Qass. o /^f (^ / - Book-^^iZ^ ^f/ 61sT Congress \ HOlTSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 3d besswn i f Document \ No. 1507 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. A. D. MELVIN, CwiEH OK Bureau. SPECIAL REPORT DISEASES OF CATTLE Drs. ATKINSON, DICKSON, HARBAUGH, HICKMAN. LAW, LOWE, MOHLER, MURRAY, PEARSON, RANSOM, SALMON, SMITH, and TRUMBOWER. REVISED EDITION, 1912 WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1912. 61.sr Congress 1 3d Session / HOUSE OF RP^PRESENTATIVES f Document I No. 1507 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, US BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. A. D. MELVIN, Chief of Bureau. SPECIAL REPORT 9 i^ DISEASES OF CATTLE. Drs. ATKINSON, DICKSON, HARBAUGH, HICKMAN, LAW, LOWE, MOHLER, MURRAY, PEARSON, RANSOM, SALMON, SMITH, and TRUMBOWER. REVISED EDITION, 1912 WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1912. Cc T1^ ./K \9 tjX ;v ORGANIZATION OF THE BTJREATJ OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. Chief: A. D. Melvin. Assistant Chief: A. M. Farbington. Chief Clerk: Charles C. Carroll. Animal Hushandry Division: George M. Rommel, chief. Binrhemic Division: M. Dorset, chief. Dairy Division: B. H. Rawl, chief. Insi)eelion Division: Rice P. Steddom, chief; Morris Wooden, R. A Ramsay, and Albert E, Behnke, associate chiefs. rathologlcal Division: John R. Mohler, chief. Quaraniine Division: Richard W. Hickman, chief. Zoological Division: B. H. Ransom, chief. Experiment Station: E. C. Schboedeb, superintendent. Editor: James M. Pickens. ^' LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. United States Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry, Washington, D. C, Seiytember 27, 1911. Sir : I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of the Special Report on Diseases of Cattle, prepared for reprinting in accordance with the following resolution, approved March 4, 1911 : Resolved iy the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That there be printed and bound in cloth one hundred thousand copies of the Special Report on the Diseases of Cattle, the same to be first revised and brought to date, under the supervision of the Secretary of Agriculture, seventy thousand copies for use of the House of Representatives and thirty thousand copies for use of the Senate. The original edition of this work was published in 1892, since which time there has been such a demand for copies that several edi- tions have been printed by order of Congress. It was revised in 1904 and again in 1908. For the new edition authorized by the foregoing resolution it has been found necessary to make only a few slight changes. While the work is of a popular character and is intended primarily for the use of the farmer and the stock owner, it will doubtless also continue to be found useful to the student and the veterinary prac- titioner. Respectfully, A. D. Melvin, Chief of Bureau. Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture. CONTENTS. Page. Administratiou of medicines. By Leonard Pearson 9 Diseases of the digestive organs. By A. J. Murray 14 Poisons and poisoning. By V. T. Atkinson 54 Diseases of the heart, blood vessels, and lymphatics. By Leonard Pearson. 71 Noncontagious diseases of the organs of respiration. By William Herbert Lowe 86 Diseases of the nervous system. By W. H. Harbaugh 101 Diseases of the urinary organs. By James Law 113 Diseases of the generative organs. By James Law 147 Diseases following parturition. By James Law 216 Diseases of young calves. By James Law 252 Bones: Diseases and accidents. By V. T. Atkinson 269 Surgical operations. By William Dickson and William Herbert Lowe . . . 295 Tumors affecting cattle. By John R. Mohler 315 Diseases of the skin. By M. R. Trumbower 332 Diseases of the foot. By M. R. Trumbower 347 Diseases of the eye and its appendages. By M. R. Trumbower 352 Diseases of the ear. By M. R. Trumbower 367 Infectious diseases of cattle. By D. E. Salmon and Theobald Smith 371 The animal parasites of cattle. By B. H. Ransom 518 Mycotic stomatitis of cattle. By John R. Mohler 542 Index 549 5 ILLUSTRATIONS. PLATES. Page. Plate I. Showing the poeition of the rumen 52 II. Stomach of ruminant 52 III. Instruments used in treating diseases of digestive organs 52 IV. Microscopic anatomy of the liver 52 V. Ergot in hay 52 VI. Ergotism 52 VII. Diagram of the circulation 84 VIII. Showing the position of the lung 90 IX. Kidney and generative organs 146 X. Microscopic anatomy of the kidney 146 XI. Calculi of kidney and bladder 146 XII. Fetal calf within its membranes 176 XIII. Pregnant uterus with cotyledons 176 XIV. Vessels of umbilical cord 176 XV. Normal position of calf in utero 176 XVI. Abnormal position of calf in utero 192 XVII. Abnormal position of calf in utero 192 XVIII. Abnormal position of calf in utero; surgical instruments and sutures 192 XIX. Monstrosities 192 XX. Instruments used in difficult labor 212 XXI. Instruments used in difficult labor 212 XXII. Supports for prolapsed uterus 250 XXIII. Supports for prolapsed uterus 250 XXIV. Instruments used in diseases following parturition 250 XXV. Skeleton of the cow 288 XXVI. Devices for casting cattle 314 XXVII. Tracheotomy and venesection 314 XXVIII. Surgical instruments and sutures 314 XXIX. Various bacteria which produce disease in cattle 378 XXX. Upper, or dorsal, surface of the lungs of the ox 390 XXXI. Broncho-pneumonia 390 XXXII. Contagious pleuro-pneumonia 390 XXXIII. Contagious pleuro-pneumonia 390 XXXIV. Portions of tuberculous lungs of cattle 434 XXXV. Tuberculous liver from cow 434 XXXVI. Tuberculous lymphatic gland 434 XXXVII. Tuberculosis of the omentum (caul) 434 XXXVIII. Tuberculosis of the lymphatic gland and omentum (caul) 444 XXXIX. Fig. 1. — Tuberculosis of the sirloin and porterhouse cuts of beef. Fig. 2. — Tuberculosis of pleura of cow, so-called pearly disease.. 444 XL. Tuberculous udder of cow 444 XLI. Actinomycosis 456 XLII. Actinomycosis of the lungs 456 XLIII. Actinomycosis of the jaw 456 XLIV. Section of muscle from a blackleg swelling 466 6 ILLUSTRATIONS. 7 Page. Plate XLV. Necrotic stomatitis (calf diphtheria) 466 XLVI. Fig. 1. — Spleen in Texas fever. Fig. 2. — Normal spleen 484 XLVII. Texas fever 484 XL VIII. The cattle tick (Margaropus annulatus) — the carrier of Texas fever 484 XLIX. Portion of a steer's hide showing the Texas fever tick {Marga- ropus annulatus) of the United States 484 L. Figs. 1 and 2. — Dorsal and ventral views of male Texas fever tick {Margaropus annulatus). Figs. 3 and 4. — Dorsal and ventral views of replete female Texas fever tick ( Margaropus annulatus) 484 LI. Map showing district infected with Texas fever of cattle 484 LII. Verminous bronchitis 540 TEXT FIGURES. Fig. 1. Plan for freeing cattle and pastures from ticks by rotation, requiring four and one-half months 497 2. Plan for freeing cattle and pastures from ticks by rotation, requiring eight months 499 3. Plan for freeing cattle and pastures from ticks by rotation, requiring four months, with new pasture 500 4. Plan for fi-eeing cattle and pastures from ticks by rotation, feed-lot or soiling method 501 5. Pail spraying pump for small herds 503 6. Homfly {Hxmatobia serrata) in resting position 520 7. Hornflies {Hxmatobia serrata) on cow horn 520 8. Buffalo gnat 521 9. Screw worm (larva of Chrysomyia macellaria) 522 10. Screw-worm fly ( Chrysomyia macellaria) 522 11. The warble fly {Hypoderma lineata) 523 12. Short-nosed blue louse {Hsematopinus eurysternus) of cattle 525 13. Long-nosed blue louse {Hseniatopinus vituli) of cattle 525 14. Red louse ( Trichodectes scalaris) of cattle 525 15. Egg of short-nosed blue louse {Hsematopinv^ eurysternus) attached to a hair 525 16. Mite which causes psoroptic scab of sheep 526 17. Portion of the wall of the first stomach with conical flukes {Paramphis- tomum cervi) attached 530 18. Twisted stomach worms {Hsemonchus contortus) 530 19. Twisted stomach worms {Hsemonchus contortus) 531 20. Embryo of twisted stomach worm {Hsemonchus contortus) coiled on tip of grass blade 532 21. A drenching tube made from an ordinary tin funnel, a piece of rubber hose, and a piece of brass pipe 533 22. Piece of lining of fourth stomach showing cysts of the encysted stomach worm {Ostertagia ostertagi) 534 23. A tapeworm ( Moniezia planissima) which infests cattle 535 24. The common liver fluke {Fasciola hepatica) 537 25. The large American fluke {Fasciola magna) 537 26. Portion of grass stalk bearing three encysted cercarise of the common liver fluke {Fasciola hepatica) 538 27. Hydatids {Echinococcus granulosus) in portion of hog's liver 539 28. Thin-necked bladder worm {Tsenia hydatigena) from abdominal cavity of a steer 539 29. Section of a pork tongue heavily infested with pork measles 540 30. Lung worms {Dictyocaulus viviparus) of cattle 541 SPECIAL REPORT ON DISEASES OF CATTLE. ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES. By Leonard Pearson, B. S., V. M. D., Dean of the Veterinary Department, University of Pennsylvania, and State Veterinarian of Pennsylvania. Medicines may be administered to cattle in many ways. The chan- nel and method of administration depend on whether a general or local effect is desired, the condition of the animal, and the nature of the medicine that is to be given. It is the easiest method, and there- fore customary, to give ordinary remedies by the mouth, either with the food, or with drink, or separately. There are, however, some conditions in which medicines administered in this way will not act promptly enough, or Avherein a desired effect of the medicine on a distant part of the body is wholly lacking, unless it is applied in some other way. The various methods of administering medicines to cattle will be considered below. By the mouth. — The simplest way to give medicines by the mouth is to mix them with the food or water. This can be done when the medicine is in the form of a powder or fluid, if but a small quantity is to be given, if it does not have a taste that is disagreeable to the animal and is not so irritant as to injure the lining membranes of the mouth and throat. The usual method of administering bulky or unpalatable doses is to mix them with a fluid vehicle, such as water, milk, molasses, or beer, and give from a bottle. A dose given in this way is known as a '' drench.*' In administering a drench the head of the animal should be elevated a little by an assistant. This is best accomplished when standing on the left side of the cow's head and by grasping the nose with the thumb and fingers of the right hand inserted in the nostrils; 10 DISEASES OF CATTLE. with the left hand beneath the chin the head is further raised and supported. If the animal is unruly, it may be tied in a stall or placed in a stanchion. The medicine can now be poured into the mouth by inserting the neck of the bottle between the lips on the right side. Care must be taken to avoid getting the bottle between the back teeth. The mouth of the bottle should be inserted as far as the middle of the tongue and the contents poured slowly. If the cow coughs, the liead must at once be lowered to permit the fluid to escape from the larjaix. If one persists in giving medicine during coughing, some of the dose may pass down the windpipe to the lungs and cause a severe or a fatal pneumonia. This accident is especially to be guarded against when the throat is partly paralyzed or insensitive, as in parturient paresis (milk fever). In this disease it has often happened that drenches have been poured into the lungs, thus killing the cow. The amount of fluid to be given in a drench depends upon the effect that is sought and the nature of the medicine. In impactions of the stomach very large quantities of fluid may be given — as much as a gallon or several gallons at a time. Usually, however, it is not cus- tomary or desirable to give more than from 1 to 2 quarts at a dose, and not more than a pint unless it be necessary on account of the irritant quality of the drug that has to be shielded with a large quan- tity of the vehicle. Medicines that are soluble should be completely dissolved before they are given. Insoluble medicines should be finely divided by powdering or by shaking, and should be well agitated and mixed immediately before they are given. In the latter case a menstruum with considerable body, such as molasses or flaxseed tea or milk, will help to hold solids or oils in suspension until swallowed. Balls are large pills adapted for the larger animals. Powders or gums are sometimes mixed with an adhesive substance and rolled into balls for the purpose of convenience of administration. Balls are not so much used and are not so well adapted to the medication of cattle as of horses. The process of solution is slower in the paunch of a cow than in the stomach of a horse ; and if the cow is so sick as to have stopped ruminating, a ball may become covered up and lost in the mass of material in the paunch and so lie for days, producing no effect whatever. Caj)9ides are shells or envelopes made of soluble gelatin in which powders or liquids may be inclosed. Capsules and balls are adminis- tered by being placed on the tongue well back in the mouth while the tongue is drawn forward and the mouth is held open by a block of wood between the back teeth. The ball should be dropped, the tongue released, and the block removed as nearly simultaneously as possible, so that the backward carriage of the tongue will throw the ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES. 11 ball into the throat and lead to its being swallowed. Care must be taken to avoid having the hand cut or crushed while introducing the ball. After a little experience it is possible to do away with the block of wood between the teeth for keeping the mouth open. Br THE STOMACH. — Mediciucs are introduced directly into the first stomach by the use of an esophageal tube or through the cannula of a trocar passed into the paunch through the side. This method is used in the treatment of diseases of digestion. By the rectum. — Medicines are usually administered by the rec- tum for the purpose of controlling the bowels and for the treatment of local diseases. Sometimes, however, medicines that have a gen- eral effect are given in this way when, for any reason, it is not possi- ble or convenient to give them through the mouth. Only drugs that are readily absorbed should be given per rectum for a general effect and in somewhat larger dose or more frequently than when given by the mouth. Such stimulants as ether, alcohol, or the aromatic spirits of ammonia, diluted with from four to six times their bulk of warm water, may be used in this way. Rectal injections, or enemata, are used in the treatment of consti- pation. If it is the purpose of the injection to soften hardened fecal masses, the water should be comfortably warm and it may have a little clean soap in it. If it is the purpose of the injection to stimu- late sluggish bowels to contraction, the water may be cold. In giving rectal injections a rectal syringe may be used, or, better, a piece of one-half to three-quarter inch rubber hose 5 feet long with a tin funnel attached to one end. The hose is soaped or oiled and introduced slowly and gently into the rectum 2 or 3 feet. The fluid is then slowly poured into the funnel and allowed to gravitate into the rectimi. The same apparatus may be used for feeding by the rectimi. By the vagina. — Medicines are inserted into the vagina, and through the vagina into the womb, in a manner similar to that of rectal administration. Most of the medication made use of in this way is for the local treatment of these organs. Following calving, during outbreaks of abortion, and in an infectious disease of the vagina, such injections become necessary. By the udder. — Injections into the udder are now regularly made in the treatment of parturient paresis (milk fever). For this pur- pose a 1 per cent solution of iodid of potash is commonly employed, although some other solutions and oxygen gas are also used. In mak- ing this injection there are so many precautions necessary in relation to the sterilization of the apparatus and the teats and skin that this work should be left in the hands of a skilled veterinarian. The result of the introduction of even a minute quantity of infectious dirt may be the loss of the udder. For making this injection one may use one 12 DISEASES OF CATTLE. of the prepared sets of apparatus or a milking tube and funnel con- nected by a piece of small rubber hose. The apparatus should be boiled and wrapped in a clean towel until needed. The udder and teats and the hands of the operator must be well disinfected, and the solution must be freshly made with recently boiled water kept in a sterile bottle. The udder should be emptied of milk before the injection is made. After all these precautions have been observed the milking tube may be inserted and through it one-half pint of solu- tion introduced by gravity air pressure or by syringe. There is prac- tically no danger in this mode of treatment if it is properly carried out. Injections into the udder are sometimes made in the treatment of garget, but so far Avith indifferent success. By the nostrils. — An animal may be caused to inhale medicine in the form of gas or vapor or to snuff up a fine powder. Sometimes, for the purpose of local treatment, fluids are injected into the nose. A medicine inhaled may have a local effect alone or a general effect. Medicated steam, carrying the volatile products of creolin, carbolic acid, balsam of Peru, compound tincture of benzoin, tincture of iodin, etc., may be liberated beneath the nostrils of a cow so that she must inhale these soothing vapors; but such treatment is not so common for cattle as for horses. In producing general anesthesia, or insensibility to pain, the vapor of chloroform or ether is adminis- tered by the nostrils. As a preliminary to this it is necessary to cast and confine the animal. Great care is necessary to avoid complete stoppage of the heart or breathing. By the trachea. — Medicines are injected into the trachea, or wind- pipe, in the treatment of home forms of diseases of the lungs, and especially in that form of bronchitis or pneumonia that is caused by lungAvorms. For this injection a large hypodermic syringe is used that is fitted with a veiy thick, strong needle. The needle is to be inserted about the middle of the neck and between the cartilaginous rings of the trachea. By the skin. — Although a number of drugs, notably mercury, are so readily absorbed by the skin of cattle as to render poisoning easy, medicines are not given in this way for their general or constitutional but only for their local effect. Diseases of the skin and superficial parasites are treated or de- stroyed by applications in the forms of washes, ointments, dips, and powders. Liniments and lotions are applied to the skin for the relief of some near-lying part, such as a muscle, tendon, or joint. Blisters are applied to the skin for the purpose of obtaining the effect of counterirritation upon a neighboring region or organ. Cold water may be applied to the skin to reduce the temperature and to diminish congestion or inflammation in a superficial area or to reduce the ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES. 13 temperature of the whole body. High fever and heat strokes are treated in this way. By THE TISSUE BENEATH THE SKIN. — Hypodemiic or subcutaneous injections are often made for the purpose of introducing a drug, reagent, or vaccine directly into the connecting tissue beneath the skin. Introduced in this way, the substance is quickly absorbed, none of. it is lost, and its whole effect is obtained, often within a few minutes. There are numerous precautions necessary in making a subcutane- ous injection, most of which have to do with cleansing and steriliza- tion. It is also important to select a proper site for the injection, so that blood vessels, joints, and superficial nerves, organs, or cavities may all be avoided. With due regard for the necessary precautions, there is practically no danger in such an injection, but it should be attempted only by those who are able to carry it through in a surgi- cally clean way. Only certain drugs can be given subcutaneously, and dosage must be accurately graduated. By the veins. — Certain medicines act most promptly and surely when introduced directly into the blood by injecting them into a vein. The jugidar vein is usually selected for this purpose. Some vaccines and antitoxins are administered in this way. Intravenous injection should be practiced only by experienced veterinarians. DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE OEGANS. By A. J. Murray, M. R. C. V. S. [Revised in 1904 by Leonard Pearson, B. S., V. M. D., and in 1908 by R. W. Hickman, V. M. D.] CHARACTER OF FEEDS AND FEEDING. Diseases of the digestive organs are very common among cattle, and may often be traced to defects in feeding. The first three stomachs of the larger ruminants hold the feed for a long time, during which period it is subjected to macerating, mixing, and straining processes in preparation for entrance into the fourth or true stomach. The straining is accomplished through the medium of the manyplies or book, while the paunch, with its adjunct, the waterbag, is concerned in the macerating, kneading, and mixing, as well as in regurgitation for rumination, or the chewing of the cud. The action of the three first stomachs is merely preparatory to digestion. Thus it would seem that as a result of their complex anatomical and functional arrangement, the feed of the ox, when of good quality and whole- some, is in the most favorable condition possible for the digestive process when it reaches the fourth stomach. It is in the fourth stomach that true digestion first takes place. If the feed is of im- proper character, or is so given that it can not be cared for by the animal in a normal way, false fermentations arise, causing indiges- tion, and possibly, later, organic disease. In feeding cattle there are a number of important considerations apart from the economy of the ration, and some of these are noted below. Feeds must not be damaged by exposure to the weather, by frost, by molds, or by deleterious fermentations. Damaged feeds retard or prevent digestion, and sometimes they contain or cause to be generated substances that irritate the digestive tract or are distinctly poisonous to the animal. For example, hay that was rained on severely during curing has not only lost a part of its nutritive value through a washing-out process, but what remains is not so readily available as in good hay. Roots that have been frozen are likely to irritate and injure the digestive tract. Grass eaten with the frost on it may cause severe indigestion. Moldy feeds are not all injurious, for some molds appear to have no influence on the process of digestion, but molds of other species may not only 14 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 15 retard digestion and cause local injury to the digestive organs, but they may also cause general poisoning of a severe or fatal type. The following molds have been shown (Dammann) to be dangerous in respect of the production of the morbid conditions enumerated : Tilletia caries grows chiefly in wheat, and may be found with the grain thus appearing in the bran or meal. It causes paralysis of the throat and spinal cord and irritation of the digestive tract. The rusts, such as Puccinia graminis, P. strandnis^ P. coronata, and P. anouJinacea^ cause colic and diarrhea, and in some cases partial paralysis of the throat. The rusts that occur on clovers, beans, and peas cause very severe irritation of the lining membrane of the mouth and throat, resulting sometimes in gangrene of this tissue. Polydesmus exitans grows on the leaves of rape and turnips, appearing in early summer. This fungus is very irritating to the mouths and feet of cattle, causing severe inflammation and the for- mation of a false membrane. In some instances this condition has been mistaken for foot-and-mouth disease, but it can be differentiated by the absence of the blister that is characteristic of foot-and-mouth disease and by the further fact that it is nontransmissible. Polytrincium trifoUi^ which grows on clover, causing it to become black, causes severe irritation of the stomach and intestines of cattle feeding upon it. Feeds must not contain too large a proportion of woody fiber or indigestible substances. If the dry matter ingested or the bulk of the feed be very great on account of the small proportion of digesti- ble matter, it is impossible for the great mass to be properly mois- tened with and attacked by the digestive juicas. In consequence of this, abnormal fermentations arise that cause indigestion and irrita- tion of the digestive organs. On the other hand, a ration too con- centrated, and especially too rich in protein, is not suitable, because the animal must have, after a meal, a certain feeling of fullness in order to be comfortable and quiet, and the digestive organs require a relatively large volume of contents to fill them to the point where secretion is properly stimulated and their activity is most efficient. If too much protein is in the ration there is a waste? of exj^ensive feed, and the tendency is for the animal to l>ecome thin. It is evident that a cow can not thrive on concentrated feeds alone, even though these contain in assimilable forai all of the nutritive materials needed for perfect support. It is because bulk is necessary that the standard of about 25 pounds of dry matter per cow per day has been reached by experimentalists. There is no objection to feeding grain or meal separately to a cow, provided enough bulky feed be fed at another time in the day to keep the digestive tract sufficiently distended. In changing the ration, and especially in making radical changes, as at the beginning and end of the pasturing season, the change 16 DISEASES OF CATTLE. should be made gradually, so that the digestive organs may accom- modate themselves to it. After the digestive organs and juices have from long practice become adjusted to the digestion of a certain feed, which is then suddenly withheld and another of quite different char- acter and properties is substituted, the second feed is not well di- gested ; it may even irritate the digestive canal. It is often observed that cattle lose from 25 to 100 pounds when turned onto pasture from dry stable feed. This loss can readily be prevented by avoiding the shock to the digestive organs of a sudden change of diet. Regularity in feeding has much to do with the utilization of the ration, and gross irregularit}'^ may cause indigestion and serious disease. Water for live stock should be as free from contamination and as pure as that used for household purposes. In the winter when prac- ticable it is well to warm the water to about 50° F. It is well to allow cattle to drink often. DISEASES OF THE MOUTH. WOUNDS AND CONTUSIONS OF THE LIPS, AND SNAKE BITE. The lips may become inflamed from contusions, which are some- times produced by a blow from the horns of another animal, or, in the case of working oxen, by a blow from the driA^er. AMiile cattle are grazing they may be bitten in the lips by either insects or serpents, more especially when they are pastured in woods. Symptoms. — As a result of a contusion the lips become thick and swollen, and if treatment is neglected the swelling may become hard and indurated, or an abscess may form. This condition renders it difficult for the animal to get food into its mouth, on account of the lips having lost their natural flexibility. In such cases an ox Avill use his tongue more in the prehension of food to make up for the inca- pacity of the lips. In cases of snake bite the swelling is soft or puffy and its limits are not well defined. Treatment. — When we have to deal with a bruise, the affected part should be bathed with hot water two or three times daily. In recent cases no other treatment will be required, but if the swelling is not recent and has become hard or indurated, then the swollen part should be treated each day by painting it with tincture of iodin. In snake bite a straight incision penetrating into the flesh or muscle should be made across the center of the swelling and in the direction of the long axis of the face. After this has been done a small wad of cotton batting should be pressed against the wounds until the bleed- ing has almost stopped. Afterwards the following lotion may be applied to the wounds several times a day : Permanganate of potash, DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 17 half a dram ; distilled water, 1 pint. As snake bites are usually attended with considerable depression, which may terminate in stu- por, it is advisable to give doses of whisky at intervals. Half a pint of whisky mixed with a pint of water should be given, and the dose should be repeated in half an hour if the animal is sinking into a stupefied and unconscious condition. The repetition of the dose must depend on the symptoms which the animal shows. It must be borne in mind that the object of treatment is to ward off the stupor, which is one of the results of snake bite, and that in administering whisky the object is to produce a stimulating and not an intoxicating or stupefying effect. The swelling from an insect bite should be bathed as soon as noticed with ammonia water and then treated with frequent applications of hot water. SALIVATION. Salivation is a symptom of some general or local disorder. It may be a symptom of a general disease, such as rabies or the foot-and- mouth disease, or it may be a purely local trouble, as when copious secretion of the salivary glands is produced by the eating of irritat- ing plants, such as wild mustard. In cases where saliva is observed to dribble from the mouth, that part must be carefully examined by introducing an instrument like a balling iron into the mouth, or, if such an instrument is not at hand, by grasping the tongue and par- tially withdrawing it from the mouth, and by placing a block of wood between the back teeth, while all parts of the mouth are exposed to a good light, so that the presence of any foreign substance may be detected. The cause will sometimes be found to depend on a short piece of wood becoming fixed on the palate, its two ends resting on the upper molar teeth of each side; or it may depend on a needle, thorn, or splinter of wood becoming embedded in the tongue. Some- times a sharp piece of tin or other metal may become partially em- bedded in the inner surface of the cheek. Hay occasionally possesses some quality, usually dependent upon its having heated in the mow or having become moldy, which produces salivation. Second-crop clover and some irritant weeds in the pasture or forage may cause salivation. Cattle rubbed with mercurial ointment may in licking themselves swallow enough mercury to bring about the same result. (See "Mercury poisoning," p. 60.) Such cases, of course, arise from the constitutional action of mercury, and indicate the danger of using such a preparation externally on account of the common habit which the animals have of licking themselves. Mercury is also readily absorbed through the skin, and, as cattle are very susceptible to its action, it is thus easy for them to be poisoned by it even without lick- ing it from the surface. 