it occasionally attacked cattle who experienced 
a change of pasture, particularly when the change 
was from fine to coarse herbage,—and that, in 
the course of most journeys of droves of cattle 
from Scotland to the markets of the south of 
England, many violent attacks occurred; and in 
reference to the last of these facts, he says, “I 
have observed, that 20 females for one male were 
attacked, and more especially such as had had 
calves,—that at the commencement of the jour- 
ney, the disease was not prevalent, provided 
there was a constant supply of water, and the 
| weather proved steady,—that during a long-con- 
tinued drought, the cattle were very subject to 
the disease, especially when pure water could 
not be had,—that sudden changes of weather 
were also apt to induce the disease,—and that 
at the commencement of the journey, some of | 
_ the cattle were generally affected, although no 
| perceptible change had taken place in the quality 
_ of the food, and although the cattle had not been 
| exposed to any of the above causes. 
This must 
have proceeded from inflammation induced by 
sprains, bruises, or over-heating, caused by the 
cattle fretting and riding upon each other, as 
well as by the unmerciful strokes of the drivers.” 
These details of observed causes in the course 
respectively of calving, of depasturing, of farm- 
yard feeding, and of journeying, ought to sug- 
_ gest to all proprietors of cattle-stock the several 
and most effective means of prevention. 
“The first symptom of red water,” says Mr. 
Thomson, “is the appearance of something like 
blood mixed with the urine.. So trifling is the 
_ complaint in some instances, that no inconve- 
~~ dark yellow appearance, 
aS 
| nience seems to be felt by the animal, which 
| eats and drinks as usual, chews the cud, and is 
| free of the disease in a few days. 
In such cases, 
a natural diarrhoea comes on, to which the cure 
may be attributed. In general, however, the 
| disease is not observed until the animal refuses 
food, separates from the rest of the herd, appears | 
dull and heavy, and manifests great languor and 
apathy. The ears droop, the urine is of a reddish 
or brownish colour, and if it be a milch cow, the 
milk is often similarly tinged. The pulse ranges 
from 60 to 70; there is obstinate constipa- 
tion of the bowels; the urine is discharged in 
| moderate quantity, and apparently without pain. 
If relief is not afforded by some brisk purgative, 
at the period when the urine changes colour 
from red to brown, the pulse begins to sink; and 
if a little blood be drawn at this time, its surface 
assumes a brownish colour; the eye appears of a 
yellowish brown tint; the urine acquires a darker 
hue; the animal refuses to rise; the pulse sinks; 
the legs, tail, and horns, turn cold; and the ani- 
mal dies, to all appearance perfectly exhausted, 
although it has manifested no symptoms of acute 
pain during the course of the disease. On re- 
moving the skin in animals which have died of 
this disease, the subjacent parts have a peculiar 
The abdominal fat has 
RED WATER. 
the same colour. The first and second stomach 
are generally pretty full of food. The third 
stomach, or manyplies, is dry; its rugee are in- 
flamed; its contents compressed as by general 
spasm. The fourth, or true stomach, is nearly 
empty; its gastric juice tinged of a dark yellow 
colour. The small intestines show no marks of 
inflammation, but their mucous coat is tinged of 
the same colour. The rectum contains indurated 
feeces covered by brownish slime. The liver is 
of a darker colour than natural, but does not 
appear to be diseased in structure. The gall- 
bladder, in all cases that I have seen, is full of 
black, thick bile, somewhat resembling lamp- 
black and oil. The ductus communis choledo- 
chus does not appear to be obstructed, or if it is, 
this is effected by the presence of the neighbour- 
ing viscera, The fat surrounding the kidneys is 
healthy, but of a dark yellow tint. The kidney 
shows no appearance of disease, and, on being 
compressed, emits a few drops of urine similar 
to that in the bladder. The latter organ is 
healthy, but full of dark-coloured urine, resem- 
bling the thinner parts of the contents of the 
gall-bladder. There is no accumulation of fluid 
in the cavity of the peritoneum. The thoracic 
viscera are healthy, but tinged with yellow, as 
are the liquor pericardii, and the cerebral fluid. 
The contents of the lacteals and thoracic duct 
are of a dark brown colour. From the above 
appearances, the third stomach might seem 
diseased, but if water or liquid drinks be given 
plentifully before death, this appearance of dry- 
ness of the contents and inflammation will not 
take place. We must, therefore, seek the cause 
elsewhere. The kidneys are healthy, but the 
urine is tinged brown. ‘The whole secretions 
are also more or less tinged. Shall we suppose, 
then, that the whole apparatus of secretion is 
diseased, or that the absorption of black inspis- 
sated bile into the blood colours all the secre- 
tions, as jaundice does in the human subject? 
This seems the most reasonable supposition. 
Bile regurgitated into the substance of the liver, 
can be taken up by the absorbents and passed 
into the blood, causing derangement of the func- 
tions of secretion, and giving a red appearance 
to the urine, milk, &c. If constipation of the 
bowels be present, the bile may be taken up by 
the absorbents of the mesentery, and introduced 
into the circulation; and, if continued for some 
time, the whole blood will become poisoned 
as it were, and unfit for the support of animal 
life, although there is no appearance of mortifi- 
cation in any part of the system, but all the se- 
cretions, together with the fat, are more or less 
tinged with a dark brown or yellow colour.” 
The empirical treatment of red water, on the 
part of stock-farmers, cow-doctors, and veterinary 
quacks, exhibits the most astonishing variety, 
and comprises almost a museum of absurdity, 
scores of grotesque and monstrous particulars. 
and might be instructively detailed, through 
Sey 
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