644 
DISEASE IN CATTLE RESEMBLING RABIES. 
they resembled dead beasts. The palpitations of the heart were 
strongly developed and echoing — the pulse feeble, and gave 60 
pulsations in the minute — the spasms of the muscles and the 
bellowing still continued at intervals — the eyes drawn into the 
head — the wildness of the look — the ruggedness of the coat, and 
the terrible loss of flesh which had taken place, all conspired to 
give to the diseased animals an unnatural and repulsive appear- 
ance. Most of them died about the end of the fourth day ; some, 
however, lingered on until the ninth ; every vital function, and 
even the symptoms of the disease, as the spasms, &c. wasting gra- 
dually away until life was extinguished. 
This one description will serve for every animal attacked It is 
true that the duration of the disease was not the same in all ; but 
this was attributable to the effects of the remedies applied and not 
to any variation in the symptoms. This may probably be explained 
by the fact, that for very many years this herd had not been in- 
creased by the introduction of any purchased beast ; all appertain- 
ing to it were bred in Heyden, and reared according to a certain 
and invariable system. 
Post-mortem Examination . — Unfortunately for the success of 
this, the opinion was so prevalent that the animals had died rabid, 
that I was unable to procure sufficient assistance to enable me to 
conduct the post-mortem examination so carefully and minutely as 
I could wish. This much, however, I can state, — that not only the 
brain itself, but all the vessels of the surrounding skin, were 
gorged with blood. The gullet, windpipe, and all the organs con- 
tained in the chest, were in their natural state. The same may 
be observed respecting most of the contents of the belly. Only 
the vessels of the third stomach appeared to be very much dis- 
tended, and the thin intestine was distended in several places 
from six to ten inches, striped and shaded with red, while the skin 
underneath appeared perfectly healthy. This appearance, which 
is not easily explained, may be worthy of attention, as I invariably 
found it present. 
Treatment . — After the disease had once made its appearance — 
and almost every day a heifer, a bull, or a fine young cow was 
attacked — saltpetre was given to the whole herd ; but as this did 
not appear to be productive of any benefit, a man was sent for 
from Mitau, who, though not a regular practitioner, was said to be 
skilful in doctoring cattle. He at once confessed that he had 
never seen such a disease before ; but this did not prevent him 
from prescribing sweet-flag for the herd, and emetic tartar for the 
sick beasts. But he could not resolve on bleeding them, because, 
in his opinion, the animals were too weak already. Under this 
treatment, instead of one animal a-day being seized, at least two 