16923"— 12 2 18 DISEASES OF CATTLE. Treatment. — If salivation depends on the irritation and inflamma- tion set up by the ingestion of acrid plants, or forage possessing some peculiar stimulating property, the food must be changed and a lotion composed of an ounce of powdered alum dissolved in a quart of water may be syringed into the mouth twice a day, using half a pint of the solution each time. If, however, the salivation depends on the presence of a thorn, splinter of wood, or any other foreign substance embedded in the cheek or tongue, remove the offending object and wash the mouth occasionally with a weak solution (2 per cent) of car- bolic acid and tepid water. When salivation is produced by mercu- rial poisoning or by the foot-and-mouth disease, the treatment appro- priate to those general conditions of the system, as well as the local <^reatment, must be applied. IRREGULARITIES OF THE TEETH. Irregularities of the teeth may be occasioned by the unequal wear- ing of some of the teeth or by some of the incisors being broken, which may happen when cattle are pastured on sandy or gravelly soil. The molar teeth may also show irregular wear from similar causes, or from a disease or malformation of the jaw. Their edges may become sharp, or it may happen that a molar tooth has been accidentally f actured. It may also occur that, a supernumerary tooth has devel- oped in an unusual position, and that it interferes with the natural and regular mastication of the food. Treatment. — The mouth may be examined by grasping the animal's tongue with one hand and partially withdrawing it from the mouth, so as to expose the incisor and molar teeth to inspection. When it is desired, however, to examine the molar teeth with the fingers, so as to obtain a more precise idea of their condition, an instrument like the balling iron which is used for the horse should be introduced into the mouth, so as to separate the jaws and keep them apart while the examination is being made. Any sharp edges of the molars must be removed by the tooth rasp, such as is used for horses. Any super- numerary tooth which interferes with mastication or any tooth which is fractured or loose should be extracted. In performing such oper- ations it is desirable to throw, or cast, the animal, and to have its head held securely, so as to enable the operator to do what is neces- sary without difficulty. CARIES OR DECAY OF THE TEETH. The presence of caries may be suspected if the mouth exhales a bad odor and if the animal occasionally stops during mastication as if it were in pain. The existence of caries in a molar tooth may be ascer- tained by examining the mouth in the manner already described. If DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 19 one of the molai-s is found to be carious, it should be extracted. When the crown of the tooth has been destroyed and only the stump or root is left, extraction will be impracticable. In such cases it is best to sell the animal to the butcher unless it have special value, in which case the root stunips may be removed by a veterinarian by the operation of trephining. ACTINOMYCOSIS OF THE JAWBONES (BIG JAW OR LUMPY JAW). [See Actinomycosis, p. 447.] INFLAMMATION OF MUCOUS MEMBRANE OF MOUTH (STOMATITIS.) The membrane of the mouth may become inflamed by cattle eating some irritating substance or plant, or little vesicles may form in the mouths of calves when thev are affected with indigestion, constitu- ting what is termed aphtha. Symptoms. — The saliva dribbles from the mouth, and when the mouth is examined the surface of the tongue and other parts will appear red and inflamed. When young animals are affected with the form of disease termed aphtha, small red elevations will be ob- served on the tongue and other parts of the mouth, having little white points on their centers, which consists of the epithelium of the mucous membrane raised into vesicles. These white patches are suc- ceeded by ulcerated surfacCvS^ which are caused by the shedding of the white patches of epithelium. Treatment. — ^When there is merely a reddened and inflamed con- dition of the mucous membrane of the mouth, it will suffice to syringe it out several times a day with 4 ounces of the following solution: Alum, 1 ounce; water, 2 pints. When the edges of the tongue and other parts of the mouth are studded with ulcers, these should be painted over once a day, until the affected surface is healed, with the following solution; Permanganate of potash, 20 grains; water, 1 ounce. When indigestion is associated with an ulcerated condition of the mouth, separate treatment is required. ULCERATIVE STOMATITIS (OR ULCERS IN THE MOUTHS OF YOUNG CALVES). [See Necrotic stomatitis, p. 470.] INDURATION OF THE TONGUE (ACTINOMYCOSIS). [See Actinomycosis, p. 447.] DISEASES OF THE PHARYNX AND GULLET. PHARYNGITIS ( SORE THROAT). This is an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the pharynx. It is frequently associated with inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, such as laryngitis and bronchitis or pleurisy. 20 DISEASES OF CATTLE. Symptoms. — The muzzle is dry and the saliva dribbles from the comers of the mouth ; the animal either does not swallow or swallows with difficulty, and holds its neck in a. stiff, straight position, moving it as little as possible. The eyelids are half closed, the white of the eye is bloodshot, and the animal occasionally grinds its teeth. After masticating the food the animal drops it out of its mouth as if to avoid the pain of swallowing, and also evinces pain when pressure is applied on the pharynx externally and tries to prevent such pressure being applied. Causes. — Pharyngitis may be produced by a sudden cooling of the surface of the body, as when cattle are exposed to a cold wind or a cold rain ; or by swallowing irritant substances. Treatment. — The throat should be syringed three times a day with an ounce of the following solution : Nitrate of silver, 1| drams ; dis- tilled water, 1 pint. Bland and soothing drinks, such as linseed tea or oatmeal and water, should occasionally be offered. Diet should consist of soft food, such as bran mashes with a little linseed meal mixed in them. Dry hay and fodder should be avoided. Fresh green grass or sound ensilage may be fed in small quantities. The upper part of the tliroat and the space between the jaws should be well rubbed once a day with the following liniment: Liquor am- monia fomor, 4 ounces; oil of turpentine, 4 ounces; olive oil, 4 ounces; mix. When evidence of blistering appears the application of the liniment should be stopped and the skin anointed with vase- lin. Under the above treatment the inflammation of the throat will gradually subside and the animal will be able to swallow as usual in five or six days. We need hardly say that during its treatment the sick animal should be kept in a comfortable stable. PAROTITIS. Inflammation of the parotid gland may arise from the inflamma- tion extending to it when an ox is affected with pharyngitis or laryn- gitis, or the inflammation may commence in the salivary ducts and may depend on some influence the nature of which is unknown. Parotitis sometimes arises from a bloAV or contusion which is severe enough to set up inflammation in the structure of the gland. Tuber- culosis and actinomycosis may infrequently be characterized by the lodgment of their parasitic causes in the parotid glands, in which case parotitis may be a symptom of either of these diseases. Symptoms. — There is an elongated painful swelling, beginning at the base of the ear and passing downward along the posterior margin of the lower jaw. The swelling is sometimes limited to one side, and when both sides are swollen it is generally larger on one side than on the other. The secretion of saliva is increased, the appetite is poor, tjie neck is stiff, so that it is painful to raise the head, and food is DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 21 swallowed with difficulty. In many cases the swelling of thoi-e glands, when submitted to proper treatment, disappears in a com- paratively short time. In other cases, however, the gland remains enlarged, even after the animal recovers its appetite. In tuberculosis, lymphatic glands beneath the parotid glands are sometimes enlarged, thus causing the appearance of enlarged parotid glands. Treatm-ent. — A warm bran poultice, made by mixing bran with a hot 2 per cent solution of creolin in water, should be applied on the swollen gland, maintained in place by means of a bandage. "NAHien- ever the poultice has cooled it should be replaced by a ncAv one. This treatment should be continued until ih^ pain is less and the swelling is reduced or until there is evidence of pus fonnation, which may be ascertained by examining the surface of the gland with the fingers ; and when, on pressing any part of the surface, it is found to fluctuate or " give," then we may conclude that there is at that place a collection of pus. It is well not to open the abscess until tho fluctuation is Avell marked, as at this stage the pus or matter is near the surface and there is less trouble in healing the wound than if the pus is deep seated. The abscess should be opened with a clean, sharp knife. The poultieing should then be continued for two or three days, but the form of the poultice should be changed, by replacing the bran with absorbent cotton and pouring the creolin solution on the cotton. At all times the wound should be kept clean and the cavity injected once or twice daily with a solution of 1 dram of car- bolic acid m 8 ounces of water. Under this treatment the pus may cease and the wound heal without complications. Saliva may issue from the orifice and result in the formation of a salivary fistula. This requires operative treatment, which should be performed by a qualified veterinarian. AATien poulticing fails to reduce the swelling or produce softening, the inflamed area may be rubbed once daily with camphorated oil. compound iodin ointment, or painted twice daily with Lugol's solution of iodin. The diet should be as recom- mended under Pharyngitis (p. 20). PHARYNGEAL POLYPI. Tumors form not infrequently in the pharynx, and may give rise to a train of symptoms varying according to their size and location. The tumor may be so situated that by shifting its position a little it may partially obstruct the posterior nares (nostrils), when, of course, it will render nasal breathing very noisy and labored. In another situation its partial displacement may impede the entrance of air into the larjmx. In almost any part of the pharynx, but especially near the entrance of the gullet, they will interfere with the act of swal- lowing. As these tumors are frequently attached to the wall of the pharynx by a pedicel, or stalk, it will be seen that they may readily 22 DISEASES OF CATTLE. be displaced in different directions so as to produce the sj^mptoms before described. Enlarged postpharyngeal lymphatic glands are not rare in tuberculosis and by pressing upon the wall of the pharynx and restricting the lumen of this organ they cause difficulty in both breathing and swallowing. Such enlarged glands may be differ- entiated from tumors by passing the hand into the cow's throat after the jaws are separated by a suitable speculum or gag. Treatment. — The method of treatment followed in such cases is to separate the animal's jaws with an instrument termed a gag, and then, after drawing the tongue partially forward, to pass the hand into the pharynx and to gently twist the tumor from its attachment. One veterinarian who has had considerable practice in treating this form of disease scrapes through the attachment of the tumor gradually with his thumb nail. In cases where the attachment is too strong to be severed in this way an instrument like a thimble, but possessing a sharp edge at the end, might be used to effect the same purpose, or the base of the tumor may be severed by the use of a crushing instru- ment known as an ecraseur. CHOKING. This accident usually happens from attemptihg to swallow too large an object, such as a turnip, potato, beet, or an apple or pear, though in rare cases choking may occur from bran, chaff, or some other finely divided food lodging in and filling up a portion of the gullet. This latter form of the accident is most likely to occur in animals which are greedy feeders. Symptoms. — The symptoms will vary somewhat according to the part of the gullet or throat in which the obstruction is located. In most cases there is a discharge of saliva from the mouth ; the animal coughs frequently, and when it drinks the water is soon ejected. The cow stops eating and stands back from the trough, the expression is troubled, breathing is accelerated, and oftentimes the animal bloats as a result of the retention of gas in the paunch. These symptoms, however, are not always present, for if the obstacle does not com- pletely close the throat, or gullet, gas and water may pass, thus amel- iorating the discomfort. If the obstruction is in the neck portion of the gullet, it may be felt as a lump in the left jugular gutter. TreatTnent. — If the object is in the throat, it is advisable to put a gag in the animal's mouth, and, while the head is held in a horizontal direction by two assistants, to pass the hand into the pharynx, grasp the foreign body, and withdraw it gradually and steadily. When the substance is lodged in the upper part of the gullet, pressure should be made by an assistant in an upward direction against the object while the operator passes his hand into the pharynx, and if the assist- ant can not by pressure dislodge the substance from the gullet, the DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 23 operator may by passing his middle finger above and partly behind the substance gradually slide the object into the pharynx and then withdraw it by the mouth. The presence of an obstructing substance in the cervical portion of the gullet may be ascertained by passing the hand along the left side of the neck, when a hard and painless swell- ing will be found to indicate the presence of the foreign body. In such cases we must endeavor by gentle and persevering pressure with the thumb and two next fingers to slide the obstructing substance gradually upward to the pharynx. To facilitate this it is well to give the animal a half pint of raw linseed or olive oil before the manipu- lations described are commenced. When the substance has been brought into or nearly into the pharynx, then the mouth gag should be used, the tongue drawn partially forward with the left hand, and the right should be passed backward into the pharynx to withdraw the obstruction. "\¥hen bran or chaff causes the trouble it is best to give a small quantity of oil to lubricate the walls of the gullet and then by gentle and persevering pressure to endeavor to separate and divide the mass and to work it downward toward the stomach. This will be assisted by pouring small quantities of oil and water down the animal's throat. It is not advisable to use the probang to push down any soft material, such as oats or chaff, as this generally condenses and renders firmer the obstructing substance by pressing its particles or elements together, so that it forms a solid, resisting mass which can not be moved. In some cases, either because located in the chest portion of the esophagus, and so beyond reach, or because too firmly seated, the foreign body can not be dislodged from the neck by pressing and manipulating that part externally. In such an event we must resort to the use of the probang. (PI. Ill, figs. 2 and 3.) A probang is a flexible instrument, and adapts itself to the natural curvature of the gullet, so that if it is used cautiously there is not much risk of injury. Before passing the probang, a gag which has an aj)erture at each end, from which straps pass to be buckled at the back of the head below the horns, is introduced into the mouth. (PI. Ill, fig. 4.) The probang should then be oiled, and, the head and neck being held in a straight line by two assistants, the tongue must be partly drawn out of the mouth, the probang cautiously passed along the roof of the mouth into the pharynx and thence into the gullet, through which it is passed down. If resistance is met, gentle and continuous pressure must be employed, under the influence of which the agent will gener- ally in a short time pass into the stomach. One must be careful not to pass the probang into the larynx and thence into the windpipe of the cow. An animal may readily be killed in this way. This accident is indicated by efforts to cough and by violently disturbed breathing. If such symptoms arise the probang must be withdrawn at once. To 24 DISEASES OF CATTLE. avoid a wrong passage, the end of the tube should be pressed through the throat very slowly until its presence in the esophagus is assured. After it is once in the esophagus care is still necessary, because the walls of this tube may easily be torn. Some writei^ have advised that when the obstruction is lodged in the cervical (neck) portion of the gullet it should bo struck with a mallet, so as to crush it and thus alter its shape, so that it may easily slip down into the stomach. If the obstructing substance is hard, this will be a dangerous operation, but if soft — as in case of a ripe pear, for example — this proceeding may be safely adopted. In all cases where pressure applied on the neck fails to move the obstruction and the probang also fails to move it, it may be divided by a subcutaneous operation or the gullet may be opened and the obstructijig substance removed through the wound. In such cases the assistance of a veterinarian or a surgeon must be obtained. WOUNDS AND INJURIES OF THE GULLET. Sometimes from the rash and too forcible use of the probang the walls of the gullet may be more or less lacerated or abraded, and the animal consequently swallows with pain and difficulty. In such cases dry feed must be withheld for five or six days, so as to allow the injured parts to heal, and the diet must be limited to linseed tea, hay tea, and thin oatmeal gruel and molasses. The same kind of diet must be fed after the operation of cutting into the gullet has been performed. Sometimes the gullet is ruptured and lacerated to such an extent that treatment of any kind is hopeless. This has been known to occur when the handle of a pitchfork or a buggy whip has been pushed down a cow's throat to remove an obstruction. Where such treat- ment has been applied it is best to slaughter the animal without delay, as the flesh may be utilized so long as there is no fever or general dis- ease, and remedial treatment would be hopeless. In this connection it may be mentioned that whatever substitute may be used for a pro- bang, which sometimes is not at hand, it should be flexible and should possess a smooth surface. A piece of new rope, with the end closely wrapped and waxed and then oiled, or a pieee of thin garden hose, or a well-wrapped twisted wire may be used in emergencies. DISEASES or THE S1X)MACH. ACUTE TYMPANITES (HOVEN, OR BLOATING). This disease is characterized by swelling of the left flank, and is caused by the formation of gas in the rumen, or paunch. ( See Pis. I and II.) Causes. — Tympanites may be caused by any kind of food which produces indigestion. ^ATien cattle are first turned into young clover DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 25 they eat so greedily of it that tympanites frequently results ; turnips, potatoes, and cabbage may also cause it; middlings and corn meal also frequently give rise to it. In this connection it may be stated that an excessive quantity of any of the before-mentioned foods may bring on this disorder, or it may not be due to excess, but to eating too hastily. Sometimes the quality of the food is at fault. Grass or clover when wet by dew or rain frequently disorders digestion and brings on tympanites; frozen roots or pastures covered with hoar frost should also be i-egarded as dangerous. When food has been eaten too hastily, or when it is cold and wet, the digestive process is imperfectly performed, and the food contained in the paunch fer- ments, during which process large quantities of gas are formed. The same result may follow when a cow is choked, as the obstruction in the gullet prevents the eructation or passing up of gas from the stom- ach, so that the gas continues to accumulate until typmanites results. Syrri'ptoins. — The swelling of the left flank is very characteristic, as in well-marked cases the flank at its upper. part rises above the level of the backbone and when struck with the tips of the fingers emits a drum-like sound. The animal has an anxious expression, moves uneasily, and is evidently distressed. If relief is not obtained in time, it breathes with difficulty, reels in walking or in standing, and in a short time falls down and dies from suffocation. The distension of the stomach may become so great that it pushes the diaphragm for- ward against the lungs so as to squeeze and stop their movement, thus preventing the animal from breathing, and in some instances the case may be complicated by rupture of the stomach. Treatment. — If the case is not extreme, it may be suflScient to drive the animal at a walk for a quarter or half an hour; or cold water by the bucketful may be thrown against the cow's sides. In some cases the following simple treatment is successful: A rope or a twisted straw band is coated with pine tar, wagon grease, or other unsavory substance, and is placed in the cow's mouth as a bit, being secured by tying behind the horns. The efforts of the animal to dislodge this object result in movements of the tongue, jaws, and throat that stim- ulate the secretion of saliva and swallowing, thus opening the esoph- agus, which permits the exit of gas, and at the same time peristalsis is stimulated reflexly. In urgent cases the gas must be allowed to escape without delay,, and this is best accomplished by the use of the trocar. The trocar is a sharp-pointed instrument incased in a sheath, which leaves the sharp point of the trocar free. (See PI. Ill, figs. 5« and 5&.) In selecting the point for using the trocar, a spot on the left side equally distant from the last rib. the hip bone, and the trans- verse processes of the lumbar vertebrae must be chosen. Here an incision about three-fourths of an inch long should be made with a knife through the skin, and then the sharp point of the trocar, being 26 DISEASES OF CATTLE. directed downward, inward, and slightly forward, is thrust into the paunch. (PI. I.) The sheath of the trocar should be left in the paunch so long as any gas continues to issue from it. If the cannula or sheath of the trocar is removed while gas is still forming in the paunch and the left flank becomes considerably swollen, it may be necessary to insert it again. It is well, accordingly, to observe the cannulaclosely, and, if gasisfound to be issuing from it, it should not be removed. When gas issues from the cannula in considerable quan- tity the sound accompanying its escape renders the exact condition obvious. It is occasionally necessary to keep the cannula in the stom- ach for several hours. Wlien this is necessary, a piece of stout cord should be passed round the neck of the cannula immediately below the l^rojecting rim and then be passed round the animal's body and tied in a secure knot, and a careful attendant must remain with the cow during the entire period that the instrument is in place. The rim surrounding the mouth of the cannula should be in contact with the skin. Wlienever the person in charge of the cow is satisfied that gas has ceased to issue from the cannula, the instrument should be removed. The cannula is to be employed only in extreme or urgent cases, though everyone who has had experience in treating indigestion in cattle will realize that he has saved the lives of many animals by its prompt application. When the tympanitic animal is not distressed and the swelling of the flank is not great, or when the most distress- ing condition has been removed by the use of the trocar, it is best to resort to the administration of internal medicine. Two ounces of iiromatic spirits of ammonia should be given every half hour in a quart of cold wat^r, or half an ounce of chlorid of lime may be dis- solved in a pint of tepid water and the dose repeated every half hour until the bloating has subsided, or 1 ounce of creolin in 2 quarts of tepid water may be given at one dose or carefully injected through the cannula directly into the paunch to inhibit fermentation and the recurrent formation of gas. It is generally necessary to give a dose of purgative medicine after bloating has subsided, as animals fre- quently show symptoms of constipation after attacks of indigestion. For this purpose 1 or 1^ pounds of Glauber's salt may be used. CHRONIC TYMPANITES. Cattle, especially those which have been kept in the stable all winter, are liable to suffer from chronic tympanites. In this form the animal bloats up after feeding, but seldom swells so much as to cause any alarm. The chronic form of indigestion may also follow an acute attack like that previously described. This is also a symp- tom of tuberculosis in those cases in which the lymphatic glands lying between the lungs are so enlarged as to press upon and partly occlude the esophagus. I DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 27 Treatment. — Treatment should be preceded by a moderate dose of purgative medicine: 1 pound of sulphate of magnesia (Epsom salt) or sulphate of soda (Glauber's salt), half an ounce of powdered Barbados aloes, 1 ounce of powdered