Chapter II: Abscesses (1)

CAUSE: Bruises and injuries. They are also seen in complication with various other diseases, as Laryngitis, Pharyngitis, Tuberculosis, Lump Jaw, Blood Poison or Pyemia and Septicemia.

SYMPTOMS: Symptoms will vary according to the nature of the disease or injury. It may not be noticed at first, but upon careful examination swollen lines will be observed running from the point of swelling. In many cases a swelling is noticed which is hot, painful and throbbing, which enlarges rapidly in two or three days. The swelling and heat gradually disappear but the Abscess continues to grow. The hair falls from the point of swelling and in a short time breaks and discharges pus. The cavity gradually fills up and heals by granulation.

TREATMENT: In all cases, hasten the ripening process as much as possible by applying hot water packs or hot bran, flaxseed or vegetable poultices. It is common with Veterinarians to lance an Abscess as soon as possible, but this requires considerable skill and practice and I would advise stock owners to be very cautious when performing this operation, as there is great danger of cutting arteries which would cause excessive bleeding. A very good plan is to encourage the full ripening of an Abscess, as above stated. When opened, do not squeeze the Abscess to any extent, but press gently with clean hands or cloth to remove the core or clot. After this, just simply keep the Abscess open by washing with a three per cent Carbolic Acid solution, or Bichloride of Mercury, one in one thousand solution. Hyposulphite of Soda in ounce doses should be given two or three times a day in their drinking water. This will prevent the absorption of impurities from the abscess into the blood circulation.

ABORTION

(Non-Contagious)

CAUSE: Injuries from slipping or falling on icy roads, in box cars, and deep gutters; receiving blows on the body, keeping the animal in insanitary stables, eating poor food that may be irritating or poisonous, etc. In such cases, the cow's vitality is low so that the foetus dies and is expelled as a result. Losing large quantities of blood also produces Abortion, or a cow heavy with calf, on being placed in the same quarters with the cows that retain their afterbirth, is liable to abort. Intestinal worms, lung worms, liver flukes, causing an excessive drain upon the system or producing irritation of the digestive organs, in consequence of which cow gets very poor and emaciated. The above mentioned are perhaps the most common causes of "Non-Contagious Abortion."

SYMPTOMS: The cow is uneasy, becomes separated from the herd, the bag and vagina may be slightly inflamed and perhaps the latter discharging. If a cow heavy with calf craves the chewing and eating of dirt, rags, nails, etc., this is a sign of a lack of iron or phosphorus in her system and food containing these elements should be provided.

PREVENTIVE TREATMENT: Provide clean, warm, comfortable quarters, good food, pure water to drink, do not subject her to any injuries, do not permit her coming in contact with cows retaining their afterbirth.

The above mentioned is very important, especially if the cows are valuable and a large yield of milk is expected. If they have worms, treat the same as under their special heading. If they have a loss of blood or a lack of mineral matter in their system, the following is very efficient: Pulv. Ferri Sulphate, four ounces; Pulv. Nux Vomica, two ounces; Pulv. Fenugreek Seed, four ounces. Mix and make into sixteen powders. Give one powder two or three times a day in feed or place in a gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun.

AMAUROSIS OF THE EYE

CAUSE: Paralysis of the optic nerve.

SYMPTOMS: Pupil fully dilated and of a glassy appearance. This condition is sometimes called "Glass Eye." The cow carries the head high and steps high. This condition is very uncommon in cattle.

TREATMENT: Nothing can be done for a cow if she is blind, but this condition may be prevented if detected in its early stages of development by the proper feeding of nourishing food, good clean surroundings and the administration of nerve tonics, as Pulv. Nux Vomica, four ounces; Pulv. Gentian Root, four ounces; Potassium Iodide, three ounces. Make into twenty-four powders and place one powder in feed two or three times daily; or make into twenty-four capsules and give one capsule two or three times a day with capsule gun.

ANTHRAX

Anthrax is a very contagious disease and is communicable to all warm blooded animals and man.

CAUSE: Due to the presence of a germ called the Bacillus of Anthrax and is one of the oldest diseases attributed to germs. These Bacilli thrive in warm climates, although found in cold countries. The infection is carried to various parts of the world by box-cars, ships, hides, hoofs, horns, wool and hair taken from sick or dead animals affected with Anthrax. This, perhaps, is the most common method of spreading the disease.

SYMPTOMS: Loss of appetite, grinding of the teeth indicating great pain, trembling of the muscles, temperature elevated to 104 or 106 degrees F., breathing very rapid, pulse fast and weak, hair rough. There are some cases where the animals are seized quickly with the disease and die very suddenly. This form resembles apoplexy. Carbuncles or Abscesses are seen on the surface of the body in nearly all cases, also a bloody discharge from the mouth and nose. The animal may stamp the ground, rear in the air, run and finally go into convulsions and die. This is termed "the furious form of Anthrax."

TREATMENT: Prevention is the most important. Fields or pastures that are infected with this disease should be burned every summer if possible, to destroy the germs. The animals that succumb to the disease should be buried deeply and quicklime thrown upon them, also any blood stains upon the ground should have a strong disinfectant thrown upon them. The hide of such an animal should not be used as the person removing it is likely to contract the same disease, especially if an abrasion is present on the hand, or such a hide or any portion thereof is likely to spread the infection after reaching the tannery, etc.

MEDICAL TREATMENT OR SERUM TREATMENT: This is the only thorough method of eradicating the disease, and when this disease once becomes prevalent in a locality the services of a competent Veterinarian should be secured and all the animals inoculated.

