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 DADD'S 
 
 THEORY AND PRACTICE 
 
 VETERINARY 
 
 MEDICINE AND SURGERY, 
 
 CONTAINING* 
 
 THE CURATIVE TREATMENT OF DISEASES OF 
 
 HORSES AND CATTLE, 
 
 SHEEP AND SWINE, 
 
 AND EMBRACING ALL THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE 
 RINDERPEST AND TRICHINA 
 
 By GEOKGE H. DADD, Veterinary Surgeon, 
 i* * 
 
 Author of "Anatomy and Physiology of the Horse," " Modern Horse Doctor," " Cattle 
 
 Doctor," etc., Professor of Anatomy and Physiology in 
 
 the Veterinary Institute of Chicago. 
 
 ELEGANTLY ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 / 
 
 W 
 
 CINCINNATI: 
 R. "W. CARROLL & CO., PUBLISHERS, 
 
 117 WEST FOURTH STREET. 
 1867. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by 
 R. W. CARROLL & CO., 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern 
 
 District of Ohio. 
 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 AMERICANS rank high in the estimation of the scientific 
 world for their genius and industry in the great work of 
 intellectual, moral, and scientific improvements. See what has 
 occurred in the arts of printing, electrotyping, etc. The eloquence 
 of the great literary magicians of the New World, the honored 
 graduates of free institutions and free schools, no sooner falls from 
 their lips than the phonographist transfers it to paper, the nimble 
 fingers of the compositor puts it into " form ; " next the " battery " 
 deposits on the face of the type a more durable coating of copper, 
 and " Hoe's press " sends off " impressions " with almost magical 
 rapidity." No less surprising are the wonderful feats performed 
 by American mechanics, in the construction of fast yachts and 
 steamers, which often pluck a laurel from the so-called " Mistress 
 of the Sea ;" and old "Uncle John" gives us due credit for per- 
 fecting a race of fast trotters that can beat the world of horse- 
 flesh. 
 
 Improvements in every department of Science and Art are con- 
 stantly treading on the heels of improvement ; yet, as regards the 
 science of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, America seems almost 
 the last among civilized nations to put her shoulder to the wheel. 
 What can be the reason? Her youth may be offered as a plea 
 for excuses. The daughter of the Old World has not yet, in this 
 department, arrived at years of discretion ; she is yet in her teens. 
 Her sons have borne the heat and burden of the day in establish- 
 ing their liberty, in founding cities, extending commerce, and in 
 taming the wild face of soil, by uprooting the giant oak, and in 
 clearing away the forest, so that the husbandman, with plow and 
 harrow in hand, might follow on, and next impregnate mother 
 
 (iii) 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 earth with germs for fructification, which, in the day of the har- 
 vest thereof, might be gathered and garnered for the benefit of 
 man and the inferior orders of creation. 
 
 And long ere the woodman's ax ceases to vibrate its clear 
 stroke-notes in the ears of the new settlers, a giant enterprise is 
 in contemplation. Space and distance must be comparatively an- 
 nihilated ; the iron horse, with his lungs of steel and breath of 
 steam, must have his highway and byway, and the result is, the 
 choice spirits of progression have been earnestly engaged in dot- 
 ting a vast surface of United States Territory with a magnificent 
 net-work of railway and telegraphic wire ; and various other en- 
 terprises, with which the reader is familiar, have so occupied the 
 American mind, that the Science of Life, as it applies to animals, 
 has been almost at a stand-still. 
 
 In the prosecution of these objects, so essential as they have 
 proved in the economy of an infant republic, it is not surpris- 
 ing that our science should fail to receive attention, and that 
 America should be in the rear of the veterinary squadrons of 
 the Old World; yet, notwithstanding this seeming indifference, 
 veterinary science does, in some parts of this country, occupy as 
 high a platform as that which obtained in England, about seventy 
 years ago, when the Apostle of Mercy, St. Bel, first landed on 
 British soil. 
 
 The science which we here advocate is as valuable and chari- 
 table to nature's menials, for the purpose of ministering to their 
 physical wants, relieving their aches and pains, and of prolong- 
 ing their lives, as that practiced on the more noble of created life ; 
 and, at the present day, testimony can be produced going to show 
 that among us can be found " good Samaritans " who are always 
 ready to minister to the wants of the inferior orders of creation — 
 a work as acceptable to the God of Nature, and as creditable to 
 manhood, as when the welfare of one of us is concerned. And 
 should we estimate the science in exact ratio to the value and use- 
 fulness of the legion host of domestic animals that have been 
 reared in this couhtry, and those which, without regard to cost, 
 have been imported, to whose welfare it directly contributes, the 
 reader will readily perceive that it is entitled to the consideration 
 and support of a nation of husbandmen. 
 
 It must be borne in mind that a knowledge of the principles 
 of veterinary medicine can not be acquired without diligent study 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 and close application. It is only the property of the industrious 
 and devoted student. 
 
 In order to acquire the necessary tact, skill, and experience for 
 the practice of our art, some of the shining lights — the early dis- 
 ciples — have spent the May-day of their existence in solving its 
 problems, and, when near its close, have declared, with a modesty 
 indicative of true genius, that their education was yet incomplete. 
 
 Such testimony goes to show that there is no republican nor 
 royal road to veterinary knowledge. In fact, after a man has 
 perseveringly pursued the routine studies of the most popular col- 
 legiate institutions, he may still be found " wanting." 
 
 Let us contemplate for a moment the superior advantages which 
 human practitioners have over our craftsmen, both as regards 
 their scientific qualifications and the superior means at their com- 
 mand for ascertaining the character, location, and intensity of the 
 various maladies peculiar to the human race. For example, the 
 practitioner of human medicine, if he has been a faithful and in- 
 dustrious student, enters upon the active duties of his profession, 
 having acquired a valuable fund of knowledge of anatomy, phys- 
 iology, pathology, and other necessary branches of study ; and, 
 having disciplined his mind in the regular school, and in that of 
 experience, he is expected to be able to rejoice in the possession of 
 a well-trained mind, which enables him to understand and inter- 
 pret the physiological laws which preserve health and life in the 
 constitution of organized beings ; also to comprehend the why and 
 wherefore of disease; to be able to institute sanitary and other reg- 
 ulations, and to select suitable medicinal preparations, in view of 
 meeting the various indications of each and every form of disease. 
 And when a man becomes the subject of sickness, and the doctor 
 is called upon to exercise his skill, the latter receives valuable aid, 
 in view of making a correct diagnosis, from the patient and his 
 friends. Each can be questioned, and their responses throw con- 
 siderable light on the history and nature of the malady. Now, 
 as regards the latter advantages, they have no parallel with the 
 men of our craft. Our patients are deprived of the power of 
 speech, and we can only judge of the state of their health, and 
 the nature of their maladies, by signs revealed or elicited through 
 physical exploration. We have other difficulties to encounter of 
 no less magnitude. For example, our patients are often located 
 in situations unfit for a well animal to reside in, and they do not 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 always receive that attention from their owners which the urgency 
 of the case demands. In fact, the good nursing, kind attention, 
 etc., which often proves of so much value in the restoration from 
 sickness of one of our race, is often denied the inferior creature ; 
 and other matters, too numerous to mention at the present time, 
 tend to show the advantages which our brethren of a sister science 
 have over us, and how necessary and important it is that a prac- 
 titioner of our art should be thorough master of his profession. 
 It is a lamentable fact that the great majority of our husband- 
 men have not hitherto realized that the superstructure of veterin- 
 ary science rests on the same intelligent basis as that of human 
 medicine ; but such is really the case. In the language of the la- 
 mented Percivall, we are assured that " whether w T e prescribe for 
 a man, horse, or any animal, the laws of the animal economy are 
 the same; all require the same treatment," that is to say, the 
 propositions for restoration are all founded on the same intelligent 
 basis. 
 
 The importance, therefore, of educating men for the profession, 
 and of furnishing reliable works for study, is very evident; and 
 the necessity is further illustrated in the daily experience of those 
 persons who, as a matter of necessity, are obliged to do the best 
 they can for the sick and dying of their flocks and herds, having 
 no knowledge of those advantages which a thorough course of 
 training affords. Such persons must, necessarily, feel that they are 
 groping in darkness, and when a ray of light does flit across their 
 medical path, it only serves to make them better acquainted with 
 their own want of skill. Persons thus circumstanced, unable to 
 procure the services of a good veterinary surgeon, in consequence 
 of a scarcity of the " genuine material," are often compelled to 
 assume the responsibility and risk of medical attendant ; and, no 
 doubt, they prescribe with good intention and honesty of purpose, 
 but disease and death has the vantage of them, for they know not 
 the modes of pathological warfare, nor are they acquainted with 
 means best calculated to insure a favorable issue; and they will 
 certainly hail, as a great blessing, any and every effort to im- 
 prove our veterinary literature, and thus diffuse knowledge so 
 sadly needed. 
 
 It is well known that prior to the introduction of a rational 
 system of veterinary medicine in the mother country, millions of 
 domestic animals were annually sacrificed at the shrine of igno- 
 
PREFACE. Vll 
 
 ranee ; but science came to the rescue, and now some of the dis- 
 ciples of St. Bel, Coleman, their co-workers and kindred spirits, 
 can, by the aid of their vast materia medica, their anaesthetic 
 agents, scalpel, etc., accomplish unheard of wonders. We are 
 now working to dispel the awful cloud of ignorance and super- 
 stition which has too long lingered around the stable and barn. 
 "We aim to illuminate the dark spots that have existed for many- 
 hundreds of years, and to obliterate the false theories that have 
 been handed down to us by the Egyptians and Arabians, and the 
 modern jugglers of this science. 
 
 There never was a period in the history of the United States 
 when the services of educated veterinarians were so much needed 
 as at the present time ; for the live stock of this country do not 
 enjoy immunity from those pestiferous epizootic maladies which 
 have formerly operated as a withering simoom on the enterprise 
 of British husbandmen in the breeding and raising of live stock. 
 For example : the people of the Western States complain that a 
 disease occasionally makes its appearance among cattle, to which 
 they have applied the name of " trembles," or " milk sickness," 
 and it has so scourged both the superior and inferior orders of 
 creation, that the former have often abandoned the old homestead, 
 in view of seeking a location where there seemed to be some pros- 
 pect of enjoying immunity from the pestilential scourge. A con- 
 tagious and infectious disease often prevails among swine, carry- 
 ing them off by hundreds and by thousands, yet many of us are in 
 the dark regarding its cause, nature, and treatment. Typhoid 
 affections, puerperal fever, apoplexy, and dropsy of the brain are 
 just as prevalent here as in England. Miscarriage or abortion is 
 fearfully on the increase. Diseases of climatic origin are more 
 rife in this country than in England. This is, perhaps, owing to 
 the diversity which exists in the climatic temperature of our vast 
 territory, and to our various faulty modes of management. In fact, 
 there is scarcely any disease known to veterinarians of the Old 
 World but that has prevailed in the New. 
 
 We must have reliable text-books and educated surgeons, in 
 order to understand the nature and treatment of the diseases in- 
 cidental to domestic animals. It is not only a matter of national, 
 but of individual, policy and interest; and should we view the 
 matter with the eyes of business men, we shall see that such en- 
 terprise must surely pay. 
 
Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 Persons who have paid any attention to the rise and progress 
 of veterinary science in this country, are painfully aware of its 
 great imperfections, and the author's object in preparing this work 
 is to endeavor to lessen and remove them, by giving the reader 
 the benefit of an experience which extends through a period of 
 twenty-five years. 
 
