544 
Diseases  of  Cattle  and  Sheep. 
the  phosphates  are  rather  in  excess,  and  hence  the  origin  of  such 
a number  of  sharp-backed,  flat-ribbed,  coarse  beasts  that  devour 
more  food  than  stock  of  a better  description,  and  when  fattened 
present  nothing  but  coarse  beef,  having  scarcely  a joint  fit  for  the 
stall  of  a respectable  butcher. 
The  object  of  good  feeding  is  not  to  fatten  young  beasts,  but 
to  give  strength  and  tone  to  the  vital  force,  which,  established  in 
calf-hood,  enables] the  animal  to  withstand  many  external  agencies 
that  tend  to  alter  the  form,  structure  and  composition  of  the 
tissues,  and  predispose  to  disease.  Breeders  of  calves  will  find  it 
advantageous  to  accustom  them  to  consume  small  quantities  of 
linseed-cake  when  about  six  weeks  old,  and  this  increased  in  pro- 
portion as  the  milk  is  withdrawn.  When  the  weaning  takes  place, 
the  allowance  of  cake  should  be  still  further  increased,  which 
will  prevent  the  check  so  commonly  produced  in  their  growth  at 
this  period,  as  shown  by  their  large  bellies  and  dry  unthrifty 
appearance.  The  cake  should  be  continued  until  the  calves  are 
so  accustomed  to  the  grass  as  to  be  able  to  dispense  with  it. 
Many  persons  may  imagine  that  this  system  of  feeding  may 
increase  the  liability  to  ‘ inflammatory  fever,'  a disease  known  in 
some  places  as  ‘ slieict  of  blood,'  ‘ quarter  ill,'  ‘ felon,'  &c.  See.,  to 
which  stock  at  this  age,  as  well  as  yearlings,  are  exceedingly  dis- 
posed. I have  witnessed  much  of  this  fatal  complaint ; and  my 
advice  to  the  farmers,  by  way  of  a preventive,  is  to  increase  their 
strength  and  constitutions,  which  condition  is  not  obtained  by 
excess  of  food  at  any  one  time,  but  by  regular  feeding  and  proper 
management.  The  outset  of  the  disease  is  a febrile  condition, 
induced  from  sudden  excess  of  food  at  a period  when  the  tone  of 
the  vital  principle  is  unequal  to  the  work.  The  capillary  arteries 
are  more  numerous  and  active  in  the  early  period  of  life  than  at 
any  other,  while  they  are  carrying  on  and  completing  the  organi- 
zation of  the  frame.  They  are  in  fact  the  masons  and  architects 
of  the  system  : but  if  a larger  supply  of  budding  materials  is 
forced  into  these  vessels  than  can  be  efficiently  used  up  in  re- 
paration and  growth,  active  congestion  takes  place  almost  every- 
where, the  vital  principle  is  suddenly  reduced,  the  body  becomes 
amenable  to  the  ordinary  chemical  affinities,  destruction  of  the 
living  parts  ensues  by  decomposition  even  whilst  the  animal  is 
alive,  shown  by  the  extrication  of  gas  in  the  cellular  membrane 
and  by  the  extensive  sloughing  process  in  the  skin. 
The  great  point  then  in  the  rearing  of  calves  is  to  take  care 
that  the  vital  powers  are  predominant,  which  condition  is  only 
obtained  by  a proper  supply  of  food,  proper  temperature,  and 
proper  exercise.  The  pathological  view  which  I have  taken 
repecting  inflammatory  fever  appears  to  be  consonant  with 
experience.  Why  are  not  cattle  in  the  course  of  fattening,  or 
