Cattle 1853 - Lewis Family Farm

410 CATTLE.
gin to form in the centre of these indurations, and should be speedily
evacuated, lest it should burrow in various parts of the bag, and, when
at length it does find its way to the surface and bursts through the
skin, irregular ulcers should, be formed, at all times difficult to heal,
and sometimes involving the Joss of more than one of the quarters.
Whenever there is any appearance of suppuration having commenced,
(a minute observation will enable the practitioner to discover the veryspot
at which the tumor is preparing to point,) the diseased part
should be freely and deeply lanced, and an immense quantity of mat-
ter will often be discharged. .It is generally bad practice to cut off
the teat ; not only is it afterwards missed in the milking, but the
quantity of the milk is usually lessened to a greater or less degree.
Should the tumor have been left to break, a deep and ragged ulcer
will then be formed, and must immediately be attended to, for the
neighboring part will be rapidly involved. Half of the bag has in
some cases become mortified in a few days, and diseased portions
have either dropped off, or it has been necessary to remove them in
order to stop the spread of the gangrene. The chloride of lime is an
invaluable application here. The wound should be well cleaned with
warm water, and then a dilute solution of the chloride freely applied
to every part of it ; not only will the unpleasant smell from the ulcer
be immediately got rid of, but its destructive progress will be arrested,
and the wound will speedilytake on a healthy character. When this
is effected, recourse may be had to the Friar's balsam ; but the
occasional use of the chloride will be advantageous until the bag is
perfectly healed.
Chronic indurations will sometimes remain after the inflammation
of garget has been subdued ; they will be somewhat tender, and they
will always lessen the quantity of milk obtained from that quarter.
The iodine will seldom fail of dispersing these tumors. The ointment
just recommended should be well rubbed in twice every day, and if
the enlargement does not speedily subside, the hydriodate should also
be given internally.
The causes of garget are various ; the thoughtless and unfeeling
exposure of the animal to cold and wet, at the time of or soon after
parturition, the neglect of physic or bleeding before calving, or suf-
fering the cow to get into too high condition, are frequent causes.
So powerful is the latter one, that instances are not unfrequent of
cows, that have for some time been dried, and of heifers that have
never yielded milk, having violent inflammation of the udder. The
hastily drying of the cow has given rise to indurations in the udder
that have not «asily bgen removed. An awkward manner of lying
upon and bruising the udder is an occasional cause ; and a veiy
frequent one is the careless habit of not milking the cow clean, but
leaving a portion in the bag, and the best portion of' the milk too,
and which gradually becomes a source of irritation and inflammation