THE VETERINARIAN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 780, 11 February 1887, Page 18

THE VETERINARIAN.

DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. Derangement of the function of I lie liver causes various forms of indigestion, varying in severity from ordinary bilious-nes-i to dysenteric diarrhoea with loss of condition, ns exhibited in the disease which is termed * rot ’ in cattle —an affection which has no relationship with rot affecting sheep. An ordinary bilious attack is unknown, or at least unrecognised, among tho lower animals, but there is no reason to doubt its existence ; and it may be assumed that attacks of simple fever, with loss of appetite, dulness, and disinclination to move, are, in many esses, due to tho same conditions as those which are expressed in the terms sick headache or biliousness in mail. In horses, a form of biliousness, described as bilious fever or influenzi of the bilious typo, is very well known to veterinarians, and the symptoms are precisely tho=e which are indicative of that disorder in the human subject, viz , lassitude, thirst, and yellowness of ihe mucous membranes, especially of the eyes, and sometimes a yellow tinge in the skin, not always evident oven when it exists in the h ,rse, on account of the prevailing d irk color of the surface, amt the t detsness of tho hairy covering. In the treatment of cases of bilious fever, or any form of indigestion connected with disorder of ihe liver, it is us' al to employ remedies which are likely to restore tho gland to a healthy state, even if no special attention is directed to the fact of its function being disturbed. Thus, mild laxatives—nlkalies and vegetable hitters —which are ordinarily employed in the treatment of the diseases referred to, acting geneiaily oil the secretiug organs, gradually hriug about an alteration in the whole glandular system. When the symptoms which indicate dir. order of the liver are recognised, remedies which have aspocial action on that oivan are given. Calomel is the agent which is presumed to be most active in stimulating the secretion ; but experiments have proved that rhubarb is equally, if not more, active in the same way ; and for cattle and sheep extract of taraxacum is an effective substitute for both drugs, being more certain, aud less dangerous in its action. Among cattle a peculiar form of disease of the liver occurs, associated with emaciation and diarrheev of the dysenteric type. The affection is keown as ‘rot’ in cattle, and, although not immediately fatal, it is practicably incurable, and the diseased animal, if it does not succumb, becomes worthless, and is finally disposed of to a kaocker—who it is to be feared, does not always devote ths carcase to its legitimate use, and, between the alternatives of sausages and cat’s meat, selects the one which promises to be moat remune. atire. Causes of rot are not, in moat evident. The disease is the result of long-continued bad management, hardship, and privation, seldom or never attacking cattle which aro well cared for. Worn-out old cows are the most likely victims. Symptoms of rot are not at the outset very marked. Tho cow which has ceased to give milk and is deemed to bo u-eless for dnir? purposes does not improve in condition under a more liberal system of feeding, adoptsd for the avowed purprse of getting her ready for the butcher, but, on the contrary, becomes more and more meagre. Meanwhile the appetite fails, and the improved rations are not appreciated ; the coat is harsh, and the skin closely adherent 1 1 the body. Constipation is present at first, but. diurrhcei often occurs, and continues, in spite of remedies, for days. Tbe dung is light in color in some oases, and in others unnaturally dark. The latter condition is mostly observed when diarrhoea sets in. Yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes is a symptom which, as has been s ated, is generally present in diseases of the liver, and it is never absent in rot. Sometimes the urine becomes red or dark colored, and the case is described as red water.

As the aff ction proceeds the emaciation gets more pronounced ; the animal staggers as it walks, and spends a largo jo tion of it 9 time in lying down. Owing to tbe loss of mu-cle and fat, the most prominsnt bony processes, especially the hips, are in close contact with tho skin ; and when these parts arc subjected to constant pressure and lriction ns the animal is lying, severe abrasions result, forming at length suppurating wounds, and contributing largely to the animal’s general wretchedness Diarrbcea in the latter stages of rofc is profuse and continuous, and it is noticed that the fluid contents of the intestinal canal are ejected with great force. Treatment of rot can only be successfully carried out under favorable conditions, and in tbeir absence it. is best to consign the animal at once to the slaughter-house. The cases which promise best are those which occur in animals in fairly good condition, and when the disease is in tho early otage, before the diarrhoea ha 3 assumed a dysenteric character. If tho sick cow is prostrate, refuses food, and suffers from excessive diarrhoea, the evacuations being mixed with blood, there is very little prospect of a cure, even under the most skilful treatment. When the sick cow presents an appearance which justifies a hope of cure, it is good