 In view of furnishing reliable information, and of showing how 
 little of medicine is required for the treatment of various forms 
 of disease, a number of cases, recorded in the author's note-book, 
 are introduced in various parts of the work. These cases may, 
 perhaps, also give the unprejudiced reader juster views of the 
 relations of nature and art to diseases ; for it is a notorious fact 
 that very many well-instructed persons of all classes have hith- 
 erto exercised a blind faith in the medical art for the cure of dis- 
 ease, when it is a fact well known to those who practice rational 
 medicine that Nature possesses vastly greater powers than Art in 
 curing diseases. What is here meant by nature, is the conserva- 
 tive power inherent in the living body. For a better understand- 
 ing of this subject, the reader is referred to the works of Sir John 
 Forbes, Oliver W. Holmes, and Professor Bigelow. 
 
 In view of aiding nature in the cure of disease, the author has 
 introduced to the reader's attention a new class of remedies, viz. : 
 Fluid Extracts of a sanative character. They have proved more 
 safe and efficacious in the practice of rational medicine than all 
 the other heroic arms of physic. 
 
 These remedies have been carefully tested for several years by 
 the author, and those students who have, from time to time, placed 
 themselves under his instruction, and the result has been very 
 satisfactory ; otherwise, they would not be recommended in this 
 work. 
 
 Finally, the author feels it due to himself to state that the 
 almost constant occupation of his time, professionally, has given 
 him less opportunity than he desired for the production of this 
 work, yet he entertains a hope that he has not labored in vain ; 
 and thus this mite is cast into the common treasury of Veterinary 
 Science. 
 
 G. H. D. 
 
 Chicago, Nov. 3, 1866. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 SECTION I.— The Causes op Disease. 
 
 (Page 19-39.) 
 
 Remarks on Veterinary Science, and the Relation it bears to Social Science — 
 Veterinary Science; how to inaugurate it — What Benefits have we derived from 
 its Study — Inflammation; its Nature and Treatment 
 
 SECTION II.— Diseases of the Eye. 
 
 (Page 40-57.) 
 
 Amaurosis, or Glass Eye (Gutta Serena) — Foreign bodies within the Eyelids- 
 Specks, or film on the eye, known as Opacity of the Cornea — Cataract — Worm 
 in the Eye — Ophthalmia — Treatment of Inflammation — Purulent Ophthalmia — 
 Specific Ophthalmia. 
 
 SECTION III. — Diseases op the Brain and Nervous System. 
 
 (Page 58-85.) 
 
 Abscess within the Substance of the Brain — Hydrocephalus, or Dropsy of the 
 Brain — Stomach Staggers — Apoplexy, or Cerebral Hemorrhage — Apoplexy of 
 Spine, or Spinal Hemorrhage, producing Paraphlegia — Epilepsy, or Fits — Te- 
 tanus — Vertigo — Acute or General Disease of the Brain, known as Encephalitis — 
 Sleepy Staggers — Cerebral Meningitis — Chorea, or Stringhalt. 
 
 SECTION IV. — Diseases op the Respiratory Passages and 
 
 Organs. 
 
 (Page 86-186.) 
 
 Importance of Ventilating Stables — Brief Exposition and Description of the 
 Function of the Lungs — Spasm of the muscles of the Glottis and Epiglottis — Lar- 
 yngytis, (suppurative and inflammatory) — Croup — Chronic Cough — Roaring — 
 Polypus — Bronchocele — Influenza, or epizootic catarrh — Pneumonia, or Inflam- 
 mation of the Lungs, including Typhoid Affections, Pleurisy, and Dropsy of the 
 Chest. 
 
 (be) 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 SECTION V.— Dentition and Diet. 
 
 (Page 127-146.) 
 
 The Horse's Age as shown by his Teeth — On the Diet of Horses — The effects of- 
 various kinds of Food — As regards the quantity of Food required — As regards 
 changes in Diet — Conclusion. 
 
 SECTION VI.— Glanders and Farcy. 
 
 (Page 147-159.) 
 
 Glanders — Glanders can be communicated to Man — Contagiousness of Gland- 
 ers — Suspected Glanders — How came the Disease to be called Glanders ? — Diag- 
 nostic Symptom of Glanders — Treatment of Glanders— Farcy (Disease of the 
 Absorbents). 
 
 SECTION VII. — Diseases op the Digestive Organs. 
 
 (Page 160-222.) 
 
 Lampas — Spontaneous Salivation — Bots — Inflammation of Stomach — Rupture 
 of Stomach — Gorged, or over-distended Stomach — Meteorization — Flatulent 
 Colic — Spasmodic Colic — Inflammation of the Peritoneum — Ascitis — Inflamma- 
 tion of the Intestines — Strangulation of Intestines — Wounds penetrating the 
 Abdominal Cavity — Splenic Apoplexy — Functional Disease of the Liver — Pan- 
 creas; its Function — Parasites which affect the Intestines. 
 
 SECTION VIII. — Diseases op the Urinary Organs. 
 
 (Page 223-237.) 
 
 Inflammation of the Kidneys — Inflammation of the Bladder — Stone in the 
 Bladder — Suppression of the Urine — Retention of the Urine — Diabetes, or Pro- 
 fuse Stalling — Rupture of the Bladder — Albuminous Urine — Hsematuria, or 
 Bloody Urine. 
 
 SECTION IX.— Surgical Operations. 
 
 (Page 239-273.) 
 
 Of Surgical Operations and the various Restraints it is sometimes necessary 
 to place the Horse under for- their performance — Casting — Slinging — Castra- 
 tion — French method of Castration — Castration by Ligature — Lithotomy — 
 Traceotomy — (Esophagotomy- -Neurotomy — Mode of Performing Neurotomy — 
 Periosteotomy — Division of the Flexor Tendons — Amputations — Amputation of 
 the Penis — Amputation of the Tail — Nicking — Firing — Blistering — Ammoniacal 
 Blister — Rowelling — Setons — Abstraction of Blood, or Bleeding — Division of the 
 Temporal Artery — Bleeding by the Palate — Bleeding by the Toe — Phlebotomy- 
 Bleeding by the Jugular Vein. 
 
CONTENTS OF EQUINE DEPARTMENT. XI 
 
 SECTION X. — Diseases of the Skin and Sub -tissues. 
 
 (Page 274-301.) 
 
 Itch and Mange — Lice on Animals — Grease and Scratches — Surfeit — Dropsical 
 Limbs — Scarletina — Ringworm — Prurigo — Poll-evil — Fistulous Withers — Warts 
 on the Skin — Purpura Hemorrhagica — Out of condition — Hide-bound — Herpes. 
 
 SECTION XI. — Breeding, and the Principles op the same. 
 
 (Page 302-318.) 
 
 Breeding — The Principles of Breeding — In-and-in Breeding — Permanent Va- 
 rieties — Animals become Parents too early — Objections to In-and-in Breeding 
 answered — The Advantage of In-and-in Breeding — The Importance of Studying 
 Anatomy and Physiology. 
 
 SECTION XII. — Lameness, prom Various Causes. 
 
 (Page 319-385.) 
 
 Curbs — Elbow Tumor — Capped Hock — Varix, or Bog Spavin — Atrophy, or 
 Wasting of Muscles — Thorough-pin — Navicular Disease, or Lameness — Pleurody- 
 nia — Acute Rheumatism— Chronic Rheumatism — Ring-bone — Splint — Spavin — 
 Osteo Porosis — Curvature of the Spine — Hoof-bound — Laminitis — Sand-crack — 
 Quarter Crack — Navicular Thritis — Stifle Out — Contraction of the Hoof — Bowed 
 Legs — Corns — Lameness. 
 
 SECTION XIII. — Horse Management, etc. 
 
 (Page 387-415.) 
 
 Prolapsus Ani — Hemorrhoids, or Piles — Pricking and Nicking Horses' Tails — 
 Docking Horses — Anasmia — The Use and Abuse of the Curry-comb — Horses and 
 Cattle should have a supply of Pure Water — Galled Back — The Heart — The 
 quantity of Blood contained in a Horse's Body — Rapidity of the Circulation — 
 The transfusion of Blood — Management of the Horses put in the Stable — Stran- 
 gles. 
 
CONTENTS OF BOVINE DEPAETMENT. 
 
 SECTION XIV. — The Rinderpest, or Contagious Pleuro- 
 pneumonia. 
 
 (Page 419-438.) 
 
 Origin of the Disease in Massachusetts — Spread of the Disease — The Cattle 
 Plague in Kentucky. 
 
 SECTION XV. — Diseases of the Organs op Respiration. 
 
 (Page 439-456.) 
 
 Croup — Laryngitis — Bronchitis — Inflammation of the Lungs — Hoose or Com- 
 mon Catarrh — Epizootic Catarrh — Consumption — Pharyngitis (Sore Throat) — 
 Pulmonary Apoplexy — Pleurisy, and Description of the Pleura. 
 
 SECTION XVI. — Diseases of the Digestive Organs. 
 
 (Page 457-491.) 
 
 Description of the (Esophagus — Foreign Bodies in the Gullet — (Esophagot- 
 omy — Laceration of the (Esophagus — Aphthse — Description of Stomach — Rumi- 
 nation — Bloat — Distension of the Rumen with Food — Gastro-intestinal Inflam- 
 mation — Dentition of Cattle — Synopsis of Dentition — Suspended Rumination, or 
 Loss of Cud — Inflammation of the Bowels — Invagination of Intestine — Diar- 
 rhea — Chronic Diarrhea — Gut Tie — Internal Rupture of Oxen — Flatulent Colic — 
 Spasm of the Bowels — Constipation of Bowels. 
 
 SECTION XVII.— Parturition. 
 
 (Page 492-502.) 
 
 Signs of Labor, or Parturition — Natural Labor — Unnatural Labor — Fore-legs 
 Presenting — One Fore-leg Presenting — Head Presenting without the Legs — Ex- 
 traction of a Calf on its Back — Hind Legs Presenting— Breech Presentation — 
 Cleansing, or Removal of the After-birth — Back of the Calf Presenting at the 
 Brim of the Pelvis — Uterine Hemorrhage — Birth of Twins — Triplets, 
 (xii) 
 
CONTENTS OF BOVINE DEPARTMENT. Xlll 
 
 SECTION XVIII. — Diseases op the Generative Organs. 
 
 (Page 503-516.) 
 
 Constriction of the Neck of the Uterus — Embryotomy — Treatment of Cows 
 during Pregnancy — Symptoms of Pregnancy — Dropsy of the Womb — Puerperal 
 Fever — Falling of the Womb. 
 
 SECTION XIX. — Diseases of the Udder, Teats, etc. 
 
 (Page 517-528.) 
 
 Mammitis — Stricture in Cows' Teats — Obstruction at the end of the Teats — 
 Obstruction in the Teats — Tumors in the Teats — Injuries to the Teats — Sore 
 Teats — Chapped Teats and Chafed Udder — Inversion of the Vagina — Laceration 
 of the Vagina — Abortion — Inflammatory Affections of the Hind Limbs after 
 Calving. 
 
 SECTION XX. — Diseases of the Urinary Organs. 
 
 (Page 529-539.) 
 
 Description of the Urinary System — The Ureters — The Bladder — The Ure- 
 thra — Hematuria — Inflammation of the Kidneys — Urinary Calculi — Calculi in 
 the Bladder — Black Water — Red Water. 
 
 SECTION XXI. — The Heart — Its Function and Diseases. 
 
 (Page 540-552.) 
 
 Description of the Heart — The Heart's Function — Diseases of the Heart — Di- 
 latation of the Heart — Pericarditis — Hypertrophy — Endocarditis. 
 
 SECTION XXII. — Diseases of the Eye and its Membranes. 
 
 (Page 553-561.) 
 
 Description of the Eye — Humors of the Eye — Coats of the Eye — Muscles of the 
 Eye and Eyelids — Ophthalmia — Foreign Bodies in the Eyes — Specific or Period- 
 ical Ophthalmia — Cancer in Cattle. 
 
 SECTION XXIIL— Hernia, or Ruptures. 
 