BARRENNESS

(Failure to Breed)

CAUSE: Wasting or Atrophy, chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the organs of generation, Whites, absence or excessive secretions of the organs of generation, contraction or displacement of the womb, horns being telescoped or twisted, cysts or growths of the ovaries, in-breeding or being a twin, are the predisposing causes of Barrenness.

TREATMENT: Unsuccessful as a rule. Unless the cow is very valuable, treatment is not advisable. A careful examination, however, is recommended. If due to contraction of the neck of the womb it can be readily dilated by the use of the hand, after being greased with Carbolated Sweet Oil before attempting to perform the operation.

BLACK LEG

(Symptomatic Anthrax--Black Quarter)

CAUSE: Due to germs. The Bacillus of Black Leg perhaps gains entrance to the blood by wounds of the skin or the mucous membranes lining the mouth and the intestines. This disease principally affects cattle, although sheep and goats may become affected with the same disease.

SYMPTOMS: This disease affects cattle that are in good condition between the ages of six months and two years. In most cases death is very sudden, and perhaps the animal is found dead. The first symptoms are high temperatures from 104 to 108 degrees F., loss of appetite, the animal stops chewing the cud, breathing considerably hurried, the joints of the limbs become swollen, also the chest and shoulders. All the swellings are painful on pressure and spread very rapidly over the body. The affected animals move with great difficulty and lie down frequently. If the hand is passed over the body, there is a peculiar crackling sound due to the gas developing under the skin. At the most distended portions of the swellings, the skin becomes dry and the animal apparently has no sense of feeling. If the skin is punctured at this place, there will be a dark-red, frothy discharge which has a very disagreeable odor. There will be a shivering of the muscles and the animal dies from convulsions.

TREATMENT: Remove non-affected animals to non-infected pastures, and confine affected animals to as small a territory as possible. The carcasses of the dead animals should be buried deep and covered with lime or burned, being very careful that all blood stains on the ground where the animals have been skinned are thoroughly disinfected. Inoculation is necessary, and is the best form of treatment in localities where Black Leg exists. Inoculate or vaccinate the calves when six months old or over, although after the animal reaches the age of two years or over they generally become immune from this disease.

BLEEDING

(Hemorrhage)

CAUSE: Sometimes bleeding follows dehorning, castration, and wounds due to various other causes.

TREATMENT: When bleeding from a large artery, it should be tied with a clean silk or linen thread or twisted with a pair of forceps or cauterized with a hot iron. Sometimes compression by the use of tightly bound bandages proves effective, although the former appliances are more practical. Tincture Chloride of Iron applied to small arteries or veins causes the blood to clot in the arteries or veins and hence stops the Hemorrhage. It is very essential that all wounds should be treated antiseptically and I cannot say that I favor washing a wound with water only in cases where the wound is very filthy, and I prefer powder applications in preference to any other antiseptics. The following will be found very effective in the treatment of the majority of wounds: Boracic Acid, two ounces; Iodoform, two drams; Tannic Acid, one-half ounce; Calomel, one dram. Powder finely and mix well. Place in sifter top can and apply two or three times daily.

BLOATING

A very common disorder in cattle and characterized by a puffed up appearance of the left flank. The cow has four stomachs of which the rumen is the largest, its capacity being about fifty gallons in the average cow, and it is this stomach which fills with gas when a cow bloats.

CAUSE: Eating green clover or alfalfa; even when a cow is accustomed to this diet, it may cause bloating if wet with dew or rain; cured alfalfa, moldy or frozen mangles will also produce bloating; the above mentioned foods undergo a process of fermentation which causes excessive formation of gas, and death may result very quickly and may be due to rupture of the stomach or the diaphragm (muscle separating the abdominal and lung cavities), but is more often due to suffocation caused by the distension of the stomach which becomes so large that it presses the diaphragm forward against the lungs in such a manner as to stop their movement and the animal smothers. When the cow falls, it indicates that one of these possibilities has occurred and death follows quickly.

SYMPTOMS: Cattle usually bloat suddenly and without warning; the left flank becomes abnormally swollen; back is arched, breathing labored; sometimes the tongue hangs out and the animal bellows. When rupture or suffocation occurs the animal reels, staggers, and falls, after which nothing more can be done.

TREATMENT: No time should be lost. Where the stomach is enormously distended with gas so as to cause the animals to stagger and breathe very rapidly, they should be gagged. This can be easily accomplished by taking a piece of wood about two inches in diameter, and eight inches to one foot long, placing it in their mouth and retaining it in that position by tying a string on each end and placing it back of the ears. If this does not give relief immediately, puncture the left flank about five inches downward and forward from the angle of hip bone. However, puncturing should not be resorted to only in cases where death threatens the animal, as abscesses, infection and severe hemorrhage may follow. A very reliable medical treatment for this condition should be in the medicine chest of every stockman, such as Pulv. Asafetida, Oil of Turpentine, each one ounce. Place in gelatin capsules. This is a very efficient remedy for the eradication of excessive fermentation of gases in the stomach or bloating.

BLOOD POISON

(Pyemia-Septicaemia)

CAUSE: Due to a septic infection taken into the blood, frequently found in cows with retained afterbirths, following inflammation of the womb or intestines, wounds and bruises of the skin and frequently found in calves affected with Joint Ill.

SYMPTOMS: High temperature 103 to 107 degrees F., pulse rapid and feeble, breathing increased, grinding of the teeth, the animal refuses to eat in most cases and ceases to chew the cud, although there may be great thirst present. Abscesses may form in various parts of the body, the membranes of the eyes and mouth will be injected with blood, giving them a dark-red appearance, although in the latter stages of Blood Poison this may change to a yellowish tinge. Constipation or Diarrhoea may be connected with the disease. The animal dies by general emaciation from four to six days after the first symptoms are noticed.

