage, until the inflammation has sub- 

 sided ; the fomentation should be continued for 

 a considerable term, and repeated frequently. 



" When the inflammation occasioned by the 

 wound, has been removed it will be proper to 

 examine it with a probe, to ascertain whether 

 any matter be confined or not ; as in that case, 

 it may le necessary to enlarge the original 

 wound, to give it vent, or make an opening in 

 another more depending situation, that it may 

 run off freely. Some stimulating application 

 may also be proper at this period, such as a so- 

 lution of blue vitriol ; or 



Tincture of myrrh 2 oz. 



Corrosive sublimate 12 gr. 

 " One part of oil of turpentine to two parts 

 of sweet oil form a good digestive, as it is tend- 

 ed. And, if an ointment is preferred — 



Take of hog's lard 8 oz. 



Bees' wax 1 oz. 



Common turpentine 6 oz. 



" Melt them together ; and, when taken from 

 the fire, add one ounce of powdered verdigris ; 

 continue stirring the mixture until it is cold. 



" With respect to sewing up a wound, as it is 

 called, there are circumstances which sometimes 



*":ee >'ew England Farmer No. 26, pas« 201. 