 (Page 562-567.) 
 Forms of Rupture — Inguinal Hernea — Strangulated Hernia — Ventral Hernia. 
 
 SECTION XXIV.— Diseases op the Bones. 
 
 (Page 568-599.) 
 
 Cachexia Ossafraga — Bone Disorders — Mechanism and Structure of Bones — 
 Composition of Bones — Ultimate Constituents of Bones — Dilitation of the Jaw 
 
XIV CONTENTS OF BOVINE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 Bones — Abscess beneath the Periosteum, at the Angle of the Jaw — -Exostosis, or 
 Deposit of the Calcareous Matter on the Surface of Bones — Caries, or Ulceration 
 of Bones — Preliminary to Horn-Ail — On Sympathy and the Sympathetic Relations 
 which exist in the Animal Economy — Horn-Ail — Tail-Ail. 
 
 SECTION XXV.— Diseases op the Brain. 
 
 (Page 600-610.) 
 
 Inflammation of the Brain and its Membranes — Sturdy in Cattle — Shaking 
 Palsy — Hydrophobia. 
 
 SECTION XXVI.— The Liver and its Diseases. 
 
 (Page 611-619.) 
 
 Description of the Liver — Secretion of Bile; its Uses, etc. — Gall-bladder — In- 
 flammation of the Liver — Hydatids — Jaundice, or Yellows. 
 
 SECTION XXVII.— Diseases op the Skin. 
 
 (Page 620-630.) 
 
 Exanthemata, or Eruptive Fever — Mange — Foul in the Foot — Warts — Gad- 
 flies — Yoke Galls — The Hair of Cattle an Epidermic Appendage — Pemphygis or 
 Vesicular Eruption — Cracks in the Heels of Cattle. 
 
 SECTION XXVIIL— Various Operations and Diseases. 
 
 (Page 631-667.) 
 
 Castration — Enzootic Milk Sickness, or Trembles — Improved Method of Milk- 
 ing — Diseased Thymus Gland — Cords in Young Calves — Steamed and Cooked 
 Food for Stock — Cheap Fodder for Cows — Black Tongue — Fractured Bones — 
 Fractured Radius of a Calf — Light in Barns — Diarrhea in Calves — Sprains or 
 Strains — Spaying Cows. 
 
 SECTION XXIX.— Remarks on the Cattle Plague. 
 (Page 668-705.) 
 
 SECTION XXX.— Diseases op Sheep. 
 
 (Page 706-716.) 
 
 Improvement in Sheep — Rot, or Hydatids in the Liver — Yellows — Vertigo, or 
 Giddiness: — Jackets or Blankets for Sheep — Foot-rot — Grubs in the Nostrils — 
 Ticks — Inflammation of the Eye — Inflammation of the Lungs — Common Catarrh — 
 Diarrhea and Dysentery — Constipation of the Bowels — Tympanites, or Windy 
 Distension of the Intestines and Abdomen. 
 
CONTENTS OF BOVINE DEPARTMENT. XV 
 
 SECTION XXXI.— Diseases op Swine. 
 
 (Page 717-746.) 
 
 Effects of Impure Air on Swine — Measles in Pork — Quinsy — Hernia, or Rup- 
 ture — Intestinal Worms — Hog Cholera — Trichina Spiralis. 
 
 Guide to Diagnosis 755 
 
 Table of Weights 768 
 
 Glossary 769 
 
 Index 773 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 EQUINE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 Skeleton of the horse 18 
 
 Ahorse bent on mischief— the subject 
 
 of phrenitis 59 
 
 The test for tetanus or locked-jaw 70 
 
 Contents of the thorax 89 
 
 Representation of the insertion of the 
 
 tracheotomy tube 93 
 
 Nasal polypus 102 
 
 Appearance of the tumor of broncho- 
 
 cele 104 
 
 Plan of a vapor bath 114 
 
 Main arteries on the inside of one of 
 
 the fore legs 126 
 
 The horse's age, as shown by the 
 
 teeth, twelve illustrations 127—132 
 
 Section of a horse's head showing 
 
 glanders 148 
 
 Section of a horse's head in a healthy 
 
 condition 149 
 
 Burning a horse's mouth for lampas.. 161 
 
 CEstrus equi, (bots) 172 
 
 CEstrus hemorrhoidalis 174 
 
 Appearance of the intestines on open- 
 ing the abdominal cavity.... 202 
 
 Surgical instruments used in veteri- 
 nary practice 238 
 
 Acarus, or itch insect 274 
 
 Curbs and elbow tumor 320 
 
 A foundered, or dead lame horse 324 
 
 View of some of the deep-seated mus- 
 cles in the region of the hock and 
 
 stifle 328 
 
 External muscles and tendons of the 
 off hind leg 334 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Extremity of one of the fore legs 351 
 
 Section of a diseased spine 361 
 
 The patella or stifle bone diseased 363 
 
 Articulating surface of the lower end 
 
 of the thigh bone 365 
 
 Spavined in off hind leg— ring bones 
 
 on all pasterns 371 
 
 A perfect fore leg 379 
 
 Mode of operating for thoroughpin, 
 
 splint and spavin 379 
 
 Bottom of the hoof represented 379 
 
 Anatomy of one of the fore legs 386 
 
 BOVINE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 Representation of the geneology of 
 pleuro-pneunionia as it occurred 
 
 in Massachusetts 418 
 
 Section of a cow's stomach 459 
 
 Imported Dutch cow "Purmer" 474 
 
 Dentition of cattle, fourteen illustra- 
 tions 475-477 
 
 Falling otf the womb 513 
 
 The heart, its circulation 541 
 
 Celebrated bull "Dutchman" 552 
 
 View of some of the superficial mus- 
 cles 567 
 
 Pelvis and ribs diseased and distorted 578 
 
 Specimen of an Alderney bull 610 
 
 Trichina spiralis and ova, as seen in 
 the muscles of the human subject, 
 
 magnified 736 
 
 Trichina spiralis in pork, magnified 737 
 Trichina in various stages of develop- 
 ment 744 
 
EQUINE DEPARTMENT, 
 
SKELETON OF THE HORSE 
 
 FROM A CELEBRATED ANATOMICAL MODEL. 
 
 (Engraved expressly for this work.) 
 
THEORY AND PRACTICE 
 
 OF 
 
 VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 ON THE CAUSES OF DISEASE. 
 
 Remarks on Veterinary Science, and the Relation it bears to Social 
 Science — Veterinary Science; how to Inaugurate it — What Benefits 
 have we derived from its study inflammation; its nature and treat- 
 MENT. 
 
 TO explain the cause or causes of disease occurring among 
 domestic animals is an herculean undertaking, when ex- 
 pounded by the theory and faulty logic as applied to the ancient 
 method of reasoning on " false facts ; " but, thanks to the genial 
 spirit of progression and improvement, we are enabled to throw 
 some light on the subject. We have been taught to believe that 
 many of the causes of disease are invisible and mysterious; but 
 this is not the fact. We are in possession of evidence going to 
 show, very conclusively, that the causes of disease may be classi- 
 fied very distinctly and intelligently under two heads, viz. : Pre- 
 disposing and Exciting ; yet this classification is not offered by 
 the author as absolute, but is a more convenient arrangement 
 than any other to study the multifarious conditions which people 
 believe are remotely or immediately concerned in the production 
 of disease. For example, many interesting and valuable facts are 
 on record, going to show that the peculiar properties, characters, 
 and qualities of the parent — whether good or bad, healthy or dis- 
 
 (19) 
 
20 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 eased, external or internal — are transmitted to the offspring; or, 
 in common phraseology, are predisposing and hereditary. 
 
 "Among horses and cattle, we find, as in the human subject, 
 ample illustration of the hereditary tendency of external form, 
 disposition, habit, and disease. The parent transfers to its off- 
 spring size, shape, and general conformation similar to its own; 
 and the aphorism, ' like produces like/ is as applicable to faulty 
 and disproportioned as to beautiful and symmetrical form, to dis- 
 eased and debilitated as to healthy and vigorous constitution, to 
 gentle and tractable as to fiery and indomitable disposition. The 
 size, weight, general appearance, expression of countenance, fleet- 
 ness, and temper of the horse are all hereditary. Many illustra- 
 tions might be given of particular families being remarkable, 
 during several generations, for good or bad points, as for well or 
 ill-formed head ; for high and well-developed or for low and weak 
 withers; for fine, strong, and well-turned, or for coarse, weak, 
 and ill-formed limbs. Peculiarities of color often extend through 
 many generations, and are so constant in their transmission as 
 sometimes to form one of the distinctive characteristics of a race. 
 Indeed, most breeds of horses have a prevailing color, to which 
 there are few exceptions. The heavy horses of Lincolnshire, for 
 example, are generally of black; the Cleveland, bay; and the 
 wild horses of the plains of Eastern Siberia, dun. Particular 
 markings, also — as white spots on various parts of the body, stars 
 and blazes on the face, one or more white feet or legs — often con- 
 tinue for many generations, and are peculiar to certain families. 
 
 " There are some maladies in which it is comparatively easy to 
 trace the connection between conformation and disease. In the 
 horse, certain sorts of limbs notoriously predispose to certain dis- 
 eases. Thus, bone spavins are most usually seen where there is 
 a disproportion in the size of the limb above and below the hock ; 
 curbs, where the os calcis is small and the hock straight ; strains 
 of the tendons of the fore-leg, where the limb is round and the 
 tendons and ligaments confined at the knee; and navicular dis- 
 ease, where the chest is narrow and the toes turned out. Among 
 horses so formed, these diseases are unusually common, and are 
 developed by causes which would be quite inadequate to produce 
 them in animals of more perfect conformation. But it appears to 
 us that internal and constitutional hereditary diseases also depend 
 upon the altered conformation or texture of the parts specially 
 
ON THE CAUSES OF DISEASE. 21 
 
 affected, or of some disturbance of the relation which should subsist 
 between the different constituents of these parts. This abnormal 
 state of the internal parts is seldom within the limits of our means 
 of observation or investigation ; but its existing in animals having 
 an hereditary predisposition to disease can not, we think, be doubted, 
 as we shall now endeavor to show. The ground of our reasoning 
 rests chiefly on the analogy which subsists, in all respects, between 
 external and internal parts. The same law which regulates the 
 hereditary transmission of form, texture, and relation of external 
 and visible parts, also operates with equal force in regard to the 
 form, texture, and relations betwixt the component parts of inter- 
 nal, and, it may be, inaccessible to ordinary powers of investiga- 
 tion. Then if, as we have shown, external hereditary diseases, 
 such as lamenesses, are traceable to external hereditary peculiari- 
 ties of conformation, we do not think it pushing our analogy too 
 far in asserting that, in like manner, internal hereditary diseases 
 must, in great part at least, depend upon some inherent hereditary 
 peculiarity of the internal parts affected." 
 
 The common disease known as bone spavin is inherent, or de- 
 pendent on predisposition, as related above ; for the author never 
 knew a horse to be the subject of this malady unless he had faulty 
 hocks; or, in other words, in so far as the conformation of the 
 parts were concerned, predisposition was evident. The same re- 
 marks apply to ringbone. Either the pasterns are too upright, 
 thereby causing jar and concussion, or they slant unnaturally, 
 and the consequence is, strain of the ligamentary structures, end- 
 ing often in ringbone and other osseous diseases. 
 
 Ample evidence can be adduced to show that various diseases 
 of the eye are hereditary. The tendency to ophthalmia shows it- 
 self in a peculiar conformation of the eye, and parts in the vicinity 
 of it. Periodical ophthalmia is notoriously hereditary, and usually 
 ends in cataract. 
 
 Colic, also, can be traced to inherent tendencies; for animals 
 subject to flatulent colic are known to have a morbid appetite; 
 they have, also, a large, roomy abdomen, which gives them an 
 ungainly appearance. Yet it is true that diseases may occur 
 accidentally, without the intervention of predisposition ; but pre- 
 disposition exists in almost all cases, and it only requires some 
 anatomical and physiological knowledge on the part of husband- 
 men to detect it. 
 