TREATMENT: Unsuccessful, as when the infection once becomes absorbed in the blood it is always certain that death will follow. If due to injuries or wounds, wash them with Bichloride solution, one part to one thousand parts of water, but if due to retained afterbirth or inflammation of the womb, inject one gallon of distilled water containing five per cent Carbolic Acid. If in young calves, treat the same as under the heading of Joint Ill. If due to inflammation of the intestines, give Hyposulphite of Soda, two ounces; Potassi Iodide, one dram, two or three times a day in their drinking water. When abscesses form, lance them with a clean, sharp knife. If the animal is constipated place two drams of Aloin, two drams of Pulv. Gentian Root in a capsule and give with capsule gun. If Diarrhoea is present give Gum Catechu, two drams; Protan, three drams; Zinc Sulphocarbolates, one grain. Place in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun. Feed warm wheat bran mashes, steamed rolled oats, vegetables and green grass, if possible.

BLOODY FLUX

(Dysentery)

CAUSE: Chilling of the outer surface of the body. Improper feeding, as contaminated food or water, sometimes connected with parasitic diseases of the intestines.

SYMPTOMS: Dysentery is a sign of some irritation of the intestines terminating into increased contractions of muscular fibers of the bowels. The fecal matter, if frequently expelled, at first consists of a thick feces, but as the disease progresses the fecal matter becomes very thin and watery and tinged with blood and very offensive. When the first signs are noticed the animals show no constitutional disturbances, but later they exhibit abdominal pain by looking around to the flank. At this stage they are very weak, throwing the feet well together, giving the back an arched appearance, and are very uneasy although they may lie down frequently. Temperature elevated from one to three degrees. The animal becomes emaciated and eventually dies.

TREATMENT: Determine the cause and remove it if possible. Keep the animal quiet. Give pure water to drink in small quantities but often. If the animal will eat, feed steamed rolled oats, etc. Flaxseed tea is very beneficial, as it is soothing to the intestines and assists in removing the irritations. Pour one quart of boiling water on one-half pint of pure Flaxseed, allowing it to cool, then compel the animal to drink it. The following prescription will be found very effective in all forms of Diarrhoea: Tannic Acid, one ounce; Protan, two ounces; Gum Catechu, two ounces; Beechwood Creosote, four scruples; Zinc Sulphocarbolates, eight grains. Make into eight capsules and give one capsule every three or four hours with capsule gun.

DAIRY HERD AT OAKLAWN FARM, WAYNE, ILLS. (DUNHAMS.)

BLOODY MILK

CAUSE: Bloody Milk may be the result of injury, congestion, inflammation of the udder. Feeding on rich milk-producing food suddenly may produce it. Bloody Milk is also produced in a cow by excitement when in heat or from eating resinous plants or shrubs.

TREATMENT: It is advisable in most cases to give a physic consisting of two drams of Aloin and Ginger two drams. Also administer Potassium Nitrate, four ounces; Potassium Chlorate, two ounces, made into eight capsules and give one capsule twice daily with capsule gun. If due to rich food, reduce it. If due to eating resinous plants, remove them from the pasture containing such shrubbery. Where congestion or inflammation of the bag is thought to produce it, apply Hot Water Packs, then dry and apply Blue Ointment and Camphorated Ointment, equal parts, two ounces. Mix well and rub on thoroughly two or three times a day.

BLUE MILK

CAUSE: This condition is due to a germ (the Bacillus Cyanogenes) which may occur in rich milk or cream immediately after being drawn or the germ may find its way into the opening of the teat.

TREATMENT: Injections into the teat of a solution composed of the following: Hyposulphite of Soda, two drams; Boracic Acid, one dram, dissolved in one pint of boiling water. Permit to cool and inject a small quantity in each teat once or twice a day for three or four days. This will destroy the Blue Milk producing germ without any injuries to the cow, udder or teats.

BRONCHITIS

CAUSE: Inhaling irritating gases or foreign bodies. It is commonly seen after drenching from liquid escaping into the windpipe instead of going down the gullet. Animals exposed to cold, wet weather when not accustomed to it frequently develop Bronchitis.

SYMPTOMS: Loss of appetite, chilling, temperature elevated two or three degrees above normal; ears and legs cold, nose hot and dry, breathing short and labored, painful coughing, slight discharge from the nostrils and saliva oozing from the mouth. If the ear is placed over the lower portion of the neck, a crepitating sound can be heard.

TREATMENT: Place the animal in a clean, comfortable stall where there is pure air and light but no drafts. Clothe the body if the weather is cold. Hand rub the legs and bandage with woolen cloths. Give inhalations of steam from Hot Water and Pine Tar for twenty minutes two or three times a day. Also administer Nux Vomica, four ounces; Ginger, four ounces; Nitrate of Potash, four ounces. Make into sixteen capsules and give one capsule every four hours. Applications of the following liniment are of some value: Aqua Ammonia Fort., three ounces; Oil of Turpentine, three ounces; Sweet Oil, six ounces. Apply over the region of the windpipe the full length of the neck.

CALF SCOURS

(Cholera--White Scours--Bloody Flux)

CAUSE: It is produced by a specific germ and is communicated by direct or indirect contact with the germ which may gain entrance into the blood by the umbilical cord at or shortly after birth or through the digestive canal by drinking milk or eating food contaminated with the disease-producing germ. The more common means of spreading the disease is through pails, drinking troughs, etc.

SYMPTOMS: One of the most deadly forms of Diarrhoea. This usually appears a few days after birth, although in some cases it takes several days for it to develop. Every sign of Diarrhoea is present, as frequent passages of feces of a yellowish-white color, frothy and very offensive in odor. The calf is very dull, weak, back arched, hair rough, eyes glassy and sunken back in their sockets, belly retracted, breathing short and fast. The calf finally lies flat on the side, head resting on the floor or ground with a temperature generally below normal. The calf finally becomes unconscious and death follows.

