Contagious Diseases and Their Suppression. 261 



be applied with a wooden paddle; get the druggist to 

 mix the two drugs. 



Contagious eye disease in cattle, technically termed 

 contagious keratitis, is in some localities and at some 

 seasons quite a common disease, usually appears in the 

 summer or fall. One or both eyes may be affected, the 

 eyelids swollen and closed and seem unable to bear the 

 clear light, there is a milky appearance of the front part 

 of the eye, the cornea, thus giving rise to the common idea 

 that a scum is over it, the darkest spot, often a yellow 

 color, is seen in the center, in some cases a purulent 

 (mattery) discharge is present, sometimes the contents 

 of the eye escape and vision thereby destroyed, the af- 

 fected animal stops eating, cows will fail in their milk. 

 Fortunately the majority of cases recover completely 

 under proper treatment, which is quite simple but effect- 

 ive. It is as follows: Separate all the affected cattle 

 from the healthy ones, and give those affected the usual 

 dose of epsom salts, place in a darkened stall and keep 

 a clean cloth dampened with a solution of boracic 

 acid, one ounce to a quart of clean water containing a 

 couple of ounces of laudanum or belladonna, over the eye, 

 or else apply the solution mentioned once or twice daily; 

 as many very bad cases recover, treatment should be 

 persisted in, if the eye does not seem to clear, or an ab- 

 scess forms, apply the following solution with a piece of 

 clean cheese cloth once daily: 



Silver nitrate 5 grains, 



Distilled water 1 ounce. 



Contagious abortion is the scourge of the stockman, 

 usually affecting cattle, occasionally sheep. This disease 



