ON SCROFULA IN OXEN AND PIGS. 
55 
is shorter, and the lymphatic humours cannot in little time dege- 
nerate into that foreign character from which the contagious virus 
originates. 
Animals seldom become scrofulous while they are sucking. The 
disease usually attacks them when they are fed on solid food. It 
is probably on this account that the defects of digestion are recog- 
nised as causes, or the bad quality of the food itself, or, still more, 
that of the gastric juice, or the bad state of the organs of diges- 
tion. Indeed, not only do the animals that are badly fed become 
easily affected, but also those that are voracious, and in whom the 
bad quality of the chyle can give to the nutrition only vitiated 
affections, whence this disease usually proceeds. 
The animals that are attacked are not in the least inconvenienced 
by the existence of the scrofula. They eat, drink, and get fat, the 
same as ever. It is useless, then, to attempt a cure, at least, un- 
less the veterinarian is forced to do so by some particular circum- 
stances. 
If the owner of an animal affected with scrofula wishes that it 
should be medically treated, either because scrofula appears likely 
to degenerate into cancer, or because their increase in size is so 
great as to impede respiration, the only mode of procedure is to 
extirpate them, and if any portion of the gland remains affected 
to destroy it with the actual cautery. This practice is also re- 
sorted to when the extirpation might be dangerous. The appli- 
cation of potential cauteries, and particularly of arsenical compo- 
sitions, is not advisable in these cases. 
During the whole course of treatment, it would be proper to 
administer to the animal such decoctions as we shall presently 
mention, either to make him bathe in running water, if the season 
permits; and to'exercise him moderately, and to keep a mild tem- 
perature in his habitation, which should always be very clean. But 
if the scrofulous humours are such only as produce deformity, the 
most efficacious remedies would consist in the application of poul- 
tices composed of briony root, birthwort, scrophularia, tobacco 
leaves, peppermint, horehound, and other similar plants, which 
should be digested in two parts of water and one of ale. Among 
other remedies the plaisters of hemlock and soap are much cele- 
brated, either used separately or mixed together, the precaution 
being always taken to cut the hair off the whole extent of the tumour 
before applying it. The oil of camphor, and a liniment composed 
of the contents of two fresh gall-bladders from cattle, six spoonfuls 
of oil of nuts, and as much sea-salt, mixed together, and then left 
to dissolve in the sun or in some warm place for two days, are 
often found to produce a good effect. 