TREATMENT: Give Protan, three ounces; Zinc Sulphocarbolates, eight grains; Gum Catechu, powdered, two ounces; Ginger, one ounce; Beechwood Creosote, one dram. Make into eight capsules and give one capsule every two hours until relieved. When the calf will take its feed, if not nursing its mother, see that the milk is pure and the utensil containing it thoroughly scalded with hot water. Keep the animal in clean, sanitary quarters, as quiet as possible for a few days, and if the disease is not too far advanced a good recovery will follow.

CALVING

Signs of Normal Calving are firmness and enlargement of the udder, extending well forward following the milk veins. The teats as a rule discharge a thin milky fluid, relaxation of the muscles on each side of the croup or the base of the tail. The outer surface of the womb becomes swollen and inflamed, discharging sticky, stringy, transparent mucus. The cow becomes uneasy, stops eating, and if in a pasture becomes separated from the rest of the herd; will lie down and get up alternately as if in great agony. When birth pains start, the back is arched, and a severe straining follows the contraction of the abdominal muscles. The membranes covering the foetus will be the first to make their appearance, engorged with a fluid from the womb. This is commonly known as the water bag, which eventually bursts and the two fore feet can be seen, and, as the animal continues to strain, the nose and head will be next to be seen. When the calf's shoulders are exposed, the cow as a rule rises suddenly to her feet and the entire calf is expelled, also the membranes surrounding it, but the membranes next to the womb, as a general rule, remain longer and sometimes require artificial assistance to remove them. (See Retention of the Afterbirth.) Destroy the foetal membranes by burning or burying them deeply. Do not permit the cow to eat them. Wash the calf's navel with Bichloride of Mercury, one part to one thousand parts water, once or twice a day until the navel is thoroughly dry, as an infection may follow, producing Joint Ill or Scours, from which death may result.

ABNORMAL CALVING: This is a condition where the foetus is not normally presented, as that just described. Their feet may be presented in a normal manner, but the head and neck twisted back or to one side, or the head and one fore foot may be presented normally, while the other fore foot is doubled back, or there may be a breech presentation as the rump of a foetus with both hind feet thrown close to its body. This is a very difficult presentation, especially if in a young animal. A foetus abnormally presented requires good judgment and cleanliness, also lubrication of the walls of the womb with unsalted Lard, Cotton or Sweet Oil. Endeavor to place the foetus in as near a normal position as possible before any force is used in its delivery, although where both hind feet are presented, it is advisable to remove it in this position. The hands and ropes should be clean and washed with a five per cent solution of Carbolic Acid. It is not only dangerous to the animal, but to the operator as well, if proper antiseptic precautions are not practiced.

Space does not permit me going into details on various foetal presentations nor does it permit me to explain the exact methods or operations I would use in each particular case. Nevertheless, good judgment and cleanliness are important. Do not hurry. Take your time, and you will be successful in most cases.

When the foetus is removed, and the afterbirth does not come away within twelve or eighteen hours, remove it. (See Retention of Afterbirth, which will describe its means of attachment and its removal.)

CASTING THE WITHERS

(Eversion of the Womb)

CAUSE: Failure of the womb to contract after Calving. If the womb contracts naturally and the afterbirth expelled, the cavity of the womb is nearly closed and the neck of the womb becomes so narrow that the hand cannot be inserted. When the womb fails to contract, one or both horns of the womb become so relaxed that they fall into the cavity causing straining and contraction of the abdominal muscles, forcing the womb out gradually until the organ is turned inside out. The womb can be easily distinguished from the other membranes on account of the presence of sixty to eighty mushroom-like bodies (cotyledons) two to four inches in diameter attached to the walls of the womb by a narrow neck. The womb when hanging out becomes engorged with blood and inflamed until it is as large as a grain sack, very dark in color, tears and bleeds with the slightest touch. Later it becomes lacerated and gangrenous.

SYMPTOMS: At first, the general health is not very much interfered with, but the inflammation which is marked by an elevation in temperature becomes very noticeable, accompanied by severe straining and exhaustion. The animal lies down, but continues to strain until death, unless relief is afforded the animal at once.

TREATMENT: Great care must be exercised. The parts of the womb coming in contact with the cow's hips, tail or floors must be thoroughly washed with a five per cent solution of Carbolic Acid, using a soft cloth or sponge to remove dirt, clots, etc. Place the cow in a position so as to have her hind quarters much higher than the head, and then endeavor to replace the womb. After washing as stated above, bandage the tail with a clean cloth; have an assistant hold up the womb and the operator use gentle manipulation and pressure with clean hands; this perhaps is the best method of replacing the womb. Then follow by flushing out the womb with a weak Carbolic Acid solution and luke warm water. This has a tendency to straighten out the horns of the uterus and prevent infection. If the cow continues to strain, give Potassium Bromide in ounce doses every two or three hours in her drinking water, or place in capsule and give with capsule gun.

Sometimes stimulants and tonics are necessary and the following will be found very effective: Pulv. Nux Vomica, four ounces; Pulv. Gentian Root, four ounces; Pulv. Ferri Sulphate, four ounces. Make into sixteen capsules and give one capsule every six hours with capsule gun.

It is well to compel the animal to stand or lie with the hind parts elevated, until the signs of straining have ceased.

CATARACT OF THE EYE

CAUSE: Is due to deep seated inflammation of the eye produced by an injury or weakened condition of the optic nerve.

