Cattle 1853 - Lewis Family Farm

EPIDEMIC CATARRH. 251
intestinal canal. The discharge is offensive to a high degree, the
breath loses its peculiar and beautiful scent, and the vital powers are
rapidly exhausted.
In most of these epidemics, the first attack seems to be made on
the powers of organic life, and soon afterwards the animal system
shares in the deleterious influence. The beast is unwilling to move :
it scarcely can move ; it staggers as it walks. It loses flesh every
day ; the coat stares, and clings to the bones ; the appetite is quite
gone; a fetid discharge commences from the mouth and nostrils,
and death soon follows.
The treatment of this disease in ii; early stage, and when alone it
can be treated with reasonable hope of success, may be characterized
under two words— promptitude and vigor. The state of inflam-
matory fever which accompanies the early period of the disease is intense
; and unless arrested, it will (as we have seen in treating of that
disease) speedily exhaust every vital power; therefore, fever existing,
bleeding is imperative. The quantity of blood to be abstracted will
be regulated by the intensity of the inflammation, the apparent approach
or commencement of debility, and the effect produced while
the blood continues to flow. All of these circumstances should -be
most carefully attended to. If the fever rages, the ox will bear to
lose much blood, and uniformly with manifest advantage. If the state
of debility is evidently approaching, or has even commenced, bleed-
ing, regulated by the pulse, and stopped the moment that that fal-
ters, will generally be beneficial : but debility being established, or
the bleeding carried on after the pulse has forbidden it, the abstraction
of blood will only hasten death.
Aperients should undoubtedly be administered, accompanied or
not by aromatics, or the proportion of the aromatic regulated by
the preponderance of fever or debility. The sulphate of magnesia
will be preferred ; and early recourse should be had to the stomachpump,
in the manner which has been already described, should the
physic seem to accumulate in the paunch.
The other medicines will also be regulated by the symptoms.
While fever continues, digitalis, emetic tartar, and nitre will be indi-
cated. When the febrile stage is passed, spirit of nitrous ether,
laudanum, gentian, and ginger will be indicated. The cow-house
should be warm, yet well ventilated. Mashes should be given, and
green meat of every kind, and this changed daily, if necessary, in
order to humor the capricious appetite of the patient. The strength
being a little renovated, the beast may be turned into some
pasture, close at hand, for a few hours during the middle of the
day.
Homoeopathic treatment.—The principal means to be employed in
such cases, as well as in the case of cough in general, are ; dulcamara
and bryonia, in the cough which has succeeded to a cold ; nux