ginger, 1 pint of molasses. The salts and aloes should be dissolved by stirring for a few minutes in 2 quarts of lukewarm water, then the molasses should be added, and after all the ingredients have been stirred together for about 10 minutes the dose should be administered. It will generally be necessary after the operation of the purgative to give some tonic and antacid preparation to promote digestion, which is imperfectly l^erformed in such cases. The following may be used: Powdered gentian, 3 ounces; powdered bicarbonate of potash, 3 ounces; pow- dered ginger, 3 ounces; powdered capsicum, 1 ounce. Mix and divide into 12 powders, one of which should be given three times a day before feeding, shaken up with half a pint of whisky and a pint of w^ater. It is also advantageous in such cases to give two heaped teaspoonfuls of wood charcoal, mixed with the animal's feed three times a day. The animal should also go out during the day, as want of exercise favors the continuance of this form of indigestion. If the dung is hard, the constipation should be overcome by feeding a little flaxseed twice daily or by giving a handful of Glauber's salt in the feed once or twice daily, as may be necessary. Roots, silage, and other succulent feeds are useful in this connection. If tuber- culosis is suspected as the cause of the chronic bloating, a skilled veterinarian should be employed to make a diagnosis, using the tuberculin test if necessary. Until it is settled that the cow has not tuberculosis, she should be kept apart from the other members of the herd. DISTENTION OF RUMEN, OB PAUNCH, WITH FOOD. This form of indigestion is caused by the animal gorging itself with food, and arises more from the animal's voracious appetite than from any defect in the quality of the food supplied to it. The con- dition is, however, more severe if the food consumed is especially concentrated or difficult of digestion. In cases of this kind there is comparatively no gi"eat formation of gas, and the gas which is formed is diffused through the stomach instead of accumulating in a layer in its upper part. On pressing the flank with the closed fist the indent of the hand remains for a short time in the flank, as if the rumen were filled with a soft^ doughy mass. This form of indigestion should be treated by stimulants, such as alcohol, wine, or aromatic spirits of ammonia. If the formation of gas is not great and the distention with solid material is somewhat limited, the animal may be drenched through a piece of ordinary garden hose, one end inserted in the mouth, like 28 DISEASES OF CATTLE. the neck of a bottle, and the other end fitted with a funnel, giving 1| pounds of sulphate of magnesia, or sulphate of soda, dissolved in 2 gallons of water, at a single dose. Immediately after this treat- ment, the left side of the animal, extending below the median line of the abdomen, should be powerfully kneaded with the fist, so that the impacted food mass will be broken, allowing the water to separate it into small portions, which can be carried downward for the process of digestion. But if the treatment applied fails and the impacted or overloaded condition of the rumen continues, it may become neces- sary to make an incision with a sharp, long-bladed knife in the left flank, commencing at the point where it is usual to puncture the stomach of an ox, and prolong the incision in a downward direction until it is long enough to admit the hand. When the point of the knife is thrust into the flank and the blade cuts downward, the wall of the stomach, the muscle, and the skin should all be cut through at the same time. Two assistants should hold the edges of the wound together so as to prevent any food slipping between the flank and the wall of the stomach, and then the operator should remove two- thirds of the contents of the rumen. This having been done, the edges of the wound should be sponged with a little carbolized warm water, and, the lips of the w^ound in the rumen being turned inward, they should be brought together with catgut stitches. The wound penetrating the muscle and the skin may then be brought together by silk stitches, which should pass through the entire thickness of the muscle and should be about 1 inch apart. The wound should afterwards be dressed once a day with a lotion and the animal cov- ered with a tight linen sheet, to protect the wound from insects and dirt. The lotion to be used in such a case is made up as follows: Sulphate of zinc, 1 dram; carbolic acid, 2 drams; glycerin, 2 ounces; water, 14 ounces ; mix. It is clear that this operation requires special skill and it should be attempted only by those who are competent. IMAGINARY DISEASES. HOLLOW HORN ; LOSS OF CUD ; WOLF IN THE TAIL. It would appear quite in place here, in connection with the diseases of the stomach and bowels of cattle, to consider the three old fallacies or superstitions known by the above names, since these names, when and wherever used, seem to be invariably applied to some form of digestive derangement or disease having its origin in the stomach and bowels. Hollow horn. — In the first place it should be noted that the horns of all animals of the ox tribe are hollow. The horn cores are elonga- tions of the frontal bones of the skull, and the frontal sinuses, which are the larger of the air spaces of the head, are prolonged into the DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE OEGANS. 29 I horn cores. AVlien a cow is sick, if the horns are hot it is an evi- dence of fever; if they are cold it indicates impaired circulation of the blood, but these manifestations of sickness are to be regarded as symptoms of some constitutional disorder and do not in themselves require treatment. The treatment should be applied to the disease which causes the abnormal temperature of the horns. The usual treatment for the supposed hollow horn, which consists of boring the horns with a gimlet and pouring turpentine in the openings thus made, is not only useless and cniel. but is liable to set up an acute inflammation and result in an abscess of the sinus. Loss OF CUD. — The so-called loss of cud is simply a cessation of rumination, frequently one of the first indications of sickness in any kind of a ruminant animal, since ruminants generally stop chewing the cud when feeling much out of condition. A restoration of the cud may be confidently looked for with an approaching return of the animal to a state of normal health. This inay be facilitated by the intelligent application of the remedies indicated in the treatment of the disordered condition responsible for the cessation of mmination. No local treatment is required. Wolf in the tail. — The so-called wolf in the tail is most gener- ally treated by those who are possessed of this fallacious belief by splitting the end of the tail with a knife, filling the cut with salt, and binding with a cloth. This imagined trouble is nothing more than a debilitated condition of the system, resulting in a relaxed or softened condition of the tail, especially at its extremity. It is evident that it is the constitutional disorder which requires treatment and not the relaxed tail. Wlien the immense volume and complicated arrangement of the gastric pouches of the cow is considered, together with the great quantities of aliment required in the elaboration of milk and for the animal's nutrition, it is small wonder, in view of the carelessness so often apparent as to both the kinds and quality of food, that disease of the digestive organs in these animals is of more frequent occur- rence than other diseases. And it is believed that a recognition of the facts contained in the foregoing statements will not only tend to dissipate any remaining belief in these old fallacies, but to a more humane and rational treatment of the various forms of indigestion or dyspepsia, of which those manifestations giving rise to impressions of hollow horn, loss of cud, and wolf in the tail are but symptoms. V0MITINC4. This is not to be confounded with rumination, though some writers have advanced the opinion that vomiting is merely a disordered and irregular rumination. It is not of common occurrence in cattle, though it sometimes occurs. 30 DISEASES OF CATTLE. Symptoms. — ^Animals which vomit are frequently in poor condition. After having eaten tranquilly for some time the animal suddenly becomes uneasy, arches the back, stretches the neck and head, and then suddenly ejects 10 or 12 pounds of the contents of the rumen. After having done this the uneasiness subsides, and in a short time the animal resumes eating as if nothing had happened. Cause. — The cause of this disordered state of the digestive system in cattle is usually obscure, but has in some cases been traced to a partial closure of the opening into the second stomach or to a disten- tion of the esophagus. It has been found to occur when there was cancerous disease of the fourth stomach, and experimentally it has been shown that a suspension of digestion or great derangement of the fourth stomach produces considerable nervous disorder of the rumen and sometimes vomiting or attempt to vomit. Treatment. — Easily digested food and plenty of water should be given. Fear and excitement, chasing, or hurrying animals after eat- ing heartily are apt to bring on this result. In order to overcome irritation which may produce vomiting, the following draft should be given: Hydrate of chloral, half an ounce; whisky, 8 ounces; water, 1 pint. The dose must be repeated when the condition of the animal seems to require it. As a rule, treatment is not successful. DEPRAVED APPETITE (PICA). Cattle suffering from this disease have a capricious and variable appetite as regards their ordinary food, but evince a strong desire to lick and eat substances for which healthy cattle show no inclination. Alkaline and saline-tasting substances are especially attractive to cattle having a depraved appetite, and they frequently lick lime, earth, coal, gi-avel, and even the dung of other cattle. Cows in calf and young cattle are esi^ecially liable to develop these symptoms. Animals affected in this way lose condition, their coat is staring, gait slow, and small vesicles containing yellow liquid form under the tongue; the milk given by such cows is thin and watery. Such ani- mals become restless and uneasy, as is indicated by frequent bellow- ing. The disease may last for months, the animal ultimately dying emaciated and exhausted. Depraved appetite frequently precedes the condition in which the bones of cattle become brittle and fracture easily, which is known as osteomalacia. Causes. — It is generally believed, from the fact that this disease is largely one of regions, that some condition of the soil and water and of the local vegetation is responsible for it. It is more prevalent some 3^ears than others and is most common in old countries, where the soil is more or less depleted. Cattle pastured on low, swampy land become predisposed to it. It occasionally happens, however, that one individual in a herd suffers though all are fed alike; in such DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 31 cases the disease must arise from an imperfect assimilation by, the affected animal of the nutritive elements of the food which is supplied to it. Treatment. — The aim in such cases must be to improve the process of digestion and to supply the animal with a sufficiency of sound and wholesome food. The following should be given to the cow three times a day, a heaj)ing tablespoonf ul constituting a dose : Carbonate of iron, 4 ounces ; finely ground bone or " bone flour," 1 pound ; pow- dered gentian, 4 ounces ; common salt, 8 ounces ; powdered fenugreek, 4 ounces; mix. In addition to this, 3 tablespoonf uls of powdered charcoal may be mixed with the animal's food three times a day, and a piece of rock salt should be placed where the animal can lick it at will. German veterinarians have had brilliant results from the treat- ment of this disease with subcutaneous injections of apomorphine in doses of 1^ to 5 grains for three or four days. HAIR CONCRETIONS. These concretions, or hair balls, result from the habit which some cattle have of licking themselves or other animals. As a result the hairs which are swallowed are carried round by the contractions of the stomach and gradually assume the form of a small pellet, or ball. This increases in size as fresh quantities of hair are introduced into the stomach, which become adherent to the surface of the hair ball. These hair balls are found most frequently in the reticulum, or second stomach (PI. II, B), though sometimese in the rumen. In calves hair balls are generally found in the fourth stocach. There are no certain symptoms by which we can det/cmiine the presence of hair balls in the stomach, and therefore no treatment can be recommended for such cases. In making post-mortem examinations of cattle, we have sometimes found the walls of the reticulum transfixed with nails or pieces of wire, and yet the animal during life had not shown any symptoms of indigestion, but had died from maladies not involving the second stomach. INDIGESTION (DYSPEPSIA, OB GASTRO-INTESTINAL CATARRH). Tympanites, already described, is a form of indigestion in which the chief symptom and most threatening condition is the collection of gas in the paunch. This symptom does not always accompany indi- gestion, so it is well here to consider other forms under a separate head. If indigestion is long continued the irritant abnormal prod- ucts developed cause catarrh of the stomach and intestines — gastro- intestinal catarrh. Or, on the other hand, irritant substances in- gested may cause gastro-intestinal catarrh, which, in turn, will cause indigestion. Hence it results that these several conditions are usually found existing together. 82 DISEASES OF CATTLE. • Causes. — Irritant food, damaged food, overloading of the stomach, and sudden changes of diet may cause this disease. Want of exer- cise predisposes to it, or food which is coarse and indigestible may after a time produce this condition. Food which possesses astringent properties and tends to check secretion may also act as an exciting cause. Food in excessive quantity may lead to disorder of digestion and to this disease. It is very likely to appear toward the end of protracted seasons of drought, therefore a deficiency of water must be regarded as one of the conditions which favor its development. Symptoms. — Diminished appetite, rumination irregular, tongue coated, mouth slimy, dung passed apparently not well digested and smelling badly, dullness, and fullness of the flanks. The disease may in some cases assume a chronic character, and in addition to the foregoing symptoms slight bloating, or tympanites, of the left flank may be observed; the animal breathes with effort and each respira- tion may be accompanied by a grunt, the ears and horns are alter- nately hot and cold, rumination ceases, the usual rumbling sound in the stomach is not audible, the passage of dung is almost entirely suspended, and the animal passes only a little mucus occasionally. Sometimes there is alternating constipation and diarrhea. There is low fever in many cases. The disease continues a few days or a week in the mild cases while the severe cases may last several weeks. In the latter fonn the ema- ciation and loss of strength may be very great. There is no appe- tite, no rumination, or peristalsis. The mouth is hot and sticky, the eyes have receded in their sockets, and milk secretion has ceased. In such cases the outlook for recovery is unfavorable. The patient falls away in flesh and becomes weaker, as is shown by the fact that one frequently finds it lying down. On examining animals which have died of this disease it is found that the lining membrane of the fourth stomach and the intestines, particularly the small intestine, is red, swollen, streaked with deeper red or bluish lines, or spotted. The lining of the first three stomachs is more or less softened, and may easily be peeled off. The third stomach (psalter) contains dry, hard food masses closely adherent to its walls. In some cases the brain appears to become disordered, probably from the pain and weakness and from the absorption of toxins gener- ated in the digestive canal. In such cases there is weakness and an unsteady gait, the animal does not appear to take notice of and will consequently run against obstacles; after a time it falls down and gives up to violent and disordered movements. This delirious condi- tion is succeeded by coma or stupor, and death ensues. Treatment. — Small quantities of roots, sweet silage, or selected grass or hay should be offered several times daily. Very little food DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 33 should be allowed. Aromatic and demulcent drafts may be ^ven to produce a soothing effect on the mucous lining of the stomachs and to promote digestion. Two ounces of camomile flowers should be boiled for 20 minutes in a quart of water and the infusion on cooling should be given to the affected animal. This may be repeated about three times a day. When constipation is present the following purga- tive may be administered : One pound of Glauber's salt dissolved in a quart of linseed tea and a pint of molasses. After this purgative has acted, if there is a lack of appetite and the animal does not ruminate regularly, the powder mentioned in remarks on the treat- ment of chronic tympanites may be given according to directions. The diet must be rather laxative and of a digestible character aft^r an attack of this foi-m of indigestion. Food should be given in mod- erate quantities, as any excess by overtaxing the digestive functions may bring on a relapse. Ice-cold water should be avoided. INDIGESTION FROM DRINKING CX)LD WATER ( COLIC ). This disorder is produced by drinking copiously of cold water, which arrests digestion and produces cramp of the fourth stomach, probably of the other stomachs, and also of the bowels. Causes. — It is not customary for the ox to drink much water at once. In fact, he usually drinks slowly and as if he were merely tast- ing the water, letting some fall out at the corners of his mouth at every mouthful. It would therefore seem to be contrary to the habits of the ox to drink largely ; but we find that during hot weather, when he has been working and is consequently very thirsty, if he drinks a large quantity of cold water he may be immediately taken with a very severe colic. Cows which are fed largely on dry hay drink copiously, like the working ox, and become affected in precisely the same manner. In such cases they are seized with a chill or fit of trembling before the cramps come on. /Symptoms. — There is some distention of the abdomen, but no accu- mulation of gas. As the distention and pain occur immediately after the animal has drunk the water, there can be no doubt as to the exciting cause. Treatment. — Walk the animal about for 10 minutes before admin- istering medicine, as this allows time for a portion of the contents of the stomach to pass into the bowel, and renders it safer to give medi- cine. In many cases the walking exercise and the diaiThea bring about a spontaneous cure of this disorder, but as in some instances the cramps and pains of the stomachs persist, one may give 1 ounce of sulphuric ether and 1 ounce of tincture of opium, shaken up with a pint of warm water, and repeat the dose in half an hour if the ani- mal is not relieved. In an emergency when medicine is not to be had, 16923°— 12 3 34 DISEASES OF CATTLE half a pint of whisky may be substituted for medicine, and should be given mixed with a pint of warm water ; or a tablespoonf ul of pow- dered ginger may be administered in the same way as the remedies already mentioned. INDIGESTION IN CALVES (GASTEO-INTESTINAL CATARRH, DIARRHEA, OR SCOUB). Sucking calves are subject to a form of diarrhea to which the above designations have been applied. Causes. — Calves which suck their dams are not frequently affected with this disease, though it may be occasioned by their sucking at long intervals, and thus overloading the stomach and bringing on indigestion, or from improper feeding of the dam on soft, watery, or damaged foods. Suckling the calf at irregular times may also cause it. Exposure to damp and cold is a potent predisposing cause. Calves which are separated from their dams and which receive con- siderable quantities of cold milk at long intervals are liable to con- tract this form of indigestion. Calves fed on artificial food, used as a substitute for milk, frequently contract it. Damaged food, sour or rotten milk, milk in dirty cans, skim milk from a dirty creamery skim-milk vat, skim milk hauled warm, exposed to the sun, and fed from unclean buckets, may all cause this disease. Symjytoms. — The calf is depressed; appetite is poor; sometimes there is fever ; the extremities are cold. The dung becomes gradually softer and lighter in color until it is cream colored and little thicker than milk. It has a most offensive odor and may contain clumps of curd. Later it contains mucus and gas bubbles. It sticks to the hair of the tail and buttocks, causing the hair to drop off and the skin to become irritated. There may be pain on passing dung and also abdominal or colicky pain. The calf stands about with the back arched and belly contracted. There may be tympanites. Great weakness ensues in severe cases, and without prompt and successful treatment death soon follows. Treat7ne7ht. — Remove the cause. Give appropriate food of best quality in small quantities. Make sure that the cow furnishing the milk is healthy and is properly fed. Clean all milk vessels. Clean and disinfect the stalls. For the diarrhea give two raw eggs, or a cup of strong coffee, or 2 ounces of blackberry brandy. If the case is severe, give 1 ounce of castor oil with a teaspoonful of creolin and 20 grains of subnitrate of bismuth. Repeat the bismuth and creolin with blackberry brandy and flaxseed tea every 4 hours. Tannopin may be used in dose of 15 to 30 grains. Calves artificially fed on whole or skim milk should receive only such milk as is sweet and has been handled in a sanitary manner. Milk should always be warmed to the body temperature before feed- DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 35 ing. AVlien calves artificially milk fed develop diarrhea, the use of the following treatment has given excellent results in many cases: Immediately after milking, or the separation of the skim milk from the cream, formalin should be added to the milk which is used for feeding in the proportion of 1 to 4,000, which may be closely approxi- mated by adding 4 drops of the formalin to each quart of milk. This medicated milk should be fed to the calf in the usual quantity. When the diarrhea is not controlled by this treatment in three or four days, the additional use of some of the agents recommended above may assist in a recovery. INFECTIOUS diaeehea; white sco^b. [See chapter on Diseases of Young Calves, p. 252.] GASTRO-ENTEEITIS. This consists of an inflammation of the walls of the stomachs and of the bowel. Gastro-enteritis, or inflammation of the walls of the stomachs and intestines, follows upon irritations more severe or longer continued than those that produced gastro-intestinal catarrh. Causes. — Severe indigestion may be followed by gastro-enteritis, or it may be caused by swallowing irritant poisons, such as arsenic or corrosive sublimate or irritant plants. Exposure to cold or inclement weather may produce this disease, especially in debilitated animals or animals fed improperly. It is claimed that if cattle feed on vege- tation infested wdth some kinds of caterpillars this disease may result. Symptoms. — Dullness ; drooping of the ears ; dryness of the muzzle ; dry skin; staring coat; loins morbidly sensitive to pressure; fullness of the left flank, which is owing to the distention of the fourth stomach by gas. The pulse is small, the gait is feeble and staggering ; each step the animal makes is accompanied by a grunt, and this symptom is especially marked if the animal happens to walk in a downward direction. There is loss of appetite, and rumination is suspended. The passages at first are few in number, hard, and are sometimes coated with mucus or with blood. Later a severe diarrhea sets in, when the passages contain mucus and blood and have an offensive odor. There is evidence of colicky pain, and the abdomen is sensitive to pressure. Pain may be continuous. There is fever and acceleration of pulse rate and respirations. Mental depression and even insensibility occur before death. The disease is always severe and often fatal. Post-mA)rtem appearances. — The mucous membrane of the fourth stomach has a well-marked red color and sometimes presents ulcera- tions. The wall is thickened and softened, and similar conditions are found in the walls of the intestines. The red discoloration ex- 36 DISEASES OF CATTLE. tends ill spots or large areas quite through the wall, showing on the outside. Treatment, — Very small quantities of carefully selected food must be given and the appetite must not be forced. Protect the animal well from cold and dampness. Internally, give linseed tea, boiled milk, boiled oatmeal gruel, or rice water. These protectives may carry the medicine. Tamiopin in doses of 30 to 60 grains is good. Subnitrate of bismuth in doses of 1 to 2 drams may be given. Pul- verized opium may be used, if the dian-hea is severe, in 1 to 2 dram doses. If the bowel movements are not free, one may give from a pint to a quart of castor or raw linseed oil. TRAUMATIC INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH. This disease results from the presence of a foreign body. This condition is not rare in cattle, because these animals have the habit of swallowing their food without careful chewing, and so nails, screws, hairpins, ends of wire, and other metal objects may be swallowed unconsciously. Such obj«?ts gravitate to the second stomach, where they may become caught in the folds of the lining mucous membrane, and in some instances the wall of this organ is perforated. From this accident, chronic indigestion results. The symptoms, more or less characteristic, are pain when getting up or lying down ; grunting and pain upon sudden motion, especially down hill; coughing; pain on pressure over the second stomach, which lies immediately above the cartilaginous prolongation of the sternum. If the presence of such a foreign body is recognized, it may be removed by a difficult surgical operation ; or, as is usually most economical, the animal may be killed for beef, if there is no fever. DISEASES OF THE BOWELS. DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY. [See also Gastrointestinal catarrh, p. 34.] The word " dysentery." as it is commonly used in relation to the diseases of animals, signifies a severe form of diarrhea. Causes. — Diarrhea is a symptom of irritation of the intestines, resulting in increased secretion or increased muscular contraction.?, or both. The irritation is sometimes the result of chilling from exposure, improper feeding, irritant foods, indigestion, organic dis- eases of the intestines, or parasites. Symptoms. — Passages from the bowels are frequent, at first con- sisting of thin dung, but as the disease continues they become watery and offensive-smelling, and may be even streaked with blood. At first the animal shows no constitutional disturbance, but later it becomes weak and may exhibit evidence of abdominal pain by look- DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 37' ing around to the side, drawing tlie feet together, lying down, or moving restlessly. Sometimes this malady is accompanied by fever, great depression, loss of strength, rapid loss of flesh, and it may terminate in death. Treatment. — When the disease depends on irritating properties of the food which has been supplied to the animal, it is advisable to give a mild purgative, such as a pint of castor or linseed oil. When the secretions of the bowels are irritating, an ounce of carbonate of mag- nesia and half an ounce of tincture of opium should be shaken up in a quart of linseed tea and given to the animal three times a day until the passages present a natural appearance. When there is debility, want of appetite, no fever, but a continuance of the watery discharges from the bowels, then an astringent may be given. For such cases the following is serviceable : Tannic acid, 1 ounce ; powdered gentian, 2 ounces; mix and divide into 12 