SYMPTOMS: If the pupil of one of the eyes appears larger than the other it is well to make a careful examination, as this is the first sign of Cataract. If such a condition is neglected, partial or complete blindness will follow and a white, pearly deposit can be seen on the lens of the eye.

TREATMENT: Very unsatisfactory unless treated carefully when the first signs are noticed. Place the animal in a darkened stable. Feed clean, sloppy food and it may be necessary to give a physic consisting of two drams of Aloin, two drams of Pulv. Ginger, placed in a capsule and given with capsule gun. The following ointment, Yellow Oxide of Mercury, four grains; Lanolin, one ounce, should be mixed well and applied to the eye two or three times a day.

CATARRH

CAUSE: Ill ventilated stables, inhalations of irritating gases or sudden exposure to cold, wet weather, after being accustomed to warm stables. Most commonly seen in the Spring or Fall.

SYMPTOMS: Chilling and temperature elevated one or two degrees, pulse not much affected, breathing hurried to some extent, sneezing, coughing, dullness and the appetite is slightly impaired. In the first stages the nostrils are very dry and considerably inflamed, but in the course of a few days the fever subsides and a profuse discharge from the nose is observed.

TREATMENT: Place the animal in dry, well ventilated stall, blanket well and supply a good quality and quantity of bedding. Give inhalations from steam and hot water and Pine Tar. If the animal is constipated, give rectal injections of Soap and Warm Water two or three times a day. Also administer Potassium Nitrate, Pulv. Nux Vomica, each four ounces; Capsicum, two ounces, and Pulv. Ginger two ounces. Make into twenty-four capsules and give one capsule three or four times a day. This should not be neglected, as neglected Catarrh is liable to be followed by Laryngitis, Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Pleurisy or other diseases of the organs of breathing, which are very serious and sometimes cause the death of the animal.

CHAPPED TEATS

CAUSE: Anything that tends to irritate them. A sudden chilling of the teat in cold weather after the calf has just let it go, or after the operation of milking with wet hands or from an animal wading through deep water or tall wet grass. Also filth or irritants coming in contact with teats when lying down.

TREATMENT: Remove the cause if possible and dry the teats well after each milking and apply Zinc Oxide ointment. Feed laxative food that is easily digested, as it has a very good effect on the blood, consequently it promotes the healing of wounds.

CHOKING

(Obstruction of the Esophagus)

CAUSE: An obstruction of the Esophagus (gullet) produced by an animal attempting to swallow apples, potatoes, roots, dry grain, etc.

SYMPTOMS: A stringy discharge of saliva from the mouth, violent coughing, wrenching of the head and neck. The animal will bloat very quickly if the Esophagus or gullet is completely obstructed.

TREATMENT: The obstruction as a rule is easily located, and as quickly as possible withdraw the obstruction by inserting the hand and extracting the object. Do not attempt to push the object down into the stomach, except as a last resort, as there is a great deal of danger of rupturing the Esophagus or gullet. Push the object upward by gentle manipulation from the outside. If this fails, a smooth piece of hose about eight or nine feet long, well greased with Lard, Butter or Oil, should be passed down the Esophagus or gullet. A block of wood about two inches in diameter with a hole bored through the center just a little larger than the hose, placed in the mouth, will prevent the animal from biting the hose, and make the operation easier.

When the animal is bloated severely, puncture with a knife about four or five inches from the point of the hip downward and forward.

CHRONIC DYSENTERY

(Bacterial Dysentery--Jones Disease)

CAUSE: Acid-fast Bacillus resembling the Tubercular Bacillus that invade the intestines by the way of the animal drinking water or eating food containing the Acid-fast Bacteria.

SYMPTOMS: Diarrhoea, loss of flesh, although the appetite is good, hair becomes dry and harsh, temperature remains about normal. The Diarrhoea becomes persistent and tinged with blood. The animal becomes emaciated and anemic, exhausted, and death follows. This disease may continue for a month or even a year before death takes place. However this is very uncommon. They generally die very shortly.

TREATMENT: Separate the affected cattle from the healthy ones. All fecal matter should be deeply buried or burned, the stalls, barnyards, also thoroughly disinfected. Administration of medicine thus far has been unsatisfactory, although a treatment should be directed toward the intestines with internal antiseptics such as Zinc Sulphocarbolates, one and one-half grains; Protan, three drams; Pulv. Nux Vomica, one dram; Bismuth Subnitrate, one dram. Place in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun. This dose should be repeated three or four times a day. Feed a good quality of food, such as wheat bran mashes or steamed rolled oats and see that the water supply is fresh and non-contaminated.

COLIC

CAUSE: Drinking large quantities of cold water when overheated. However, this disorder is very uncommon in cattle owing to the fact that they are not worked, seldom overheated and drink water very slowly.

SYMPTOMS: Kicking or raising of the feet to the belly. Lying down and getting up alternately. Distention of the stomach or paunch with gas. The animal chills or shivers, etc.

TREATMENT: Strong stimulants or tonics as the following will give immediate results if administered in its first stages: Pulv. Nux Vomica, two ounces; Pulv. Ginger, two ounces; Pulv. Capsicum, two ounces. Make into eight capsules and give one capsule every two hours until relieved. Give the capsules with capsule gun. If severe bloating accompanies a case of Colic in cattle place one ounce dose of Oil of Turpentine in ounce capsules and give with capsule gun.

CHAMPION GALLOWAY BULL, STANDARD FAVORITE, INTERNATIONAL 1913. Owned by C. S. Hetehncr, Chariton, Iowa.

CONGESTION OF THE LUNGS

CAUSE: Cattle permitted to stand in drafts when warm after being driven, etc., irritating drugs escaping into the lungs when drenching, as it is very difficult for cattle to swallow when their heads are elevated.

