NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



lished every Saturday, by THOMA^i \V. SHEPARD, Rogers' Kuilding, Conjre?? Street, Boston ; at $-i 



OL. 



I. 



BOSTON, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1823. 



per ami. i n adva;-.re. or $ 3,00 at the close of the year. 



No. 33, 



DISEASES OF C.\TTLE. 



ECTED AKD COMPILED FROM THE BEST AUTHORS, 

 DV THE EDITOR. 



Loss of Joint Oil, or Si/novic. 



Wounds, or punctures of the joints, often 

 letrate so deep as to pierce through the ten- 

 md ligaments, occasioning a loss or dis- 

 rge of the natural secretion of the joint, viz. 

 oil, or synovia ; the same accident may hap- 



from any injury exciting intlammation, and 

 t inflammation passing on till it produces an 

 ning into the joint. This disease is always 

 ilarming one, and the principle of cure is to 

 duce the process of healing as quickly as 

 =ible, by exciting active inflammation ; this 



be done after the tirst effects of the injury 

 e subsided, in consequence of bleeding, purg- 

 and fomentation, in the usual manner, and 

 1 applying the volatile blister to the joint, 

 posed of Spanish flies, in powder, two dr. 

 pirits of ammonia, four oz. ; at the same 

 i the orifice is to be plugged with a tent, 

 led in the following composition : 



Sweet spirits of Nitre 3 dr. 



Butter of antimony, and extract 

 of lead, each 2 dr. 



blister and caustic may be occasionally re- 

 ed ; the mixture every twenty-four hours, 

 he effusion of joint oil is completely stop- 

 then the following balsam may be applied 



or twice a day, in order to heal up the 

 iJ ; Tincture of myrrh 2 oz. 



Blue vitriol water ^ oz. 



The vitriol water may be made by dissolv- 

 en drachms of blue vitriol, in powder, in a 

 jf hot water; the balsam to be well shaken 

 her previous to using it. The blister is to 

 ell rubbed on the joint, till a plentiful dis- 

 je takes place from the surface, wlien it 

 mes no longer requisite. By this treatment 

 re is generally etfected, unless when the 

 are materially injured along with the 

 jarts, and then any plan of cure will prove 

 ictual. When weakness of the joint pre- 

 , after the running of the joint-oil is stop- 

 which is generally the case, a plaister of 

 , &c. as recommended in page 249, should 

 jplied." — Skellet's Treatise. 



may be repeated every three or four days till I The goose grease and lard are 

 a cure is effected; and it seldom requires more] over a slow fire ; the lead is (hen 



in fine powder, which is to Le constantly stirred 

 till it becomes cold, in order that if may be well 



than two or three applications : 

 Flowers of sulphur 

 Spirits of turpentine 

 Train oil, enough to make 

 thin liquid. 



o be melted 

 to be added 



1 



it 



lb. 

 ipt. 

 into a 



Mange. 

 lis is a cutaneous disease, which is very 

 igious, for so many cows as come in con- 

 with one laboring under the disorder will 

 ire to catch it. Its symptoms are, a scari 

 e external part of the body, which is al- 



attended with an itching. This the ani- 

 ihows, by having a continual inclination to 

 he afiected part or parts against any thint' 

 an get at. Some say that it is caused h} 

 d of animalculae, which burrows in the 

 It generally attacks those animals which 

 JW in flesh, and have been fed on 

 e. 



le first step in order to cure this disease i^ 

 ce a currycomb and gently curry ofi' the 



in order that the medicine may have the 

 r effect. After this the following ap(>lica- 

 s to be rubbed on the parts affected, which 



poor 



Horn Distemper. 

 This is a disease which has its sent in the 

 lonis. Cows are more subject to it than oxen, 

 am! It does not attack bulls; and steers and heif- 

 ers, under three years old, it is said, are not 

 subject to it. The distemper causes the pith 

 of the horn to be gradually consumed. It is 

 most commonly confined to one horn only, but 

 sometimes appears in both. It is occasioned by 

 poor keeping, by which the blood becomes thin 

 and reduced, and does not circulate properly in 

 the extremities. It is discovered by the slug- 

 gishness of the animal, loss of appetite, a cold- 

 ness of the horn, and a disposition to lie down. 



To cure the disease, the horn should be bored 

 with a nail gimblet in such a manner as to eftect 

 the discharge of the matter which has become 

 purulent. The hollow part should be well 

 cleansed by vinegar in which a portion of salt 

 has been dissolved, to be injected by a syringe. 

