488 Scour and Wasting in Young Cattle, [nov., 



months of a^^e. Outbreaks are almost entirely restricted 

 to the period between October and April. The affected 

 animals at first become unthrifty and gradually waste, and 

 in the later stages a scour appears which may continue until 

 death occurs from sheer exhaustion. In other cases the disease 

 is of a more acute nature, and scouring may take place 

 before wasting is noticeable ; when this happens death soon 

 follows. 



Prevention. — The administration of drugs to affected animals 

 has not given satisfactory results, and therefore, pending further 

 investigation, the efforts of stock-owners should be directed 

 towards prevention. The treatment that has been adopted with 

 success in County Wexford consists in the isolation of all 

 young calves for the first year. This may be secured by rearing 

 the calves in a clean, airy house, a practice that can be followed 

 successfully, or by keeping them on a special field on which no 

 other cattle are allowed to graze. The best results have been 

 obtained when the calves are grazed on " seeds " or land freshly 

 laid down to grass. If no " seeds " are available, then the special 

 pasture set apart for the young animals should, early in spring, 

 receive a dressing of from two to three tons of lime or lo cwts. 

 of salt per statute acre. 



When the land is known to be infected it should be tilled or 

 dressed as directed above, and grazed only with horses or milk 

 cows for at least one season. Young cattle should be housed 

 at night from September onwards, and should be given a small 

 allowance of cake or barley-meal and ground oats, with hay and 

 roots to supplement the grass. 



Treatment of Affected Animals. — It is most important that 

 when the first symptoms of unthriftiness and loss of condition 

 are noticed the cattle should be isolated and well fed. If delay 

 occurs the animals becom.e weaker, and the chances of recovery 

 more remote. The chief object is to maintain the strength of 

 the animal, which should, therefore, be fed liberally on nourishing 

 foods. The diet should consist of a fair allowance of cake and 

 corn, with plenty of good hay and roots. Unfortunately, the 

 investigations have shown that this disease is not confined to 

 County Wexford, and that it is the unsuspected cause of the 

 loss of many animals in other parts of Ireland. 