22 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 F. Dun, a lecturer in the Edinburgh Veterinary College, tells us 
 that diarrhea and colic are, to a certain extent, hereditary, " inas- 
 much as they are very prone to attack horses of particular form 
 and constitution, as those with narrow loins, large flat sides, and 
 of what is generally termed a washy appearance. If such animals 
 be overworked, (especially soon after being fed,) if their food be 
 suddenly changed, or if they be allowed an unusual quantity of 
 fluid, they are almost certain to be attacked either by purging or 
 colic. The tendency to these diseases appears, in such cases, to 
 depend on a want of adjustment among the different organs of the 
 body ; a want of balance among the different functions of diges- 
 tion, circulation, and respiration. 
 
 " Many farm-horses, as well as others without much breeding, 
 are remarkable for consuming large quantities of food, for soft 
 and flabby muscular systems, and for round limbs containing an 
 unusual proportion of cellular tissue. These characters are no- 
 toriously hereditary, of which indubitable evidence is afforded by 
 their existence in many different individuals of the same stock, 
 and their long continuance, even under the best management and 
 most efficient systems of breeding. Such characters indicate pro- 
 clivity to certain- diseases, as swelled legs, weed, and grease. If 
 horses of this description stand long, the circulation of the blood 
 through the limbs is retarded ; for, as the contraction of the mus- 
 cles which materially aid circulation are wanting, the blood in the 
 veins rises with difficulty against its own gravity, while the soft 
 and lax condition of the venous coats, and of the muscles in con- 
 tact with them, permits the passage of the fluid parts of the blood, 
 giving rise to a serous effusion, which is soft, and pits on pressure. 
 This anasarcous condition, although troublesome, and frequently 
 recurring, is easily removed by friction, exercise, or a little physic, 
 and does not unfit the animal for ordinary work. 
 
 " But the same conformation and constitution which induce sim- 
 ple swelled legs also give rise to the more serious affection known 
 as weed, or a shot of grease. This consists in ,a disturbance of the 
 balance which naturally subsists between the waste of the system 
 and the supply of new material to repair that waste. Food is as- 
 similated in larger quantity than the wants of the system require ; 
 the chyle so formed accumulates in the absorbent vessels and 
 glands, which become, in consequence, irritated and inflamed. 
 That part of the absorbent system situated in the hinder extremi- 
 
ON THE CAUSES OF DISEASE. 23 
 
 ties is usually the principal seat of the disease. The animal sud- 
 denly becomes lame; the inguinal and other glands in the groin 
 become enlarged and very painful, and the swelling and pain 
 gradually extend downward along the course of the absorbents, 
 while the limb becomes a great deal larger than its natural size. 
 There is, at the same time, a good deal of constitutional fever, 
 with a full and bounding pulse. The swelling of the leg is, in 
 the first instance, inflammatory, being hot and tender, and the 
 skin, over the part affected, hard and tense. Such swellings may, 
 by judicious treatment, be removed ; but, in cases of a chronic 
 character, or where the same limb has been previously affected^ 
 lymph is effused, forming hard and nodulous, and even diffuse 
 swellings, which often cause lameness, by interfering with the mo- 
 tions of the joints or tendons. These indurated swellings must 
 be carefully distinguished from the serous effusions above noticed, 
 which, although giving the animal an unsightly appearance, do 
 not materially impair his usefulness. 
 
 " Grease consists in a morbid condition of the sebaceous glands 
 of the horse's heels and fetlocks. It occurs in various degrees of 
 intensity; sometimes as a mere scurfy itchiness of the skin about 
 the fetlocks, more commonly of the hind extremities ; sometimes 
 attended with much inflammation, causing great heat, pain, and 
 swelling, and an ichorous fetid discharge ; sometimes^causing fall- 
 ing off of the hair about the heels, and the formation of deep 
 cracks and fissures; and sometimes becoming so violent and in- 
 veterate as to cause eversion of the sebaceous glands, formation 
 of granulations, and secretion of pus, constituting the loathsome 
 complaint termed the grapes. There are few diseases better de- 
 serving the epithet of hereditary than grease, and few in which 
 the hereditary nature can be more easily discovered and traced. 
 Almost every practitioner can bring to his recollection cases show- 
 ing the tendency of this disease to descend from parent to off- 
 spring. A friend of mine, some years ago, purchased a valuable 
 four-year old entire horse, adapted for agricultural purposes. 
 When bought, he appeared perfectly sound, and his limbs were 
 nearly black, well-formed, and fine ; within a short time, how- 
 ever, they became thick and greasy. And, although the mares 
 to which he was put were perfectly free from such faults, the prog- 
 eny have shown, in every case where they can be traced, unmis- 
 takable evidence of their inheriting the greasy diathesis of their 
 
24 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 sire. They have all been found liable to swelled legs when they 
 stand idle for a few days ; most of them have been the subjects of 
 repeated attacks of weed ; all are affected, particularly in spring, 
 with scurfiness of the skin of the hind extremities and excessive 
 itchiness, and lose, at a very early age, their flatness and smooth- 
 ness of limb. The faults occur, to a greater or less degree, in all 
 the stock of this horse, by many different mares, and are dis- 
 tinctly traceable to the third generation. But, although grease 
 is undoubtedly hereditary, and is, therefore, readily induced by 
 comparatively simple causes, still it is frequently caused, and is 
 always aggravated, by neglect of cleanliness; and of this there is 
 ample evidence in the fact that it is most common in foul and 
 badly-managed stables, and where no pains are taken to keep the 
 horses' feet and legs clean and dry." 
 
 The scrofulous predisposition is very marked in certain breeds 
 of horses; it occasions rickets, softening, deformity, and various 
 forms of disease in the bones, as, for example, big head, big jaw, 
 etc. The same author, just quoted, says in reference to scrofula: 
 
 " From their weak and unsound constitution, horses of a scrof- 
 ulous diathesis are unusually prone to glanders and farcy — two 
 forms of a disease peculiar (at least as an original disease) to the 
 equine species. As has been already remarked, it is characterized 
 by a specific unhealthy inflammation, identical in all important 
 characteristics with the syphilitic inflammation in man. From the 
 dire and loathsome nature of glanders, and the terror in which it 
 is held, animals affected by it are never used for breeding, so that 
 we have little opportunity of judging of its hereditary nature. 
 There is no evidence (so far as I know) which proves it to be di- 
 rectly hereditary,* but there is no doubt that the progeny of a 
 glanderous horse would exhibit an unusually strong tendency to 
 the disease. Its ordinary predisposing causes are, many of them, 
 hereditary ; it is very prone to attack animals of a weak or vitiated 
 constitution. It is emphatically the disease which cuts off all 
 horses that have had their vital energies reduced below the 
 healthy standard, either by inherent or acquired causes. Glan- 
 
 * "Though I am not aware of any facts proving glanders to be congenital, yet 
 I think there is every probability that such is the case ; for it is notorious that 
 syphilis, the analagous disease in the human subject, is congenital, and often 
 appears at birth in the children of women affected by that disease." 
 
ON THE CAUSES OF DISEASE. 25 
 
 ders is, also, sometimes caused by inoculation ; is frequently pro- 
 duced in healthy subjects by mismanagement, as by insufficient 
 food, want of shelter, and overwork; and often supervenes on 
 bad attacks of influenza, strangles, diabetes, and other diseases 
 which debilitate the system, or impair the integrity of any of its 
 more important parts. These causes appear to possess the power 
 of engendering in the constitution of a horse a peculiar poison, 
 which, as it reproduces itself, and spreads to all parts of the body, 
 gives rise to the characteristic symptoms of glanders, causing, 
 sooner or later, a breaking up of the system, and a fatal prostra- 
 tion of the vital powers. This poison produces in the blood ab- 
 normal changes, which vitiate that fluid, and unfit it for healthy 
 nutrition.* From the irritant action of the morbid fluids passing 
 through them, the lymphatic glands and vessels become inflamed, 
 and lymph is deposited. This, however, being of an unhealthy 
 nature, soon runs on to softening, which extends to the skin over- 
 lying the part, and ulcerating farcy-buds are formed. On the 
 surface of the more vascular mucous membranes effusions of tu- 
 bercular matter are also poured out ; these take on an unhealthy 
 inflammation, and degenerate into chancrous ulcers, which may 
 generally be seen on the mucous membrane of the nostrils in most 
 bad cases of glanders. 
 
 " These are the most common scrofulous diseases of horses ; but 
 an animal of the scrofulous diathesis, besides being specially sub- 
 ject to these, is little able to withstand ordinary morbific causes, 
 and hence is also unusually liable to many ordinary diseases ; in 
 such a subject, too, disease is very apt to be severe and complicated, 
 and to be acted on tardily and imperfectly by all remedies." 
 
 Having now furnished the reader with a few valuable facts 
 bearing on hereditary predisposition, we shall briefly discourse 
 
 * "A comparison of the two subjoined analyses will show the great difference 
 in composition between the blood of healthy and of glanderous horses — a differ- 
 ence consisting chiefly in a diminution of the red corpuscules, and a propor- 
 tional increase of the fibrine and albumen. 
 
 Blood of Healthy Horse. Blood of Glanderous Horse. 
 
 A. B. 
 
 Water 804.75 842 859. 
 
 Fibrine 2.41 6.60 8.7 
 
 Blood corpuscules 117.13 68.20 44.20 
 
 ILrnen".:::::::::::::::::::: ^ ? 6 - 80 82 - 27 
 
 Soluble salts 6.82 6.60 5.38 
 
 Simon's Animal Chemistry, by Dr. Day, vol. 1, pp. 346-7." 
 
26 DADD'S VETERINARY SURGERY AND MEDICINE. 
 
 in reference to some of the exciting causes which in general pro- 
 duce those diseases to which the horse, by virtue of his constitu- 
 tion, is liable. The following quotation, brief and pointed, will 
 be found pertinent : 
 
 " By far the easiest and best mode of curing diseases of animals 
 is to keep the diseases and the cattle separate. With cattle, as 
 with ourselves, disease is caused, in most instances, by an excess 
 of carefulness or of carelessness. Too much and too rich food is 
 as injurious as too little and too poor. Perhaps fewer diseases, 
 in proportion to the numbers treated in each way, spring from 
 privation than from surfeit. Too little as well as too great 
 exposure to extremes of heat and cold has a tendency to create 
 disease; in the one case it causes disease, in the other it renders 
 man or animal more liable to it. Let a wealthy and a warm- 
 hearted man own and take charge of a favorite animal, and the 
 chances are that it will be 'killed with kindness;' if it is tended, 
 in part, by a hireling, the equilibrium may be restored. In our 
 experience — no very limited one, by the way — care is more needed 
 among cattle than cures ; and all the diseases which came under 
 our treatment sprang from the want of judicious care. Has a 
 cow a cough, has she the hoven, has she the red-water, or the 
 puerperal fever? it is from over care — too much warmth or too 
 much feed. Is she mangy, lousy, hide-bound, or affected with 
 horn-ail ? the chances are that she has been neglected. Of course 
 there are very many exceptions to this and to every other general 
 rule. But this is our experience. Let few farmers, however, 
 feed their animals less than they now do, or give them more airy 
 lodgings than they now do, because the greater number of the 
 cattle in this country suffer from privation and exposure to the 
 inclemencies of the weather rather than from pampering. But 
 animals, as well as men, will, with the best care we can bestow 
 on them, become sick at times. Our judgment is often at fault 
 when our intentions are the best. Sometimes our back is turned, 
 or our eyes are not opened sufficiently wide. At all events, our 
 stock will become sick, some of them ; and recourse must be had 
 to medical remedies." 
 
