94 
ON RED- WATER IN CATTLE. 
insufficiency of water, or that water of bad quality, dry, stunted, or 
indigestible food, such as turnips when spoiled by over-growth in 
spring, straw when too dry, large quantities of chaff, spoiled hay, 
stunted reedy pastures, or swampy ones, with plants of an acrid 
nature, such as ranunculus, crowfoot, &c., woodland pastures, where 
several of the anemone are to be found, and the poisonous qualities 
of which are well known. 
3. Immediate; Hard and long drives, injuries about the loins, 
parturition, especially if protracted or difficult. 
Treatment, &c. 
If we are fortunate enough to see the animal in the early stage 
of the disease, the abstraction of blood will generally be advisable, 
the quantity being regulated by the strength of the beast. This 
often materially assists in the reduction of the febrile action : still 
it requires to be performed judiciously. Cathartics must be ap- 
plied with activity as having the same tendency, and also to open 
or keep open the bowels, as the case may be. If there is consti- 
pation, dose after dose must be exhibited, always accompanied 
with aromatics, until purging is set up. The slower the medicine 
can be administered, so much the better for insuring the effect. 
Back-racking should be had recourse to, in order to clear the 
rectum, and emollient clysters should be thrown up. Should we 
succeed in opening the bowels, and find the fever in any considerable 
degree lessened, something may be done to assist the over-distended 
vessels of the kidneys. Astringents would be indicated ; but then 
the constipation is not far distant. It may relapse, in which cir- 
cumstance the case is all but hopeless. I have seen good effects 
from the use of tinct. opii, salt of tartar, spirit, eth. nit., nitrate of 
potassa, with tart, ant., linseed tea, gruel, and, if the animal is 
weak, strong ale or porter, combined with gruel, and pulverised 
anise seeds and ginger as aromatics. Croton seed is a valu- 
able agent in obstinate constipation. It is recommended to be 
given in combination with other cathartics, as sulph. magn. 
Where the cases will admit of it, I would prefer the olea- 
ginous purgatives, as being more mild in their action and bet- 
ter suited to inflammatory diseases than the neutral salts, ol. 
ricini, or ol. lini. 
Nevertheless it must be kept in view, that these are not so power- 
ful in their action as the various salts. When the animal is recover- 
ing, great care must be had as to feeding. The food should be 
nourishing, light, and very easily digested. The animal must be 
kept from sudden alteration of temperature, and have a moderately 
warm house, or, if pasturing, must be well sheltered, and with no 
more exercise than she chooses to take. 
