THE “ MAD ITCH ” OF CATTLE IN AMERICA. 105 
and second stomachs hut little affected ; the third, however, 
was much inflamed and presented appearances akin to those 
of “fardel bound ” The fourth stomach and the whole of the 
intestines were extensively inflamed. They contained few or 
no faeces, as we might have expected from the state of the 
bowels from the outset of the disease. My observations 
have also been limited to one outbreak only, on a farm some 
distance from here in Wisconsin. At the time I was con¬ 
sulted, out of a herd of about twenty animals, nine had died. 
I suggested that the still unaffected animals should be re¬ 
moved to a very bare pasture and fed sparingly on light, 
easily digestible food. I also gave them a smart dose of 
cathartic medicine. Only one other animal was lost. 
There are various opinions among the farmers as to the 
cause of the disease. Some hold that it is owing to the 
cattle feeding with the hogs, and thus taking into their 
stomachs portions of the fodder with the saliva of these 
animals mixed with it. 
I am aware that I have given you a very imperfect de¬ 
scription of the disease, but probably you are already familiar 
with it, and if so, your opinion of its nature would be of 
value. 
[As several veterinary surgeons with whom we are ac¬ 
quainted have had opportunities of studying the diseases 
of cattle in America, we are desirous of obtaining further 
information from some of them before expressing our views of 
the pathology of the malady alluded to. Many of the affec¬ 
tions met with in the western hemisphere are, as might be 
supposed, in several respects peculiar ; and we hope ere long 
to receive full reports of some of them from members of the 
profession now practising in the States. Our Journal has a 
free circulation in that country, so that these reports will be 
of increased value.] 