 It is usual to classify causes ; yet, for all practical purposes, it is 
 only necessary for us to know that exciting causes are those from 
 which disease most directly springs. For example, suppose that in 
 the act of shoeing a horse a nail is driven in a wrong direction, 
 
ON THE CAUSES OF DISEASE. 27 
 
 enters the sensitive tissues of the foot, and lameness occurs ; the 
 nail r in this event, may be classed as a special or mechanical 
 exciting cause; and, under the same head, we class poisons and 
 injuries of all sorts. 
 
 When horses become the subjects of glanders, or farcy, by being 
 exposed to the maladies, they are then said to have taken it either 
 by infection or contagion, and the cause is said to be specific. 
 The terms infection and contagion are now used as synonymous, 
 and, undoubtedly, if reference be had to the etymology of the 
 words, the arrangement is correct. Coming now to plain matter 
 of fact, the exciting cause of disease is that which, when taken 
 into the body, or applied outwardly, is followed by disease or 
 derangement. 
 
 The exciting causes of disease may, therefore, be summed up 
 thus: Debility, induced by bad management, exposure, unwhole- 
 some food; plethora, brought on by over-feeding and want of 
 exercise; overdosing animals with improper medicines and 
 poisons; overtaxing the muscular powers of the animal, and the 
 breathing of an impure atmosphere. 
 
 A great proportion of the diseases occurring among horses and 
 cattle in the Western States is due to the fact that they are not 
 properly housed at night, and the food that they often gather in 
 their exposed situations lacks the nitrogenous and nutritious 
 matter for the manufacture of good, healthy blood and strong 
 muscles. 
 
 Disease sometimes, however, occurs when no exciting nor any 
 other cause appears; yet, with the exception of those maladies 
 supposed to be produced by miasmatic influences, it is proMble 
 that the cause, in such cases, has not been discovered. Finally, 
 it may be said that the causes of disease among animals are within 
 their bodies as well as around and about them. 
 
 Veterinary Science, and the relation it bears to Social Science. — 
 The necessity which exists for the services of educated Veteri- 
 nary Surgeons throughout the United States, and in cavalry regi- 
 ments of the United States army, is evident to every thinking 
 man ; yet, prior to the advent of our late national troubles, it 
 was found almost impossible to interest the right kind of men, 
 so that they might use their influence for the purpose of direct- 
 ing the attention of the General Government to the value and 
 
28 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 importance of veterinary science ; but the probability is that Con- 
 gress will soon legislate on the subject, and before long we may 
 expect to hear of the appointment of a Veterinary Surgeon and 
 Assistant Surgeon to each cavalry regiment. 
 
 There exists no earthly reason why our profession should not 
 rank as high in America as in England and France. The great 
 losses which are continually occuring among army horses is a 
 monstrous and growing evil, and, in view of preventing unneces- 
 sary diseases and premature deaths, the Government must organ- 
 ize a veterinary corps. 
 
 It is very important that our science should attract the notice 
 of legislators; for it bears a very intimate relation with social 
 science, inasmuch as men and animals are subject to similiar 
 diseases, which are communicable one to the other, and which 
 often arise spontaneously, and are transmitted from first to second. 
 For example, there is a disease which often occurs among cattle, 
 known as "Anthrax." It is a malignant disease, and many 
 persons have lost their lives by absorbing the virulent "anthrax 
 poisons " from the carcasses of dead animals. 
 
 A cutaneous disease often occurs among the bovine species, 
 known as "ring-worm," which aifects the hands and arms of 
 some persons who attend such animals. 
 
 It is asserted, also, that the vesicular murrain, which at times 
 prevails among cows, gives rise to the development of a virus 
 which is often squeezed into the milk-pail, and produces very bad 
 effects on children when fed on the same. 
 
 It has been discovered that the little vesicles found in measled 
 pork are tape-worms, in a certain stage of development, and if 
 not destroyed by thoroughly cooking the infected meat, may 
 develop the dangerous parasite in the human intestines. 
 
 That awful disease known as virulent " glanders " (spontaneous 
 in some horses) has destroyed many of our race. A small por- 
 tion of the glandered matter coming in contact with an abraded 
 or absorbing spot on any part of a man's body, will surely cause 
 him to die the most horrible of all deaths ; and the same remarks 
 apply to the disease known as " malignant farcy." 
 
 We might enumerate many other forms of disease which are 
 communicable from the superior orders of animality to the in- 
 ferior, and vice versa, but the above must suffice, in view of 
 attracting attention to the value and importance of the subject. 
 
ON THE CAUSES OF DISEASE. 29 
 
 In regard to the origin of diseases, it is known to the nrofession 
 that the diseases of men and animals are often due to similar 
 causes ; that the evils of domestication, which operate to develop 
 disease in animals, are as notorious as the evils of civilization, 
 which induces unnecessary diseases and premature death among 
 members of the human family ; therfore, our science does bear 
 an intimate relation to social science, and it appears to us that no 
 scientific mind can fail to appreciate the advantages to be derived 
 from a more extended knowledge of the fundamental principles 
 of veterinary science. 
 
 Let the husbandmen and stock-raisers of this country put their 
 shoulders to the wheel, in view of establishing veterinary schools 
 and colleges throughout the length and breadth of our immense 
 agricultural domain, and soon we can boast of having a class of 
 veterinary surgeons, educated on American soil, conversant with 
 the diseases incidental to the live stock of America. In that event, 
 we can do our own doctoring, without foreign interference. 
 
 We are not disposed to find fault, nor scold about the itinerant 
 veterinary practice which prevails throughout the United States, 
 for we are aware that all try to do the best they can for the relief 
 of the inferior orders of creation. The fault is not with the prac- 
 titioners, but with the people, who have failed to furnish the 
 means of education. 
 
 Resume. — Since writing the above, the " Trichina " disease has 
 made its appearance in Berlin, creating a terrible consternation 
 among the consumers of pork. The disease in its symptoms some- 
 what resembles cholera, but on making post-mortem examina- 
 tions, there was soon discovered in the flesh of some persons an 
 immense number of small microscopic parasites ; these were traced 
 back to the flesh of the hog, where they were discovered in the 
 form of chrysali imbedded in a little shell of lime ; these, on being 
 subjected to a slight degree of heat, speedily brought forth myriads 
 of small parasites, of various forms and sizes, a dozen of which 
 were frequently found in a piece of tissue as large as a pin's head. 
 The process of incubation was discovered to have been produced 
 in the intestines of those who had eaten the pork, by the animal 
 warmth of the stomach. Thus freed from their shells, the creat- 
 ures make their way through the walls of the intestines in every 
 direction, choosing the hard and fleshy tissues especially, and none 
 of them have yet been found in the blood. Most remarkable to 
 
30 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 relate, the " Trichina " is said to have come from the "field- 
 mouse" which the hog, by eating, introduces into his system, from 
 whence it is introduced into the system of man. A few years 
 ago, a number of persons in London were very seriously affected 
 with vomiting and dysentery after partaking of sausages, the 
 meat of which was found to be in a putrid state. Liebig, the 
 great chemist, informs us that " several hundred cases are known 
 in which death has occurred from the use of bad sausages in a 
 state of putrefaction." This kind of testimony might be multi- 
 plied to an indefinite length, but what has been written must 
 suffice. The reader can not fail to perceive that, in the study of 
 comparative anatomy and physiology, a wide field for investiga- 
 tion and research is before us, which will amply repay the devoted 
 student, and be the means of accomplishing much good. 
 
 Veterinary Science — How to Inaugurate it — Wliat Benefits have 
 we derived from its Study ? — Shortly after the commencement of 
 our late national struggle, the author was consulted in reference 
 to the most feasible plan of inaugurating Veterinary Science, so 
 that it might be made available for the restoration of sick, lame, 
 and otherwise disabled horses in the Government service, which 
 drew forth the following reply : Up to the present period there 
 exists no law authorizing the employment of regularly-educated 
 veterinary surgeons; therefore any rational plan calculated to 
 ameliorate the condition of army horses, or to prevent the many 
 unnecessary cases of disease and premature deaths which are now 
 constantly occurring, or to guard against the great pecuniary 
 losses which the Government and people of this country have 
 been compelled to submit to in the condemnation and forced sales 
 of deteriorated horses, can not, as I understand the matter, be 
 considered by the powers that be until Congress shall legislate 
 upon the subject. I now propose to inform the reader how to 
 render the knowledge we possess available. 
 
 In the first place, I should follow the systems of instruction 
 and the organizations of the veterinary schools of London, Ed- 
 inburgh, Alfort, and Saumur, and prepare suitable text-books 
 adapted to the wants of a nation of people who have never given 
 the subject that attention which its importance demands. 
 
 In the selection of pupils, I favor the plan of General McClellan, 
 which is as follows : " The pupils for the veterinary school might 
 
ON THE CAUSES OF DISEASE. 31 
 
 be selected from among the best recruits; indeed, it is not im- 
 probable that the advantages of such an institution would induce 
 excellent men to enlist for the purpose of availing themselves of 
 its benefits. Should such be found to be the results, it would be 
 well^o require them to enlist for longer than the usual time, as a 
 compensation for the time spent at school." Cavalry officers, 
 farriers, or blacksmiths should be permitted to attend lectures on 
 anatomy, physiology, and the obvious diseases and lameness of 
 horses. 
 
 In cases of emergency, a competent veterinarian should be 
 employed in each regiment, whose duty it should be to select an 
 intelligent farrier from each company, and instruct such person, 
 in a brief and practical manner, on the management of cavalry 
 horses in camps, the prevention of diseases, and the most rational 
 method of treating diseases incidental to camp life. 
 
 Should it be found impossible to secure the services of a suf- 
 ficient number of competent veterinarians for the above purpose, 
 let those who have shown themselves qualified, by an examination 
 before a medical board, march from camp to camp, give instruc- 
 tions, see that the sick and disabled are separated from healthy 
 animals, and that the former be placed in a covered hospital, and 
 then issue special regulations for the use of mounted troops in 
 garrison and in the field, for the purpose of guarding against the 
 consequences of ignorance and abuse of the animal machine. 
 
 It would be advisable to establish a veterinary professorship at 
 West Point, and there locate the National School. The Govern- 
 ment has there a very fine French model of the horse, a skeleton, 
 and various preparations of morbid anatomy, etc., which, together 
 with other material available, will furnish all that is necessary 
 for the purposes of veterinary tuition. It would also be advis- 
 able for the Chief Veterinary Surgeon to issue to his subordinates 
 such orders as shall secure proper sanitary regulations in camp. 
 The horses should be as well cared for as the troops, for in cav- 
 alry and artillery service, the success of a campaign, or attack 
 and defense, depends much on the health and efficiency of horses. 
 It should be the business of some members of the veterinary 
 corps to station themselves at accessible points, and there erect 
 temporary hospitals for the reception of sick and lame horses, 
 where the latter shall receive the benefits of a rational system of 
 medication and nursing, whereby, in their restoration to useful- 
 
32 DADD'S VETERINARY SURGERY AND MEDICINE. 
 
 ness, many millions of dollars might be saved to the Government 
 in a short time. I contend that the condemnation and ruinous 
 sale of sick and lame horses is a wanton waste of property, and 
 it would be just as rational, if rational at all, to sacrifice, neglect, 
 or abandon sick or disabled soldiers simply because they are not 
 in fit condition for present duty. 
 