pow^ders, one powder to be given three times a day until the passages present a natural appearance. Each powder may be mixed with a half pint of whisky or blackberry brandy and a pint of water. Tannopin is a new remedy that is most useful in such cases. The dose is from 30 grains to 2 drams. Useful household remedies are raw eggs, strong coffee, parched rye flour, or decoction of oak bark. In all cases the food must be given sparingly, and it should be carefully selected to insure good quality. Complete rest in a box stall is desirable. AAHien diarrhea is a symptom of a malady characterized by the presence of a blood poison, the treat- ment appropriate to such disease must be applied. SIMPLE ENTERITIS. [See Gastroenteritis, p. 35.] CROUPOUS ENTERITIS. Under certain conditions, severe irritation of the digestive canal may, in cattle, cause a form of inflammation of the intestines (enter- itis) that is characterized by the formation of a false membrane upon the surface of the lining membrane of the intestines, and particularly the large intestines. Syinptoms. — There is fever, depression, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and in the fecal masses shreds of leathery false membrane may be found. These shreds are sometimes mistaken for parasites or for portions of the wall of the intestine. Treatment. — Give a pound of Glauber's salt, followed by bicar- bonate of soda in doses of 2 ounces four times daily. ENTERITIS (OBSTRUCTION RESULTING FROM INVAGINATION, OR INTUSSUSCEPTION, TWISTING, AND KNOTTING OF THE BOWELS.) Inflammation may arise from a knot forming on some part of the small intestine from the portion of the bowel becoming twisted on 38 DISEASES OF CATTLE. itself, or -from one part of the bowel slipping into another, which is termed invagination. This form of enteritis occurs occasionally in animals of the bovine species. Causes. — The small intestine, which in the ox rests on the right side of the rumen, is, from the position which it occupies, predisposed to this accident. It has been ascertained that animals which have shown symptoms of this malady have trotted, galloped, or made other violent exertions in coming from drinking, or that they have been chased by dogs or by animals of their own species while at pasture. The accident is most likely to occur among cattle on very hilly pas- tures. The danger of jumping or running is gi-eatest when the rumen is distended with food. Sypmtoms. — This form of enteritis or obstruction is manifested by severe colicky pains; the ox scrapes and strikes the ground with his front and hind feet alternately; keeps lying down and getting up again; he keeps his tail constantly raised and turns his nose fre- quently to his right flank; he is frequently bloated, or tympanitic, on that side. He refuses food and does not ruminate, and for some hours suffers severe pains. At first he frequently passes thin dung, and also urinates frequently, but passes only a little urine at a time. On the second day the pains have become less acute; the animal remains lying down; moans occasionally; his pulse is small and quick ; he refuses food and does not ruminate. At this stage he does not pass any dung, though sometimes a small quantity of bloody mucus may be passed. The animal passes very little urine. This condition may continue for a considerable time, as cattle so affected may live for 15 or even 20 days. Post-mortenv appearance. — At death the bowels are found to be mis- placed or obstructed, as mentioned above, and inflamed, the inflam- mation always originating at the point where the intestine has been invaginated, twisted, or knotted. Sometimes the part is gangrenous, the compression of the blood vessels preventing circulation, and thus causing the death of the tissues. Treatonent. — Purgatives, anodynes, and other remedies are of no service in such cases, and bleeding also fails to produce any benefit. Indeed, it is usually true that in such cases treatment is useless. Some cases are recorded in which an incision has been made in the flank, so as to enable the operator to restore the intestine to its normal position or to remove the kink. CONSTIPATION. Constipation is to be regarded rather as a symptom of disease or of faults in feeding than as a disease in itself. It occurs in almost all general fevers unless the bowels are involved in local disease, in obstructions of all kinds, from feeding on dry, bulky food, etc. In DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 39. order to remove the constipation the treatment must be applied to remove the causes which give rise to it. Calves sometimes suffer from constipation immediately afterbirth when the meconium that accumu- lates in the bowels before birth is not passed. In such cases, give a rectal injection of warm water and an ounce of castor oil shaken up with an ounce of new milk. The mother's milk is the best food to prevent constipation in the new-born calf, as it contains a large amount of fatty matter which renders it laxative in its effects. It is usually better to treat habitual constipation by a change of diet than by medicine. Flaxseed is a good food laxative. If the consti- pation has lasted long, repeated small doses of purgatives are better than a single large dose. INTESTINAL WORMS. [See cliapter on " The animal parasites of cattle," p. 518.] BUPTURES (VENTRAL HERNIA). Ventral hernia, or rupture, is an escape of some one of the abdom- inal organs through a rupture in the abdominal muscles, the skin remaining intact. The rumen, the small intestine, or part of the large intestine, and the fourth stomach are the parts which usually form a ventral hernia in bovine animals. Causes. — Hernia is frequently produced by blows of the horns, kicks, and falls. In old cows hernia may sometimes occur without any direct injury. Hernia of the rumen. — Hernia of the rumen is generally situated on the left side of the abdomen, on account of the situation of the rumen. In exceptional cases it may take place on the right side, and in such cases it also generally happens that some folds of the intes- tine pass into the hernial sac. Hernias have been classified into simple or complicated, recent or old, traumatic <'from mechanical injury) or spontaneous. In recent traumatic hernia there is swelling on the left side of the lower part of the abdomen. The swelling is greatest in the cases of hernia which are situated on the lower part of the abdomen. Unless an examination is made immediately after the injury has been in- flicted it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to ascertain the exact extent of the rupture, owing to the swelling which subsequently takes place. Frequently there is no loss of appetite, fever, or other general symptoms attending the injury. From the twelfth to the fifteenth day the swelling has generally subsided to such an extent that it is possible by an examination to determine the extent of the rupture. In old cows what is termed spontaneous hernia may sometimes take place without any direct injury. The occurrence of this form of hernia is explained by the increase in the size of the abdomen, which 40 DISEASES OF CATTLE. takes place in an advanced stage of pregnancy, causing a thinning and stretching of the muscular fibers, which at last may rupture, or give way. Such hernias frequently occur about the end of the period of gestation, and in some instances have contained the right sac of the rumen, the omentum, the small and large intestines, a portion of the liver, and the pregnant uterus. In old hernias the swelling is soft and elastic, and if they have not contracted adhesions to the sides of the laceration, they can be made to disappear by pressure carefully applied. Sometimes this accident is complicated by a rupture of the rumen, constituting a complicated hernia. If a portion of the contents of the rumen escape into the abdomen, the case will be aggravated by the occurrence of peritonitis. Hernia of the bowel. — AMien the intestines (PI. Ill, fig. 6) form the contents of the hernia, it will be situated at the right side of the abdomen. In an intestinal hernia the swelling is usually not painful, of a doughy consistence or elastic, according as the intestine does or does not contain alimentary matter. This swelling can generally be made to disappear by pressure, and when it has been reduced one can easily recognize the direction and extent of the hernial opening. Hernias of the bowel which are situated at the upper and right side of the abdomen are usually formed by the small intestine. They are less easily reduced than a hernia in a lower situation, but when reduction has been effected they are less readily reproduced than those occurring lower. In hernias of the small intestine, adhesion of the protruding parts to the walls of the opening, or strangulation, are complications which sometimes take place. If adhesion has taken place the hernia can not be reduced by pressure, and when strangu- lation has occurred the animal shows symptoms of pain — is restless, turns its nose to the painful part, and shows those symptoms which are usually collectively designated under the term colic. If relief is not afforded, the animal will die. Hernia of the rennet, or fourth stomach. — This disease occa- sionally occurs in calves and is usually caused by a blow from a cow's horn on the right flank of the calf. After such an ac.cident a swell- ing forms on the right flank near the last rib. This swelling may be neither hot nor painful, even at first, and is soft to the touch. It can be made to disappear by careful pressure, when the sides of the aper- ture through which it has passed can be felt. The application of pressure so as to cause the disappearance of the hernia is best made immediately after the occurrence of the accident, or when the edema which accompanies the swelling has disappeared. Treatment. — When a hernia is reducible — ^that is. can be pushed back info the abdomen — then, if it is of recent occurrence, it is advis- able to maintain the natural position of the parts by bandaging and to allow the walls of the laceration to grow together. The boAvels DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 41 should be kept reasonably empty by avoiding the use of bulky food, and the animal must be kept quiet. The following method of bandaging is recommended by Bouley: First prepare a bandage (must be of stroug material), about 10 yards long and between 3 and 4 inches broad, and a flexible and solid jiiece of pasteboard adapted in size to the surface of the hernia. The protruding organ must then be replaced in the abdomen and maintained in that position during the applica- tion of the bandage. This being done, a layer of melted pitch and turpentine is quickly spread on the skin covering the seat of the hernia, so as to extend somewhat beyond that space. This adhesive layer is then covered with a layer of fine tow, then a new layer of pitch and turpentine is spread on the tow, and the piece of pasteboard is applied on the layer of pitch, its outer surface being covered with the same preparation. Lastly, the bandage, adhering to the piece of pasteboard, to the skin, and to the different turns which it makes around the body, is carefully applied so as to form an immovable, rigid, and solid bandage, which will retain the hernia long enough for the wound in the abdominal walla to heal permanently. If the hernia is old and small it may be treated by injecting a strong solution of common salt about the edges of the tear. This causes swelling and inflammation, which, respectively, forces the pro- truded organ back and closes the opening. There is some risk attached to this method of treatment. In small, old ventral hernias the method of compressing and sloughing off the skin has been used successfully. If the hernia is large a radical operation will be necessary, and this is also time when the symptoms indicate that a hernia is strangulated. This operation is performed by cutting down on the hernia, restoring the organ to the abdominal cavity, and then closing the wound with two sets of stitches; the inner stitches, in the muscular wall, should be made with catgut and the outer stitches, in the skin, may be made with silk or silver wire. The strictest surgical cleanliness must be observed. Bleeding vessels should be tied. Then a compress composed of ten or twelve folds of cloth must be placed smoothly over the seat of injury and a bandage applied around the body, the two ends being fastened at the back. In the smaller kinds of hernia, nitric acid may sometimes be applied with success. This treatment should not be applied until the swelling and inflammation attending the appearance of the hernia have subsided ; then, the contents of the hernia having been returned, the surface of skin corresponding to it is sponged over with a solution composed of 1 part of nitric acid to 2 parts of water. This treatment acts by exciting considerable inflammation, which has the effect of causing swelling, and thus frequently closing the hernial opening and preventing the contents of the sac from return- ing. A second application should not be made until the inflammation excited by the first has subsided. In what is termed spontaneous hernia it is useless to apply aiiv kind of treatment. 42 DISEASES OF CATTLE. Umbilical hernia. — The umbilicus, or navel, is the aperture through which the blood vessels pass from the mother to the fetus, and naturally the sides of this aperture ought to adhere or unite after birth. In very young animals, and sometimes in new-born calves, this aperture in the abdominal muscles remains open and a part of the bowel or a portion of the mesentery may slip through the open- ing, constituting what is called umbilical hernia. The wall of the sac is formed by the skin, which is covered on the inner surface by a layer of cellular tissue^ and within this there is sometimes, but not always, a layer of peritoneum. The contents of the hernia may be formed by a part of the bowel, by a portion of the peritoneum, or may contain portions of both peritoneum and bowel. Wlien the sac con- tains only the peritoneum it has a doughy feel, but when it is formed by a portion of the bowel it will be more elastic on applying pressure. Causes. — In the new-born animal the opening of the navel is gen- erally large, and this opening may sometimes give way to the pressure of the bowel on account of the weak and relaxed condition of the abdominal muscles. This defective and abnormal condition of the umbilicus is frequently hereditary. It may be occasioned by roughly pulling away the umbilical cord ; through kicks or blows on the belly ; through any severe straining by which the sides of the navel are stretched apart. We may mention in this connection that it is best in new-born calves to tie the umbilical cord tightly about 2 inches from the navel, and then to leave it alone, when it will drop off in a few days in most cases, leaving the navel in a closed condition. Treatment. — It is well to bear in mind that many, and especially the smaller, umbilical hernias will heal spontaneously ; that is, nature effects a cure. As the animal gets older the abdominal muscles get stronger and possess more power of resistance to pressure, the bowels become larger and do not pass so readily through a small opening^ so that from a combination of causes there is a gradual growing to- gether or adhesion of the sides of the navel. In cases of umbilical hernia where there are no indications that a spontaneous cure will take place, the calf should be laid on its back, and immediately on this being done the hernia will often disappear into the abdomen. If it does not its reduction may be brought about by gentle handling, endeavoring, if need be, to empty the organs forming the hernia before returning them into the abdomen. After the hernia has been returned the hair should be clipped from the skin covering it and a compress composed of 10 or 12 folds of linen or cotton should be applied, first smearing the skin with pitch and then a bandage about 3 inches wide should be passed round the body so as to retain the compress in position. The lower part of the compress should be smeared with pitch, and also those portions of the bandage which DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 43 pass over it, so as to keep it solid and prevent it from shifting. In some cases it will be found that the contents of the sac can not be returned into the abdomen, and this generally arises from the fact that some part of the contents of the sac has grown to or become adherent to the edges of the umbilical opening. In such a case the skin must be carefully laid open in the long direction, the adhesions of the protruding organs carefully separated from the umbilicus, and after the protruding parts have been returned into the abdomen, the sides of the umbilicus must be freshened if necessaiy by paring, and then the edges of the opening brought together by catgut stitches; the wound in the skin must then also be brought together by stitches. The wound must be carefully dressed every day and a bandage passed round the body so as to cover and protect the part operated on. In small hernias nitric acid has been used successfully in the same manner as has been described in speaking of the treatment of ventral hernia. Sulphuric acid has also been used for a similar purpose, diluting it to the extent of 1 part of acid to 3 or 5 of water. In thin- skinned animals the weaker preparations ought to be preferred, and caution must be exercised in using such preparations so as not to destroy the tissues on which they are applied. Another method of treatment is, after the contents of the sac have been returned into the abdomen, to tie a piece of strong waxed cord round the pendulous portion which formed the outer covering of the hernia. The string is apt to slacken after two or three days, when a new piece of cord should be applied above the first one. The con- striction of the skin sets up inflammation, which generally extends to the umbilicus and causes the edges to adhere together, and by the time the portion of skin below the ligature has lost its vitality and dropped off, the umbilicus is closed and there is no danger of the abdominal organs protruding through it. This is what takes place when this method has a favorable result, though if the umbilicus does not become adherent and the skin sloughs, the bowels will protrude through the opening. Gut-tie (peritoneal hernia). — In peritoneal hernia of the ox a loop or knuckle of intestine enters from the abdomen into a rent in that part of the peritoneum which is situated at the margin of the hip bone or it passes under the remains of the spermatic cord, the end of which may be grown fast to the inner inguinal ring. The onward pressure of the bowel, as well as the occasional turning of the latter round the spermatic cord, is the cause of the cord exercising considerable pressure on the bowel, which occasions irritation, ob- structs the passage of excrement, and excites inflammation, which terminates in gangrene and death. The rent in the peritoneum is situated at the upper and front part of the pelvis, nearer to the sacrum than the pubis. (PI. I.) 44 DISEASES OF CATTLE. Causes. — Among the causes of peritoneal hernia considerable impor- tance is attached to a method of castration which is practiced in cer- tain districts, viz, the tearing or rupturing of the spermatic cord by main force instead of dividing it at a proper distance above the testicle in a surgical manner. After this violent and rough method of operating, the cord retracts into the abdomen and its stump becomes adherent to some part of the peritoneum, or it may wind around the bowel and then the stump becomes adherent, so that strangulation of the bowel results. The rough dragging on the cord may also cause a tear in the peritoneum, the result of which need not be described. The severe exertion of asceilding hills and mountains, drawing heavy loads, or the straining which oxen undergo while fighting each other may also give rise to peritoneal hernia. Sifmptoms. — The ox suddenly becomes very restless, stamps with his feet, moves backward and forward, hurriedly lies down, rises, moves his tail uneasily, and kicks at his belly with the foot of the affected side. The pain evinced may diminish, but soon returns again. In the early stage there are frequent passages of dung, but after the lapse of 18 or 24 hours this ceases, the bowel apparently being emptied up to the point of strangulation, and the passages now consist only of a little mucus mixed with blood. Allien injections are given at this time the water passes out of the bowel without even being colored. The animal lies down on the side where the hernia exists and stretches out his hind feet in a backward direction. These two particular symptoms serve to distinguish this affection from en- teritis and invagination of the bowel. As time passes, the animal becomes quieter, but this cessation of pain may indicate that gangrene of the bowel has set in, and may, therefore, under certain circ\im- stances, be considered a precursor of death. Gangrene may take place in from four to six days, when perforation of the bowel may occur and death result in a short time. Treatment. — The ox should in the first place be examined by oiling the hand and arm and passing it into the rectum ; the hand should be passed along the margin of the pelvis, beginning at the sacrum and continuing downward toward the inguinal ring, when a soft, painful swelling will be felt, which may vary from the size of an apple to that of the two fists. This swelling will be felt to be tightly compressed by the spermatic cord. It very rarely happens that there is any similar swelling on the left side, though it is best in such cases to make a thorough examination. The bowel has sometimes been released from its position by driving the ox down a hill, by causing him to jump from a height of 2 feet to the ground, and the expedient of trotting him has been resorted to with the hope that the jolting movement might bring about a release of the bowel. If the simple ex- pedients mentioned have been tried and failed, then the hand being DISEASES OP THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 45 passed into the rectum should bepressed gently on the swelling in an upward and forward direction, so as to endeavor to push the im- prisoned portion of the bowel back into the abdomen. While this is being done the ox's hind feet should stand on higher ground than the front, so as to favor the slipping out of the bowel by its own weight, and at the same time an assistant should squeeze the animal's loins, so as to cause it to bend downward and so relax the band formed by the spermatic cord. If the imprisoned portion of gut is freed, which may be ascertained by the disappearance of the swelling, the usual sounds produced by the bowels moving in the abdomen will be heard, and in a few hours the feces and urine will be passed as usual. If the means mentioned fail in releasing the imprisoned portion of the gut, then an incision about 4 inches long must be made in the right flank in a downward direction, the hand introduced into the abdomen, the situation and condition of swelling exactly ascertained, and then a probe-pointed knife inserted between the imprisoned bowel and band compressing it, and turned outward against the band, the latter being then cautiously divided and the imprisoned gut allowed to esce taken from the metacarpal artery on the back part of 90 DISEASES OF CATTLE. the fore fetlock. The pulsations can be felt from any superficial artery, but in order to ascertain the peculiarities it is necessary to select an artery that may be pressed against a bone. There is a marked difference in the normal or physiological pulse of the horse and that of the cow, that of the horse being full and rather tense, while in the cow it is soft and rolling. The pulse is faster in young and in old cattle than it is in those of middle age. Auscultation. — Auscultation and percussion are the chief methods employed to determine the various pathological changes that occur in the respiratory organs. Auscultation is the act of listening, and may be either mediate or immediate. Mediate auscultation is accom- plished by aid of an instrument known as the stethoscope, one ex- tremity of which is applied to the ear and the other to the chest of the animal. In immediate auscultation the ear is applied directly to the part. Immediate auscultation will answer in a large majority of cases. Auscultation is resorted to in cardiac and certain abdominal diseases, but it is mainly employed for determining the condition of the lungs and air passages. Animals can not give the various phases of respiration on demand, as can the patients of the human practi- tioner. The organs themselves are less accessible than in man, owing to the greater bulk of tissue surrounding them and the pectoral posi- tion of the fore extremities, all of which render it more diflBcult in determining pathological conditions. (See PI. VIII.) The air going in and out of the lungs makes a certain soft, rustling sound, known as the vesicular murmur, which can be heard distinctly in a healthy state of the animal, especially upon inspiration. Exer- cise accelerates the rate of respiration and intensifies this sound. The vesicular murmur is heard only where the lung contains air and its function is active. The vesicular murmur is weakened as inflam- matory infiltration takes place and when the lungs are compressed by fluids in the thoracic cavity, and disappears when the lung becomes solidified in pneumonia or the chest cavity filled with fluid as in hydrothorax. The bronchial murmur is a harsh, blowing sound, heard in normal conditions by applying the ear over the lower part of the trachea, and may be heard to a limited extent in the anterior portions of the lungs after severe exercise. The bronchial murmur when heard over other portions of the lungs generally signifies that the lung tissue has become more or less solidified or that fluid has collected in the chest cavity. Other sounds, known as mucous rales, are heard in the lungs in pneumonia after the solidified parts begin to break down at the end of the disease and in bronchitis where there is an excess of secretion, as well as in other conditions. Mucous rales are of a gurgling or bubbling nature. They are caused by air rushing through tubes con- taining secretions or pus. They are said to be large or small as they Diseases of Cattle. Plate Vll I. NONCONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF RESPIRATION ORGANS. 