i 
THE PREVAILING EPIDEMIC AMONG CATTLE, &C. 141 
charge took place between the claws, at the back part of the heels, 
and in front of the hoofs, betwixt hair and hoof, the ulceration ex- 
tending often very far under the sole of the foot : those cows did 
best where the discharge came on early but moderately. In some 
there was so much pain and tenderness of the feet that the beast 
could not stand up, accompanied with evident sympathetic fever, but 
no discharge. In these cases matter became formed under the bot- 
tom or sole of the foot, requiring very free paring to set it at liberty. 
In others, the ulcerative process and discharge would occur exten- 
sively and deeply under the horny covering, so that the hoofs would 
come off, if the diseased action was not corrected by free paring 
and proper dressings : here the fever also ran very high, accompa- 
nied with very rapid emaciation of the animal. In some instances 
the mammary glands were attacked with violent inflammation, 
which terminated in mortification; at others, the connecting cellu- 
lar membrane of a limb would be the seat of inflammation, which 
would either end in mortification, or extensive formations of matter 
or pus amongst the interstices of the muscles. Fortunately these ex- 
treme cases were rare, and it was evident that the disease, as it pre- 
vails among us, had assumed a much milder type than during its 
early career. The malady consists in a highly contagious inflamma- 
tory fever, possessing an erysipelatous type, consequently bearing 
bleeding ill, and affecting particularly the mucous and secreting 
tissues. In its regular form it runs its course in a fortnight, the 
animal becoming convalescent, and fit to turn out gradually in the 
daytime, if fine, at the end of three weeks. I generally found the 
pulse to subside gradually to its regular standard from the end of 
the fifth and seventh day. 
Treatment . — A more judicious general outline of treatment can- 
not be adopted than the one recommended by Professor Sewell to 
the notice of the English Agricultural Society. Equally so, upon 
the same principle, is that of the Earl of Surry, as published in your 
valuable Journal for the benefit of his tenantry and the community 
at large. Looking at the disease as an inflammatory affection of 
the mucous membranes, particularly of the lining membranes of the 
mouth, stomach, and intestines, the treatment cannot be too mild ; 
therefore drastic purgatives are inadmissible, and fatal in their con- 
sequences. I accordingly simply ordered a quarter of a pound of 
Glauber’s salts to be administered once or twice a-day, dissolved 
in a pint of warm water, to which was added a quarter of a pint of 
cold-drawn linseed oil, just to keep the bowels soluble, but not to 
purge or irritate them. This was continued for a fortnight. Dur- 
ing the third week it was only given every other day, and in the 
generality of cases was seldom required beyond the latter period. 
Bleeding was not had recourse to unless there was much sympa- 
VOL. XIV. T 
