DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 477 



relief, or the animal will be suffocated from the confined air in 

 the two first stomachs, or a rupture of them takes place, which 

 soon terminates the life of the beast. Hoven usually proceeds 

 from a voracious and greedy disposition, incident to cattle when 

 permitted to satiate their appetite with food of which they are 

 most fond; such as vetches, rich fog, red clover, or different kinds 

 of grasses; also potatoes, turnips, corn, and sometimes chaff. 



Causes. — The immediate causes of this disease is a preternatu- 

 ral distension of the two first stomachs from confined air. It is, 

 as before mentioned, in general, occasioned by the animal feeding 

 for a considerable time upon rich, succulent food, so that the first 

 stomach, • or paunch, becomes overcharged, and they, through 

 their greediness to eat, forget to lie down to ruminate or chew 

 their cud. A fermentation of the food in the paunch takes place, 

 and a considerable quantity of air is consequently generated, 

 which so distends the first two stomachs, that by their pressing 

 against the skirt or midriff, the capacity of the lungs for air is 

 diminished, which causes the difficulty of breathing, and suffoca- 

 tion is sometimes produced. This complaint may be occasioned 

 by turning cattle into fresh aftermath pastures, in autumn; at 

 which time the grass is changed in quality, and the weather fre- 

 quently wet or foggy, and then is called fog sickness. 



Symptoms. — This complaint is well known to most cattle 

 keepers. The wind generated in the stomach causes the beast 

 to swell, and a difficulty of breathing produced, with much 

 apparent distress. If relief is not soon obtained, the difficulty 

 of breathing increases, and the animal is unable to stand, and 

 generally dies suffocated. 



Cure. — "When the beast is hoven or blown by eating too much 

 succulent grass, Mr. Clater recommends the following, as effica- 

 cious in checking the fermentation in the first stomach : 



Salt of tartar Sconces, 



Epsom salts 1 pound, 



Ginger, powdered, ....... 2 ounces. 



Aniseeds, powdered, ...... 3 ounces. 



These ingredients may be placed in a pitcher, and three quarts 

 of boiling water poured upon them. When they are new milk 

 warm, add a wine glassful of gin and give the whole for one 

 drink. 



Dr. Monro, Sr., of Edinburgh, in the year 1793, contrived 

 an elastic tube, that might be introduced down the throat into 