91 are distinct or indistinct, depending upon the quantity of fluid that is present and the size of the tubes in which the sound is produced. According to their character they are divided into dry and moist. The friction sound is produced by the rubbing together of roughened surfaces and is characteristic of pleurisy. Permission. — Percussion is that mode of examination by which we elicit sounds by striking or tapping over the part. It may be direct or indirect. If the middle finger of the left hand is placed firmly on the chest and smartly tapped or struck with the ends of the first three fingers of the right hand, the sound will be noticed to be more reso- nant and clear than when the same procedure is practiced on a solid part of the body. This is because the lungs are not solid, but are always, in health, well expanded with air. But in certain pulmonary diseases, as in pneumonia, they fill up and become solid, when the sound given out by percussing them is dull, like that on any other solid part of the animal. When fluid has collected in the lower part of the chest cavity the sound will also be dull on percussion. Where there is an excess of air in the chest cavity, as in emphysema or in pneumothorax, the percussion sound becomes abnormally loud and clear. By practice on healthy animals the character and boundaries of the sounds can be so well determined that any variations from them will be readily detected, and will sometimes disclose the pres- ence of a diseased condition when nothing else will. Percussion is sometimes practiced with the aid of a special percus- sion hammer and an object to strike upon known as a pleximeter. A percussion hammer is made of rubber or has a rubber tip, so that when the pleximeter, which is placed against the side of the animal, is struck the impact will not be accompanied by a noise. A percus- sion hammer and pleximeter can be purchased from any veterinary instrument maker. CATARRH (cold IN THE HEAd). Nasal catarrh is an inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nostrils and upper air passages. Simple catarrh is not a serious disease in itself, but if neglected is liable to be complicated with laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, and other diseases of the respiratory organs, which are of a serious nature and sometimes fatal. Catarrh is a common disease among cattle. It is often due to sudden exposure to wet and cold after they have been accustomed to shelter. It may arise from inhalation of irritating gases. It is sometimes due to certain specific atmospheric conditions, and may assume an enzootic form. It is very debilitating, and requires prompt and judicious treatment. Symptoms. — Redness of the mucous membranes of the nose, redness and watering of the eyes. The mucous membrane first becomes dry ; 92 DISEASES OP CATTLE. afterwards a watery discharge appears, and later on in severe cases the discharge becomes mucopurulent. In mild cases there is little or no fever, but in severe cases the fever may run high. The animal becomes dull, languid, and is not inclined to move about, and the ap- petite may become impaired; there is variable temperature of the horns and ears. If in a cow giving milk, the secretion diminishes; the mucus from the eyes and nose becomes thicker and yellower. Aftei-wards, as the symptoms increase in severity, the discharge be- comes mucopurulent. Treatinent. — The animal should be housed in a well-ventilated place, with good hygenic surroundings. In cold and damp weather it should be kept warm with blanketing. Give hot, medicated inha- lations in severe cases. If the fever is high this may be reduced by giving nitrate of potassium, from 1 to 2 ounces, in the drinking water, three times daily. Diffusible stimulants are beneficial in most cases. Too much importance can not be attached to good nursing. There is no necessity to resort to the old system of bleeding, purging, or the use of powerful sedatives. EPISTAXIS (bleeding FROM THE NOS^). Bleeding from the nostrils is rather rare in cattle. It may arise from any one of a variety of causes, but usually results fi'om disease or injury to the mucous membranes, or to violent exertions in cough- ing and sneezing. It is seldom serious. The bleeding generally oc- curs in drops from one nostril only, accompanied by sneezing, and without frothing. Bleeding from the lungs comes from both nostrils, is bright red, frothy, and accompanied by a cough. Treatment. — In many cases the bleeding will cease spontaneously and all that is necessary is to keep the animal quiet and bathe the head and nostrils with cold water. Ascertain the cause of the bleed- ing and be governed accordingly in the treatment. In severe and exceptional cases, where the hemorrhage is persistent and long con- tinued, tie the animal's head to a high rack or beam and apply cold water, ice, or have recourse to styptic injections. If the hemorrhage is profuse and persistent, give either a drench composed of 1^ drams of acetate of lead dissolved in a pint of water or 1| drams of gallic acid dissolved in a pint of water. LARYNGITIS (sORE THROAt). Laryngitis consists of an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the larynx. It may be either a primary or a secondary disease, complicated or uncomplicated. In the majority of cases it is due to some form of exposure, a sudden change from warm to cold surround- NONCONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF RESPIRATION ORGANS. 93 ings, or exposure to cold storms. It may also arise from inhaling irritating gases. It may be the result of external violence. In an acute attack of laryngitis there is an elevation of temperature, pain on pressure over the region of the laiynx, violent paroxysms of cough- ing, difficult and noisy respiration. The nostrils are dilated, the nose extended, and the animal has a frightened expression. There is marked difficulty in swallowing. TreatTnent. — This consists of fomentations and hot applications over the throat. Stimulating liniments, mustard mixed with cold water and well rubbed in with a stiff brush, or other forms of counter- irritation may be apj^lied in severe cases. Hot inhalations should be frequently resorted to, and often afford much relief to the suffering animal. In this disease medicines should be given so far as possible in the fonn of electuaries {soft solid) on account of the difficulty of deglutition. Large drafts of medicines have a tendency to produce violent spells of coughing, and in this way retard recovery. The subjoined formula for an electuary will be found to answer the pur- pose in ordinary cases : Chlorate of potassium, pulverized, 8 ounces ; fluid extract of belladonna, 2 ounces; powdered opium, 1 ounce; pow- dered licorice root, 8 ounces; sirup, sufficient quantity; mix. At frequent intervals place a small tablespoonful of the mixture on the tongue or back teeth. Or the following may be used instead : Aloes, powdered opium, and gum camphor in equal parts; mix. Rub an ounce on the molar teeth every four or five hours. The bowels should be kept open and the diet should be such as the patient can easily swallow. Warm, sloppy mashes, boiled oatmeal gruel, linseed tea, and the like are the most suitable substances. If suffocation be threatened during the course of the disease tracheotomy should be performed without delay. The details of the operation are fully described under the head of " Surgical operations." (See. p. 302.) When the disease assumes a chronic form strong counterirritation is indicated. A cantharides blister may be applied, or the following ointment may be used: Biniodid of mercuiy 1 part, lard 6 parts; mix. In some cases it will be found necessary to rej^eat the above application. BRONCHITIS. Bronchitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes. Wlien a primary disease it is generally the result of what is commonly known as " catehing cold." It may be sec- ondary to or complicated with many of the diseases of the respiratory system. It may also be caused by breathing irritating gases; or by the introduction of foreign bodies into the bronchial tubes, which sometimes results from injudicious and careless drenching when the 94 DISEASES OF CATTLE. larynx is in a temporarily relaxed state. It may be acute or chronic, and is divided, according to the seat of the inflanrniation, into bron- chitis proper where the large tubes are aifected, or capillary bron- chitis where the smaller tubes are affected. Symptoms. — ^Loss of appetite, elevation of temperature, generally 104° or 105° F. The inspiration is incomplete, short, and painful, and the expiration is prolonged. The pulse is increased in fre- quency and is hard. A characteristic and painful cough is present, but it is paroxysmal and incomplete. Auscultation and percussion greatly aid us in a diagnosis. A normal sound is observed on per- cussion. On auscultation, in the early stages, rhonchus rales are detected if the larger tubes are affected, and sibilant rales if the smaller tubes are affected. Later on mucous rales are noted, and sometimes all sounds in certain parts are absent, which is due to the plugging up of the tubes. This plugging of the tubes, if extensive enough, is sometimes the cause of death, or death may result from extension of the disease to the lungs or pleura. TreatTnent. — The animal should be placed in a light well-venti- lated box, and the bowels kept in a soft condition by enemas, etc. Avoid violent purgatives. The body should be kept warm by blank- eting. In the early stages give three times daily a draft composed as follows: Extract of belladonna, 2 drams; solution of acetate of ammonium, 4 fluid ounces; water, one-half pint. In the later stage of the disease substitute the following formula, which may be given twice daily : Carbonate of ammonium, 3 drams ; liquor hydrochlorate of strychnin, 2 fluid drams; spirits of nitrous ether, 1 fluid ouncej water, one-half pint. In some cases the following is preferable to either of the above, and may be given in a pint of linseed tea every four hours : Spirits of nitrous ether, 1| ounces; aromatic spirits of ammonia, 2 ounces; powdered camphor, 2 drams. The food should be light and nutri- tious. Bronchitis is liable to assume a chronic form if not properly treated in the earliest stage. Remedial treatment is of little value when the disease becomes chronic. PLEURISY. Pleurisy is an inflammation of the serous membrane lining the chest cavity and enveloping the lungs. It is somewhat rare as an independent disease, but it often complicates pneumonia; indeed, it is often due to the same germ that causes pneumonia — pneumococcus. It may arise from exposure to cold or wet or from external violence, and is usually present in some degree in cases where the ribs have been fractured with or without a penetrated wound. NONCONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF RESPIRATION ORGANS. 95 Symptoms. — In the first stage there is great paiii aggravated by movement, and the animal is usually stiff as though foundered, the pulse is quick and hard, the breathing abdominal, the chest being fixed so far as possible, the inspiration short and jerky, the expiration longer. The pain is due to the friction of the dry inflamed pleural surfaces of the lung and chest on each other. At this stage the ear detects a dry friction murmur, resembling somewhat the sound made by rubbing two pieces of sole leather together. Pressure between the ribs gives pain and usually causes the animal to flinch and grunt. The muzzle is hot and dry, the mouth slimy, and the secretions scanty. After a day or two the severity of the symptoms is much lessened, the temperature, which during the first days may have been as high as 106° F., falls to 103° or 104°, the pain decreases, the stiffness disappears, and the patient eats a little. The pulse softens, but remains quicker than normal. Now, day by day the patient loses a little strength, the friction sound disappears as the exudation mois- tens the pleural surfaces; percussion now shows a horizontal line of dullness, which day by day rises higher in the chest, the respiration gi'ows more frequent and labored, the countenance is anxious and haggard, the eyes sink somewhat in their sockets, and in unfavorable cases death occurs during the second or third week, either from asphyxia or heart failure. In pleurisy, as in pneumonia, the elbows are usually turned out- ward. Care must be taken to differentiate pleurisy from traumatic pericarditis (which see). In the latter condition the area of dullness of the heart is much increased, and usually a splashing sound is heard at each beat of the heart. Another diagnostic symptom of value is that in traumatic pericarditis respiration is painful, not difficult, and the respiratory rate is very much increased on movement. In both conditions a considerable swelling of the dewlap may be noticed in the later stages. Treatment. — Give the same general care as recommended in bron- chitis or pneumonia. In the early stages give a febrifuge to reduce the fever, as directed for pneumonia. For relief of the cough give electuary formula, which will be found in the treatment of laryngitis. The bowels must be kept relaxed and the kidneys secreting freely. In the stage of effusion give the following three times daily : Digi- talis tincture, 1 ounce; iodid of potassium, 30 to 60 grains; mix. Apply strong counterirritant to chest and put seton in dewlap. (See " Setoning," p. 301.) If collapse of the lung is threatened, a surgical operation is sometimes performed, termed paracentesis thoracis, which consists in puncturing the chest cavity and drawing off a part of the fluid. The instruments used are a small trocar and cannula, which are introduced between the eighth and ninth ribs. 96 DISEASES OF CATTLE. Draw the skin forward so that the external wound may not corre- spond with the puncture of the chest, to prevent the entrance of air. Only a portion of the fluid should be removed. The animal gets immediate relief, but it is generally only temporary, as there is a tendency for the fluid to accumulate again. PNEUMONIA. This is an inflammation of the lung substance. It is divided into three different forms, viz : First, croupous pneumonia ; second, catarrhal pneumonia; and third, interstitial pneumonia. But these various fomis can only be differentiated by the expert, and I there- fore deem it necessary for the purposes of the present work to treat the subject under the general head of pneumonia. The causes of pneumonia in general are the same as those of the various other inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract. The germ is called the pneumococcus. It mostly follows congestion of the lungs, but may in rare cases have a parasitic origin. Symptom's. — In the first stage, that of congestion, the disease is usually ushered in by a chill, although this may not always be observed by the attendant. This is followed by an elevation of tem- perature, usually 105° to 106° F., or it may be even higher. The respirations are quick and shallow ; the nostrils are dilated ; the pulse is full and hard. Cough may or may not appear in this stage. The nose is hot and dry; the tongue sometimes protrudes and is slimy; the coat is staring, and the skin dry and harsh. The urine is usually diminished in quantity, high colored, and the bowels constipated. The animal stands with the forelegs wide apart to facilitate respira- tion. On auscultation crepitation will be observed over the portion of the limg affected. The sounds elicited on percussion are practi- cally normal in this stage. In the second stage the temperature generally drops one or two degrees, and respiration is performed with much difficulty. The cough is frequent and painful. The animal still stands with the fore- legs wide apart and the elbows turned outward. If it assumes the i*ecumbent position it rests on the sternum. All secretions are more or less suspended, jDarticularlj'^ the milk in cows. The animal has a haggard appearance, and the pulse becomes small and wiry at this period. The extremities are hot and cold alternately ; the crepitation which was present in the first stage is now absent, and no sound on auscultation will be heard, except it be a slight wheezing or whistling noise. On percussion dullness over the diseased lung is manifested, indicating consolidation. The lung has now assumed a characteristic livxr-like appearance. NONCONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF EESPIEATION ORGANS. 97 In the third stage, if the disease is going to terminate favorably, the cough becomes loose, the animal improves, the appetite returns, and the symptoms above detailed rapidly subside; but if, on the other hand, resolution is not progressing, the lung substance is broken down, is heavy, and will sink in water. In fatal cases the breath has a peculiar fetid, cadaverous odor, and is taken in short gasps; the horns, ears, and extremities become cold and clammy, and the pulse is imperceptible. On auscultation, when suppuration is taking place and the lung structure is breaking down, a bubbling or gurgling crepitation, caused by the passage of air through pus, will be heard. Treatment. — Good hygienic surroundings and good nursing are essential in connection with the medical treatment. The probability of recovery depends largely on the extent of the lung tissue involved, as well as on the intensity of the inflammatory process. In the early stage, when the fever is high, give febrifuges. If the pulse be strong and full, aconite (Fleming's tincture, 1 to 2 drams, every four or five hours) may be given for a short time, but should be discontinued as soon as the fever begins to abate. Aconite is a valuable drug in the hands of the intelligent practitioner, but my experience leads me to believe that not infrequently animals are lost by its injudicious use, for in many febrile conditions it is positively contra indicated, owing to its action upon the heart. In a plethoric animal, with a strong, bounding pulse, bleeding may be resorted to instead of administering aconite. If the bowels are constipated, give calomel, 1 to 3 drams, which acts as a cathartic and a febrifuge. In the second stage diffus- ible stimulants are required, viz : Spirits of nitrous ether, 2 ounces ; aromatic spirits of ammonia, 1 ounce; mix, and give in gruel three times daily. If the above is not at hand, give an alcoholic stimulant. Half a pint of brandy or whisky may be given in a quart of gruel three times daily. In some cases carbonate of ammonia, 2 to 5 drams, has been found beneficial. Most practitioners apply counterirritants externally, such as mustard plasters, turpentine, and ammonia lini- ment, or cantharides. EMPHYSEMA ( HEAVES ) . Emphysema consists of a rupture of the minute air vesicles of the lung substance, and may be either interlobular or vesicular. There is an extreme interference with respiration, inspiration being short and expiration prolonged. It is a nonfebrile condition, in which the appetite is not decreased and the milk secretion is kept up. It may be caused by an attack of asthma or may result from chronic bron- chitis. The disease can be diagnosed by the marked interference with respiration. The animal, as a rule, is emaciated, has a staring coat, and is hidebound. If percussion is resorted to, the animal's 16923°— 12 7 98 DISEASES OF CATTLE. chest will give a tympanic, drum-like sound. The normal resonant sound is exaggerated. Treatment. — The disease is incurable, and only a palliative form of treatment can be carried out. The destruction of the animal is often advisable, from a humane as well as from a financial point of view. PULMONARY CONGESTION. Cattle that are overdriven or overworked are liable to pulmonary congestion in an acuate form, and sometimes pulmonary apoplexy. In such cases the animal should be allowed to rest ; and if the weather be hot, put in a shady place. Give stimulants internally, unload the venous side of the heart by bleeding, and apply stimulating applica- tions to the legs, and bandage. HEMOPTYSIS. This is a term used to signify bleeding from the lungs. The trouble may result from a previous congestion of the lungs or from a break- ing down of the lung substance, or from specific disorders. Bleeding from the lungs comes from both nostrils and from the mouth. The blood is bright red, frothy, and accompanied by a cough, the flow being somewhat profuse and intermingled with mucus. It ma}^ cease of its own accord. Internally hemostatics are indicated, and locally over the sides cold applications have a tendency to check the hemorrhage. Give the animal a drench composed of 1^ drains of gallic acid dissolved in a pint of water. ABSCESS OF THE LUNG. Abscesses of the lung sometimes form during the course of or sub- sequent to tuberculosis or other diseases. An animal aflFected with abscess of the lung usually has a protracted, feeble cough and a gen- eral appearance of emaciation and anemia. The pulse is feeble and the breath foul. An offensive discharge from the lungs frequently occurs. Percussion and auscultation will aid in making a diagnosis in this condition. The appetite is poor. Such animals go from bad to worse, and their prompt destruction would, as a rule, be to the interest of the owner. HYDROTHORAX. Hydrothorax, or dropsy of the chest, is not a disease in itself, but is simply a condition where an effusion takes place in the chest cavity, and is the result or effect of some disease, mostly pleurisy. This con- dition can be easily diagnosed by physical signs. A loss of the res- piratory murmur will be noticed on auscultation, and on percussion dullness or flatness on a line as high as the effusion has taken place. NONCONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF RESPIRATION ORGANS. 99 When there is a large amount of effusion present, tapping with the trocar and cannuhi is generally resorted to. The proper method of per- forming this operation will be found under the head of " Pleurisy." PNEUMOTHORAX. An accumulation of gas in the pleural sac is known as pneumo- thorax. The presence of air may either result from an injury of the lung or a wound communicating from the exterior. The indications for treatment are to remove any foreign body that may have pene- trated, to exclude the further entrance of the air into the cavity by the closure of the external opening, and to employ antiseptics and adhesive dressings. The air already in the cavity will in most cases be absorbed. VERMINOUS BRONCHITIS. This is a disease that sometimes attacks young cattle when pas- tured in low-lying meadows near rivers subject to flood. It is caused by a small worm, Strongylus rrdcrurus^ which lodges in large num- bers in the trachea and bronchial tubes, giving rise to considerable irritation of the air passages and inflammation. Sometimes the strongyles lodge in large numbers in the windpipe, forming them- selves into a ball, and thus choke the animal to death. Synhptoms. — It is liable to attack a number of animals at once, and the weakest are the first to give way. The animal has a remarkably forcible cough, distressing, and of a special hacking and paroxysmal character. A stringy mucus is sometimes expelled during the spells of coughing. This mucus contains the Strongylus micrums^ which can be detected, or their ova observed, under a low power of the microscope. The attack has a subacute character and proves very exhausting. The parasites, by becoming entwined in balls, seriously impede respiration, which is always remarkably labored in this dis- ease. Treatment. — The affected calves should be placed in a dry stable, protected from dampness, and subjected to fumigations of sulphurous anhydrid or chlorin gas. The liberation of chlorin gas is brought about by the action of sulphuric acid, either on a mixture of chlorid of sodium and black oxid of manganese or on bleaching powder. Sulphurous anhydrid may be procured by burning sulphur. Some practitioners prescribe small doses of spirits of turpentine in linseed oil. The system requires good support, and the diet should therefore be liberal and nutritious. Equal parts of sulphate of iron, gentian, and ginger make an excellent tonic. Prevention. — Avoid pastures notorious for generating verminous bronchitis. 100 DISEASES OF CATTLE. PLEURODYNIA. This is a term applied to rheumatism of the intercostal muscles. The apparent sj^mptoms are quite similar to those of pleurisy. The animal is stitf and not inclined to turn around, and the ribs are kept in a fixed state as much as possible. Pleurodynia may be distin- guished from pleurisy by the coexistence of rheumatism in other parts and by the comparative absence of fever, cough, the friction soimd, and the effusion into the chest. The treatment for this affec- tion is the same as that for rheumatism affecting other parts. DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. By W. H. Harbaugh, V. S. [Revised in 1904 by Leonard Pearson, B. S., V. M. D.] The nervous system is the distinguishing feature of animal life. Without it there can be no intelligence, no instinct, no sensibility, no perception; in fact, existence would be nothing more than vegetable life. The senses — touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell — all depend on the nervous system. Motion depends on it. A muscle can not contract without receiving the stimulus from the nervous system. For ex- ample, if a nerve passing from a nerve center to a muscle is severed, the particular muscle that is supplied by the cut nerve is paralyzed. The nervous system is often studied in two divisions — the cerebro- spinal division and the sympathetic division. The cerehrospinaZ division consists of the brain and spinal cord, nerves, and ganglia. The nerves of this division convey the impulses of motion and sensation and supply all parts which are under the control of the will. For example, the voluntary muscular tissue includes all the muscles w^hich act as the will directs. Another ex- ample : If anything comes in contact with any part of the skin, the impression is immediately perceived. All the special senses belong to this division. The sympathetic division consists of nerves and ganglia. The muscular tissue, which acts independently of the will — as, for exam- ple, the stomach, intestines, womb, blood vessels, ducts, etc. — is called involuntary muscular tissue, and receives nervous stimulus from the sympathetic division. The brain, spinal cord, and the ganglia are the central organs of the nervous system. The nerves conduct the nervous influence. The nerves terminate differently according to their function. The termi- nations are called end organs. The terminal end organs in the skin and other parts endowed with sensation receive the impressions, which are conveyed to the brain, where they are appreciated. They are so sensitive that the most gentle zephyr is perceived. They are so abundant that the point of the finest needle can not pierce the skin without coming in contact with them, and the sensation of pain is 101 102 DISEASES OF CATTLE. instantly conveyed to the brain. The terminal end organs of the nerves that supply the muscles are different, as they give the impulse which is conveyed by the motor nerves to the elements which consti- tute the muscle, and this impulse is the excitation which causes the muscle to contract. The terminal, end organs of the special senses of taste, smell, etc., receive their special impressions, and their respec- tive nerves carry the impressions to the brain. There are two divisions of nerves, the afferent and efferent. The afferent nerves are those which convey the impression to the nerve centers. All the sensory nerves belong to this division. The efferent nerves are those which convey the nervous impulse outward from the nerve centers, and they are further classified ac- cording to the function of their respective centers. For example: Motor fibers carry the impulse from the nerve center to a muscle to cause contraction. Vasomotor fibers carry the impulse to the muscu- lar tissue in the blood vessels, which regulates iheir caliber. The secretory fibers convey the impulse to the cells of the glands and excite the activity of the gland, and its particular product is secreted or evolved, as, for instance, milk in the mammary gland. Inhibitory fibers control or inhibit the action of the organ to which they are distributed, as, for instance, the heart. Nerve centers may be considered as a collection or group of nerve cells. Both the cerebrospinal and the sympathetic divisions have nerve centere. The centers derive their special names from their functions. The brain is the great center of the nervous system, as it is the center of intelligence and perception. The centers of all the special senses, as well as the centers of various functions, are located in different parts of the brain. Nerve centers also exist in the spinal cord and in connection with the sympathetic system. A nerve is a cord consisting of a certain number of fibers of nerve tissue, inclosed in a sheath of connective tissue. Nerves divide and subdivide, sending off branches^ which ramify in all parts of the body, and, as they near their terminations, they contain but one or two fibers. The brain and spinal cord are contained within a bony canal, which forms a protective covering for them. The spmal cord., or spinal man*ow, lodged within the spinal canal, or hollow of the backbone, is continuous with the brain anteriorly, and terminates in a point in the sacrum (that part of the spinal column which immediately preceds the tail). The spinal cord gives off branches at each of the spaces between the segments of the back- bone. These branches form nerve trunks which carry both sensory and motor impressions and impulses. The spinal cord is a grand nerve trunk to carry messages to or from the brain and to and from the reflex centers contained within itself. DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 103 The hrain is contained within tlie cavity of tlVe skull and is con- tinuous with the spinal cord; there is nothing to mark the place where one leaves off and the other begins. The brain is the seat of reason and intelligence. Voluntary effort originates from the brain. Coordination, or hamiony of movement, is controlled by the rear portion of the brain, known as the cerebellum. The meninges are the membranes, three in number, wliich envelop the brain and spinal