The Farm.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IX, Issue 455, 30 December 1881, Page 23

The Farm.

Colds. — Neglected colds are among our domestic animals as well as among human beings, a fruitful source of a variety of diseases and of death itself. How often do we hear of persons dying of consumption, acute bronchitis, rheumatic fever, and so-forth, who, if we inquire into the circumstances, will be found to have owed their illness to a simple cold neglected ? In the same way we find broken-winded i horses, cattle lame with rheumatism, pigs that cannot be fattened with any amount of food, dogs ailing and unable to rise, poultry | dying of choking, all owing their illnesses to colds which were not ) perceived, or, if perceived, were disregarded by their owners in the beginning. All our domestic animals are liable to catch colds, and the higher bred and the more artificially reared they are the more easily does this happen. They recover under favourable circumstances from many of these colds without extraneous assistance, but rircum6tances are not always favourable, and, besides, it is doubtful if even in the case of apparent recovery evil consequences do not remain to be further developed at a future time. The wisest course, therefore, is never to neglect a cold but to apply prompt remedies in order that it may not have time or opportunity to undermine the constitution. We shall accordingly on the present occasion indicate the principal of these remedies, together with the symptoms that require their adoption. In horses the symptoms of catarrh or cold are — slight uneasiness and feverishness, indicated by increased pnlse and heat ; loss of appetite, the inside of the nostrils being redder than natural, and at first dry and swollen ; and a sleepiness or dulness about the eyes, these being generally bloodshot. Then follows a discharge f rom nostrils and eyes, often sore throat, and sometimes cough. In cattle the symptoms are heaviness in the head, dulness, stiffness in the walk, and discharge from the nostrils and eyes. In cows the milk suffers a sudden and considerable decrease in quantity. Sometimes there is soreness in the loins, in which case the affection is called chine-felon, at other times in the joints, and then it is termed joint- felon. There is some difficulty in rising without assistance after lying down, especially when heavy in calf. The same symptoms have been noticed in sheep when shorn too early in the season. Sometimes there is diarrhoea. Swine are peculiarly tender as regards temperature, and very liable to catch cold, characterised by cough and discharge from the nostrils. Dogs, especially those that are injudiciously fed and have not sufficient exercise, are also liable to take cold, but not so nmch as the other animals mentioned, their j ordinary maladies beiog more connected with the organs of digestion and the nervous system. A dog with a cold has a cough, snuffling, and discharge from the nose and eyes ; and in such a case is liable to get inflammation of the lungs. Poultry with catarrh make a gurgling noise every now and then, and sometimes appear to be choking, af t*r which they endeavour to spit up something from the throat. Thus we see that with slight modifications the symptoms in, all these cases resemble each other and those of catarrh in man. The epidemic cold, known as influenza, has many of the same symptoms but differs in this respect that it is due to infection. The causes of cold are almost always to be traced to some neglect on the part of the owner. Either the stable or cow-house is badly drained and ventilated, or the animal is exposed to sudden changes of temperature or to chills after great exertion, or to injudicious feeding. Sometimes the animal inherits a weak constitution from its parents, and catches cold more easily than others of its kind ■would under similar circumstances. But in temperate climates that are damp and subject to sudden changes of temperature, as is the case in these islands, external influences acting on a system enfeebled by injudicious treatment is the general cause of colds among stock It is of importance that colds should be treated in the very beginning, which is the next best thing to total prevention. Let us how see what are the remedies to be applied. In the case of young horses brought in for the first time to the stable, very little should be done but taking some additional care of them. This may consist of attention to their bedding and rubbing down a few bran mashes, and half a pint of oil given in gruel. In general, for all horses, a cool well ventilated stable should be provided, a rug should be put over them, and flannel bandages round their legs ; no corn should be given, and the diet should be laxative, consisting of mashes and green food. If in spite of this treatment the bowels continue constipated, a few small dotes of Epsom salts in whey may be given. Steaming the head is one of the most useful of remedies, and this we shall describe further on. If there is very great weakness, a stimulant should be administered, such as 1 oz nitric ether and 4 oz acetate of ammonia in a pint of water once a day, or if necessary twice. It may be also useful to rub a liniment into the throat when it is sore. In the case of cattle, if they are on the pasture they should be put inside on a dry bed for a week, and a dose of Epsom salts with treacle and ginger given in gruel. If there is chine or joint felon the following liniment will be found useful for rubbing on the place affected : — Powdered cantharides, loz ; oil of turpentine, 2oz ; olive oil, loz. Steaming the head should not be neglected. To a sheep affected, give shelter and Aoz. of Epsom salts, with a drachm each of nitre and of ginger, with half quantity of tartarised antimony, all dissolved in gruel. Warmth, a dry bed, and good nursing are the principal remedies in the case of pigs. Young ones should get a warm bath and be well covered up with straw afterwards. It the cold does not soon give way to this treatment give the following dose daily for a week according to the size of the animal — Antimonial powder, 2to 6 grs. ; nitre, 10 to 30 grs. ; digitalis, Ito 2 grs. This may be given in gruel or mixed with the the food, and a liniment Bhould be also rubbed into the brisket. In the case of dogs, do not purge, but yet see that the bowels are kept open. This may be done by mixing a little castor oil in the food which should consist of boiled rice. About 3 grs. of gj ey powder may also be sprinkled on the food. A good deal of exercise, followed by a warm bath and a warm place to rest, is also beneficial. For poultry, a few drops of balsam of aniseed in a teaspoonful of port wine, repeated after an interval of two days is a good remedy, but will be of little use unless

