AGRICULTURAL NEWS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2090, 31 January 1896, Page 4

AGRICULTURAL NEWS.

Milk Fever and How to Prevent It, In the case of cows that have already, suffered from a previous attack, and e\en in the case of others which present ('Editions very favourable for the disease, such as already described, preventative treatment should be commenced before parturition. This consists in limiting the supply of food during the time that the cow is dry, and keeping the bowels open by one or more doses of salt. The most suitable purgative for a cow is one to one and a half pounds of Epsom or Glauber salts, with an ounce of ginger, and about a pint of molasses in a large quantity (two quarts or more) of tepid water. After calving a free flow of blood to the udder should be incouraged by frequent milking, even if the calf is allowed to suck, and the animal, of course, should be protected from exposure to severe weather or to unusual cold or heat, although a certain amount of daily exercise is desirable. If the first symptoms of disease appear, the purgative medicine should be given again at once. The further medical treatment is more difficult to prescribe in a positive manner, as the conditions are not alike in all cas.es. As a rule, it will be found that in this stage of active cerelx-al congestion the best results will be obtained by the use of aconite, of which the tincture should be given in a' dose of twenty to thirty drops and repeated iu doses of half that quantity every three hours till four or five doses have been ?,iven.

Before drenching, especially when large doses such as the purgatives mentioned above are given, it is necessary, to see if the animal retains the power of swallowing perfectly, which may be done by drenching with a small quantity of water.