cord, and separate them from the bones which fonn the walls of the cranial cavity and spinal canal. The synbpathetic^ also called the ganglionic, division of the nervous system consists of two chains of ganglia, reaching from the head to the tail, situated beneath the spinal column, one on either side. The presence of the ganglia or enlargements on the cords give them their chainlike appearance. The sympathetic nerves are closely connected with the cerebro- spinal nerves, but are not under the control of the will. INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN AND ITS MEMBRANES (STAGGERS). Inflammation of the brain is technically termed encephalitis and of its membranes cerebral-meningitis^ but as both conditions usually occur together, and since it is practically impossible to distinguish one from the other by the symptoms shown by the diseased animal, they may as well be considered together here as varieties of the same disease. Staggers, coma, frenzy, etc., are terms that are sometimes applied to this disease in its different forms or stages. Causes. — Severe blows on the head with a hard object, or the head coming violently in contact with the ground or other hard substance in a fall, may be followed by encephalitis. Irritation caused by tumors in the brain may produce inflammation. Food containing deleterious matters — for example, ergot (see PI. V) and other fungi which contain a narcotic principle — is the most frequent cause of this affection, and hence it is often called " grass staggers " and " stomach staggers." Highly nitrogenous foods are blamed for causing this dis- ease. Parasites, mineral and narcotic poisons^ hot weather, and severe exertion or excessive excitement may cause this condition. Inflammation of the brain may occur as a complication of some infec- tious disease or may follow some forms of indigestion. In many localities certain plants have the reputation of causing staggers. Sr/mptoms. — The symptoms vary much, but a careful observer will detect a trouble connected with the nervous system without much uncertainty. The first signs may be those of frenzy, but generally at the start the animal is dull and sleepy, with little or no inclination to move about; the head may be pressed against the wall or fence and the legs kept moving, as if the animal were endeavoring to walk 104 DISEASES OF CATTLE. tluougli the obstruction; the body, especially the hind part, may be leaned against the side of the stall or stable, as if for support. The bowels are constipated ; the urine, when passed, is small in quantity and darker in color than natural. There may be trembling and even spasms of muscles in different parts. In the dull stage the animal may breathe less frequently than is natural, and each breath may be accompanied with a snoring-like sound. The pulse may be large and less frequent than normal. If suddenly aroused from the drowsy state, the animal appears startled and stares wildly. When moving about it may stagger, the hind quarters swaying from side to side. If delirium ensues, the cow is commonly said to be mad. She may bellow, stamp her feet, run about wildly, grate the teeth, froth at the mouth. If she is confined in the stable, she rears and plunges; the convulsions are so violent in many instances that it is really danger- ous for one to attempt to render aid. The body may be covered with perspiration. She may fall; the muscles twitch and jerk; often the head is raised and then dashed against the ground until blood issues from the nose and mouth ; the eyes may be bloodshot and sightless ; the limbs stiif and outstretched, or they may be kicked about reck- lessly ; the head may be drawn back and the tail drawn up ; the urine may be squirted out in spurts; often the " washer " (membrane nicti- tans) is forced over the eye. When the convulsions cease they may be followed by a period of quiet unconsciousness (coma) which is more or less prolonged, when the animal may gradually regain con- sciousness, get up on its feet, and perhaps quietly partake of food, if there be any within reach, while at other times it arises with much difficulty and staggers blindly about the stall or field. It must be remembered that all the foregoing symptoms are not always seen in the same case. In those cases usually designated " sleepy staggers " the general symptoms of drowsiness are presented, Avhile in other cases the symptoms of frenzy cause the affection to be called " mad staggers." In other cases there are symptoms of paraly- sis, swaying of the hind quarters, inability to rise, etc., and sometimes these symptoms of paralysis are the most striking manifestations and continue until death. Acute cases are accompanied by fever. It is well to remark that when the disease follows injuries to the head the symptoms may not be manifested until two or three days (or longer) after the accident. Treatment. — Recoveries are rare in spite of careful attention. To be of any service whatever the treatment must be prompt and begin with the disease. In the early stage, when the pulse is large, most cases will admit of bleeding. Eight or 9 quarts of blood should be taken from the jugular vein. This should be followed immediately by a purgative, the following for a cow of average size : Epsom salt, 24 ounces; pulverized gamboge, one-half ounce; croton oil, 20 drops; DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 105 warm water, 3 quarts; mix all together and give at once as a drench. About 2 quarts of warm water or warm soapsuds should be injected with a syringe into the rectum every three or four hours. It is best to keep the animal in a quiet, sheltered place, where it will be free from noise or other cause of excitement. All the cold water the ani- mal will drink should be allowed, but food must be withheld, except bran slops occasionally in small quantities, or grass, if in season, which may be cut and carried fresh to the patient. The skull must be examined, and if sign of injury is found, appro- priate surgical treatment should be given. During the convulsions all possible efforts should be made to pre- vent the animal injuring itself. The head should be held down on the ground and straw kept under it. Cold water may be continu- ously poured on the head, or bags filled with ice broken in small pieces may be applied to the head. Different authors recommend different remedies to allay the convulsions, but for two reasons it will be found extremely difficult to administer medicines during the con- vulsions: (1) While the animal is unconscious the power to swallow is lost, and therefore the medicine is more liable to go down the wind- pipe to the lungs than it is to go to the paunch; (2) the convulsions are often so violent that it would be titterly useless to attempt to drench the animal ; and furthermore it must be borne in mind that during this stage the ftinctions of digestion and absorption are sus- pended, and as a consequence the medicine (provided it finds its way to the paunch) is likely to remain there unabsorbed and therefore useless. A blistering compound, composed of mustard, 1 ounce ; pulverized cantharides, one-half ounce; hot wat^r, 4 ounces, well mixed together, may be rubbed in over the loins, along the spine, and back of the head on each side of the neck. This is occasionally attended with beneficial effect, and especially so in those cases when paralysis is present. If the purgative acts and the animal shows signs of improvement in the course of two or three days, 2 drams of iodid of potassium may be given every night and morning, dissolved in a half bucketful of drinking water, if the animal will drink it, or it may be dissolved in a half pint of water and given as a drench. Great care must be ob- served in regard to the food, which should be nutritive, but not coarse, and at first in small quantities, gradually increased as the patient improves. After some progress is made toward recovery 1^ drams of pulverized nux vomica may be given twice a day, added to the iodid of potassium drench. This should be administered so long as a stag- gering gait continues. In those rare cases when recovery takes place it is only partial as a rule, as there is generally a sequel which remains, such as partial 106 DISEASES OF CATTLE. paralysis. Howevei-j this is but a slight drawback in cattle, because when it is seen to persist the medicine should be stopped and the ani- mal fattened for butchering. Post-mortem examinations discover congestion of the brain and its membranes. In those cases which have exhibited much paralysis of the hind legs before death the cord may be congested in the lumbar region (loins). When the disease has been caused by injury to the liead, the congestion and extra vasa ted blood may be found inside of the cavity in the location corresponding to the place where the injury was inflicted externally. In some cases pus is also discovered. It remains to be said that in all animals that have died from this affec- tion the lungs are found very much congested. This may lead the superficial observer to suppose that the disease was a lung affection, but in fact it is only a natural consequence when death ensues from brain disease. APOPLEXY. That form of congestion of the brain known as parturient apo- plexy, or parturient paresis, which is so frequently associated with the period of calving, is described in another part of this work. (See " Milk fever," p. 228.) Cerebral apoplexy, not connected with parturition, is a rare disease among cattle. However, it may be due to degeneration and conse- quent rupture of a blood vessel in the brain. The attack is sudden, the animal in most cases falling as if it had received a blow on the head. It may stagger and reel some time before going down. After falling, there are convulsive movements of the legs or the animal sinks into insensibility. There may be re- missions in the severity of the symptoms, but the pressure from the continued escape of blood soon causes death. Rest, quiet, friction to the legs and surface, frequent turning of the animal and cold to the head are to be practiced, if treatment is attempted. CONGESTION OF THE BRAIN. There is a form of congestive apoplexy affecting cattle which are in a plethoric condition. The congestion, or overfilling with blood, causes pressure on the brain substance and disorganizes its function. It occurs mostly in hot weather. In this disease the symptoms are somewhat similar to those exhibited when the animal has encephalitis, but the onset is more sudden, the duration is shorter, and there is less fever. There may be frenzy or coma, or alternations one with the other. The intelligence is diminished, staring eyes, bracing with the legs, pressing against the stall partition or manger, red mucous mem- branes. This condition usually terminates in recovery. DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 107 In such cases bleeding should be resorted to immediately, aud when the power of swallowing is not lost purgatives should be admin- istered. Cold applications to the head, and the general treatment recommended for encephalitis are indicated. CONCUSSION or THE BRAIN. Severe blows on the head, striking the head against some hard ob- ject while running, or falling on the head, may cause concussion of the brain. The injury may fracture bones of the cranium and pro- duce compression of the brain. Symptoms and treatment. — The symptoms and the treatment that is indicated differ very little from what has been said under conges- tion of the brain and under encephalitis. In some cases it may be necessary to operate to remove a piece of bone that is pressing on the brain or to remove a clot of blood under the area which received the blow. EPILEPSY. This affection is characterized by the occurrence of sudden convul- sions. The animal may appear to be in a fair state of health usually, but at any time, in the stable or in the field, it may have a convulsion in which it will fall and lose consciousness. Epilepsy must not be confounded with vertigo — the fainting which is an effect of heart troubles. The exact cause of epilepsy in the majority of cases is unknown. Post-mortem examinations in many instances have failed to discover any lesion in connection with the brain or nervous system ; while in other instances disease of the brain has been found in the form of thickening of the membranes, abscesses, and tumors, and in some cases the affection has been manifested in connection with a diseased condition of the blood. The cause has also been traced to reflex irri- tation, due to teething, worms, and chronic indigestion. Treatment. — When the affection is due to the last-named causes treatment may be successful if the cause is removed. If there are symptoms of worms or of indigestion, follow the general treatment advised for those troubles under their proper heads. If due to irrita- tion caused by teething, the inflamed gums must, be lanced. Exami- nation of the mouth often develops the fact that one of the temporary teeth causes much irritation by remaining unshed, and thereby inter- fering with the growth of a permanent tooth. The offending tooth should be extracted. When the cause of epilepsy can not be dis- covered, it must be confessed that there is no prospect of a cure. However, some benefit may be expected from the occasional admin- istration of a purgative dose of medicine. A pound of Epsom salt 108 DISEASES OF CATTLE. dissolved in a quart of warm water, for a cow of average size, may be given as a drench once or twice a month. In addition to the purga- tive, 4 drams of bromid of potassium, dissolved in the drinking water, three times a da}^, has proved very beneficial in some cases. SUNSTROKE (PROSTRATION FROM HEAt). Owing to the fact that cattle are seldom put to work at which they would have to undergo severe exertion, especially in collars, they are not frequently prostrated by the extreme heat of the summer months. When at pasture they select the coolest places in the shade of trees, in water, etc., when the heat becomes oppressive, and thereby avoid, as much as possible, the effects of it. It does happen, however, that cattle that have been kept up for the purpose of fattening, when driven some distance in very hot weather, are sometimes prostrated, but it must be remembered that it is not really necessary for the animal to be exposed to the rays of the sun, as those confined in hot, close places may suffer. This often happens in shipping, when they are crowded together in cars. Symptoms. — The premonitory signs are those of exhaustion — dull- ness, panting, frothing at the mouth, tongue hanging out, irregular gait, uneasiness, palpitation — when, if the circumstances which tend to the prostration are not mitigated, the animal staggers or sways from side to side, falls, struggles for a while, and then gradually becomes quiet, or the struggles may continue, with repeated but inef- fectual efforts to regain a standing position. In serious cases the attack may be very sudden, unconsciousness occurring without con- tinued or distressing premonitory symptoms. Treatment. — At first, when not very serious, removal to a quiet, sheltered place, with a few days on a reduced diet, is all that need be done, ^^^len the animal has fallen, apply cold water or ice to the head; rub the body and limbs with cloths or wisps of straw, and con- tinue the rubbing for a considerable time. If the power of swallow- ing is not lost (which may be ascertained by pouring a little cold water into the mouth), give 3 drams of stronger liquor ammonia, diluted with a quart of cold water. Be very careful in drenching the animal when lying down. Repeat the drench in a half hour and an hour after the first one has been given. Instead of the ammonia, a drench composed of 3 ounces of spirits of nitrous ether in a pint of water may be given, if more convenient, but the ammonia drench is preferable. If unconsciousness continues, so that a drench can not be administered, the same quantity of ammonia and water may be injected with a syringe into the rectum. The popular aqua ammonia, commonh^ called " hartshorn," will do as well as the stronger liquor ammonia, but as it is weaker than the latter the dose for a cow is DISEASES or THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 109 about 1^ ounces, which should be diluted with a quart of water before it is given to the animal, either as a drench or an enema. When am- monia can not be obtained, a pint of whisky in a quart of water or an ounce of tincture of digitalis may be given. As soon as the animal is able to rise it should be assisted and moved to the nearest shelter. All the cold water it will drink should be allowed. The ammonia or spirits of nitrous ether drench should be administered eveiy three hours so long as there is much failure of strength. The diet should be limited for several days — bran slops and a little grass. Allien signs of returning strength are presented, 12 ounces of Epsom salt dissolved in a quart of warm water may be given in those cases which have been down and unconscious, but do not give it while much weakness remains, which may be for several days after the attack. The flesh of an animal that is suffering from heat stroke should not be prepared for use as food. On account of the fever with which the animal suffers, the flesh contains toxins that may render it poisonous to the consumer. INJURIES TO THE SPINAL CORD. The spinal cord is liable to concussion from blows and falls, and paralysis, to a greater or less extent, may be the result. Fracture, with displacement of the bones (vertebrae) which form the spinal column, by compressing the spinal cord, produces paralysis, which varies in its effect according to the part of the cord that is compressed. If the fracture is above the middle of the neck, death soon follows, as communication between the brain and diaphragm (the essential muscle of inspiration) is stopped. \"\nien the fracture is farther down in the neck, posterior to the origin of the phrenic nerve, the breath- ing continues, but there is paralysis in all parts posterior to the fracture, including the fore and hind legs. When the fracture is in the region of the loins the hind legs are paralyzed, but the fore legs are not. If the fracture is in the sacrum (the division of the spinal column between the loins and the tail), the tail alone is paralyzed. As a matter of course, when the back is broken there is no remedy ; the animal should be killed at once. PARALYSIS. Paralysis, or loss of motion in a part, may be due to a lesion of the brain, of the spinal cord, or of a nerve. It may also be caused by reflex irritation. When the paralysis affects both sides of the body, posterior to a point, it is further designated by the name paraplegia. When one side of the body (a lateral half) is paralyzed, the term hemiplegia is applied to the affection. When paralysis is caused by a lesion of a nerve, the paralysis is confined to the particular part supplied by the affected nerve. 110 DISEASES OF CATTLE. As already pointed out, paralysis may be due to concussion of the spine, fracture of a bone of the spinal column with consequent com- pression of the spinal cord, concussion of the brain, or compression of the brain. An injury to one side of the brain may produce paralysis of the same side of the head, and of the opposite side of the body hemiplegia. Paralysis may occur in connection with parturient apoplexy, lead poisoning-, ergotism, etc, CONGESTION OF THE SPINAL CORD. Paraplegia., or paralj'sis of the rear part of the body, is the domi- nant symptom in congestion or inflammation of the spinal cord. The cause is not known, but the disease is probably due to chilling. It is thought by some that some toxic influence (poison) may be responsi- ble for its development. Symptoms. — The symptoms usually appear suddenly, and consist in inability to stand. Sometimes this is preceded by a period of excitement. The animal usually lies quietly, but sometimes it groans and tosses its head about in a way that indicates pain. Cows heavy with calf are sometimes affected with a form of paraplegia, which usually attacks them from about a month to a few days before calving. Apparently they are in good health in every respect except the inability to stand up on account of the paralysis of the hind quarters. This form is generally attributed to feeding on foods con- taining insufficient protein and ash. It is most likely to occur in cows that are weak and thin. With good care and food recovery usually occurs. Treatm,ent. — The animal must be given a soft, dry bed under shel- ter and in a quiet, airy place. It is well to apply mustard along the spine. The action of the mustard may be intensified by rubbing the skin with ammonia or turpentine. Internally give a purge of Glauber's salt. Nux vomica or strychnia (1 to 2 grain doses) may be given. Turn the cow two to four times daily and rub the legs well each time. There are instances when cows will persist in lying down (in spite of all efforts that are made to compel them to stand up), when it can not really be said that they are paralyzed. They have sensation in all parts; they can move all their feet : they can change their position ; and in fact every function seems to be normally perfonned, but they obstinately refuse to rise, or even make an effort to do so. Cases of this kind have been killed, as it was an utter impossibility to get the animal on its feet. However, there are instances when a cow, after refusing to rise when all other means had been tried, quickly jumped to her feet and showed fright upon the appearance of a dog or other terrifying object. DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. Ill RABIES (hydrophobia). [See discussion of this disease in chapter on " Infectious diseases," p. 410.] LIGHTNING STROKE ( ASPHYXIA ELECTRICa). When an animal is struck by lightning the shock is instantaneously expended on the nervous sy-stem, and as a rule death occurs immedi- ately, but when the shock is not fatal animation is suspended to a greater or less extent, as evidenced by prostration, unconsciousness, and paralysis. SyTnptorrvs. — When not fatal, the symptoms vary much, according to the severity of the shock. The animal usually falls, as from an apoplectic attack, and, as a matter of course, the symptoms are such as are generally manifested in connection with concussion of the brain. The muscular system may be completely relaxed; the legs limber; the muscles flabby and soft to the touch ; or there may be con- vulsions, spasms, and twitching of the muscles. The breathing is generally labored, irregular, or interrupted, and slower than normal. In most instances the electrical fluid leaves its mark by singeing the hair, or by inflicting wounds, burns, or blisters. " Sir B. Brodie tells a curious story of two bullocks, pied white and red, which were struck in different storms. In both cases the white hairs were con- sumed, while the red ones escaped." Treatment. — So long as the beating of the heart is perceptible the endeavor to resuscitate the animal should be continued. Dash cold water over the head and body; rub the body and legs; smartly whip the body with wet towels or switches. Mustard, mixed with water, should be well rubbed over the legs and back of the head on each side of the neck. Inject into the rectum 4 drams of stronger liquor ammonia, or 11 ounces of hartshorn diluted with a quart of warm water. Cautiously hold an uncorked bottle of hartshorn to the nos- trils, so that some of it is inhaled, but care should be taken that too much is not suddenlj^ inhaled. In desperate cases artificial respiration should be tried, as follows: With both hands spread out to cover a large surface, press on the abdomen (behind the ribs) and then on the chest (behind the shoul- ders), and continue in this manner, fii*st on the abdomen and then on the chest in regular order, so that the chest and abdomen are each pressed on alternately about 20 times a minute. The pressure should be slow and steady, so that the movement given by it to the walls of the chest and abdomen will resemble their motion in breathing. A hand bellows may be used as an aid to the foregoing method, as fol- lows: Each time after the chest is pressed on, the nozzle is inserted in the nostril and air slowly and gently forced in by the bellows. 112 DISEASES OF CATTLE. AVhen the animal revives sufficiently to be able to swallow, 4 drams of the stronger liquor ammonia, diluted Avith a quart of cold water, should be given as a drench, and the dose should be repeated in an hour. One and one-half ounces of ordinary hartshorn may be used instead of the stronger liquor ammonia, but, like the latter, it should be diluted with a quart or more of water, and even then care should be exercised in drenching. In cases where the shock has not caused complete insensibility recovery may be hastened by the ammonia and water drench, or 4 ounces of brandy diluted with a quart of water, or 8 ounces of whisky diluted with a quart of Avater. These doses may be given every three or four hours if necessary. After recovery from the more serious symptoms 2 drams of sulphate of quinine should be given twice a day until health is restored. If any paralysis remains 1^ drams of pulverized nux vomica should be given twice a day with the quinine. The foregoing treatment is also applicable when the electrical shock is given by telephone, electric car, or electric-light wires, etc. The Avounds, burns, or blisters should be treated according to the antiseptic method of treating Avounds. TUMORS IN THE BRAIN, ETC. Tumors of different kinds have been found within the cranial cav- ity, and in many cases there have been no Avell-marked symptoms exhibited during the life of the animal to lead one to suspect their existence. Cases are recorded where bony tumors have been found in the brain of cattle that died suddenly, but during life no signs of disease Avere manifested. Post-mortem examinations haA^e discoA-ered tubercles in the membranes of the brain. (See "Tuberculosis," p. 414.) Abscesses, usually the result of inflammation of the brain, have been found post-mortem. For the description of hydrocephalus, or dropsy of the brain, of calves, the reader is referred to the section on parturition. (See " Water in the head," p. 181.) Chorea, constant tAvitching and irregular spasmodic movements of the muscles, has been noticed in connection with, or as a sequel to otliei- affections, as, for example, parturient apoplexy. Various diseases, the description of Avhich Avill be found in other sections of this work, affect the iierA^ous system to a greater or less extent — for example, ergotism, lead poisoning, uremia, parturient apoplexy, colic, and other affections associated with cramps, or spasms, etc. Disease of the ovaries or of the spinal cord, by reflex irritation, may cause estromania (see "Excess of venereal desire," p. 148), constant desire for the bull. DISEASES OF THE UKINARY ORGANS. By Jamj:s Law, F. R. C. V. S., Professor of Veterinary Science, etc., in Cornell Vnirersity. Of the materials that have served their purpose in building up the animal body or in sustaining the bodily temperature, and that are now to be thrown out as waste, the greater part are expelled from the system through the lungs and the kidneys, but the agents that pass out by either of these two channels differ in the main from those passing by the other. Thus from the lungs in the form of dioxid of carbon — the same gas that comes from burning of coal or oil — there escapes most of the waste material resulting from the destruc- tion in the system of fats, sugars, starch, and such other foods as are wanting in the element nitrogen, and do not form fibrous tissues, but go mainly to support animal heat or maintain functional activity. From the kidneys, on the other hand, are thrown out the waste prod- ucts resulting from the destruction of the foods and tissues contain- ing nitrogen — of, for instance, albumin, fibrin, gluten, casein, gela- tin, woody tissue, etc. While much of the waste material containing nitrogen leaves the body by the bowels, this is virtually such only of the albuminoid food as has failed to be fully digested and absorbed, and this has never formed a true constituent part of the body itself or of the blood, but is so much waste food, like that which has come to the table and been carried away again unused. "NA^iere the albu- minoid food element has entered the blood, whether or not it has been built up into a constituent part of the structure of the body, its waste products, which contain nitrogen, are in the main expelled through the kidneys, so that these organs become the principal channels for the expulsion of all nitrogen-containing waste. It would be an error, however, to infer that all nitrogenous food, when once digested and absorbed into the blood, must necessarily leave the system in the urine. On the contraiy, in the young and growing animal all increase of the fibrous structures of the body is gained through the building up of those flesh-forming constituents into their substance; in the pregnant animal the growth of the off- spring and its envelopes has a similar origin, and in the dairy cow the casein or curd of the milk is a means of constant elimination of these nitrogen-containing agents. Thus, in the breeding cow and, above all, in the milking cow, the womb or udder carries on a work in one sense equivalent to that otherwise performed by the kidneys. 