SYMPTOMS: Dullness. The animal loses its spirits, so to speak, usually shivers or trembles. When this ceases, the temperature rises to perhaps 105 or 106 degrees F. The ears and legs grow cold, the nose hot and dry, pulse rapid but firm, breathing short and labored, a short hacking cough will be present. Such animals generally remain standing.

Other symptoms are constipation, the feces covered with mucus or a slime, great thirst. The eyes are inflamed and look glassy. The secretions of milk are suppressed, if these symptoms develop in milking cows.

TREATMENT: Place the animal in clean, warm, comfortable quarters permitting light and as much pure air as possible, but avoid drafts and blanket the animal if chilly. Hand rub the legs and bandage with woolen cloths. Administer Pulv. Carbonate of Ammonia, four ounces; Pulv. Nux Vomica, three ounces; Quinine, two ounces; Nitrate of Potash, two ounces; Potassium Iodide, one ounce. Make into twenty-four capsules and give one capsule every four hours with capsule gun. Also apply a paste made from Mustard and cold water over the lung cavities just back of the fore legs. Apply once a day and perhaps one or two applications will be sufficient.

If this disease is treated when the first symptoms develop, a good recovery will follow. Feed easily digested food as hot wheat bran mashes or steamed rolled oats, vegetables and green grass if possible.

CONTAGIOUS ABORTION

(Infectious Abortion)

CAUSE: Due to a germ (Bacillus Abortus) coming in direct contact with the genital organs of a bull or cow and can be indefinitely transmitted from one herd to another by infected bulls serving healthy cows, or infected cows when served transmit the infection to healthy bulls. Healthy cows become infected by their genital organs coming in contact with litter on floors when lying down or rubbing against fences, walls or posts previously soiled by aborting cows. Cattle licking one another is also a prolific cause.

SYMPTOMS: The signs of calving are not so well marked as in normal calving, especially where the aborting animal is a heifer and the gestation period has not exceeded three or four weeks. In cows, especially where the gestation period has advanced to five or seven months, the symptoms are easily detected as a rule by a swelling of the udder, or what is commonly termed "making bag," the outer portions of the womb swollen and inflamed as in normal calving. As the period of abortion approaches, there will be a discharge of mucus and blood from the womb. Labor pains are not as severe as in normal calving, owing to the absence of hair on the foetus and being smaller; although the afterbirth (foetal membranes), may be retained the same as in normal calving.

PREVENTIVE TREATMENT: This perhaps is the cheapest and best method of treating Contagious Abortion. When purchasing bulls or cows, ascertain whether the farm you purchased from has Contagious Abortion. An investigation of this kind often saves labor, time and money.

MEDICAL TREATMENT: When once Contagious Abortion makes its appearance, separate infected from non-infected animals, remove all litter, manure, etc., from barns, corrals, and burn or bury deeply. The conveyances used should be tight so as to prevent scattering. Scrub and disinfect floors, fences, walls of barns and rubbing posts with a solution made from three pounds of Copper Sulphate to ten gallons of water, permitting it to thoroughly dissolve before using. Use an ordinary barrel and cover so as to prevent any cattle drinking same, as it is very poisonous. When a cow aborts, remove the calf and afterbirth in a tight receptacle that will prevent any portion from being scattered, and burn or bury deeply; disinfect the floor and walls of stall where the abortion took place as long as the cow is discharging any fluids from the womb. A gallon of distilled or boiled water containing about one per cent Carbolic Acid should be injected into the womb with an ordinary hose and funnel. This should be repeated once a day for a week. Use a solution of the same strength for washing the tail and parts around the outer part of the womb, or in fact any part that the discharge of an aborting cow may come in contact with.

Internally, give Methylen Blue in thirty grain doses, every other day for two weeks. This is an exceptionally disagreeable drug to administer as it stains everything it comes in contact with. Place it in a gelatin capsule or have your druggist prepare six or seven capsules containing thirty grains each. Then administer with capsule gun. Insist on pure Methylen Blue, accept no substitute. This treatment has proven very effective in many localities where strict aseptic precautions were carried out, as washing out the womb or any parts that the discharge of an aborting cow may come in contact with and proper cleanliness and disinfection of stables, etc. Cows should not be bred for several weeks following abortion or as long as there is a discharge present. Bulls should be treated in much the same way, as administering Methylen Blue in same size doses for the same length of time as that of the cow. But in addition to this, use a one per cent solution of Carbolic Acid for injecting into the bull's sheath, holding the end of the sheath while the solution is being injected, until it is well distended; holding the opening of the sheath allowing the solution to remain as long as convenient. Also, wash belly, muzzle, etc., with a solution of the same strength.

COUGH

(Acute and Chronic)

As a cough is a symptom of various diseases, these in addition to the cough should be treated.

KINDS OF COUGH: Many writers give several different varieties, but for the sake of convenience I will divide them into two forms, namely: Acute and Chronic.

CAUSE: Acute coughs are generally due to sudden exposure to cold, drafts and are the forerunning symptom of a disease of the organs of breathing.

Chronic Coughs are associated with, and are a result of sore throat, lung fever, pleurisy, bronchitis, catarrh and tuberculosis.

TREATMENT: Under each disease, of which a cough is a symptom, I have also prescribed to include its suppression. The following prescription is reasonable in price, yet very effective in all forms of cough: Tannic Acid, one ounce; Potassi Chlorate, four ounces; Potassi Nitrate, four ounces. Powder well and mix with Black Strap Molasses, one pint, placing container retaining the above in hot water, which assists in dissolving. When this is thoroughly mixed, add Pine Tar, one pint, and place one tablespoonful well back on the tongue with a wooden paddle every three or four hours, according to the severity of the cough.

