68 Contagious Abortion in Cattle. 



i . In the case of a large herd which is not yet infected, but 

 which is exposed to infection, the best course would be to 

 have a small byre, or rather a few stalls, to serve as a place 

 of isolation, where newly-bought cows could be kept, so as 

 not to place them in the common byre until after they had 

 calved in due time and under healthy conditions. 



2. In the absence of such a place of isolation,, every in-calf 

 cow which shows any symptom that might give reason to fear 

 abortion should be at once isolated, and the place where 

 she stood, as well as the channel, should be thoroughly 

 disinfected. 



3. Every cow that aborts should be immediately isolated ;. 

 the abortion and the after-birth should be destroyed by 

 burning or by boiling ; the place occupied by the cow, the 

 gutters or channels, and the floor of the byre should be 

 thoroughly disinfected ; and the other cows should be 

 subjected to daily antiseptic washings, as prescribed below. 



4. If the byre has already been infected for some time, the 

 diligent application of the following course of treatment is 

 indispensable : — ■ 



[a] Every morning, when the animals are being groomed,, 

 the tail, the natural orifices, and parts around and below these, 

 of each cow should be carefully washed with a sponge steeped 

 in one of the following antiseptic lotions : — 



Either,!. Rain-water, 25 litres ; creoline or cresyl, 1 litre 

 (practically equal to 4 per cent. Jeyes' Fluid) ; or, II. Rain- 

 water, 20 litres ; hydrochloric acid (spirits of salts), 1 decilitre;, 

 bichloride of mercury (or sublimate), 10 grammes.* 



The solution of sublimate being poisonous should be kept 

 in a wooden vessel — a barrel, bucket, or tub — and placed 

 where animals or children will be unable to touch it. 



(b) Every week the floor of the byre should be scraped,, 

 thoroughly cleansed, and freely sprinkled with the solution 



w The British Imperial value of the decilitre may be roughly stated at a i little more 

 than f of a gill (a gill is J of a pint), and that of the litre about 7 gills or if. 

 pints. The exact equivalents are : — 



1 Decilitre = 3*519602 fluid ounces. 

 1 Litre = 175980 Imperial pints. 

 10 Grammes = 154-3 grains, or about 5^ drachms. 