 Importance of Veterinary Education. — The importance of edu- 
 cating men for the scientific practice of Veterinary Medicine and 
 Surgery is self-evident, and is further illustrated by the daily 
 experience of those persons whom, as a matter of necessity, have 
 been obliged to prescribe for the sick and dying of their flocks 
 and herds, at the same time, having no knowledge of those advant- 
 ages which a thorough course of training affords, must necessarily 
 feel that they are groping in comparative darkness, and when a 
 ray of medical light does flit across their path, it often serves to 
 make them better acquainted with their own want of skill. Per- 
 sons thus circumstanced, unable to procure the services of veteri- 
 nary surgeons, in consequence of a scarcity of the "genuine 
 material," are often called upon to assume the responsibilities of 
 medical practitioners ; and they, no doubt, prescribe with good 
 intention and honesty of purpose, but disease and death have the 
 vantage of them, for the disease is not often rightly diagnosed, 
 nor are they acquainted with the means of securing a favorable 
 issue ; and they will hail, as a great blessing, every attempt made 
 for the purpose of diffusing a knowledge of Veterinary Science. 
 
 We all know that there is greater need for scientific qualifica- 
 tion on the part of those who propose to practice on brutes than 
 in the case of a practitioner of human medicine ; and if a special 
 course of study and qualification, obtained under the guidance of 
 competent teachers at college or elsewhere, be essentially neces- 
 sary in the one case, surely they can not be dispensed with in the 
 other. Now, it is well known that prior to the introduction of a 
 rational system of veterinary medicine in the mother country, 
 millions of domestic animals were annually sacrificed at the 
 shrine of ignorance; but science came to the rescue, and now the 
 disciples of St. Bel, Coleman, their co-workers (the founders of 
 the science in England), and kindred spirits, can, by aid of their 
 vast materia medica — their anesthetic agents, their scalpel, and 
 other appliances — accomplish unheard of wonders. 
 
ON THE CAUSES OF DISEASE. 33 
 
 The Samaritans of our craft have solved the problems on which 
 the fundamental principles of physiology and pathology are 
 founded ; they have, to a certain extent, dispelled the awful cloud 
 of ignorance and empiricism which had reigned in the British 
 Isles. They have succeeded in illuminating the dense and dark 
 spots that have existed in horse and cattle practice since the ad- 
 vent of the ancient Egyptians, up to that period which introduced 
 a new era in our art. They have done more than this : our crafts- 
 men have often robbed death of some of its victims, and have 
 succeeded in blunting the keen edge of many an epizobtic sword ; 
 and thus they have succeeded in stealing a march on the grim 
 monarch of epizootic destiny. Their weapons were often such as 
 were wielded by Jenner, the benefactor of our race. Our efforts 
 may not always be successful, but as our veterinary fathers have 
 accomplished much, we ought not to despair. 
 
 The field of enterprise in the United States is composed of vir- 
 gin soil, and the " bridegroom of promise " hath not yet put on 
 the complete mantle of fertility ; so that there is a splendid chance 
 for the teachers and graduates of American schools to distinguish 
 themselves and earn the laurel of fame. , 
 
 The husbandmen of this country have also suffered immense 
 losses by the death of valuable animals, and since the landing of 
 the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock, up to this very moment, death 
 hath run riot in the camping-ground of horses and cattle, and 
 people have scarcely been informed of the " why or wherefore." 
 The legion host of " itinerant " practitioners which necessity and 
 circumstances have created, remain remarkably silent and non- 
 committal ; and probably this is the best course they can pursue, 
 for, if " ignorance is bliss," and that pays well, it would be de- 
 cidedly unbusiness-like in them to assume wisdom which might 
 not pay. 
 
 There never was a period in the history of this country when 
 the services of educated veterinary surgeons were so much needed 
 as at the present time. The live stock of " Young America " do 
 not enjoy immunity from those pestiferous epizootic maladies 
 which have in former years operated as a " withering simoom " on 
 British husbandry. For example, a dreadful malady known as 
 pleuro-pneumonia has made sad havoc among live stock in Mas- 
 sachusetts, and the terrible alarm there created in consequence, is 
 keenly felt, not only in that State, but in many others. In some 
 3 
 
34 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 of the Western States, a malady known as " milk-sickness/' or 
 trembles, afflicting both man and beast, sometimes prevails, at- 
 tended with such disastrous results that many farmers have often 
 been compelled to abandon the old homestead in view of seeking 
 a location where there was some prospect of enjoying immunity 
 from the pest. 
 
 Hog cholera, or pleuro-pneumonia, (among swine) has often 
 slain its millions and tens of millions. Contagious typhus pre- 
 vails, and puerperal fever has carried off hundreds of thousands 
 of our best stock. Apoplexy, softening of the brain, dropsy of 
 the brain, are just as prevalent here as in England. Abortion, 
 or miscarriage, is fearfully on the increase. Diseases of climate 
 and spontaneous origin are constantly occurring. In fact, to 
 shorten a lengthy story, there is scarcely any disease known to 
 the veterinarians of the Old World that has not prevailed in the 
 New. The mere mention of these matters should at once arouse 
 stock-owners to a sense of duty to themselves and their domestic 
 animals. 
 
 We must have educated veterinary surgeons for the treatment 
 of diseases peculiar to the live stock of this country. It is a mat- 
 ter of national policy, a work of benevolence; and should we 
 take a business view of the affair, it is a cent and dollar enter- 
 prise that will surely pay. 
 
 We want schools and colleges in this country, where the young 
 men of America can acquire a republican veterinary education, 
 so that in the era before us, the people in this country can employ 
 the graduates of their own schools, endowed and fostered by their 
 own enterprise and industry. Some persons have an idea that 
 veterinary science can only be acquired under the banner of roy- 
 alty, but this is a great mistake. I am aware that the people of 
 this country have been so absorbed in promoting its growth and 
 developing its resources, that there has been but little chance for 
 great scientific achievement in our calling, yet within the past 
 few years some of the most learned of our profession, educated 
 under the auspices of royalty and aristocracy, have been amazed 
 at the contributions to science furnished by a few devoted men in 
 this country that never saw the inside of an European college. 
 
 As a national affair, therefore, it should be the pride of every 
 American citizen to put his shoulder to the wheel for the purpose 
 just indicated, for the enterprise will surely redound to the honor 
 
ON THE CAUSES OF DISEASE. 35 
 
 and glory of the nation. The science which we are laboring to 
 render popular is vast and boundless as the ocean ; and although 
 it has been explored by many distinguished scholars, it is capable 
 of unfolding new truths, and when the united intellect of intelli- 
 gent Americans shall be brought to bear upon it, will advance 
 with a rapidity truly astonishing. What the American people 
 have accomplished, during the past few years, in rendering other 
 sciences popular, is proof positive of what shall occur when the 
 current of investigation is directed to the science of veterinary 
 medicine and physiology. 
 
 In the absence of educated veterinary surgeons throughout the 
 country, it is of vast importance that stock-owners generally 
 should study, as far as they can, the diseases to which their prop- 
 erty is subject, and acquire a knowledge of, at least, the ordinary 
 remedies. By doing so, thousands of dollars' worth of valuable 
 horses, cattle, and swine may be annually saved to the country, 
 and the intense misery which these poor brutes suffer frequently 
 be relieved. It is our object in this work to simplify the science 
 so that it may be acquired, to a very useful extent, by any intel- 
 ligent man. If we shall succeed in enabling stock-owners to 
 practice the healing art on their dumb but faithful companions, 
 we shall feel that we have done a good work. 
 
 Inflammation; Its Nature and Treatment. — Inflammation is said 
 to consist of pain, heat, and redness. It is usually considered as 
 an enemy to the^patient ; and we have been taught to subdue it 
 by means of bleeding and purging, at all hazards ; and some 
 practitioners, when they undertake the job, generally succeed, 
 yet they lose the patient for their pains. 
 
 Some writers have made inflammation cut up all manner of 
 pranks. It is now sanative in healing a wound or injury, in 
 repairing damages which occur in various parts of the animal 
 economy ; and in the same paragraph the writers declare that in- 
 flammation is the cause of nearly all the deaths that occur. This 
 is sheer nonsense, and will not stand the test of logic, nor the 
 daily experience of that practitioner who deals in fact, and does 
 his own thinking, independently of the dictum of some of the 
 schools, and the ancient method of reasoning on false facts. A 
 distinguished medical reformer, writing on this subject, says : 
 " Numerous hypotheses or opinions respecting the true nature of 
 
36 D'ADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 inflammation have for ages been advanced, and, for a time, sus- 
 tained ; but even at the present day the various doctrines appear 
 to be considered altogether problematical." 
 
 We often hear, in common parlance, that, " if inflammation sets 
 in, the horse will die." Now, the very reverse of this is the case ; 
 for, while inflammation lasts, there is strength, vitality, and aug- 
 mented action, though there may be much pain. This should be 
 interpreted as the warning voice of Nature, to apprise us of a loss 
 of equilibrium in the circulation of the blood, or some deranged 
 condition of the system ; and we should heed the warning, and 
 array ourselves on the side of Nature, in view of promoting a full 
 and free circulation of the blood over the system, so that there 
 shall be no excess anywhere ; and the derangement, wherever it 
 exists, must next command our attention. 
 
 While inflammation and pain exists, there is hope. Take, for 
 example, inflammation of the intestines. While that stage lasts, 
 the animal is not in danger; but so soon as inflammation and 
 pain ceases, (often accomplished through the means of bleeding 
 and narcotism,) we then open up a new page of pathology. In 
 the course of a few hours the animal dies. Of what — inflamma- 
 tion ? No. He dies of mortification, or gangrene of the bowels. 
 Therefore death was not caused by inflammation. 
 
 So in regard to phrenitis (inflammation of the brain). A cer- 
 tain amount of pain and activity in the parts are observable ; the 
 inflammation may now be attacked after the true Sangrado fash- 
 ion ; the inflammation is subdued, but still the minimal is no bet- 
 ter. He dies. Of what does he die? Not of inflammation, for 
 the autopsy reveals, very often, softening of the brain, and fluid 
 is found within the lateral ventricles. Softening of the brain is 
 equivalent to gangrene (death of a part). Then, again, horses 
 can not be said to die of inflammation when the practitioner de- 
 clares that he heroically subdued it some time previous to the 
 death of the animal. 
 
 There is no proof that bleeding has any directly beneficial 
 influence over the course of inflammations, either external or in- 
 ternal. Surgeons never bleed now in external inflammation ; and 
 educated and liberal physicians have given up all arguments in 
 favor of the practice for internal inflammation. Good, in his 
 " Study of Medicine," seems to have given us some definite in- 
 formation regarding the effect of blood-letting in inflammation. 
 
ON THE CAUSES OF DISEASE. 37 
 
 which should agree with the sentiments of all men desiring to see 
 veterinary science joined in the march of improvement which is 
 now progressing in almost every other department of science and 
 industry. " The immediate effect of profuse and repeated bleed- 
 ing is exhaustion. While this exhaustion continues there is a 
 diminution of action of every kind, and hence an imposing ap- 
 pearance of relief to the symptoms of disease ; but it no sooner 
 takes place than an instinctive effort is made by the vis medica- 
 trix natura to remedy the evil hereby produced, and to restore the 
 system to its former balance of power. This balance is called a 
 rallying, or reaction of the living principle. The arteries con- 
 tract to adapt themselves to the measure of blood that remains ; 
 the sensorial organ is roused to the secretion of a large proportion 
 of nervous power to supply the inordinate drain that takes place. 
 During the general commotion, all is in a state of temporary 
 hurry and urgency, and, for the most part, irregularity of action, 
 while the instinctive effort is proceeding. And hence, no sooner 
 is the immediate effect of prostration and exhaustion overcome 
 than the heart palpitates, the pulse beats forcibly with a jerking 
 bound, the head throbs, and the eyes flash fire. Now, it often hap- 
 pens that these concurrent signs are mistaken for proofs of latent 
 or increased vigor, instead of being proofs of accelerated action ; 
 and action, too, that adds as largely to the exhaustion as the de- 
 pletion that produced it; and the unhappy patient is bled a 
 second, a third, and even a fourth time,* till no reaction follows, 
 at which time it il strangely supposed that the plethora or inflam- 
 matory diatheses is subdued and lulled into a calm, because the 
 patient has been so far and fatally drained of the living principle 
 that there is no longer any rallying or reactive power remaining, 
 and gives up the ghost, in a few hours, to the treatment instead of 
 the disease." This is the case with thousands and tens of thou- 
 sands of valuable animals that annually die in this country, in 
 
 * My attention was recently called to a valuable stallion, which had lately 
 been brought from Nova Scotia. He was attacked with what the attending 
 would-be physician called "founder," but which was a pure case of acute rheu- 
 matism. In three different bleedings, forty-two pounds of blood had been ab- 
 stracted! and I found the patient so weak and prostrated that he was scarcely 
 able to stand. It seems to me that every man having the least spark of charity 
 for so noble an animal as a horse, should discountenance such outrageous treat- 
 ment as this. 
 
