438 TREATMENT OF SOME DISEASES OF CATTLE. 
at last, successful, and she recovered. If the case is severe, and 
does not yield to the bleeding and physic, I direct a mustard 
poultice to be put over the loins ; the beast to be fed lightly, and 
kept quiet. The above plan has been very generally successful, 
and several people, who when I first advised them to adopt it 
thought it extraordinary treatment, particularly as to the bleeding, 
are now quite satisfied of its advantages. 
Blood, or as we generally term it, striking , sometimes visits 
us: seven or eight years ago it was very prevalent, and many 
farmers suffered great losses in consequence. The first attack was 
by swelling of the throat; and the disease proceeded rapidly on to 
destroy the animal, generally in despite of any treatment. The 
common opinion is, that this disease is of a putrid nature; but 1 
conceive there is little doubt of its being highly inflammatory at 
its first attack ; and even those who contend for putridity agree, 
that the only chance of saving the beast is by immediate and co¬ 
pious bleeding, with purgatives, &c. Yearlings are considered 
more liable to strike (as the phrase is) than cattle at any 
other age. 
Hoose exists a good deal amongst calves; and the cattle-doc- 
tors say it depends upon a species of worm, something like fly¬ 
blows, getting into the nose and throat; and they are in the habit 
of pouring turpentine and train oil down the nostrils, to destroy 
these worms, giving at the same time tar and garlico I am in¬ 
clined to consider it an inflammatory affection of the throat and 
bronchim, and have succeeded generally in those cases that have 
come under my care by bleeding and aperients. It is by no 
means a fatal disease, if treated in time ; and mostly prevails in 
the autumn and beginning of winter. 
Diarrhcea is pretty common amongst cattle feeding upon 
turnips. In this state it is not very difficult to cure; for-if the 
beast is moved to a sheltered situation, or kept in and fed upon 
dry food, giving it also a compound of prepared chalk with opium, 
it will most commonly soon get well; but when the disorder exists 
long, and assumes that dysenteric form which is termed shooting, 
it is very difficult to treat. The animal loses its flesh, becomes 
exceedingly thin, and ultimately dies, in despite of any treatment. 
In this stage, the cow-leeches have each their favourite specific, 
the only good of which, I believe, consists in the money they can 
obtain for it: these recipes are composed of a farrago of incon¬ 
gruous substances, as burnt cork, alum, rose-leaves, verjuice, 
bole, &c. &c. 
D ropping after calving happens to cows that are very fresh or > 
fat, and more particularly to those that calve far on in the season, 
in hot weather; but cows that are too fat sometimes drop after 
