170 ON THE INFLAMMATORY FEVER OF CATTLE. 
Having bled, immediately purge. The best purgative for cattle 
with which I am acquainted is sulphate of magnesia. The sul¬ 
phate of soda is a good aperient, but inferior to the othei. he 
first dose will be from fourteen to eighteen ounces, dissolved in a 
quart or three pints of thin gruel, and without any aiomatic. 
Eight ounces should afterwards be given on every third hour, until 
the bowels are freely opened. 
As soon as this effect is produced, endeavour to depress the 
arterial action by nauseant or sedative medicines. And here, Sir, 
whatever might have been the opinion of the Society as to my I 
almost single preference of digitalis to hellebore in pleunsy m t ie 
horse, I do most confidently urge the superiority of the digitalis 1 
in the inflammatory fever of cattle. I am perfectly awaie that 
medicines act by exciting a local impression on the stomach, and 
that this impression is extended through the medium of sy mpat y, 
but every day’s experience tells me that this impression, whether! 
of excitement or debility, will be general, or principally local; and,i 
if local, determined to one part in preference to otheis, accoic m g| 
to the nature of the drug which has been used. In loca. inflam-j 
mation in the horse, pleurisy or penpneumony, and in which affec¬ 
tions the brain only slightly participates, hellebore excites an mH 
mediate and evident influence on the nervous system; and it u 
probably to that influence, restraining the supply of nervous 
energy, and thus lowering the action of the heart, that we an 
indebted for the advantageous results which are said to be pro¬ 
duced by the administration of it. . , , 
In inflammatory fever, in its earliest stage, there is a ready toe 
much affection of'"the brain: the staggering, the partial or total 
insensibility, sufficiently indicate this. I a\e pjen e eel 
bore but in two instances, both of which terminated fatally, 
neither was there the slightest diminution of the pulse, and in on. 
I would confidently recommend digitalis m these affections 
The sympathetic influence is principally on the circulatory system 
The dose is from two scruples to a drachm three times every day 
and combined with tartarized antimony and nitre : the hist a 
supposed to increase the insensible perspiration, and thereforl 
determining the blood to the skin ; the second as a refngeran 
and diuretic. The dose has usually been one drachm of taitanze 
antimony and three or four of nitre. I have likewise insert* 
setons in the dewlap. Some country practitioners, and with vey 
good effect, used the root of the black hellebore, instead of tape 
f ° r ifthebeast is capable of being moved, it should be ordered t 
shorter and scantier pasture ; but this is a matter of little cons 
