THE 
AGRIPLTURSL OlAGAZIOG, 
COLOMBO. 
Added as a Stipplement Monthly to the ''TROPICAL AQBICULTUBIST 
The following pages include the Contents of the Agricultural Magazine for 
September : — 
Vol. XIL] SEPTEMBER, 1900. [No. B. 
THE BRANDING OP CATTLE. 
T would f eem impossible to exactly 
define where " firing " as a panacea 
for the ailments of dumb animals 
ends and branding as a cruel 
practice begins. In this island 
the native cattle doctor very fre- 
quently resorts to " firing " ; indeed his surgery 
is almost entirely confined to the hot iron, to the 
neglect of the knife. 
I would divide this subject into (1) Therapeutic 
branding, (2) Branding for identification, (3) 
■Branding for artistic effect, (4) Branding for con- 
cealment of theft. 
(1.) There are many ailments of the lower 
animals in which the use of the firing iron is 
advisable and even imperative. For instance, 
cattle have sometimes to be fied («) round the 
eyes in cases of eye disease, (i!i)"on the cheek for 
opening parotic ducts or for inflammation of 
these ducts, (c) round the root of the horns in 
cases of caries of the horn, (d) on the neck for 
dislocation, which, however, is generally incurable, 
(e) on the shoulder for lameness in that region, 
{/) round the knee joint for inflammation, spavin, 
rheumatism &c., {(j) round the fetlocks for sprain, 
irheumatism, &c., {h) about the suffraginous 
bones for boney exostosis, (i) in the region of the 
joins for weakness or for sprain of the psoe mus- 
cles (a rare complication in cattle), {j) point of the 
hip for fracture, (7c) on the round bone for disloca- 
tion, {1) on the hock for spavin, rheumatism, &c., 
{in) hind fetlock and suffraginous bones for the 
same causes as in the case of the foreleg. 
Firing is sometimes done on the chest in place of 
setoning, but though both these forms of treat- 
ment have their advocates, they might well be 
replaced by the use of liniments or mild blisters 
which serve the same object, viz., to act as 
counter-irritants. Again, for the same reason the 
left flank is sometimes fired by the natives ia 
cases of hoven or impaction of the rumen, but 
here also the practice might advisedly be dispensed 
with. The same might be said with regard to 
firing round the genital organs in cases of evertion. 
Firing is sometimes done round tumours and 
abcesses instead of opening them or externally 
applying some preparation to dissipate them ; in 
this case, too, the practice of firing is not to b* 
recommended. There should be no excuse for 
firing on the cannon bone as cattle do not suffer 
from splints. 
It will thus be seen that the entire body is 
liable to be fired for various complaints ; but it 
must be carefully borne in mind that no firing 
should be done in more than one place at one time. 
I might here refer to the empirical treatment of 
horses where blistering has be«n done at one time 
from the withers to the coronets in the forelegs, 
and in some instances also on tjie loins an^J bot}i t}i§ 