16923°— 12 8 113 114 DISEASES OF CATTLE. Not only are these organs alike channels for the excretion of albu- minous products, but they are also related to each other structurally and by nervous sympathy, so that suffering in the one is liable to induce some measure of disorder in the other. This nitrogenous waste matter is mainly present in the urine of cattle, as of other mammals, in the form of urea, but also, to some extent, as hippuric acid, a derivative of vegetable food which, in the herbivora, replaces the uric acid found in the urine of man and car- nivora. Uric acid is, however, found in the urine of sucking calves which have practically an animal diet, and it may also appear in the adult in case of absolute and prolonged starvation, and in diseases attended by complete loss of appetite and rapid wasting of the body. In such cases the animal lives on its own substance, and the product is that of the wasting flesh. The other, products containing nitrogen are only present in small amount, and need not be specially referred to. The urine of cattle contains much less of carbonates than does that of the horse, and effervesces less on the addition of an acid. As the carbonates form a large proportion of the solid deposits (gravel, stone) from the horse's urine, the ox may thus be held less liable ; yet even in the ox the carbonates become abundant or scanty, according to the nature of the food, and therefore gravel, formed by carbonate of lime, is not infrequent in cattle. When fed on beets, clover hay, or bean straw, carbonates are present in large amount, these aliments being rich in organic acids and alkaline carbonates; whereas upon oat straw, barley straw, and, above all, wheat straw, they are in small amount. In calves fed on milk alone no carbonates are found in the urine. Phosphates, usually in combination with lime, are, as a rule, pres- ent only in traces in the urine of cattle; yet on a dietary of wheat, bran, or other aliment rich in phosphates, these may be present in large amount, so that they render the liquid cloudy or are deposited in solid crystals. The liquid is rendered transparent by nitric acid. The cow's urine, on a diet of hay and potatoes, contained : Parts. Urea 18.5 Potassic hippurate 16. 5 Alkaline lactates 17. 2 Potassium bicarbonate 16. 1 Magnesium carbonate 4.7 Lime carbonate 0.6 Potassium sulphate 3.6 Common salt 1. 5 Silica Trace. Phosphates 0. Water and undetermined substances 921. 3 Total 1, 000. DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 115 The following table after Tereg^ gives the different conditions of the urine, and especially the amount of urea and hippuric acid under different rations. The subjects were two oxen, weighing, respectively, 1,260 pounds and 1.060 pounds : Food per day (pounds). a (A 1 ft .g 3 a O T3 1 3 a 03 as "^ o a 0) b£-'^ OS 2S£ .■S P,3 d '3 o >> 03 'O u t3 Lbs. Lbs. P.ct. P.ct. P.ct. P.ct. P.ct. Ozs. 46.46 7.40 1,036 8.41 2.66 1.33 0.83 0.94 1.63 61.10 15.26 1,039 6.93 2.09 0.84 0.55 0.49 2.2 71.76 12.36 1,043 8.05 0.95 1.85 0.93 0.94 3.83 80.54 12.46 1,044 8.29 8.07 2.41 1.19 1.11 5.8 78.96 17.62 1,043 8.41 0.74 3.12 1.45 1.24 9.17 110.12 25.86 1,038 7.00 0.31 2.49 1.19 1.25 10.9 101.80 27.04 1,037 7.14 0.20 2.95 1.39 1.58 13.3 119.00 23.20 1,038 7,74 0.21 4.06 1.91 1.69 15.4 54.84 12.60 1,043 7.06 0.40 2.53 1.21 1.15 5.3 55.76 16.34 1,036 5.45 0.11 1.41 0.67 0.64 3.83 36.26 15.14 1,042 7.91 1.30 1.73 0.91 0.92 4.37 go. 16.90 wheat straw, and 1.30 bean meal 14.70 oat straw, and 2.30 bean meal. . 10.4 wheat straw, 10.4 clover hay, 0.6 bean meal, and 2.6 starch 10.4 wheat straw, 10.4 clover hay, 2.7 bean meal, 1.4 starch, and 0.8 sugar 10.4 wheat straw, 10.4 clover hay, 5 bean meal, and 0.8 sugar 10 wheat straw, 10 clover hay, 6.4 bean meal, 1.7 starch, 4 sugar, and 0.4 rape oil 10 wheat straw, 10 clover hay, 9.4 bean meal, 3.1 sugar, and 0.4 rape oil 10 wheat straw, 10 clover hay, 11.7 bean meal, 2.8 starch, and 0.6 rape oil 17.86 bean straw, and 1.6 bean meal. 14.88 bean straw 16.90 meadow hay Ozs. 3.23 5.3 1.96 2.1 2.17 1.33 0.9 0.8 0.83 0.3 3.3 The varying amount of urea (from 1.6 to 15 A ounces) is most sug- gestive as to the action of the more or less nitrogenous food and the resulting concentration of the urine and blood. Hippuric acid, on the other hand^ is most abundant when the animal is fed on hay and straw. The specific gravity of the urine of cattle varies from 1,030 to 1,060 in health, water being 1,000. It is transparent, with a yellowish tinge, and has a characteristic musky smell. The chemical reaction is alka- line, turning red litmus paper blue. The quantity passed in twenty- four hours varies greatly, increasing not only with the amount of water drunk, but with the amount of albuminoids taken in with the food and the amount of urea produced. If a solution of urea is injected into the veins the secretion of urine is greatly augmented. Similarly the excess of salts like carbonate of potash in the food, or of sugar, increases the action of the kidneys. Only about 20 per cent of the water swallowed escapes in the urine, the remaining 80 per cent 1 Encyklop. der Thlerheilk., Vol. IV. p. 208. 116 DISEASES OF CATTLE. passing mostly from the lungs, and to a slight extent by the bowels. The skin of the ox does not perspire so readily nor so freely as that of the horse; hence the kidneys and lungs are called upon for extra work. The influence of an excess of water in the food is most re- markable in swill-fed distillery cattle, which urinate profusely at frequent intervals and yet thrive and fatten rapidly. Among the other conditions that increase the flow of urine is over- filling of (internal pressure in) the blood vessels of the kidneys. Hence the contraction of the blood vessels of the skin by cold drives the blood inward, tends to dilate the blood vessels of the kidneys, and to increase the secretion of urine. Nervous disorders, such as excitement, fear, congestions, or structural injuries to the back part of the base of the brain have a similar result. Hence, doubtless, the action of certain fungi growing in musty hay or oats in producing profuse flow of urine, whereas other forms of musty fodder cause stupor^ delirium, or paralysis. Bacteria and their products are mainly expelled by the kidneys, and become sources of local infection, iiTitation, and disease. The amount of urine passed daily by an ox on dry feeding averages 7 to 12 pints, but this may be increased enormously on a watery diet. The mutual influence of the kidneys and other important organs tends to explain the way in which disease in one part supervenes on preexisting disorder in another. The introduction of albuminoids in excess into the blood means the formation of an excess of urea, and a more profuse secretion of urine, of a higher specific gravity, and with a greater tendency to deposit its solid constituents, as gravel, in the kidneys or bladder. A torpid action of the liver, leaving the albuminoids in transition forms, less soluble than the urea into which they should have been changed^ favors the onset of rheumatism or nervous disorder, the deposit of such albuminoid products in the kid- neys, the formation of a deep-brown or reddish urine, and congestion of the kidneys. Any abnormal activity of the liver in the production of sugar — more than can be burned up in the circulation — over- stimulates the kidneys and produces increased flow of a heavy urine with a sweetish taste. This increased production of sugar may be primarily due to disease of the brain, which, in its turn, determines the disorder of the liver. Disease of the right side of the heart or of the lungs, by obstructing the onward flow of blood from the veins, increases the blood pressure in the kidneys and produces disorder and excessive secretion. Inactivity of the kidneys determines an increase in the blood of waste products, which become irritating to different parts, producing skin eruptions, itching, dropsies, and nerv- ous disorders. Sprains of the loins will produce bleeding from the kidneys and disease of the spinal cord, and determine sometimes albuminous or milky-looking urine. DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 117 The kidney of the ox (PI. IX, fig. 1) is a compound organ made up of 15 to 25 separate lobules like so many separate kidneys, but all pouring their secretion into one common pouch (pelvis) situated in an excavation in the center of the lower surface. While the ox is the only domesticated quadruped which maintains this divided condition of the kidney after birth, this condition is common to all while at an early stage of development in the womb. The cluster of lobules making up a single kidney forms an ovoid mass flattened from above downward, and extending from the last rib backward beneath the loins and to one side of the solid chain of the backbone. The right is more firmly attached to the loins and extends farther backward than the left. Deeply covered in a mass of suet, each kidney has a strong outer white, fibrous covering, and inside this two successive layers of kidney substance, of which the outer is that in which the urine is mainly separated from the blood and poured into the fine microscopic urinary ducts. (PI. X, fig. 1.) These latter, together with blood vessels, lymph vessels, and nerves, make up the second, or internal, layer. The outer layer is mainly composed of minute glob- ular clusters of microscopic intercommunicating blood vessels (Mal- phigian bodies), each of which is furnished with a fibrous capsule that is nothing else than the dilated commencement of a urine tube. These practically microscopic tubes follow at first a winding course through the outer layer (Ferrein's tubes), then form a long loop (doubling on itself) in the inner layer (Henle's loop), and finally pass back through the inner layer (Bellini's tubes) to open through a conical process into the common pouch (pelvis) on the lower surface of the organ. (PL X, figs. 1, 2, 3.) The tube that conveys the urine from the kidney to the bladder is like a white, round cord, about the size of a goose quill, prolonged from the pouch on the lower surface of the kidney backward beneath the loins, then inward, supported by a fold of thin membrane, to open into the bladder just in front of its neck. The canal passes first through the middle (muscular) coat of the bladder, and then ad- vances perceptibly between that and the internal (mucous) coat, through which it finally opens. By this arrangement in overfilling of the bladder this opening is closed like a valve by the pressure of the urine, and the return of liquid to the kidney is«prevented. The blad- der (PI. IX, fig. 2) is a dilatable egg-shaped pouch, closed behind by a strong ring of muscular fibers encircling its neck, and enveloped by looped muscular fibers extending on all sides around its body and closed anterior end. Stimulated by the presence of urine, these last contract and expel the contents through the neck into the urethra. This last is the tube leading backward along the floor of the pelvic bones and downward through the penis. In the bull this canal of the urethra is remarkable for its small caliber and for the S-shaped bend 118 DISEASES OF CATTLE. which it describes in the interval between the thighs and just above the scrotum. This bend is due to the fact that the retractor muscles are attached to the penis at this point, and in withdrawing that organ within its "sheath they double it upon itself. The small size of the canal and this S-shaped bend are serious obstacles to the passing of a catheter to draw off the urine, yet by extending the penis out of its sheath the bend is effaced, and a small gum-elastic catheter, not over one-fourth of an inch in diameter, may with care be passed into the bladder. In the cow the urethra is very short, opening in the median line on the floor of the vulva about 4 inches in front of its external orifice. Even in the cow, however, the passing of a catheter is a matter of no little difficulty, the opening of the urethra being very narrow and encircled by the projecting membranous and rigid mar- gins, and on each side of the opening is a blind pouch (canal of Gartner) into which the catheter will almost invariably find its way. In both male and female, therefore, the passage of a catheter is an operation which demands special skill. General syTThptoTns of urinary disorders. — These are not so promi- nent in cattle as in horses, yet when present they are of a similar kind. There is a stiff or straddling gait with the hind limbs and some difficulty in turning or in lying down and rising, the act drawing forth a groan. The frequent passage of urine in driblets, the con- tinuous escape of the urine in drops, the sudden arrest of the flow when in full stream, the rhythmic contraction of the muscles under the anus without any flow resulting, the swelling of the sheath, the collection of hard, gritty masses on the hair surrounding the orifice of the sheath, the occurrence of dropsies in the limbs under the chest or belly, or in either of these cavities, and finally the appearance of nervous stupor, may indicate serious disorder of the urinary organs. The condition of the urine passed may likewise lead to suspicion. It may be white, from crystallized carbonate of lime; brown, red, or even black, from the presence of blood or blood-coloring matter; yellow, from biliary coloring matter; it may be frothy, from con- tained albumin; cloudy, from phosphates; glairy, from pus; or it may show gritty masses, from gravel. In many cases of urinary dis- order in the ox, however, the symptoms are by no means prominent, and unless special examination is made of the loins, the bladder, and the urine the true nature of the malady may be overlooked. DIURESIS (polyuria, DIABETES, INSIPIDUS, EXCESSIVE SECRETION OF urine). A secretion of urine in excess of the normal amount may be looked on as disease, even if the result does not lead to immediate loss of condition. Cattle fed on distillery swill are striking examples of such DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 119 excess caused by the enormous consumption of a liquid food, which nourishes and fattens in spite of the diuresis; but the condition is unwholesome, and cattle that have passed four or five months in a swill stable have fatty livers and kidneys, and never again do well on ordinary food. Diuresis may further occur from increase of blood pressure in the kidneys (diseases of the heart or lungs which hinder the onward passage of the blood, the eating of digitalis, English broom, the contraction of the blood vessels on the surface of the body in cold weather, etc.) ; also from acrid or diuretic plants taken with the food (dandelion, burdock, colchicum, digitalis, savin, resinous shoots, etc.) ; from excess of sugar in the food (beets, turnips, ripe sorghum) ; also from the use of frozen food (frosted turnip tops and other vegetables), and from the growths of certain molds in fodder (musty hay, mow-burnt hay, moldy oats, moldy bread, etc.). Finally, alkaline waters and alkaline incrustations on the soil may be active causes. In some of these cases the result is beneficial rather than in- jurious, as when cattle affected with gravel in the kidneys are en- tirely freed from this condition by a run at grass, or by an exclusive diet of roots or swill. In other cases, however, the health and condi- tion suffer, and even inflammation of the kidneys may occur. Treatment. — The treatment is mainly in the change of diet to a more solid aliment destitute of the special offensive ingredient. Boiled flaxseed is often the best diet or addition to the wholesome dry food, and, by way of medicine, doses of 2 drams each of sulphate of iron and iodid of potassium may be given twice daily. In obsti- nate cases, 2 drams ergot of rye or of catechu may be added. BLOODY URINE (rED WATER, MOOR-ILL, WOOD-ILL, HEMATURIA, HEMA- globinuria). This is a common affection among cattle in certain localities, above all on damp, undrained lands, and under a backward agriculture. It is simply bloody urine or hematuria when the blood is found in clots, or when under the microscope the blood globules can be detected as distinctly rounded, flattened disks. It is smoky urine — hemaglobinu- ria — when no such distinct clots nor blood disks can be found, but merely a general browning, reddening, or blackening of the urine by the presence of dissolved blood-coloring matter. The bloody urine is the more direct result of structural disease of the kidneys or urinary passages (inflammation, stone, gravel, tumors, hydatids, kidney worms, sprains of the loins), while the stained urine (hemaglobinu- ria) is usually the result of some general or more distant disorder in which the globules are destroyed in the circulating blood and the coloring matter dissolved in and diffused through the whole mass of the blood and of the urine secreted from it. As in the two forms, 120 DISEASES OF CATTLE. blood and the elements of blood escape into the urine, albumin is always present, so that there is albuminuria with blood-coloring mat- ter superadded. If due to stone or gravel, gritty particles are usually passed, and may be detected in the bottom of a dish in which the liquid is caught. If due to fracture or severe sprain of the loins, it is likely to be associated not only with some loss of control over the hind limbs and with staggering behind but also with a more or less perfect paralysis of the tail. The blood-stained urine without red globules results from specific diseases — Texas fever (PI. XLVII, fig. 3), anthrax, spirillosis, and from eating irritant plants (broom, savin, mercury, hellebore, ranunculus, convolvulus, colchicum, oak shoots, ash privet, hazel, hornbeam, and other astringent, acrid, or resinous plants, etc.). The maybug or Spanish fly taken with the food or spread over a great extent of skin as a blister has a similar action. Frosted turnips or other roots will bring on the affection in some subjects. Among conditions which act by the direct destruc- tion of the globules in the circulating blood may be named an excess of water in that fluid; the use of water from soils rich in decom- posing vegetable matter and containing alkaline salts, particularly nitrites; and the presence in the water and food of the ptomaines of bacteria growth. Hence the prevalence of " red water " in marshy districts and on clayey and other impervious soils. Hence, too, the occurrence of bloody urine in the advanced stages of several conta- gious diseases. Some mineral poisons — such as iodin, arsenic, and phosphorus taken to excess — may cause hematuria, and finally the symptoms may be the mere result of a constitutional predisposition of the individual or family to bleeding. Exposure of the body to cold or wet will cause the affection in some predisposed subjects. The sfeci-fic symptom of bloody or smoky water is a very patent one. It may or may not be associated with fever, with the presence or absence of abdominal tenderness on pressure, with a very frothy state of the milk or even a reddish tinge, with or without marked paleness of the mucous membranes, and general weakness. AVhen direct injury to the kidneys is the immediate cause of the disease the urine will be passed often, in small quantity at a time, and with much straining. When there is bloodlessness (a watery blood) from in- sufficient nourishment, fever is absent and the red water is at first the only symptom. When the active cause has been irritant plants, abdominal tenderness, colics, and other signs of bowel inflammation are marked features. Treatment. — Treatment will vary according as the cause has been a direct irritant operating on a subject in vigorous health or a micro- bian poison acting on an animal deficient in blood and vigor. In the first form of red water a smart purgative (1 pound to 1^ pounds Glauber's salt) will clear away the irritants from the bowels and DISEASES OF THE TEINARY ORGANS. 121 allay the coexistent high fever. It will also serve to divert to the bowels much of the irritant products already absorbed into the blood, and will thus protect the kidneys. In many such cases a liberal sup- ply of wholesome, easily digestible food will be all the additional treatment required. In this connection demulcent food (boiled flax- seed, wheat bran) is especially good. If much blood has been lost, bitters (gentian, one-half oun'ce) and iron (sulphate of iron, 2 drams) should be given for a week. For cases in which excess of diuretic plants has been taken, it may be well to replace the salts by 1 to 2 pints of olive oil, adding 1 ounce laudanum and 2 drams gum camphor. Also to apply fomentations or a fresh sheepskin over the loins. Buttermilk or vinegar, one-half pint, or sulphuric acid, 60 drops in a pint of water, may also be employed at intervals as injections. In cases due to sprained or fractured loins, to inflamed kidneys, or to stone or gravel, the treat- ment will be as for the particular disease in question. In hematuria from anemia (watery blood), whether from insuffi- cient or badly adjusted rations or from the poisonous products of fermentations in impervious or marshy soils, the treatment must be essentially tonic and stimulating. Rich, abundant, and easily diges- tible food must be furnished. The different gTains (oats, barley, wheat, bran, rye) and seeds (rape, linseed, cotton seed) are especially called for, and may be given either gi-ound or boiled. As a bitter, sulphate of quinia, one-half dram, and tincture of muriate of iron, 2 drams, may be given in a pint of water thrice a day. In some cases 1 or 2 teaspoonfuls of oil of turpentine twice daily in milk will act favorably. But in this anemic variety prevention is the great need. The drainage and cultivation of the dangerous soils is the main object. Until this can be accomplished young and newly purchased cattle, not yet inured to the poisons, must be kept from the dangerous fields and turned only on those which are already drained naturally or artificially. Further, they should have an abundant ration in which the local product of grass, hay, etc., is supplemented by grain or other seeds. Another point to be guarded against is the supply of water that has drained from marshes or impervious soils, rich in organic matter, as such is charged with nitrites, ptomaines, etc., which directly conduce to the disorder. Fence out from all such waters, and supply from living springs or deep wells only. ALBUMIN IN THE URINE (ALBUMINURIA). In bloody urine albumin is always present as an important con- stituent of the blood, and in congested and inflamed kidneys it is present as a part of the inflammatory exudate. Apart from these, albumin in the urine represents in different cases a variety of dis- 122 DISEASES OF CATTLE. eased conditions of the kidneys or of distant organs. Among the additional causes of albuminuria may be named: (1) An excess of albumin in the blood (after easy calving with little loss of blood and before the secretion of milk has been established, or in cases of sud- den suppression of the secretion of milk) ; (2) under increase of blood pressure (after deep drinking, after doses of digitalis or broom, after transfusion of blood from one animal to another, or in disease of the heart or lungs causing obstruction to the flow of blood from the veins) ; (3) after cutting (or disease) of the motor nerves of the vessels going to the kidneys, causing congestion of these organs; (4) violent exertion, hence long drives by road; the same happens with violent muscular spasms, as from strychnia poisoning, lockjaw, epilepsy, and convulsions; (5) in most fevers and extensive inflammations of important organs, like the lungs or liver, the escape of the albumin being variously attributed to the high temperature of the body and disorder of the nerves, and to resulting congestion and disorder of the secreting cells of the kid- neys; (6) in burns and some other congested states of the skin; (7) under the action of certain poisons (strong acids, phosphorus, arsenic, Spanish flies, carbolic acid, and those inducing bloody urine) ; (8) in certain conditions of weakness or congestion of the secreting cells of the kidneys, so that they allow this element of the blood to escape; (9) when the food is entirely wanting in common salt, albu- min may appear in the urine temporarily after a full meal containing an excess of albumin. It can also be produced experimentally by puncturing the back part of the base of the brain (the floor of the fourth ventricle close to the point the injury to which causes sugary urine). In abscess, tumor, or inflammation of the bladder, ureter, or urethra the urine is albuminous. It follows, therefore, that albumin in the urine does not indicate the existence of any one specific disease, and excepting when due to weakness or loss of function of the kidney cells, it must be looked on as an attendant on another disease, the true nature of which we must try to find out. These affections we must exclude one by one until we are left to assume the noninflammatory disorder of the secreting cells of the kidney. It is especially important to exclude inflamma- tion of the kidney, and to do this may require a microscopic exami- nation of the sediment of the urine and the demonstration of the entire absence of casts of the uriniferous tubes. (See "Nephritis," p. 123.) To detect albumin in the urine, the suspected and frothy liquid must be rendered sour by adding a few drops of nitric acid and then boiled in a test tube. If a solid precipitate forms, then add a few more drops of nitric acid, and if the liquid does not clear it up it is DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 123 albumin. A precipitate thrown down by boiling and redissolved by- nitric acid is probably phosphate of lime. Treatment. — Treatment will usually be directed to the disease on which it is dependent. In the absence of any other recognizable dis- ease, mucilaginous drinks of boiled flaxseed, slippery elm, or gum may be given, tannic acid, one-half dram twice daily, and fomenta- tions or even mustard poultices over the loins. When the disease is chronic and there is no attendant fever (elevation of temperature), tonics (hydrochloric acid, 6 drops in a pint of water; phosphate of iron, 2 drams, or sulphate of quinia, 2 drams, repeated twice daily) may be used. In all cases the patient should be kept carefully from cold and wet ; a w arm, dry shed, or in warm weather a dry, sunny yard or pasture, being especially desirable. SUGAR IN URINE (dIABETES MELLITUS). This is a frequent condition of the urine in parturition fever, but is practically unknown in cattle as a specific disease, associated with deranged liver or brain. As a mere attendant on another disease it will demand no special notice here. INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS (nEPHRITIS). This has been divided according as it affects the different parts of the kidneys, as: (1) Its fibrous covering (perinephritis); (2) the secreting tissue of its outer portion (parenchymatous) ; (3) the con- nective tissue (interstitial) ; (4) the lining membrane of its ducts (catarrhal) ; and (5) its pelvis or sac receiving the urine (pyelitis). It has also been distinguished according to the changes that take place in the kidney, especially as seen after death, according to the amount of albumin present in the urine, and according as the affec- tion is acute or chronic. For the purposes of this work it will be con- venient to consider these as one inflammatory disease, making a distinction merely between those