Cattle 1853 - Lewis Family Farm

234 CATTLE.
the first has been ungenia' and the latter wet. The pasture generally
possesses some degree of luxuriance, although its herbage maybe
coarse, and the beast is usually in good condition when first attacked.
This disease has sometimes been epidemic and fatal to a dreadful
extent, occasionally assuming the form of,- or being connected with,
epidemic catarrh ; at other times accompanied by dysentery, but
frequently being, for many a day, or for some weeks, typhoid fever
without any local determination.
The cause of typhoid fever is involved in much obscurity. It is
most prevalent on cold, wet lands, and during cold, wet, variable
weather. A long wet winter is sure to be followed by typhus fever
in every low, marshy district. In the higher pastures, where the
cattle seem exposed to greater cold, but have less wet,' little of it is
seen.
It is much to be doubted whether it is infectious ; but if one, then
all the cattle have been exposed to the same predisposing causes of
disease. It is well to remove the infected beasts from the sound
ones as soon as possible ; and th6 carcass of the animal that dies of
inflammatory or typhoid fever should be buried without delay.
These are cases whiclfrpuzzle, and, when treated in the best way,
they too frequently will not yield to medical skill. There is one rule,
however, which cannot mislead. If there he fire, it must be put out.
No apparent debility should mislead here. That debility may, and
often does, result from the presence of fever, and not from any dangerous
impairment of vital power ; and the incubus being thrown
off, nature will rally ; at all events, the debility is the consequence of
the fever, and is daily and rapidly increasing while the fever continues
: therefore, first bleed, and bleed until the character of the
pulse begins to change. It should never be forgotten that one bleeding
of this kind will often do good, and cannot be injurious. It is
the fear of bleeding lest the animal should be more debilitated, or
the pushing on of the bleeding, in order to obtain a definite quantity,
after the pulse has begun to falter, that has done all the mischief.
If the heat, and heaving, and disinclination to food should have
been relieved' by this bleeding, but should threaten to return, more
blood should be taken, but with the same caution as to the pulse.
Physic must follow, but with caution ; for there is a natural tendency
to diarrhoea connected with this disease, which is often troublesome
to subdue. One dose of Epsom salts should be given with the
usual quantity of aromatic medicine, and its action secured and kept
up by half-pound doses of sulphur, administered as circumstances
may indicate.
To this will follow the usual sedative medicine—digitalis, emetic
tartar, and nitre. The practitioner must not be deluded here. While
the mouth and horns are hot, and the pulse rapid, tonics would be