Cattle 1853 - Lewis Family Farm

INFLAMMATORY FEVER.
It increases daily, notwithstanding the means employed, and at length
assumes the form of pleurisy, or enteritis, or some local inflamma-
tory complaint. The general irritation has here concentrated itself
on some organ either previously debilitated, or at that time predisposed
to take on inflammation. It is pure or idiopathic fever, as-
suming, after a while, a local determination. This is a serious, and
frequently a fatal case ; for the whole system having been previously
affected, and, probably, debilitated, and disposed to take on inflammatory
action, the proper remedies cannot be so fearlessly and successfully
used. Local means of abating inflammation must here be
pushed to their full extent.
Symptomatic fever is yet more frequent and dangerous. No organ
of consequence can be long disordered or inflamed, without the
neighboring parts being disturbed, and the whole system gradually
sharing in the disturbance. By the degree of this general affection,
by the heat of the mouth, and the frequency of the pulse, a judgment
is formed not only of the degree of general disturbance, but
of the intensity of the local affection. The subsidence of the pulse,
and the return of the appetite, and the recommencement of rumina-
tion, are indications both of. the diminution of the general irritation,
and the local cause of it.
Some have denied the existence of this essential fever in cattle,
but the facts that have been stated cannot be doubted. It would
be scarcely necessary to recur to this were there not so many instances
of bad and dangerous practice in the early treatment of these
cases. If fever were plainly recognized, the owner or the surgeon
would be more anxious to get rid of the local affection before the
system was materially affected ; and if he was aware of pure and
essential fever, he would endeavor to remove it before it took on local
determination. These are the golden rules of practice, which no
nonsensical theories should cause any one for a moment to forget.
INFLAMMATORY FEVER THE BLOOD BLOOD-STRIKTNG BLACK-LEG^
QUARTER-EVIL, OR BLACK-QUAHTER.
Thousands of cattle fall victims every year to a disease, which,
from its virulent character and speedy course, may be termed inflammatory
fever. A disease of this character, but known by a. number
of strange yet expressive terms, is occasionally prevalent, and exceedingly
fatal among cattle in every district. It is termed black-
quarter, quarter-evil, joint-murrain, blood-striking, shoot of blood,
&c; and although it may not, at any time, embody all the symptoms
of either of these diseases, according, at least, as they are understood
in some parts of the country* there are few cases in which
the prevailing symptoms of most of them are not exhibited in some
of the stages.
10*