580 
PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE 
The pig has an especial medical attendant, who applies the 
same curative means to every patient: he is the gelder or langue- 
yeur y whose duty it is to attend on every day, or when any pigs 
are sold, and examine the tongue, to see that, enclosed in its 
fraenum, there is no worm — the cysticercus — supposed to be the 
cause of la ladrerie , a species of leprosy, and the exclusive 
management of which is consigned to him. Whatever malady 
the animal may happen to have, the langueyeur always com- 
mences with an inspection of the throat, in which he finds, or 
thinks that he finds, on each side of the tongue some little 
vesicles, which he denominates bechigos in the patois of the 
country. He pierces them with his scissors, and bruises them 
with a piece of silver coin. That being done, he suffers the animal 
to get up, and assures the owner that he is quite cured : but 
from the force which has been used in casting and manacling the 
animal, it sometimes happens that inflammation of the chest 
makes its appearance, and soon hurries the animal away. He 
has his excuse for this — the bechigos , when inflamed, are incu- 
rable, and under that vain pretext he preserves his reputation 
always intact. 
The dog and the cat are not deemed worthy of any medical 
treatment when they become ill — nature alone would effect a 
cure here, if a cure is possible. In point of fact, these animals 
may think themselves well off that the langueyeur disdains to 
meddle with them; for they do get well sometimes, which 
would rarely or never be the case if the empiric was called upon 
to treat them. 
The keep of the ox, the cow, and the colt, varies little in the 
middle of France. They have hay during the winter, fresh grass 
in the stable during the spring, and, during the summer and 
autumn, they are fed in the meadows. The work of the first is 
very moderate, and of the second nothing at all. This renders 
their food wholesome while they are in health, but pernicious in 
case of illness. When a proprietor on the border perceives that 
his ox is not well, and which he recognizes by the diminu- 
tion of appetite, he places before him all kinds of aliment, dry 
and green, and if he can be induced to take either, he is suf- 
fered to eat to satiety. Then the cowleech is sent for to give 
him some stimulating drink, in order that he may eat the more, 
and all his food is left before him, until he either devours it, 
or it is spoiled. The cowleech examines every part of the animal, 
particularly the horns and ears, but says not a word of the 
nature of the disease until he has heard the opinion of the 
proprietor, who hastens to tell him that it is such a malady, 
and that he must administer such a remedv. 
If the disease has little that is dangerous in its nature, the 
animal gets well in spite of the remedies of the cowleech, who 
does not fail to boast of his attention, his medicine, and his 
