CATTLE. 
165 
Red Water. — This is a complaint which frequently attacks cows in 
summer; and, on some pastures, it is a regular occurrence. If taken in 
an early stage, a dose of eight ounces of Epsom salts, dissolved in a pint 
of water, will almost invariably set the beast right. If not at hand, a 
pound of common salt may be given, and the dose repeated, in case of 
need. 
Quarter Felon. — Inflammatory fever, or quarter-ill, is one of the most 
obstinate diseases with which cattle can be afflicted ; and, though odd 
instances of a cure have been reported, they are extremely few, unless 
the disease has been attacked in a very early stage. It is also highly con- 
tagious, and will sometimes go through an entire herd of calves before 
they are a year old, for it seldom occurs after that period. The calf 
gets off its food, and becomes lame and stiff in one foot. The foot 
may be examined, and no cause of lameness discovered, but soon the 
disease has become general ; air bubbles are formed between the skin and 
muscles, and there is a cracking sensation to the hand on passing it over 
the skin, especially in the legs. Inflammatory fever is disorganizing the 
body. 
Preventives, as the seton in the dewlap, bleeding, in autumn, doses 
of dyer’s madder, etc., are favorite remedies. The seton can do no harm, 
— it may be tried ; but no specific, either remedy or prevention, has 
yet been discovered. 
Foul in the Foot. — This is a tiresome, worrying disease, to which large 
heavy milk cows are specially subject ; and is to the cow what foot-rot 
is to the sheep. There is inflammatory action between the claws ; it 
begins to discharge fetid matter, and is a source of pain and irritation, 
which often dries up the milk, and is often a paiuful and annoying com- 
plaint to cure. Let the foot first be well cleaned and fomented with 
warm water, and all loose flesh be cut or clipped off. The foot may 
then be poulticed for one night with flaxseed-meal poultice, and then 
again fomented and anointed with tar; and, if it should smell very 
offensively, a little charcoal, or a few drops of chloride of lime may be 
added to the water. Next day the inflammation will be relieved and 
brought out externally by the tar, and the foot may be then dressed with 
the butter of antimony (chloride of antimony) night and morning, and 
the tar applied afterward. The foot should be confined in a boot or 
stocking, and kept free from dirt. A little salts or linseed-oil should be 
given to keep the bowels in a state of gentle activity. 
Milk Fever. — This is a common complaint with cows which are deep 
milkers, at least in summer. Prevention is all the farmer has to do with, 
for the cure, if any, must be left in the hands of the veterinary surgeon. 
He must, if he see the udder distended, milk the cow before calving 
regularly three times a day ; she must be kept as cool and quiet as pos- 
sible, and have mashes of bran only, for a few days after calving. This 
is cooling and somewhat laxative, and if the udder should be hard, which 
it should not be after this treatment, let it be rubbed with marsh mal- 
low ointment. A gentle dose of purgative medicine may be given if the 
cow is ii. very high condition, and she should be driven a few miles every 
day before calving. With these precautions there is little danger, at 
least of ; ts being fatal. 
