THE COW IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 75 



should be given with milk or water as a drench. 

 If a veterinarian can be had and no bloat is pres- 

 ent, a hypodermic injection of morphine or some 

 other hypnotic is all that is required. 



Dysentery. 



Dysentery is, simply speaking, a severe diar- 

 rhoea, which may be caused by the eating of 

 irritating or spoiled feed, exposure to inclement 

 weather, parasites, indigestion and the like. 



At first the stools are soft, but gradually get 

 watery, often foul-smelling, and are sometimes 

 streaked with blood. The animal has an anxious 

 expression, is haggard in appearance, weak, and 

 may show some evidence of abdominal pain. The 

 appetite is lost or is irregular and the animal 

 rapidly weakens and loses flesh. If 'the condi- 

 tion is not remedied early, it may result in death. 

 If the cause is due to the feed or to parasites, 

 cure can be made either by changing the feed or 

 by the administration of suitable vermifuges to 

 cause destruction of the parasites. A dose of 

 castor or linseed oil should be given and should 

 be followed by two or three tablespoonfuls of 

 the following mixture : Tannic acid, one ounce ; 

 pulverized sulphate of iron, two ounces, and 

 sodium salicylate, two ounces, all thoroughly 

 mixed. This should be given in a solution of 

 water, about one pint being sufficient. This 

 makes a black solution resembling ink. This 

 mixture has given much better results in this 



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