732 
ON THE HOOVE IN CATTLE. 
opinion, caused by cows, & c. being supplied with too great a quan- 
tity of artificial food, and too small a quantity of good natural food 
and water, especially in or near large towns, where natural food, 
good water, and exercise are scarce, and consequently their owners 
are obliged to have recourse to great quantities of potatoes, boiled 
and steamed, turnips, carrots, mangel wurzel, linseed oil cake, 
chopped hay or straw, bean, pea, or oat meal, grains from the ale 
or porter breweries, crushed or ground oats, oatmeal porridge, and 
several other valuable articles of food. 
A mixture of some of the above kinds, and given in large quan- 
tities at a time, proves too heavy for the peculiarly constructed sto- 
mach of a ruminating animal to digest, and, consequently, this com- 
bined vegetable matter is retained for an unnatural length of time in 
the rumen or paunch, and thereby becomes heated and sour. Vinous 
fermentation ensues — carburetted hydrogen gas is generated — the 
rumen is distended or inflated to an enormous size, which conse- 
quently presses that great organ against the diaphragm, and thus 
mechanically impedes the free action of the lungs. The tongue 
becomes swelled, and hangs out of the mouth — the eyes are hag- 
gard — the ears pendulous — the breast covered with profuse perspi- 
ration — every limb trembles — the pulse is in some cases scarcely 
perceptible — there is an incessant short cough — small quantities of 
faeces are voided frequently — a continual gurgling of wind in the 
throat is heard — a considerable discharge of saliva runs from the 
mouth — the head and neck are extended — and if relief is not 
quickly obtained, the beast falls down, turns on its side, stretches 
out its head and legs, groans dreadfully, and discharges a quantity 
of froth from the mouth — sensation and voluntary motion are sus- 
pended — an involuntary discharge of excrement and urine takes 
place, and death closes the painful scene. 
As an illustration of the disease, I will here relate a case which 
happened a fortnight ago. On the 21st of October last I was sum- 
moned in haste to attend a cow belonging to Mr. Thorpe of Pendle- 
ton. I immediately went, and found the animal labouring un- 
der great inflation of the rumen, caused, in my opinion, by the 
beast eating a great quantity of raw potatoes and oatmeal after 
feeding on grass the whole of the day before. I took a few pints 
of blood from her immediately, and then administered some chlo- 
ride of lime, 3iv, suspended in water. 
I waited to see whether this would give relief; but upon visiting 
her again a short time afterwards, I found the rumen as largely dis- 
tended as ever. I then had recourse to the trochar, with which I 
punctured the paunch, leaving in the orifice, a canula, through 
which an almost incredible quantity of gas, of a very foetid odour, 
immediately escaped. I then administered a strong vegetable and 
