258 liISEASES OP CATTLE. 



cured before the bull is admitted among the cows, for a 

 second attack on the bull will render him useless. 



Cacliexia, — This, properly speaking, may be denomi- 

 nated a bad habit of the body, from faulty digestion, and 

 a^imilation of the food taken into the stomach. 



Symptoms. Morbid or diseased appetite — the animal at 

 every chance licking the earth, stones, lime walls, and 

 other substances, which cows in health would not touch. 

 This disease, like many others, occasionally takes an 

 epizootic form, and attacks animals over a large tract of 

 country. More particularly, the animal's coat stares, fol- 

 lowed by a mucous discharge from the eyes and mouth ; 

 milk almost disappears, and what there is of it is very 

 blue and thin. At this stage of the disease, the animal is 

 thin ; the membranes of the mouth, nose and eyes are 

 white and pale, showing the bloodless state to which the 

 beast is reduced. Stiffness of the joints soon presents itself, 

 consequent upon infiltration of serum into the bursse of the 

 joint, causing much swelling. In certain parts of England 

 it is called the " cripple." Finally, the animal is reduced 

 to a skeleton, and dies within a few mouths to a year from 

 the first appearance of the disease. 



Treatment. The first thing to be done is to have the 

 animal removed to high and dry pasture lands, which 

 may be the means of cutting short the disease, before much 

 injury has been done it. Give plenty of salt, and the pre- 

 paration of soda and lime, with good food of a nutritious 

 quality. A few doses of commercial sulphuric acid highly 

 diluted — say half an ounce by weight, given once a day in 

 half a bucket of cold water — and, if necessary, a few doses 

 of iron and gentian, will arrest the disease. 



Calving. — This is an operation of nature, which most 



