ON BLAIN IN COAVS. 
463 
their mouths as soon as they were brought home, and discovered 
sores on the tongue, attributing them to the barley-chaff they had 
been eating. In a few days the milking cows presented the like 
affection; the owner became alarmed, and sent for me. I imme¬ 
diately pronounced the disease to be the ‘‘ prevailing epidemic.” 
The other cows belonged to a neighbour in the same village. 
The disease shewed itself in them when it was ceasing in the 
former. 
It is supposed by the farmers that the disease in the last-men¬ 
tioned cows was caused by the owner himself, as he was frequently 
in attendance on the cows of his neighbour, and especially as they 
were stationed half-a-mile apart, and none of the rest of the cows 
in the village had it. However, as to this I look upon it as a 
mere matter of conjecture, as, undoubtedly, it is produced by at¬ 
mospherical vicissitudes, the same as other epidemics. 
Bleeding was resorted to as a preventive, but it proved a failure. 
The disease was ushered in by a perpetual champing of the mouth 
(similar to an excited pig), wdth a profuse discharge of saliva, ex¬ 
tensive vesicles on the tongue, palate, and lips, more particularly 
on the superior part of the tongue. 
When the mouth was opened, there was an abundant flow of 
yellow fluid, which had an extremely offensive smell. An eruc¬ 
tation usually took place at the same time, the stench of which 
was absolutely unbearable. When the blisters were lanced, a si¬ 
milar yellow fluid escaped as from the mouth. At the onset of the 
disease there was inflammation of the Schneiderian membrane, 
and a muco-purulent matter secreted by the same. We cannot be 
too particular in describing the symptoms of diseases. 
As the malady advanced, vesicles formed on the teats and in¬ 
teguments of the coronets; the latter causing extreme lameness^ 
The appetite was entirely gone in some, with others it was not; but 
they could not masticate their food, on account of the great sore¬ 
ness of the mouth. The pulse was quick, and the respiration acce¬ 
lerated in some; but in others not perceptibly affected. Where the 
lameness was great, the bodily affection was less. Some had sloughr 
ing of nearly the whole investing membrane of the tongue : where 
the cow lay down was a vast quantity of froth and saliva on the litter, 
and they were continually champing and drivelling from the mouth 
the first few days. Afterwards excessive debility sometimes super¬ 
vened; and there was a great and serious diminution of milk for a 
length of time after the disease disappeared. They writhed in 
great agony when they were milked or the calves were sucking 
them. Only one sucking calf had the disease, although all the 
cows that gave suck had vesicles and sores on the teats. The 
pigs in the yard were generally lame, and labouring under llie 
