666 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



[November 



habits of ruminating animals, this very 

 common delusion would be dispelled, and 

 the slight understanding of the " cud/' the 

 causes of its "loss/' and the means necessa- 

 ry to be used to restore it, would be more 

 clearly understood. 



By ruminants, or ruminating animals, we 

 mean those having a complex stomach with 

 four cavities so disposed as to allow of 

 ruminating, or the act of at once laying in 

 a large stock of food, slightly chewed, and 

 afterwards to return it to the mouth, and 

 there more thoroughly masticate it, and fit 

 it for digestion. Digestion is always pre- 

 ceeded by this action in this order of ani- 

 mals, and they are exclusively confined to a 

 vegetable diet. Now if debility, loss of 

 appetite, disease of the stomach and diges- 

 tive organs, or sickness from any other 

 cause ensue, this order of nature may for 

 the time be suspended, and the animal have 

 no need to perform the act of rumination. 

 The ordinary operations of a healthty ani- 

 mal are not called into requisition. Hence, 

 we hear of " loss of cud." The only 

 " remedy" for the " loss" lies in restoring 

 the animal to health, and if we know what 

 is the disease, we can the more certainly 

 apply the " remedy." But all the " made 

 cuds" that ever entered into the materia 

 medica of quackdom can never compensate 

 for the folly and ignorance of applying one. 



The stomach of ruminating animals is 

 especially organized for the performance of 

 its peculiar functions. It consists of four 

 distinct cavities, all communicating with a 

 muscular canal at the termination of the 

 oesophagus. Coarsely masticated food passes 

 from the beginning of the muscular canal 

 into the first cavity, called the rumen, or 

 paunch. Water is received into the second, 

 cavity, called the riticulum, and almost ex- ! 

 clusively occupies the honey comb cells of 

 that cavity, and is gradually mixed with 

 the coarsely divided food which is undergo- 

 ing mastication in the rumen. When this 

 is sufficiently advanced, a portion of the 

 mass is raised into a muscular canal, is 

 there moulded into a ball, and by a spas- 

 modic action of the muscles of the gullet 

 is forced into the mouth, where it is perfect- 

 ly masticated at leisure, mixed with saliva, 

 and again swallowed. It now passes direct- 

 ly into the third recess called the psalte- 

 rium. Here the superfluous fluid is absorbed, 

 and the thoroughly subdivided mass passes 

 gradually into the fourth recess, called the J 



ahomasus, where it is completely digested, 

 and from which it passes off" into the lesser 

 intestines 



Ruminating is a most interesting process 

 of nature, and it is a most pleasing study to 

 observe and note in its manifold operations, 

 and to witness the supreme satisfaction of a 

 well-fed animal "ruminating," or elabora- 

 ting by this wonderful provision of Provi- 

 dence, — the mastication of food by degluti- 

 tion, ejection and final swallowing — other- 

 wise, " chewing the cud." When we become 

 more thoroughly familiar with the beautiful 

 economy of animated nature, and its most 

 wonderful organization, we shall no more 

 hear of the " loss of the cud," but will at- 

 tribute the effects to their proper causes, 

 and call things by their right names. 



J. V. H. C, in Gen. Farmer. 



Hot Tallow a Cure for Ingrowing Nails. 



We take the following remedy for a very 

 common and very painful affliction from the 

 Boston Medical and Surgical Journal : 



The patient on whom I first tried this plan 

 was a young lady, who had been unable to 

 put on a shoe for several months, and deci- 

 dedly the worst case that I have ever seen. 

 The disease had been of long standing. 

 The edge of the nail was deeply under- 

 mined, the granulations formed a high 

 ridge, partly covered with skin, and pus 

 constantly oozed from the root of the nail. 

 The whole toe was swollen, and extremely 

 tender and painful. My mode of proceed- 

 ing was this : 



I put a very small piece of tallow in a 

 spoon, and heated it over a lamp till it 

 became very hot and poured it on the gran- 

 ulations. The effect was almost magical. 

 Pain and tenderness were at once relieved, 

 and in a few days the granulations were all 

 gone, the diseased parts dry and destitute 

 of feeling, and the edge of the nail exposed 

 so as to admit of being pared away without 

 any inconvenience. The cure was com- 

 plete, and the trouble never returned. 



I have tried this plan repeatedly since, 

 with the same satisfactory results. The 

 operation causes but little pain if the tallow 

 is properly heated. A repetition might in 

 some cases be necessary, although I have 

 never met with a case that did not yield to 

 one application. Admitting the theory of 

 Dr. Lorinser to be correct, the modus ope- 

 randi is very plainly to be seen. The 