that are acute and those that are chronic or of long standing. The causes are in the main like those causing bloody urine, such as irritant and diuretic plants, Spanish flies applied as a blister or otherwise, exposure to cold and wet, the presence of stone or gravel in the kidneys, injuries to the back or loins, as by riding each other, the drinking of alkaline or selenitious water, the use of putrid, stag- nant water, of that containing bacteria and their products, the consumption of musty fodder, etc. (See " Hematuria," p. 119.) The length of the loins in cattle predisposes thes(i to mechanical injury, and in the lean and especially in the thin working ox the kid- ney is very liable to suffer. In the absence of an abundance of loose 124 DISEASES OF CATTLE. connective tissue and of fat, the kidneys lie in close contact with the muscles of the loins, and any injury to these may tend to put the kid- ney and its vessels on the stretch, or to cause its inflammation by direct extension of the disease from the injured muscle to the adja- cent kidney. Thus, under unusually heavy draft, under slips and falls on slippery ground, under sudden unexpected drooping or tAvisting of the loins from missteps or from the feet sinking into holes, under the loading and jarring of the loins when animals ride each other in cases of "heat," the kidneys are subject to injury and inflammation. A hard run, as when chased by a dog, may be the occasion of such an attack. A fodder rich in nitrogenous or flesh- forming elements (beans, peas, vetches {Vicia sativa), and other leguminous plants) has been charged with irritating the kidneys through the excess of urea, hippuric acid, and allied products elimi- nated through these organs and the tendency to the formation of gravel. It seems, however, that these foods are most dangerous when partially ripened and yet not fully matured, a stage of growth at which they are apt to contain ingredients irritating to the stomach and poisonous to the brain, as seen in their inducing so-called " stom- ach staggers." Even in the poisoning by the seeds of ripened but only partially cured rye grass {Lolium peremie), and darnel {LoUiim termdentum) ^ the kidneys are found violently congested with black blood. Also in the indigestions that result from the eating of partially ripened corn and millet some congestion of the kidneys is an attendant phenomenon. Cruzel claims that the disease as occurring locally is usually not alone from the acrid and resinous plants charged with inducing hema- turia, but also from stinking camomile {Anthemis cotula) and field poppy when used in the fresh, succulent condition; also from the great prevalence of dead caterpillars on the pasture, or from dead Spanish flies in the stagnant pools of water. The fresh plants are believed to be injurious only by reason of a volatile oil which is dis- sipated in drying. In the case of the stagnant water it may be ques- tioned whether the chemical products of the contained ferments (bac- teria) are not more frequently the cause of the evil than the alleged Spanish flies, though these are hurtful enough when present. Inflammation of the kidnej^s may further be a form or an exten- sion of a specific contagious disease, such as erysipelas, rinderpest, septicemia, or even of poisoning by the spores of fungi. Rivolta reports the case of a cow with spots of local congestion and blood staining in the kidney, the affected parts being loaded with bacteria. Unfortunately he neither cultivated the bacteria nor inoculated them, and thus the case stands without positive demonstration that these were the cause of disease. DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 125 The symptoms of nephritis are in certain cases very manifest, and in others so hidden that the existence of the affection can only be cer- tainly recognized by a microscopic examination of the nrine. In vio- lent cases there is high fever, increase of the body temperature to 103° F. and upward ; hurried breathing, with catching inspiration ; accelerated pulse ; dry, hot muzzle ; burning of the roots of the horns and ears, loss of appetite, suspended rumination, and indications of extreme sensitiveness in the loins. The patient stands with back arched and hind legs extended backward and outward, and passes water frequently, in driblets, of a high color and specific gravity, con- taining albumin and microscopic casts. (PL XT, fig. 5.) When made to move, the patient does so with hesitation and groaning, espe- cially if turned in a narrow circle; and when pinched on the flank, just beneath the lateral bony processes of the loins, especially on that side on which the disease predominates, it flinches and groans. If the examination is made with oiled hand introduced through the last gut (rectum), the pressure upward on the kidneys gives rise to great pain and efforts to escape by moving away and by active contractions of the rectum for the expulsion of the hand. Sometimes there is a distinct swelling over the loins or quarter on one or both sides. In uncastrated males the testicle on the affected side is drawn up, or is alternately raised and dropped. In all there is a liability to tremors of the thigh on the side affected. In some severe cases colicky pains are as violent as in the worst forms of indigestion and spasms of the bowels. The animal fre- quently shifts from one hind foot to the other, stamps, kicks at the belly, looks anxiously at its flank at frequent intervals, moans plain- tively, lies down and quickly gets up again, grinds its teeth, twists its tail, and keeps iho, back habitually arched and rigid and the hind feet advanced under the belly. The bowels may be costive and the feces glistening with a coat of mucus, or they may be loose and irri- table, and the paunch or even the bowels may become distended with gas (bloating) as the result of indigestion and fermentation. In some animals, male and female alike, the rigid arched condition of the back will give way to such undulating movements as are some- times seen in the act of coition. The disease does not alwaj^s appear in its full severity; but for a daj^, or even two, there may be merely loss of appetite, impaired rumi- nation, a disposition to remain lying down; yet when the patient is raised, it manifests suffering by anxiously looking at the flanks, shifting or stamping of the hind feet, shaking of the tail, and at- tempts to urinate, which are either fruitless or lead to the discharge of a small quantity of high-colored or perhaps bloody urine. In some recent slight cases, and in many chronic ones, these symp- toms may be absent or unobserved, and an examination of the urine 126 DISEASES OF CATTLE. will be necessary to reach a safe conclusion. The urine may contain blood, or it may be cloudy from contained albumin, which coagulates on heating with nitric acid (see "Albuminuria," p. 121) ; it may be slightly glairy from pus, or gritty particles may be detected in it. In seeking for casts of the uriniferous tubes, a drop may be taken with a fine tube from the bottom of the liquid after standing and examined under a power magnifying 50 diameters. If the fine cylindroid fila- ments are seen they may then be examined with a power of 200 or 250 diameters. (PI. XI, fig. 5.) The appearance of the casts gives some clue to the condition of the kidneys. If made up of large rounded or slightly columnar cells, with a single nucleus in each cell (epithelial), they imply comparatively slight and recent disease of the kidney tubes, the detachment of the epithelium being like what is seen in any inflamed mucous surface. If made up largely of the small disk-shaped and nonnucleated red-blood globules, they imply escape of blood, and usually a recent injury or congestion of the kidney — it may be from sprains, blows, or the ingestion of acrid or diuretic poisons. If the casts are made of a clear, waxy, homo- geneous substance (hyaline), without any admixture of opaque par- ticles, they imply an inflammation of longer standing, in which the inflamed kidney tubules have been already stripped of their cellular (epithelial) lining. If the casts are rendered opaque by the presence of minute spherical granular cells, like white-blood globules, it be- tokens active suppuration of the kidney tubes. In other cases the casts are rendered opaque by entangled earthy granules (carbonate of lime), or crystals of some other urinary salts. In still other cases the casts entangle clear, refrangent globules of oil or fat, which may imply fatty degeneration of the kidneys or injury to the spinal cord. The presence of free pus giving a glairy, flocculent appearance to the urine is suggestive of inflammation of the urinary pouch at the com- mencement of the excretory duct (pelvis of kidney) (PI. IX, fig. 1), especially if complicated with gritty particles of earthy salts. This condition is known as pyelitis. In the chronic cases swelling of the legs or along the lower surface of chest or abdomen, or within these respective cavities, is a common symptom. So, also, stupor or coma, or even convulsions, may supervene from the poisonous action of urea and other waste or morbid products retained in the blood. Treatment. — In the treatment of acute nephritis the first consid- eration is the removal of the cause. Acrid or diuretic plants in the food must be removed, and what of this kind is present in the stom- ach or bowels may be cleared away by a moderate dose of castor or olive oil ; extensive surfaces of inflammation that have been blistered by Spanish flies must be washed clean with soapsuds; sprains of the . back or loins must be treated by soothing fomentations or poultices or by a fresh sheepskin with its fleshy side applied on the loins, and DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 127 the patient must be kept in a narrow stall in which it can not turn even its head. The patient must be kept in a warm, dry building, so that the skin shall be kept active rather than the kidneys. Warm blanketing is equally important, or even mustard poultices over the loins will be useful. Blistere of Spanish flies, turpentine, or other agent which may be absorbed and irritate the kidneys must be avoided. The active fever may be checked by 15 drops tincture of aconite every four hours or by one-third ounce acetanilid. If pain is very acute, 1 ounce laudanum or 2 drams solid extract of belladomia will serve to relieve. "Wlien the severity of the disease has passed, a course of tonics (quinia, 2 drams, or gentian powder, 4 drams, daily) may be given. Diuretics, too, may be cautiously given at this ad- vanced stage to relieve dropsy and give tone to the kidneys and gen- eral system (oil of turpentine, 2 teaspoonf uls ; bicarbonate of soda, 1 teaspoonful, repeated twice a day). Pure water is essential, and it should not be given chilled; warm drinks are preferable. In the chronic forms of kidney inflammation the same protection against cold and similar general treatment are demanded. Tonics, however, are important to improve the general health (phosphate of iron, 2 drams; powdered nux vomica, 20 grains; powdered gentian root, 4 drams, daily). In some instances the mineral acids (nitric acid, 60 drops, or nitro-muriatic acid, 60 drops, daily) may be em- ployed with the bitters. Mustard applied to the loins in the form of a thin pulp made with water and covered for an hour with paper or other impervious envelope, or water hotter than the hand can bear, or cupping may be resorted to as a counterirritant. In cupping shave the loins, smear them with lard, then take a narrow -mouthed glass, expand the air within by smearing its interior with a few drops of alcohol, setting it on fire and instantly pressing the mouth of the vessel to the oiled portion of the skin. As the air within the vessel cools it contracts, tending to form a partial vacuum, and the skin, charged with blood, is strongly drawn up within it. Several of these being applied at once, a strong derivation from the affected kidneys is secured. In no case of inflamed or irritable kidney should Spanish flies or oil of turpentine be used upon the skin. PARASITES OF THE KmNEY. As the kidney is the usual channel by which the bacteria leave the system, this organ is liable to be implicated when microphytes exist in the blood, and congestions and blood extravasations are produced. In anthrax, Southern cattle fever (Texas fever), and other such affections bloody urine is the consequence. Of the larger parasites attacking the kidney may be specially named the cystic form of the echinococcus tapeworm of the dog, the cystic form of the unarmed or beef tapeworm of man, the diving bladderworm— the cystic form of 128 DISEASES OF CATTLE. the iiiarginate tapeworm of the dog, and the giant strongyle — the largest of the roundworais. These give rise to general symptoms of kidney disease, but the true source of the trouble is only likely to be detected if the heads or booklets of the tapeworm or the eggs of the roundworm are found on microscopical examination of the urine. TUMORS OF THE KIDNEY ( HYPERTROPHY OR ATROPHy) . The kidney may be the seat of cancerous or simple tumors, and it may be unnaturally enlarged or reduced in size, but though there may be signs of urinary disorder the true nature of the disease is seldom manifest until after death. The passing of blood and of large multi- nucleated cells in the urine (to be detected under the microscope) may betray the existence of an ulcerated cancer of the kidney. The presence of cancerous enlargement of (superficial) lymphatic glands may further assist and confirm the decision. RETENTION OF URINE. Inability to pass urine may come from any one of three conditions — first, spasm of the neck of the bladder; second, paralysis of the body of the bladder ; third, obstruction of the channel of outlet by a stone (calculus) (see PI. XI) or other obstacle. In spoMn of the neck of the hlcvdder the male animal may stand with the tail slightly raised and making rhythmical contractions of the muscle beneath the anus {accelerator urince) (see PI. IX, fig. 2), but without passing a drop of liquid. In the female the hind legs are extended and widely parted, and the back is arched as if to urinate, but the effort is vain. If the oiled hand is introduced into the rectum or vagina in the early stages of the affection, the bladder may be felt beneath partially filled, but not overdistended with liquid, and its neck or mouth firm and rigid. In the more advanced stages of the affection the organ is felt as a great, tense, elastic bag, extending forward into the abdomen. In this condition the overdistended mus- cular coat of the bladder has lost its power of contraction, so that true paralysis has set in, the muscle closing the mouth of the sack alone retaining its contractile power. In paralysis of the hody of the hladder attention is rarely drawn to the urinary disorder until the bladder has been distended to full repletion and is almost ready to give way by rupture and to allow the escape of the contained liquid into the abdomen. Overdistention is the most common cause of the paralysis, yet it may occur from inflam- mation of the muscular wall of the bladder, or even from injury to the terminal part of the spinal marrow. In this last condition, how- ever, the tail is likely to be powerless, and the neck of the bladder may also be paralyzed, so that the urine dribbles away continuously. DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 129 Causes. — Among the causes of spasm of the neck of the bladder may be named the lodgment of small stones or gravel, the feeding on irritant diuretics (see "Bloody urine," p. 119, or "Nephritis," p. 123), the enforced retention of urine while at work or during a painful or difficult parturition. The irritation attendant on inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bladder may be a further cause of spasms of the neck, as may also be inflammation of the channel (urethra) back of the neck. Extensive applications of Spanish flies to the skin, the abuse of diuretics, and the occurrence of indigestion and spasms of the bowels are further causes. So long as spasmodic colic is unre- lieved, retention of water from spasm of the neck of the bladder usually persists. Treatment. — Treatment will depend largely on the cause. In indi- gestion the irritant contents of the bowels must be got rid of by laxatives and injections of warm water; Spanish-fly blisters must be washed from the surface; a prolonged and too active exertion must be intermitted. The spasm may be relaxed by injecting one-half ounce solid extract of belladonna in water into the rectum or by a solution of tobajco. Chloroform or ether may be given by inhalation, or chloral hydrate (1 ounce) may be given in water by the mouth. Fomentations of warm water may be made over the loins and between the thighs, and the oiled hand inserted into the rectum may press moderately on the anterior part of the bladder, which can be felt as an elastic fluctuating bag of an oval shape just beneath. All other measures failing, the liquid must be drawn off through a tube (catheter). This is, however, exceedingly difficult, alike in male and female, and we can not expect an amateur to succeed in accom- plishing it. In the cow the opening into the bladder is found in the median line of the floor of the generative entrance, about 4 inches in front of the external opening, but it is flanked on either side by a blind pouchj into which the catheter will pass, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, in the hands of any but the most skilled operator. In the bull or steer the penis, when retracted into its sheath, is bent upon itself like the letter S, just above the scrotum and testicles (see PI. IX, fig. 2), and unless this bend is effaced by extending the organ forward out of its sheath it is quite impossible to pass a catheter beyond this point. When, however, the animal can be tempted by the presentation of a female to protrude the penis, so that it can be seized and extended, or when it can be manipulated forward out of the sheath, it becomes possible to pass a catheter of small caliber (one- third inch or under) onward into the bladder. Youatt advised to lay open the sheath so as to reach and extend the penis, and others have advocated opening the uretha in the interval between the thighs or just beneath the anus^ but such formidable operations are beyond the 16923°— 12 9 130 DISEASES OF CATTLE. stock owner. The incision of the narrow iiretha through the great thickness of muscular and erectile bleeding tissue just beneath the anus is especially an operation of extreme delicacy and difficulty. Drawing off the liquid through the tube of an aspirator is another possible resort for the professional man. The delicate needle of the aspirator is inserted in such cases through the floor of the vagina and upper wall of the bladder in the female, or through the floor of the rectum (last gut) and roof of the bladder in the male, or finally through the lower and back part of the abdominal wall, just in front of the bones of the pelvis (pubic bones), and thence through the lower and anterior part of the bladder near its blind anterior end. After relief has been obtained the administration of belladonna in 2-dram doses daily for several days will tend to prevent a recurrence of the retention. When the body of the bladder has become benumbed or paralyzed by overdistention, we may seek to restore its tone by doses of one- half a dram of powdered nux vomica repeated daily, and by mus- tard plaster applied over the loins, on the back part of the belly inferiorly, or between the thighs. Small doses (2 drams) of balsam of copaiba are sometimes useful in imparting tone to the partly paralyzed organ. INCONTINENCE OF URINE (PALSY OF THE NECK OF THE BLADDER). This may occur from disease or injury to the posterior part of the spinal cord or from broken back, and in these cases the tail is likely to be paralyzed, and it may be also the hind limbs. In this case the urine dribbles away constantly, and the oiled hand in the vagina or rectum will feel the half-filled and flaccid bladder beneath and may easily empty it by pressure. Treatment. — ^Treatment is only successful when the cause of the trouble can be remedied. After these (sprains of the back, etc.) have recovered, blisters (mustard) on the loins, the lower part of the abdomen, or between the thighs may be resorted to with success. Two drams daily of copaiba or of solid extract of belladonna or 2 grains Spanish flies may serve to restore the lost tone. These failing, the use of electric currents may still prove successful. URINARY CALCULI ( STONE OR GRAVEL). [PI. XI, figs. 1.2,3.] Stone or gravel consists of hard bodies mainly made up of the solid earthy constituents of the urine which have crystallized out of that liquid at some part of the urinary passage, and have remained as DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 131 small particles (gravel), or have concreted into large masses (stone, calculus). In cattle it is no uncommon thing to find them distending the practically microscopic tubes in the red substance of the kidney, having been deposited from the urine in the solid form almost as soon as that liquid has been separated from the blood. These stones ap-' pear as white objects on the red ground formed by cutting sections of the kidney, and are essentially products of the dry feed of winter, and most common in working oxen, which are called upon to exhale more water from the lungs and skins than are the slop-fed and inactive cows. Little water being introduced into the body with the food, and a considerable amount being expelled with the breath and perspira- tion in connection with the active life, the urine becomes small in amount, but having to carry out all waste material from the tissues and the tissue-forming food, it becomes so charged with solids that it is ready to deposit them on the slightest disturbance. If, therefore, a little of the water of such concentrated urine is reabsorbed at any point of the urinary passages, the remainder is no longer able to hold the solids in solution, and they are at once precipitated in the solid form as gravel or commencing stone. In cattle, on the other hand, which are kept at pasture in summer, or which are fed liberally on roots, potatoes, pumpkins, apples, or ensilage in winter, this concen- trated condition of the urine is not induced, and under such circum- stances, therefore, the formation of stone is practically unknown. Nothing more need be said to show the controlling influence of dry feeding in producing gravel and of a watery ration in preventing it. Calculus in cattle is essentially a disease of winter, and of such cattle as are denied succulent food and are confined to dry fodder as their exclusive ration. While there are exceptions, they are so rare that they do not invalidate this general rule. It is true that stone in the kidney or bladder is often found in the summer or in animals feeding at the time on a more or less succulent ration, yet such masses usually date back to a former period when the animal was restricted to a dry ration. In this connection it should be noted that a great drain of water from the system by any other channel than the kidneys predisposes to the production of gravel or stone. In case of profuse diarrhea, for example, or of excessive secretion of milk, there is a correspond- ing diminution of the water of the blood, and as the whole amount of the blood is thus decreased, and as the quantity of urine secreted is largely influenced by the fullness of the blood vessels and the pres- sure exerted upon their walls from within, it follows that with this decrease of the mass of the blood and the lessening of its pressure outward there will be a corresponding decrease of urine. The wast© of the tissues, however, goes on as before, and if the waste matter is 132 DISEASES OF CATTLE. passed out through the kidneys it must be in a more concentrated solu- tion, and the more concentrated the urine the greater the danger that the solids will be deposited as small crystals or calculi. Again, the concentrated condition of the urine which predisposes to such deposits is favored by the quantity of lime salts that may be present in the water drunk by the animal. Water that contains 20 or 30 grains of carbonate or sulphate of lime to the gallon must con- tribute a large addition of solids to the blood and urine as compared with soft waters from which lime is absent. In this connection it is a remarkable fact that stone and gravel in the domesticated herbivora are notoriously prevalent on many limestone soils, as on the limestone formations of central and western New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan ; on the calcareous formations of Norfolk, Suffolk, Der- byshire, Shropshire, and Gloucestershire, in England; in Landes in France, and around Munich in Bavaria. It does not follow that the abundance of lime in the water and fodder is the main cause of the calculi, since other poisons which are operative in the same districts in causing goiter in both man and animal probably contribute to the trouble, yet the excess of earthy salts in the drinking w^ater can hardly fail to add to the saturation of both blood and urine, and thereby to favor the precipitation of the urinary solids from their state of solution. The known results of feeding cattle a generous or forcing ration in which phosphate of lime is present to excess adds additional force to the view just advanced. In the writer's experience, the Second Duke of Oneida, a magnificent product of his world-famed family, died as the result of a too liberal allowance of wheat bran, fed with the view of still further improving the bone and general form of the Duchess strain of Shorthorns. Lithotomj^ was performed and a number of stones removed from the bladder and uretha, but the patient succumbed to an inflammation of the bowels, induced by the violent purgatives given before the writer arrived, under the mis- taken idea that the straining had been caused by intestinal impaction. In this case not only the Second Duke of Oneida, but the other males of the herd as well, had the tufts of hairs at the outlet of the sheath encased in hard, cylindroid sheaths of urinary salts, precipitated from the liquid as it ran over them. The tufts were in reality resolved into a series of hard, rollerlike bodies, more or lass con- stricted at intervals, as if beaded. When it is stated that the ash of the whole grain of wheat is but 3 per cent, while tlie ash of wheat bran is 7.3 per cent, and that in the case of the former 46.38 per cent of the ash is phosphoric acid, and in that of the latter 50 per cent, it can easily be understood how a too liberal use of wheat bran should prove dangerous if fed dry. The DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 133 following table shows the relative proportion of ash and phosphoric acid in wheat bran and in some common farm seeds: Ash and phosphoric acid in bran and some common farm seeds. Kind of grain. Ash. Phosphoric acid in ash. Phosphoric acid in the entire food. Wheat bran Wheat, grain Oats, grain Barley, grain Bean, grain Peas, grain Tare, grain Indian corn, grain Kye, grain Per cent. 7.3 3 2.50 3.10 3.10 2.75 3 1.5 1.6 Per cent. 50 4G.38 2G.5 39.6 31.9 34.8 36.2 39.9 Per cent. 3.65 1.3914 .6625 1.2276 .9864 .957 1.086 .6384 Wheat bran, it will be observed, contains three times as much phos- phoric acid as is found in any of the other grains, and four times as much as oats, beans, peas, or rye; so that if fed in excess it will readily overcharge the urine with phosphates. There is another point to be considered, however, in estimating this danger. Wheat bran contains a far greater amount of albuminoids and other nitrogen-containing constituents than the common grains (these being made up mainly of starch, which contains no nitrogen) ; and, all nitrogen-bearing products contained in the blood and tissues being expelled from the body mainly through the kidneys in the form of urea and (in cattle) hippuric acid, it follows that the excess of urea formed when such food is consumed must load the urine with solids and bring it constantly nearer to the point of saturation, when such solids (or the least soluble of them) must be deposited. The following table will show the relative amounts of the nitrogen- bearing products in wheat bran and some of our common grains : Xitroffenous matter in wheat bran and some common farm secd.