186 
THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC AMONG CATTLE. 
of our periodical fairs in the country round. In fact, we expected it 
beforehand, especially if they were large fairs. In several cases, 
the disease first appeared after a cow had been sent to the bull, 
where the disease was or had recently been. That it is conta- 
gious is, we think, also proved by its being easily communi- 
cated by inoculation either in the dewlap, or merely by applying 
diseased saliva to the lips of a healthy animal. 
In one case, a diseased cow went into a farm-yard for half an 
hour, and then was turned into the field. There were no other 
cows in the yard. In a day or two the pigs were all diseased. In 
one instance a farrier gave a cow a drench with a horn with 
which he had just been drenching diseased beasts : the cow and 
all the other cattle on the farm very soon had the disease. 
9 and 10. — Staring of the coat, looking thin, saliva hanging 
about the mouth in bladders, or hanging from the lips nearly to 
the ground ; smacking of the jaws together with a peculiar noise ; 
stiffness, lameness, shaking first one foot and then the other, 
and also costiveness, were the most common symptoms. In a 
great majority of cases the mouth was first affected — now and 
then the feet. The pulse was quickened, sometimes full and hard, 
and sometimes depressed, or not altered in slight cases. Blis- 
ters were on the tongue and membrane lining the lips, followed 
by sloughing. There was ulceration and sloughing of the mem- 
brane connecting the claws, and ulceration and separation of the 
hoof at the coronet and heels, accompanied by a most offensive 
smell both from the mouth and feet : also, inability to graze or to 
eat loose food in bad cases; although we do not remember a case 
where there was not a disposition to eat. In some few cases, 
there was ulceration of the base of the horns similar to the coro- 
net, and ulceration of the alee of the nose, in some cases so violent, 
that the septum has been torn completely through by the man’s 
fingers who held the beast. 
11. — We prefer keeping them in the open air if possible. The 
weather, however cold or wet, does not injure them if they have a 
sound lair. Confinement and a close habitation are injurious. Pur- 
gatives were given at first ; setons in the dewlap were used until 
they became too numerous, yet we think they were beneficial. If 
the bowels were not opened by the first medicine, it was repeated, 
and occasionally three or four times. The medicine used was sulph. 
mag. sulph. com. §iv, with treacle, combined frequently 
with sp. nit. aeth. §j. In all cases, gruel when they could not 
eat. The worst cases have been those where purging was neg- 
lected. We have bled very little ; only a few, when the mem- 
brane of the trachea was affected, producing cough, and when 
symptoms of inflammation of the lungs existed. In two or three 
