THE AIR CURE FOR MILK FEVER

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1751, 27 September 1905, Page 57

THE AIR CURE FOR MILK FEVER

This milk fever remedy which was described in the “N.Z. Mail” when it first came out, is, according to recent advices, being very generally adopted throughout the dairying districts of the United States. A main cause of its increasing use is the success of the test at the St. Louis Exhibition, when out of 31 competing dairy cows 9 of them were down with milk fever, and all were successfully recovered by means of the oxygen remedy. In wcrking the implement the metal pipe or cylinder is filled with sterile absorbent cotton, which is prevented from blocking the end of the pipe by a wire net. At one end a rubber bellows, at the other a length of rubber piping, to which is attached a milking tube to be inserted into' the teat. It ia directed that there must be a thorough cleansing of the udder, and a thorough disinfecting of the apparatus, or complications may afterwards arise. Slight mass‘.ige or kneading of the udder is of

rit advantage, and the air ip preventfromi escaping - by a broad piece of tape tied round each teat, to be removed two or .three hours after the cow has got on her feet. At firstb the remedy was surrounded by much apparent mystery, necessitating expensive treatment. Now the .farmers are taking the treatment into their own hands by means of a bicycle pump, and the American dairying papers are publishing letters from practical dairy fanners, or Which the following is a representative Example i —* Very often a simple operation is made to seem so complicated that we fear to attempt it. X must confess that an Apparatus to sterilise the air and force it into the udder, as pictured and; described in the ordinary directions, deemed'; rather a .formidable affair. .Then, too, I had no such thing, neither could I obtain one. A bicycle pump and milh tube costing one shilling was quite another thing. Yet its very crudeness and simplicity made it seem a feeble weapon for so formidable a foe as milk fpver. Yet it was effective. X have always- tried to prevent a cow from getting too fat just before parturition, and keep their bowels loose by Epsom rlts, both before and- after. This time was- out. of salts, and a fine young oow fcaiving oh a Friday morning seemed to be in such good condition that I did not get the medicine for her. Saturday 6he ran out for a part of the day, and Vas apparently all right alt night. Sunday morning, when the man. let her out, &he staggered. By the time we could pend and return with such medicine as §b prescribed for such cases, two hours had gone. Meantime I had rubbed her loins and hind legs with camphor and turpentine, but she was getting rapidly and was then down. I gave her physio and a stimulant. AH the medicine I wanted had not been sent. X then started myself, in doubt whether to get the nearest “vet,” ten miles distant,. or try the air treatment, studying the directions as I went. By the time I had! reached the store. I had made uo my mind to- try the air, so* I Sumed with a milk tube, and, to be IX secured, medicine as well. A ycle pump and tube, from which I out) the end- going in the tire, and in its place inserted the milk tube, was boiled for fifteen minutes. The. cow’s tedder andtabdomen were then thoroughly washed with soap and water, and then disinfected with a carbolic solution (three tablespoonsful of pure carbolic acid to one quart water). Underneath the udder we pladed a doth that had: been ten minutes in the oven. Then the milk tube was inserted into teach teat, in turn, and the udder bumped full of air till it was inflated like a balloon. As soon as a quarter Was filled each teat was tightly tied .with a -broad piece of tape. I am satisfied that a broad rubber band would be as good ; neither is it necessary to tie so tight. This was at twelve o’clock. The bow was down on her side, and offered no more 'resistance than if she were nead. I then gave her a dose of muriate of ammonia. At one o’clock she was lying: as ;/ a cow usually does, and had t ßased moaning, but her head lay on er side. At three (the time for the tiext medicine) she had her head erect, tend we omitted the medicine. At four she was on her feet; at nine we removed the tapes (the air did not go out), and 'ghe drank water and hate hay. The next morning we worked out the air; foie udder had remained distended. (Without further medicine the cow recovered. No doubt the physic and Stimulants were good and helpful, but I am satisfied that, without the air treatment we would have lost a valuable bow.