p aetice <o commenoe treatment with a dose of laxative medicine ; and it appears that a mixture of oil and aloes is very useful in these cases. A pint of linseed oil with 8 z. of solution of aloes will form an average dose, and the drought may bo repeated in thirty hours if no effect is produced by the first. From time to time during the treatment the laxative mixture may be given ; but the main reliance must be plaoed on tonios and alteratives, with goodfoodofan easily digestible kind A very good tonic and alterative drench is made by'adding 2oz of fluid extract of taraxacum to a solution of 4oz. of Epsom salts, and 'lion combining two drachms of carbonate of iron. The dose may bo given in a pint of gruel, or the same quantity of good ale, every day ; and if the salts should, after a few days, act too strongly, the quantity should be lessened, or the agent omittod altogether for a tinr e. When <the diarrhoea is excessive, an ounce of tincture of catechu may be added to the tonic mixture with advantage ; but the effect of tho agent must be watched, ns it is not derirab'o to cheok the diarrhoea too suddenly. If the animal’s appetite improves under treatment, there is some ground for bepo ; but when the prostration continues, and no change for tho better is observed after a fort* night, there ja no encouragement to continue the curative measures.

It is necessary in most cases, during some part of the treatment, to sustain the animal with food in a liquid form, and there is no doubt that great benefit would result from the use of eggs beaten up with milk, instead of the old fa-hioned oatmeal gruel; and in casos of extreme debility good soup, made from rough pieces of meat, is worth a trial, i This food has proved to bo very useful in cases of extreme debility in the horse, a r >d i after a short time animals become very fond of the new flavor, and will take the soup, mixed with bran or meal, with avidity, when t.hej refuse their ordinary fodder. MILK FEVER. The following case may bo interesting to some of your readers :—On Thursday night a cow of mine calved, and all went well until Saturday evening at six o’clock, when the premonitory symptoms described in Moore’s book of Veterinary Homoeopathy clearly indicated an attack of this fearful disease. I at once got to work in the manner suggested in that book, and administered a dose of aconitum, ten drops in a wine glass of water ; three hours after a similiar do a e of belladonna was given, and three hours later another dose of aconitum. At this time, half-past twelve o'clock, the pain began to snbside. She then had, four hours later, a dose of nux vomica, ten drops in water as before, ' and a last one on Monday morning. a.ll Sunday she remained in a sleepy, helpless condition, but quite free from pain. On Monday morning she got up and had a small bran mash ; in the evening she took her food eagerly, and on Tuesday was quite well. Her flow of milk only stopped during the hours of great pain.—Agricultural Gazette. A Massachusetts former of large axperience in the care of dairy stock contributes to the Lewiston Journal the following good advice reg irding tbe prevention of milk fever in cows: The cows most subject to this disease are the best and largest milkers ; if quite fleshy they are still more liable, and it occurs within three days after dropping their calf. S metime the fever appeals without any apparent cause, and then again it is brought on by injudicious management. Many cases coming under our observation were caused by feeding fresh cut gras°, warm slop mixed with bran or meal, drinking cold water, or by becoming chilled. The symptoms are refusing to eat, eyes becoming dull, when lying down showing no disposition to riao, getting up with difficulty, a heavy, staggering gait, partial paralysis of the bind parts, and refusing to notice her calf. In hundreds of cases, without a single failure, my mothod of treatment has been to give the cow nothing but good hay to rat, commencing one or two weeks before calving ; then after calving for one week give only warm water and dry hay. A day or two previous to dropping the calf, give one pound of Epsom salts and one large spoon heaping ful of ginger ; dissolve this in a piut of warm water and turn down the cow by means of a long-necked bottle j give nearly tbe same quantity again within twenty-four hours after calving. This do;t> is for a medium sized cow weighing about a thousand pounds ; vary accordingly as the cow varies in size. If the weather is cold blanket the cow for a few days. The salts and ginger may bo omitted to medium milkers.