38 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 consequence of our misguided notions of inflammation, and our 
 want of knowledge of a suitable remedy to treat it. But a 
 brighter day is dawning, and the antiquated notions of disease 
 and its treatment are fast giving way to a more rational and suc- 
 cessful system ; and the day is not far distant when blood-letting 
 for the cure of inflammation will be entirely abandoned. 
 
 It is very gratifying to the author to be able to record that 
 many of the progressive medical writers of the present day are 
 on the right side of Nature, teaching us that " she is ever busy, 
 by the silent operation of her own forces, in the cure of disease;" 
 and they are inaugurating a very great and desirable revolution 
 in the theory and practice of human as well as veterinary medi- 
 cine. 
 
 Nature of Inflammation. — The physical characteristics of in- 
 flammation are, as I have just written, redness, heat, pain, and 
 sometimes swelling. It is, and always was physiologically, oper- 
 ating for the good of humanity and the inferior orders of creation. 
 Its curative power none can dispute. We see it, in the form of a 
 blush, on the cheek of offended humanity. Friction, injuries, 
 poisons and disease, etc., excite Nature to hoist the symbol of dis- 
 tress — inflammation. She calls loudly for help, but she does not 
 always get it ; and instead of acknowledging her autocracy, and 
 furnishing what she wants to use in her own way, viz. : the water, 
 oil, and wine of the ancient Samaritans, we offer fire, knife, and 
 poison. 
 
 Inflammation being an exalted condition of local arterial cir- 
 culation, it can only be excited by some mental emotion, injury, 
 loss of function, or by what is known as disease, in parts adjacent 
 or remote from its seat. Hence, all diseases of an acute charac- 
 ter are preceded and accompanied, to a certain stage or period, by 
 inflammation. Hence, also, according to ancient usage and the 
 dictum of alma mater, we are constrained to talk and write as 
 though inflammation was the great evil or disease which required 
 our services; and thus we coquette with Nature by means of 
 sharp-edged tools, while the actual disease steals a march on us, 
 and we lose the patient in consequence of our want of knowledge. 
 
 Treatment of Inflammation. — Inflammation being more or less 
 active, according to the intensity of the disease of which it is a 
 
ON THE CAUSES OF DISEASE. 
 
 39 
 
 forerunner, or rather an indication, and being accompanied by- 
 pain, it becomes our duty merely to restore the equilibrium of the 
 circulation. This removes the inflammation, and promotes a free 
 and full circulation of the blood all over the system, so that there 
 shall be no excess (inflammation) anywhere. This is what we 
 call subduing the inflammation, with this difference, however, 
 that we resort to natural means and sanative medication instead 
 of using the fleam and cathartics. The means are warmth, moist- 
 ure, stimulants, and friction ; and clothing to the extremities and 
 to parts of the body that are cold ; and cold applications to parts 
 that are unnaturally hot. One of the best equalizers of the cir- 
 culation is the " Roman bath," the vapor bath, and wet packing. 
 Should the inflammation exist internally, then give plenty of 
 warm water, emolient drinks, and emolient enemas, and keep up 
 a physiological action and heat on the surface of the body by 
 means of friction and warm clothing. In this simple way the 
 circulation of the blood is equalized, or, in other words, the in- 
 flammation is " cured ; " and, at the same time, this treatment may 
 cure the disease as well as the inflammation. 
 
SECTION II. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE EYE. 
 
 Amaurosis, or Glass Eye (Gutta Serena) — Foreign Bodies ■within the Eye- 
 lids — Specks, or Film on the Eye, known as Opacity of the Cornea — 
 Cataract — Worm in the Eye — Ophthalmia — Treatment of Inflammation — 
 Purulent Ophthalmia — Specific Ophthalmia. 
 
 Amaurosis ("Glass Eye" — Gutta Serena.) 
 
 AMAUROSIS is known to most men as " glass eye." Physi- 
 cians, however, have named the disease gutta serena. The 
 abnormal condition, which consists in dilatation of the pupil, un- 
 influenced by light or darkness, is occasioned by paralysis of the 
 optic nerve and its ultimate expansion. 
 
 Causes. — Some horses, of an excitable, nervous temperament, 
 often become the subjects of dilated pupil, without any assignable 
 cause ; while that form of amaurosis occurring among plethoric 
 subjects, or those whose digestive organs are deranged or occupied 
 by a large quantity of undigested food, (they, the subjects border- 
 ing on that state known as stomach staggers,) can easily be ex- 
 plained on the well-known law of sympathy. 
 
 We may, however, with propriety, assign a cause for its occur- 
 rence in the eyes of nervous, excitable horses ; for this very con- 
 dition of the nervous system, which gives rise to the excitability, 
 perhaps goes to show that the brain is actually diseased, either in 
 function or structure. Animals subject to this affection are gen- 
 erally of a " bony," spare, muscular development, and have wiry 
 sinews, thin tapering ears, delicate lips and nostrils, diminution 
 in the quantity of the hair in the mane and tail, but remarkable 
 for compactness of texture. We generally find, under ordinary 
 circumstances, the black color preponderates in nervous horses 
 over the various shades of equine coloring-matter found in the 
 (40) 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 41 
 
 hair, eyes, etc. I had a case of this kind, and the owner s state- 
 ment was as follows : The animal (mare) had been in his posses- 
 sion about five years. She had four successive attacks of blindness, 
 which had never been treated by a certified surgeon, and it was 
 concluded that she must have a periodical attack in spite of all 
 efforts to prevent it. Now, this is what we call a case of idio- 
 pathic periodical amaurosis, and if it does not owe its origin to 
 some hereditary idiosyncracy, it is the result of an abnormal con- 
 dition of the brain. 
 
 When our attention shall be called to a case of this character, 
 we must bear in mind the fact that this animal survived four 
 periodical attacks of the same malady, and performed the ordinary 
 duties of a horse, in the intervals of health, with far-seeing eyes, 
 and without the aid of science ; and this goes to show that this 
 condition of the nervous structure of the eyes of some horses, as 
 well as many other diseases incidental to them, are often " self- 
 limited," and the subjects will recover, if carefully nursed and 
 left unembarrassed by " poisonous drugs." This opinion is in- 
 dorsed by some of the most distinguished surgeons of the present 
 day. I have no desire to try to saddle the reader with any pecu- 
 liar notions of medication emanating from my own fancy or 
 brains. I am not offering sensible people a mirror of my own 
 reflection, but I wish to present the truth in that mirror, so that 
 they may see it and judge for themselves. Excessive medication 
 is a quicksand which we must try to avoid. Thousands of well- 
 meaning medical aspirants have actually committed professional 
 suicide by clinging to the absurd theory of medication as prac- 
 ticed in bygone days. The lancet, and many of the heroic medi- 
 cines which our predecessors placed great confidence in, and in 
 their writings have urged us to use, are now almost discarded. 
 It is not because an essential change has taken place in the nature 
 of equine maladies, but because we have greater faith in Nature as 
 our curative agent, and have become better acquainted with anat- 
 omy, pathology, and physiology. 
 
 But to resume the subject of amaurosis. If from the history 
 of the case, we have reason to believe that it is of a periodical 
 character, and if it be the sequel to, or an accompaniment of, 
 some hereditary affection, we may be sure that the malady will 
 exist for a certain length of time in spite of all we may do. In 
 such cases, all that is necessary is to have the animal comfortably 
 
42 D'ADD'S veterinary medicine and surgery. 
 
 housed, fed on a light, laxative diet, and pay careful attention to 
 the condition of the secretory and excretory functions of the 
 body. 
 
 That form of amaurosis occasioned by a deranged condition of 
 the digestive organs, plethora, or over-distension of the same, will 
 cease so soon as the cause is removed, and may be considered as 
 a sympathetic affection. 
 
 What that cause is we must endeavor to decide on by careful 
 examination, and then frame our plan of treatment in accordance 
 with the indications to be fulfilled. 
 
 Should we consult authorities on amaurosis, we shall find that 
 much diversity of opinion exists. Youatt, who is quoted in 
 this country by some persons as high authority, has mistaken the 
 disease, or else has strangely distorted facts. He contends that 
 " the treatment of amaurosis is quite as difficult as that of cata- 
 ract." Now, every one knows that cataract occurring among 
 horses is notoriously incurable ; and Peectvall writes, " A man 
 must be able to perform miracles ere he cures cataract." 
 
 Now, I contend that amaurosis, or dilatation of the pupil, is not 
 of itself a disease, but the symptom of one ; hence, between cata- 
 ract — a disease resulting from altered structure of the eye — and 
 amaurosis there exists no analogy. Whenever altered structure 
 exists in the mechanism of the eye, then we have an incurable case. 
 
 Mr. Spooler, the reviser of Youatt's work on the horse, as- 
 sures us that amaurosis is often connected with diseased liver, 
 thus controverting Youatt's theory of incurability ; for animals 
 often recover from very severe attacks of liver disease. 
 
 I have called the attention of our readers to the opinions of 
 Youatt, Peecivall, and Spooner merely to show the import- 
 ance of exercising our own reasoning faculties. We must not 
 place too much confidence in mere book authority, no matter how 
 high the source, unless experience and intelligence indorses the 
 theory or facts in the case. 
 
 Speculative and false theories are only surface deep. They need 
 not the eye of the philosopher, nor the mental genius of a Web- 
 ster, in order to discover their flimsy texture and develop the 
 truth. Those who propose to do their own thinking have the 
 ability to judge between right and wrong. Let us commit to 
 memory all matters which appear as facts, and forget the rest. 
 
 Amaurosis can be artificially produced by administering a few 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 43 
 
 doses of extract of belladonna, and this amaurotic state of the 
 pupil is also observed during etherization, and disappears so soon 
 as the animal is restored to consciousness. 
 
 Perc'ivall informs us that amaurosis may proceed from some 
 abnormal condition of the optic nerve or brain, which may prove, 
 as he says, the last link of a series of marked phenomena, origi- 
 nating in some remote part of the body, operating sympathetically 
 on the nervous system, and, through it, extending to the eye. 
 Cases are occasionally met with which may be termed symptomatic 
 amaurosis, occasioned by congestion, tumors, or hydrocephalus. 
 
 Symtomatic amaurosis may follow cranial fracture, and, con- 
 sequently, depression. In such cases, the skill of the surgeon is 
 called into requisition to trephine the uninjured region of the 
 skull, in order to elevate the depressed and fractured parts. The 
 potent remedy is the removal of the pressure. Amaurosis is oc- 
 casionally associated with ansemia. Now, anaemia is a condition 
 of the body which indicates a loss of the circulating fluid, either 
 of quantity or quality. The remedy for this condition is carbo- 
 naceous food, mineral and vegetable tonics. Preparations of iron 
 and golden seal are the best remedial agents. 
 
 Symptoms. — I shall now turn the reader's attention, for a mo- 
 ment, to some of the symptoms attending the amaurotic condition. 
 The head of the patient is elevated, and he is known, in popular 
 language, as a " star-gazer." His ears are kept in constant mo- 
 tion, one turned backward and the other forward, in quick suc- 
 cession, to catch the sound of approaching vehicles, so that he 
 may have timely notice of their whereabouts. When started, 
 and while walking, the fore-feet are raised from the ground to an 
 unnecessary height. This is probably done for the purpose of 
 sounding the ground, and, at the same time, of avoiding obstacles 
 which may lie in the road ; for the sight is defective, and the 
 animal must depend more on the senses of hearing and feeling. 
 
