THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC AMONG CATTLE. 
91 
the dropping of the calf. These cases not being under my notice, 
I am unable to state the treatment. The fatality of the calves 
appears to me to have been caused by the foetus having inbibed 
the seeds of the disease in that state, when almost every ailment 
of the dam is generally productive of ill consequences to their 
then weak and imperfectly formed young. 
My treatment of such cows as I have been professionally called 
to attend upon has been quite simple : — viz., the combination of 
tonics with aperients, which I have always found to have the 
desired effect. I am no advocate of the strong drastic purges 
that are sometimes imprudently given ; for I feel persuaded that 
more harm than good is the result of their use, as they (i. e. the 
sick stock) are generally found labouring under great debility. 
Under such circumstances, violent purging medicine would have 
a much more severe effect than in ordinary cases of sickness. 
I have not, as yet, lost any of my patients since the commence- 
ment of the disorder ; and neither have I heard of any, except in 
those cases where the strong drastic purge has been given, and 
the animals afterwards left exposed to the cold. In consequence 
of few fatal cases occurring in this neighbourhood, the farmers 
treat the matter lightly, seldom doing or giving any thing to 
their lean stock, except washing out their mouths with an 
astringent lotion, and then leaving them to chance or the care of 
a more benevolent providence. 
When fat cattle or milch cows take the disorder, and the 
former especially, they generally lose a great deal of flesh, and the 
latter their milk. If an aperient, as already recommended, is given, 
the loss of either may, in a great measure, be prevented. Perhaps 
the fat cattle will not lose more than ten pounds, or a stone at 
the utmost: while, if left to mere chance, the odds are, that they 
would go near to lose ten stone ; this, however, is meant as 
regards bad or extreme cases. The results from the negligence 
of the owner or manager are yet more serious. Even among such 
as appear quite left to fate, it may possibly happen, that some 
will have the complaint very mildly. The administration of proper 
medicine, in conjunction with proper care, as circumstances re- 
quire, will generally recover the animals in three or four days, 
whereas, the same beast, if left to mere chance and casual cir- 
cumstances, will probably be a fortnight or three weeks before 
convalescence. 
I have seen the milk of a cow that had the epidemic curdle 
when boiled ; in others, not the slightest difference was apparently 
observable. I have heard of a few individuals who evinced symp- 
toms something similar to what animals in the epidemic shewed, 
from partaking of the milk; and I know of others that partook of 