Sometimes a liniment applied to the throat and windpipe has a good effect, and I would recommend the following on account of its penetrating qualities: Aqua Ammonia Fort., two ounces; Turpentine, two ounces; Raw Linseed Oil, four ounces. Mix and apply twice daily, shaking the contents of the bottle well before using.

COWPOX

(Variola)

CAUSE: Investigations lead us to believe that it is due to a protozoa. So far, the true micro-organism has not been discovered. This disease is very contagious and is transmitted by direct communication but not through the air. Perhaps the most common way of transmitting the disease is by the hands of the milker.

SYMPTOMS: A slight raise in the temperature, especially that of the udder and teats. They are red, swollen and tender and after three or four days small pimples or pustules will appear on the teats about the size of a pea. The pimples or pustules become larger and within a few days may attain the size of one-half inch in diameter. At the end of the second week the pimples or pustules burst and discharge an amber colored fluid leaving raw sores, which cause the animal to suffer intensely when being milked. The supply of milk is also markedly decreased in this condition.

PREVENTION: A person should not milk both healthy and diseased cows unless the hands are thoroughly washed in a Carbolated Solution; the clothes that are likely to come in contact with the udder, coat sleeves, etc., changed.

TREATMENT: It is advisable to give a physic as it has a very good effect on the blood, such as Aloin, two drams, and Ginger, two drams, which is easily prepared and administered by placing in capsule and giving with capsule gun.

Also, the application of Zinc Ointment two or three times a day affords immediate relief and causes the sores to heal rapidly. Good results are also obtained by feeding food that is easily digested, as bran mashes, steamed rolled oats and vegetables.

CUD CHEWING

(Physiology of Rumination)

The cow when eating grass or hay merely moistens it with saliva and swallows, then it passes into the rumen or paunch which acts as a storehouse or reservoir for food. After the paunch or rumen is filled, the cow finds a comfortable place to stand or lie down and she regurgitates it into the mouth by a contraction of the muscles of the walls of the esophagus in small quantities or pellets from the rumen or paunch back into the mouth and is there masticated. When it is chewed finely she swallows and it passes into the second stomach and is there digested for assimilation.

DIARRHOEA

CAUSE: Giving rich succulent foods after being fed on stimulating diets for some time, and such a case may be a benefit to the animal instead of an injury. Turnips, carrots, etc., especially if frozen slightly, are apt to produce it. Also impure and stagnant water which acts as a poison or some irritant in the food, as sand, clay, etc., or it may result from excitement, as driving cattle or shipping cattle in cars when not accustomed to it. Or, it may be the result of an overdose of irritating medicines. Diarrhoea as a rule is not fatal. It is often an effort of nature to relieve some disease, as poison in the blood. The easiest way to get rid of it is by way of the bowels.

SYMPTOMS: It is easily detected. An animal passes large amounts of feces which are of a liquid nature. At first the pulse is but little affected, but after a day or two it becomes weak and slightly increased. If it continues for a few days the pulse increases, the ears and legs get colder than normal, there are slight gripping pains in some cases due to slight irritation or perhaps to slight spasm of the intestines. These pains may increase and result in inflammation of the bowels, especially if the cause is due to stagnant water or irritating drugs.

TREATMENT: In many cases all you have to do is to change the food and clothe the body according to the temperature. Do not let the animal drink large quantities of water at one time. Give pure water in small quantities, but often, and it may be necessary to give medicines. Endeavor to find out the cause and if due to some irritant in the intestines, prepare Flaxseed tea by pouring a quart of boiling water on a half pint of pure Flaxseed, allowing it to cool. Compel the animal to drink it. This is very soothing to the bowels when irritated and also beneficial in removing the irritant; in cases where the Diarrhoea continues for some time, it is necessary to stop it by administering Gum Catechu, two ounces; Protan, two ounces; Zinc Sulphocarbolates, eight grains. Mix and make into eight capsules and give one capsule every four hours with capsule gun. Keep the animal as quiet as possible and feed non-irritating food that is easily digested, as steamed barley or oats.

DEHORNING

Dehorning is not considered a cruelty as some people hold it, as horns on cattle do not only add discomfort to themselves but add to the owner's risk. It is much better, safer and I think more humane to prevent the growth of horns on calves after they are three or four days old by rubbing the elevations where the horns make their appearance with a pencil of Caustic Potash after being moistened with cold water. Repeat this application two or three times, which is generally sufficient.

When dehorning cattle with clippers or saw, it is well to remove about one-half inch of the flesh of the horn. This gives their head a much better appearance after the horns are removed and healed. When a horn is freshly amputated, apply Oil of Tar occasionally, as it is an antiseptic and prevents infection and the annoyance of flies. However, this should be performed during the season when the flies are less numerous.

CHAMPION JERSEY COW GREY PORTIA. Owned by Mrs. Nelle Fabyan, Geneva, Ill.

DROPSY

(Ascities)

CAUSE: Usually seen in old animals or cattle fed on poor food where the blood becomes so poor, so to speak, that Dropsy follows, The presence of worms frequently stimulates excessive secretions of fluid, producing Dropsy.

SYMPTOMS: The abdomen is abnormally increased in size, flanks are gaunt, paleness of the membranes of the mouth and eyes and a general weakness. Pressure with the hand on the abdominal walls will produce a splashing, watery sound.

TREATMENT: The cause at first should be determined and the disease treated accordingly. If due to worms, withhold all food for twenty-four hours. Place two ounces of Oil of Turpentine in gelatin capsules and give with capsule gun. Follow this in six hours with two drams of Aloin, three drams of Ginger in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun. Feed nourishing food as wheat bran mashes and one cup of Flaxseed meal once a day. In their drinking water place one dram of Potassium Iodide two or three times a day. See that this water is drunk and give no other until this is consumed by the animal.