 Dr. Deane recommended the injection of a mix- 

 ture of rum and honey, with myrrh and aloes. 

 Stimulating medicines, such as ginger, spices, 

 S:c. h.ive been given, but these are injurious 

 uiilil the bowels have been evacuated. Laxa- 

 *ites. however, such as sulphur, glauber's salts, 

 &.C. prove serviceable; and after the bowels 

 are evacuated, and the horn well cleansed, good 

 keeping will be necessary to efl'ect the cure. 



Tail Sickness. 

 " This is a distemper attended with weakness 

 and sluggishness to which horned cattle are lia- 

 ble in the spring. The end of the tail becomes 

 hollow, and relaxed, but not, as some have as- 

 serted, destitute of feeling. A cure is easily 

 effected by the amputation of a small piece of 

 the tail, which will be attended with a discharge 

 of some blood. But when the tail is but littlo 

 affected, and near to the end, a slit of an inch 

 or an inch and an half, in the end of the tail, is 

 preferable to amputation." 



Ulcers. 

 An ulcer is " a solution of the soft part of an 

 animal body, together with the skin."' The 

 symptoms of an ulcer, which is in a wav to be 

 healed, are granulations, or little eminences, 

 arising from the surface of a florid or reddisfi 

 color, small in size, and pointed at the top ; the 

 discharge, white and thick. This wiil gener- 

 ally be eflected by giving the animal perfect 

 rest, using mild and simple ointments, such as 

 are composed of oil and bees' wax, or hoo-"s 

 lard, which is not rancid. Turpentine and lard 

 melted together m ike a good ointment. The 

 toilowlng has likewise been recommended : 



Goose grease i lb. 



Hog's lard 2 lb. 



Red Lead 3 oz. 



Pulverized alum l lb. 



incorporated. A little sulphur and nitre may 

 be given by way of alterative. 



If the ulcer assumes an inflamed state, and 

 the surface is covered with a brown tran'^parent 

 matter, the folluuing fomentation will prove 

 useful. 



Camomile flowers i u> 



AVormwood, a large handful. 



Bay and Juniper berries, each 4 oz. 

 Beer or ale grounds, emptins or 



jeiist ■ q(s 



Vinegar 1 ^(. 



The whole to be boiled for a quarter of an hour. 

 Leeches applied to the edges of the ulcer will 

 be serviceable, and purges of giauber salts or 

 epsom salts. 



If the ulcer becomes black and fetid, with a 

 cessation of every inflammatory symptom, and 

 there appears to be danger of mortificalion, 

 give an ounce of Peruvian bark every four 

 hours ; a little opium may be joined with it. 

 Fomentation with hot vinegar will be found 

 useful. When the parts suppurate, cut off the 

 dead matter with a knife, and afterwards dress 

 with some simple ointment. 



If there is too rapid a growth of fungous 

 matter, or what is called proud flesh, it may be 

 well to rub in a small quantity of the following 

 caustic over the whole surface of the preter- 

 natural growth, -vith a spatula. 



Soft soap J oz. 



Arsenic x oz 



Oil of vitriol | oz. 



Spirits of lavender i d,.. 



The soap and arsenic to be mixed first, and 

 then the vitriol added by degrees. The whole 

 may then be covered with the digestive oint- 

 ment of tar and turpentine, prepared as men- 

 tioned in No. 29, page 226, 2d col. Ey these 

 means part of the growth will become dead in 

 a few days, which may be cut or pared oft', and 

 the same caustic application made to the re- 

 maining part till the whole is destroyed. 



In ulcers in fleshy parts there is often a pre- 

 ternatural callous, or hardened growth. This 

 must be destroyed before a cure can be com- 

 pleted. In this case, the before mentioned 

 caustic must be applied, but used with caution. 

 The hard part is to be rubbed with it for half 

 the extent ot' the swelling, beginning at the ori- 

 fice. The dead parts are then to be cut away 

 every two or three days, and the application is 

 to be repeated fill the cure is complete. 



We have now concluded, for the present, our 

 observations on the diseases of Neat Cattle It 

 is probable wo may have omitted to take notice 

 of some disorders to which they may be sub- 

 jected ; and, if so, should be glad to supply the 

 defect ; and would be much obliged to' any 

 friends or correspondents who may be so good 

 as to point ont any errors which we may have 

 committed, either through inadvertency or mis- 

 information. Any remarks which may relate 

 io disorders peculiar to our climate, will be 

 particularly acceptable 



