948 Rachitis. 



rected by the administration of lime preparations, and here, of 

 course, the lime requirements of the particular species and the 

 probable lime content of the food must be considered. In many- 

 cases chalk (calcium carbonate), which is cheap, is appropriate; 

 colts and calves may be given 10-20 gm. ; lambs, pigs and dogs 

 2-10 gm. daily with their food, perhaps shaken up with milk. 

 In order to prevent digestive disturbances in consequence of 

 the HCl being bound in the stomach (an occurrence that was 

 not observed, however, in the experiments made on rams by 

 Volhard), Klimmer & Schmidt suggest to replace the chalk 

 partially (1/3-1/2) by calcium chlorate (not to be confounded 

 with chloride of lime!). The prepared bone-meal (phosphated 

 food-lime; food-bone-meal; precipitated calcium phosphate) 

 renders excellent service in doses similar to those of chalk, 

 and should be administered especially in those cases in which 

 the administered food is deficient in phosphates (page 932). 

 Feeding experiments made in this direction by Kohler showed 

 that almost all of the ingested tri-calcium phosphate was ab- 

 sorbed, and about one-half of bone-ash or of bone-meal from 

 which the gelatinous portions had been removed. In the experi- 

 ments of Frese in dogs, organic calcium compounds were not 

 found superior in their effects to the anorganic lime. The 

 preparations containing lime, respectively phosphates, should 

 be given at intervals of from. 2 to 3 days (Klimmer & Schmidt), 

 or alternately at different feedings, in order to prevent their 

 precipitating each other in the intestine. If phosphorus is 

 deficient as well as lime, sodium phosphate may be given alter- 

 nately with the chalk. In human medicine phosphated codliver 

 oil is particularly well thought of as a remedy (colts and calves 

 0.02-0.05 gm. of phosphorus in 30-100 gm. of codliver oil daily ; 

 pigs 0.002-0.005:20-40 gm.; dogs 0.001-0.002:5-15 gm.; birds 

 0.0005-0.001:2-5 gm.). Hansen & Schabad have shown experi- 

 mentally that the remedy produces an increased retention of 

 the lime and phosphorus of the food and also an increased 

 assimilation of the lime which is administered separately. The 

 systematic administration of salt (rock salt) or of HCl may 

 enhance the favorable action of the medicinal treatment just 

 described. (Harms, Klimmer & Schmidt.) 



In a far advanced stage of the disease, especially when 

 the deformities of the bones are very marked, it appears best 

 to slaughter the animals early. 



Prevention. The disease can be prevented almost with cer- 

 tainty when the animals are kept and fed properly. Care should 

 be taken that the animals receive sufficient amounts of rock 

 salt, and of course that the dams are suitably fed. In localities 

 where the disease is frequent or where food-stuffs poor in 

 lime are fed, it is advisable to administer systematically chalk 

 or bone-meal in addition to the food. In this manner it has 

 been found possible to eradicate the disease, for instance in 



