THE COW IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 61 



short pieces of wire, becoming imbedded in the 

 tongue or the cheek, or by the lodging of a foreign 

 substance between the upper molar teeth. They 

 may also result from eating poisonous or acrid 

 plants or weeds, such as wild mustard. Saliva- 

 tion may also be caused by eating damaged or 

 spoiled feed or sharp ensilage. If due to the 

 feed this should be discontinued at once. As local 

 treatment dissolve a level tablespoonful of pul- 

 verized alum in one-half pint of water and syringe 

 out the mouth twice each day. 



If it is caused by some foreign substance be- 

 coming lodged in the muscular structures of the 

 tongue or cheek it should be removed. In ex- 

 amining the mouth of the cow the tongue should 

 be firmly grasped and pulled out of the mouth 

 and a mouth gag or a speculum should be in- 

 serted between the teeth to keep the mouth open. 

 A mouth gag is nothing more than a small block 

 of wood to which is attached a piece of spring 

 metal to hold it in place and it lies inserted be- 

 tween the molar teeth. It is safer and more prac- 

 tical than a mouth speculum. 



The Teeth. 



The teeth of cows do not receive the same at- 

 tention that is given the teeth of horses, yet cows 

 have much more trouble with their teeth than 

 the average farmer supposes. They have irregu- 

 larities that may come from the unequal grinding 

 of the teeth and from the sand that is sometimes 

 picked up with the grass. Occasionally the 



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