DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTDKITION. 233 



remains in the gland and develops into a solid fibrous mass, causing 

 permanent hardening (induration). In other cases, in place of the 

 product of inflammation developing into a fibrous mass, it softens and 

 breaks down into the white creamy liquid pus (abscess). This abscess 

 may make its way to the surface and escape externally, or it may 

 burst into a milk duct and discharge through the teat. It may break 

 into both and establish a channel for the escape of milk (fistula). In 

 the worst types of the disease gangrene may .ensue, a quarter or half 

 or even the whole udder, losing its vitality, and sloughing off if the 

 cow can bear up against the depressing influence. These gangrenous 

 cases are probably always the result of infection and sometimes run 

 a very rapidly fatal course. I recall one to which I was called as 

 soon as the owner noticed it, yet I found one quarter dark blue, cold, 

 and showing a tendency to the formation of blebs containing a bloody 

 secretion. The cow, which had waded through a depth of semiliquid 

 manure to reach her stall, died within twenty-four hours. 



Treatment. — Treatment will vary with the type and the stage of the 

 disease. If the case is seen in the shivering fit, every effort should 

 be made to cut that short, as the inflammation may be thereby greatly 

 moderated, if not checked. Copious drinks of warm water thrown in 

 from horn or bottle; equally copious warm injections; the application 

 of heat in some form to the surface of the body (by a rug wrung out 

 of hot water ; by hanging over the back and loins bags loosely filled 

 with bran, sand, salt, chaff, or other agent previously heated in a 

 stoVe ; by the use of a flatiron or the warming of the surface by a hot- 

 air bath), or by active friction with straw wisps by two or more 

 persons; the administration of a pint of strong alcoholic liquor, or of 

 1 ounce of ground ginger, may serve to cut short the attack. After 

 half an hour's sweat rub dry and cover with a dry blanket. 



If, on the other hand, there is little or no fever, and only a slight 

 inflammation, rub well with camphorated ointment or a weak iodine 

 ointment, and milk three, four, or six times a day, rubbing the bag 

 thoroughly each time. Milking must be done with great gentleness, 

 squeezing the teat in place of pulling and stripping it, and if this 

 causes too much pain, the teat tube (PI. XXIV, fig. 4) or the spring 

 teat dilator (PI. XXIV, fig. 3) maybe employed. Antiseptic injections 

 of the teats and udder are often useful, and iodoform in water has 

 been especially recommended. It may be replaced by one of the 

 injections advised for parturition fever, used with the same careful 

 precautions. 



In cases in which the fever has set in and the inflammation is more 

 advanced, a dose of laxative medicine is desirable (Epsom salts, 1 to 2 

 pounds; ginger, 1 ounce), which may be followed, after the purging 

 has ceased, by daily doses of saltpeter, 1 ounce. Many rely on cooling 

 and astringent applications to the inflamed quarter (vinegar, sugar-of- 

 lead lotion, cold water, ice, etc.), but a safer and better resort is con- 



