September, 1909.] 



241 



Plant Sanitation. 



grew up and were too close some of them 

 would be cut out. He was immediately 

 asked what his criterion of closeness was. 

 The answer was rather startling, even to 

 advocates of a minimum of 20 ft. by 15 ft. 

 "When the crowns of two trees touch, 

 one of them is cut out." It will be evident 

 from this that it is impossible to deduce 

 conclusions re Hevea planting from 

 experience with Castilloa. Few Hevea 

 planters would be prepared to thin out 

 their trees when the crowns meet, though 

 according to the last report of the Bukit 

 Rajah Company it is proposed to thin 



out trees planted 21 ft. by 21 ft. for 

 this reason. In this matter, my con- 

 tention that trees which are removed in 

 the course of thinning out should be 

 uprooted appears likely to be confirmed 

 at no very distant date. " Uprooting," 

 by the way, does not mean the extrac- 

 tion of every root. Fungi begin to grow, 

 as a rule, on the stump left above 

 ground ; and, for the prevention of root 

 disease, the stump, and as much of the 

 main roots as possible, skoidd be extract- 

 ed to a depth of about two feet. If 

 more can be got out, so much the better. 



LIVE STOCK. 



THE NURSING OF SICK ANIMALS. 



By J, M, Christy, 



Assistant Principal Veterinary Surgeon, 

 Transvaal. 



(From the Veterinary Journal, Vol. V., 

 No. 409, July, 1909). 

 Too much attention cannot be given 

 to this subject. My experience is that 

 owners are far too liable to place implicit 

 faith in medicinal remedies, and are 

 either ignorant of how to nurse their 

 patients through serious attacks of ill- 

 ness or are too negligent to do so. 

 Proper medicines intelligently adminis- 

 tered play a most important part in 

 combating all forms of disease, but to be 

 successful they must be backed up by 

 good nursing. We have all heard well- 

 intentioned but ignorant people extol- 

 ling the medicinal virtues of anti-friction 

 grease, paraffin oil, and gunpowder, but 

 seldom heai them speaking enthusiasti- 

 cally about nursing, which is a trouble- 

 some thing, calling for energy and 

 patience. 



The most important duties of anyone 

 in charge of sick animals is to see that 

 his patients are made as comfortable as 

 circumstances will admit, that proper 

 food only, and at regular intervals, is 

 given, and that any medicine prescribed 

 is administered exactly according to in- 

 structions. I do not assume to dictate 

 to any man, but a quarter of a century's 

 experience in dealing with sick animals 

 has impressed forcibly on me the good 

 results following careful, intelligent 

 nursing, as opposed to indiscriminate 

 administration of drugs, each of which 

 is supposed to be a specific for the 

 particular trouble for which it is given. 

 There are few specific remedies for any of 

 the many ills the animal body is heir to- 

 The bodies of all animals undergo dis- 

 integration and waste, and their growth 

 31 



and repair require continual recuper- 

 ation. By digestion and assimilation the 

 food materials are prepared for their 

 special uses, and build up or maintain 

 the body at its normal standard. In 

 health, food must be provided in sufti- 

 cient amount, of suitable quality, and 

 with its several constituents in fitting 

 proportion to furnish nutriment for 

 every tissue. Water, which constitutes 

 four-fifths of the total weight of most 

 animals, is being constantly removed 

 by the lungs, skin, kidneys, and intes- 

 tines, and unless restored at short inter- 

 vals, thirst and impared health ensue. 

 Not only are water and watery fluids 

 requisite for the normal nutrition of 

 the tissues, and for dissolving and 

 carrying away their waste products, but 

 in sick anmials they also assist the 

 removal of the products of disease. 



Even more imperative is the need of 

 pure air to oxygenate the blood, maintain 

 internal respiration and normal tissue 

 change, and remove waste products. 

 These requirements, essential in health, 

 are even more important in animals 

 affected by disease. Food, then, re- 

 quires to be given with especial care, 

 and in an ea<?ily digested form, for in all 

 serious diseases the digestive functions 

 are impaired. In many febrile com- 

 plaints the ordinary foods being imper- 

 fectly digested and assimilated are apt 

 to produce or aggravate gastric derange- 

 ment. Animals suffering from febrile 

 and inflammatory disorders should 

 therefore be restricted to easily digested 

 foods, such as mashes, gruels, &c, given 

 at short intervals, to which extra nutri- 

 tive value can be given, as required, by 

 addition of milk, eggs, or meat extract. 

 Food should never be allowed to lie 

 long before a sick animal. If not 

 promptly eaten, it should be removed, 

 and in a couple of hours or less time 

 replaced by afresh supply. During and 

 after attacks of debilitating diseases, 