a dry, clean, well- ventilated roosting-place is provided. We hare mentioned steaming the head as an excellent practice as a remedy for catarrh in live stock. One of the best ways of carrying ifc out is to provide a bag of moderate length, with a hole in its side about half way up. In the bottom of the bag some substance that will absorb water is placed, such as saw-dußt, hay-seeds, bran, or malt. The bag is hung from the head of the animal so that his nose and mouth are in it, not quite so low as the hole in the 9ide. Through this hole boiling water from a kettle is poured from time to time on the substance at the bottom, so as to keep up a continual steam. In this subs* tance may be mixed such things as vinegar, carbolic acid, or turpentine. The vapour of these will ascend with the steam, and being inhaled by the animal will penetrate the lungs. In this way it has an immediate effect on those organs. We would again impress on our agricultural readers the necessity of an early treatment of catarrh if they would wish to prevent rheumatism, pneumonia, bronchitis, wasting and various other diseases which, proceed from it when at first neglected.— FreemarCt Journal. Black Hambubgs as Profitable Poultry. — One of the most remarkable circumstances to be noticed in the exhibitions of poultry that take place annually at the Crystal Palace, Oxford, Birmingham, etc., is the alteration that takes place, from time to time, in the relative numbers of the different breeds that are shown. Not only do new breeds that perhaps were utterly unknown a few years previously come to the front, but old and well-kuown varieties that may have been in existence for generations are taken into public favour, and attain a very conspicuous position. This is not unfrequently due to their utility, which had been obscured by their more ornamental or fashionable rivals, being at last recognised by the public at large. The fowls now known as black Hamburgs offer a very striking example of the change of fashion. They have for a period of time antecedent to the existence of any living fancier been known in the north of England under the name of black pheasant fowl 3. When the Birmingham show was first established the so-called pheasant fowls — golden, silver, and black — were most ignorantly styled Ham* burghs, from some fancied resemblance to the pencilled Dutch or real Hamhuig fowls. The name Hamburg, however, is that by which they are generally known, and it would only render the confusion worse to attempt any alteration at the present time. At the earliest poultry shows, of which Birmingham was the chief, the four classes of Hamburgs were golden and silver spangled and golden and silver pencilled, the black not being raised to the honour of having a distinct class. A 8 late even as nineteen years ago, in the show held in November, 1862, black Hamburgs had to compete in the " any other variety class ;" and Mr J. Dixon, of Bradford, who has been for so many years one of our best-known poultry judges, was successful in winning the first prize in that class with a pen of the variety now under notice. In the following year they had a class to themselves and they were placed first amongst the other Hamburgs, a prominent position, which led the reporter of the show in The Field to remark:—* " The Hamburg classes rather anomalously commence with black Hamburgs. These interlopers, now first promoted to classes to themselves, should scarcely take precedence of the older kinds." At the present time black Hamburgs are more numerously kept than any other sub-variety of the breed. At the Oxford show the entries of the black are nearly treble those of any other. Hamburgs ; and we have no doubt the tame will be the case at Birmingham, and the still larger show at the Crystal Palace. The favour with which these birds are now received depends on two, if not three causes. In the first place they are, in appearance, exceedingly pretty and attractive ; their neat bright red rose, or double combs, are in striking contrast with their circular white^ ear lobes ; and both of these are well shown up by the brilliant gloss of the green-black plumage, which is more lustrous than that found in any other variety of fowls. As profitable poultry, they are not to be surpassed by any breed for their production of eggs ; like other Hamburgs, they are non-sitters, and, except | at the moulting season they truly merit the old name of everlasting layers. Dressed for the table they are plump though small compared with our larger breeds, and have fine bone, and consequently little offal. As exhibition fowls they have come into general fcwor, as they can be exhibited, if good in comb and ear lobe, on their own merits, and do not require, like their spangled bretbern, to pass through the hands of the professional exhibitor in order to be " faked" so as to get a chance of a prize. Black Hamburgs have their drawbacks — one of the most important is that they fly like pheasants and know not bounds ; but, as a consequence, they are good roamers and foragers for their own food, and may be trusted to roost on trees around the domain, with equal advantage to their health and brilliancy of theii plumage. Under appropriate conditions of life we know of no more ornamental or useful fowls ; they are the largest and hardiest of the variety, unsurpassed in prolificacy, good on the table, and ornamental in the poultry yard, whicb, however, should not be one of limited I dimensions. — The Field.

A bold French writer thinks that he is getting tired of Gambetta. " For ten years," he says, " the reporters have followed his heels, and all faces are turned towards the orator. For ten years each daily paper has had its four daily columns about Gambetta. The first name you see on unfolding your journal is his. He is everywhere. In the theatres, the salon, the foreign Press — everywhere Gambetta, Gam* betta, Gambetta I" Professor Max Muller has announced a curious discovery of Sanscrit manuscripts recently made in Japan, by two of his Japan pupils at Oxford. Tne woTk is a text of the celebrated " Diamond Knife," forming part of the Sacred Canon or Bible, of the Buddhists, but hitherto known only through Thibetian and Mongolian translations, the original being supposed to be irrecoverably lost. Owing to the early practice among the Chinese Buddhists of making pilgrimages to the holy places of worship in India, and taking back with them Banscript manuscripts, Professor Muller has always been of opinion that a camber of such precious relics must be existing in China. Such a discovery in Japan, however, wag wholly unexpected.]