ECZEMA

CAUSE: Insanitary surroundings, as warm, damp stables. Overfeeding, swills, decomposed vegetables. Applying irritating drugs to the skin.

SYMPTOMS: Redness of the skin and the animal rubs itself; is usually confined to a small area at first, but eventually spreads. Considerable inflammation is present, also eruptions of the skin which discharge white, serous, sticky fluid, terminating in scabs and thickness of the skin. Sometimes suppuration or formation of pustules containing pus is present. These symptoms do not always occur in regular succession; in some cases the serums oozing from the skin will be more prominent than in others.

TREATMENT: Determine the cause and remove it. If due to poor food, improve the quality. Also feed laxative food, as hot bran mashes, steamed rolled oats. If the bowels do not act freely, administer Aloin, two drams, and Ginger, three drams. Place in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun, An ointment made from the following is very effective as an application in this condition: Blue Ointment, one ounce; Zinc Oxide, three ounces. Mix well and apply two or three times a day. A tonic usually has a very good effect in the treatment of this disease, and I would recommend the use of the following: Pulv. Gentian Root, four ounces; Potassium Nitrate, four ounces; Ferri Sulphate, four ounces. Mix and make into twelve capsules and give one capsule two or three times a day with capsule gun.

ERGOT POISON

(Ergotism)

CAUSE: Ergotism is produced by cattle eating fungoid growths which attack kernels and seeds of rye and blue grass, etc. These kernels or seeds grow dark in color and become abnormally large and curved in shape. The infected grass or hay when eaten by cattle contract the arteries, especially those of the legs, just above the feet, although all the arteries in the body are contracted to a certain extent. This disease is frequently seen in Spring and Summer.

SYMPTOMS: Ergot is prescribed in cases of bleeding, because of its contracting effect upon the arteries (closing or stopping the flow of blood) where the blood supply is the weakest, as in the extremities. It is cut off and this, of course, causes the skin just above the hoofs to break or crack as though it were cut with a knife. This shuts off the entire supply of blood to the foot, which mummifies, and the lower portion becomes gangrenous and eventually sloughs off. One of the first effects of Ergot Poison in pregnant cattle is abortion, due to the blood supply to the womb being shut off by its contracting effect on the arteries. Cattle are particularly susceptible to Ergotism.

TREATMENT: When Ergotism is so advanced as to produce sloughing of the feet it is best to destroy the animal. If other animals are affected slightly, find out the cause and remove it. Look to the hay or pasture as the producer. Administer one-half ounce of Chloral Hydrate, two or three times a day in their drinking water or mix it with sufficient quantity of Flaxseed meal to fill an ounce gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun. If the skin is slightly broken above the foot, wash with five per cent solution of Carbolic Acid. Where the feet have become gangrenous amputation of the foot or feet is necessary, which is not advisable unless the animal is very valuable.

FLUKE

(Liver and Lungs)

CAUSE: This disease is contracted by cattle grazing on marshy lands. There are two different species of Fluke that affect the liver and lungs of cattle. They are both flat, leaf-like worms. The Common Liver Fluke is about one-half inch long, while the so-called American Fluke is somewhat larger. In their life history these Flukes depend on snails as intermediate hosts. At a certain stage of development the young Flukes live on snails. They become encysted on stalks and blades of grass which are finally swallowed by grazing cattle. This disease is most frequently seen in young cattle.

SYMPTOMS: The animal shows no marked signs at first, but eventually the appetite diminishes, rumination or chewing of the cud becomes irregular, the animal becomes dull, hide-bound, hair standing, the visible mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes become pale and bloodless, the eyes discharge watery fluids oozing down the face, temperature varying from two to three degrees above normal and milk supply, if in aged cattle, remarkably reduced. In all cases there is great thirst and the animal becomes very much emaciated and refuses to eat. Swellings about the belly and breast, etc. Diarrhoea at first, alternating with constipation, but finally becomes continuous. The diseased animal succumbs to the malady in from two to six months.

TREATMENT: Medical treatment is unsatisfactory. The disease will be prevented to a considerable extent by giving animals plenty of salt and in the marshes containing pools of water introduce or plant carp, frogs and toads into the infected tracts. These will destroy the young parasites and feed upon the snails which serve as their intermediate hosts. Or, prevent the cattle from grazing upon swampy marshes by fencing them out.

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE

(Infectious Aphtha--Epizootica Eczema)

CAUSE: This disease is produced by a specific agent or germ, the exact nature of which is not known. It will pass through the Berkfelt filter, which is the most minute filter known to science, and is therefore known as a filterable virus. This is an eruptive fever and belongs to the class of Exanthematous diseases such as smallpox, measles, scarlet fever, etc. Every outbreak starts from some pre-existing infection. The infection is distributed by manure, pastures, barnyards, hay, drinking troughs, box-cars, ships, boats which have been previously occupied by animals affected with this disease, travel over public highways or man may carry the infection of this disease on his clothing and transmit it to healthy cattle, etc. Foot and Mouth Disease not only affects cattle but attacks a variety of animals, as the horse, sheep, goat, hog, dog, cat, also wild animals as buffalo, deer, antelope, and man himself is not immune from this disease. Children also suffer from Foot and Mouth Disease, resulting from drinking unboiled milk from infected cattle. Therefore, when purchasing cattle be very careful, as you may be buying an infections disease. Keep the newly purchased animals to themselves for two or three weeks, if possible. This will give ample time for the majority of infectious diseases to develop.