 Should such an animal be attached to a vehicle and left alone 
 in the street, we shall observe that when an omnibus or heavy- 
 loaded wagon approaches him he becomes restless, and exhibits 
 signs of fear. Such are the principal symptoms which usually 
 accompany defective sight, or total paralysis of the optic nerve, 
 producing amaurosis. 
 
 Treatment — Sympathetic amaurosis should be treated by means 
 of antispasmodics and alteratives. One ounce of tincture of assa- 
 
44 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 fetida may be given every morning, and in the evening, one ounce 
 of the fluid extract of sassafras. So soon as the animal regains 
 his natural vision, the medicine may be discontinued. 
 
 Foreign Bodies within the Eyelids. 
 
 When foreign bodies, such as small particles of hay or dirt, get 
 within the eyelids, they create great pain and uneasiness, and if 
 allowed to remain there, produce a very grave form of disease, 
 often ending in disorganization and total blindness. Should any 
 thing of the kind be discovered, it may be removed by raising 
 the upper or depressing the lower lids ; then introduce and ex- 
 plore the eyeball by means of a camel's hair pencil, to which the 
 foreign body will usually adhere, when it is easily brought away. 
 The parts should then be sponged with lukewarm water. After 
 the lapse of a few hours, should the membranes of the eye and 
 lids appear much reddened, use the following : 
 
 No. 1. Rose water 4 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of gelserninum 2 dr. 
 
 Put the patient on a diet of sloppy bran mash, and place him 
 where the rays of sunlight shall not affect the eye. 
 
 Films or Specks on the Eye, known as Opacity 
 of the Cornea. 
 
 Opacity of the cornea sometimes results from injuries ; at others 
 the} 7 are symptomatic, and accompany other diseases. They are 
 of very common occurrence in the various stages of influenza and 
 other catarrhal affections, and sometimes a distinct speck will 
 remain long after the disease which gave rise to it has disappeared. 
 The author remembers many cases in which the sight has been 
 completely destroyed by using substances of a corrosive or stimu- 
 lating character. The proper mode of treatment is to bathe the 
 eye occasionally with a portion of the following lotion : 
 
 No. 2. Fluid extract of bloodroot 1 oz. x 
 
 Water 8 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Give the patient one ounce, morning and evening, of fluid 
 extract of phytolacca decandra (poke-root). This acts as an 
 alterative, and will expedite the cure. 
 
diseases of the eye. 45 
 
 Cataract. 
 
 Cataract in the horse is usually the result of previous attacks 
 of disease. It consists of opacity of the crystalline lens, or the 
 capsule of the same. The disease is incurable, because if an opera- 
 tion was performed for the breaking-up or depression of the 
 cataract, such as is practiced in human medicine, vision would 
 still be as imperfect as ever without the aid of magnifying glasses, 
 which would be a great inconvenience to the horse, and scarcely 
 of any practical service. 
 
 Worm in the Eye. 
 
 Small parasites are occasionally observed in the eyes of horses. 
 They float about in the watery humor, often for a great length of 
 time, without appearing to do any mischief; yet, being a foreign 
 body, they are, to say the least, injurious. The author has never 
 seen but one case of worm in the eye, and that occurred in a 
 horse, the property of a resident of Chicago. The animal was 
 kept on exhibition for the inspection of the curious, and was the 
 scource of considerable profit to the owner. It is possible that 
 such worm might be extracted by a surgical operation. A writer 
 in the " Veterinary Review " thus alludes to this affection : 
 
 " It may also be here noticed that there is a disease which fre- 
 quently affects the eyes of horses in India, but which, as far as I 
 know, has never been observed in Europe. A worm, which, from 
 the description I have received from different people, may be 
 compared to the common ascaris, is generated in the anterior 
 chamber, and can at times be distinguished swimming about, with 
 apparently great vigor, in the aqueous humor. It produces a 
 great deal of irritation and inflammation, the effects of which 
 ultimately destroy the organ. The natives of India cure the 
 disease by making an incision through the cornea, and extracting 
 the worm. Though I have never had an opportunity of examin- 
 ing an eye affected with this curious disease, the circumstantial 
 accounts, from several accurate observers, leave no doubt in my 
 mind of its existence; and the fact accords with what is known 
 to take place regarding the formation of worms, not only in the 
 human body, but more particularly in the liver, lungs, brain, and 
 other organs of the inferior animals." 
 
46 dadd's veterinary medicine and surgery. 
 
 Ophthalmia, or Acute Disease of the Eye. 
 
 This is a very common affection, yet a most painful one, and 
 can not well be mistaken. The animal keeps the eyelids closed. 
 They are more or less swollen, and the internal surface of the same 
 appears very red. There is an unnatural flow of tears running 
 down the cheeks. The haw, or nictitating membrane, is swollen 
 and very vascular. This condition of the haw is known to some 
 persons as the hooks, and serves as an excuse for the performance 
 of a barbarous operation, not sanctioned by science or common 
 sense, viz. : amputation of the haw, which only aggravates the 
 disease, and deprives the horse of a useful appendage to the organs 
 of vision. 
 
 In the early stage of this disease, and when scalding tears run 
 copiously over the cheeks, we denominate it catarrhal ophthalmia. 
 The disease is not of a very serious nature, but often becomes so 
 in consequence of the outrageous treatment practiced, such as 
 bleeding, purging, and the local application of lunar caustic. 
 The proper mode of treatment is to keep the patient on a light 
 diet, and occasionally bathe the region of the eye with an infusion 
 of poppies or hops ; sometimes with tepid or cold water, as the case 
 may seem to indicate, according to the rational judgment of the 
 owner of the afflicted animal. It is the very best application that 
 can be made, and is much more scientific, according to the dictum 
 of the God of Nature, than many of the agents heretofore used. 
 The fact is, many indications of disease designated as inflamma- 
 tion are curable only through the intervention of time and a 
 rational expectancy. Don't do any violence to nature in the 
 use of destructive or poisonous agents, and should the case be 
 curable, it will terminate favorably under this treatment. Ac^ 
 cording to the dictum of the schools of veterinary medicine, 
 inflammation of the eye, as well as inflammatory action of other 
 parts of the body, has to be treated heroically, which system of 
 treatment kills more than it ever cures. As the subject of inflam- 
 mation is a very important one, worthy the attention and con- 
 sideration of American husbandmen, I here introduce an article 
 from the pen of A. S. Copeman, who was formerly associated 
 with me in conducting the "Veterinary Institute of Boston," 
 Massachusetts : 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 47 
 
 Treatment of Inflammation. 
 
 " Tt must be admitted by all who contemplate the actual state 
 of medical practice at the present day, that the use of blood-let- 
 ting and of other antiphlogistic remedies, has, within a recent 
 period, greatly declined. According to You att and Percivall, 
 such remedies, and more especially blood-letting, were formerly 
 highly successful in arresting diseases, in the treatment of which 
 we now know they not only fail, but are even highly injurious. 
 The inference has been drawn from these supposed facts, that in- 
 flammation itself is no longer the same ; that its type has altered 
 from an inflammatory to a typhoid character. In short, it seems 
 to have been the opinion of certain writers that an advanced 
 knowledge of physiology and pathology has had little influence 
 in producing this great revolution in our treatment, but that the 
 constitutions of animals are fundamentally altered, and that medi- 
 cal men were as right in bleeding thirty years ago as they are 
 correct in now abstaining from it. In opposition to these views, 
 it will be my endeavor to show, 1st, That little reliance can be 
 placed on the experience of those who, like Blain, Percivall, 
 and Youatt, were unacquainted with both histology and organic 
 chemistry, and, per consequence, the nature of inflammations ; 
 2d, That inflammation is the same now as it has ever been ; 3d, 
 That the principles on which blood-letting and antiphlogistic 
 remedies have hitherto been practiced are fallacious, and opposalR 
 to pathology ; 4th, That an inflammation once established can 
 not be cut short, and that the object of judicious medical practice 
 is to conduct it to a favorable termination ; 5th, That all positive 
 knowledge of the experience of the past, as well as the more ex- 
 act observations of the present day, alike establish the truth of 
 the preceding propositions as guides for the future. 
 
 1st Proposition. — That little reliance can be placed on the ex- 
 perience of those who, like Blain, Percivall, and Youatt, were 
 unacquainted with histology, and, per consequence, the nature of 
 inflammations. 
 
 Inflammation, for many years, was generally recognized, espe- 
 cially in external parts, by the existence of pain, heat, redness, 
 and swelling, and in internal parts by fever, accompanied by 
 pain and impeded function of the organ affected. In fact, groups 
 of symptoms, in accordance with the nosological systems of the day, 
 
48 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 constituted inflammation. But the school of morbid anatomy, 
 by showing that inflammation was a diseased condition of a part, 
 entirely overthrew the errors and confusion inherent in all such 
 nosological systems ; while more recent histological research, by 
 exhibiting to us that inflammation is, in truth, a disease of nutri- 
 tion, governed by the same laws that determine growth and waste 
 of the tissues, has united physiology and pathology into our 
 science, and has removed our present knowledge still further from 
 the traditional errors of the past. Now, if it could be shown that 
 the group of symptoms formerly called inflammaticn always in- 
 duced the same morbid lesions, former experience might still be 
 useful to us. But we contend that this is what clinical observa- 
 tion proves to be impossible. Such are the contradictory state- 
 ments and the confusion resulting from the unacquaintance of the 
 past race of practitioners with a correct diagnosis and pathology, 
 that no confidence whatever can be placed in their impressions 
 as to what cases were benefited by bleeding. Medicine is not a 
 scientific art, which is dependent for its principles on the study 
 of a commentary on the older writers. What they thought and 
 what they said are not, and ought not, in a question of this kind, 
 to be our guide as to what was or is. On the contrary, it is the 
 book of Nature, which is open to all, that Ave ought to study ; and 
 why should we read it through the eyes of past sages, when the 
 light of science was comparatively feeble and imperfect, instead 
 of bringing all our improved modern appliances and advanced 
 knowledge to elucidate her meaning ? 
 
 2d Prop. — That inflammation is the same now as it has ever 
 been. 
 
 The essential nature of inflammation has been already alluded 
 to, viz. : a series of changes in the function of a part, terminating 
 in exudation or effusion of lymph. Now, what proof is there 
 that any of these necessary changes have, of late years, undergone 
 any modification ? If a healthy animal receives a blow, or any 
 other injury, are the resulting phenomena, in these days, in any 
 way different from those which took place in the days of Youatt 
 and Percivall? Were the effects which followed wounds in 
 1830 different from those which resulted from similar injuries in 
 1860? This has not yet been shown. Again : if a healthy horse, 
 nowadays, be exposed to wet and cold, and be seized with an 
 inflammation of the lung or pleura, is not the lung hepatized in 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 49 
 
 the one case ? and does not effusion follow in the other, in exactly 
 the same way as formerly ? But what should this asserted change 
 in the nature and character of inflammation lead us to infer ? It 
 is said that inflammation and its results are entirely changed 
 within the last thirty years. It is, then, argued that horses, in all 
 parts of the world, since the days of Blain, Youatt, and Pee- 
 civall, have become so debilitated and deteriorated ; that their 
 constitutions have been so altered for the worse; that, attacked 
 by the same lesion, and to the same exfent, there is no longer the 
 same reaction. If so, where is the evidence of this ? 
 
 For my own part, I have earnestly sought for but can not dis- 
 cover a shadow of evidence for such a belief. Moreover, I have 
 a most lively remembrance of all the facts and circumstances con- 
 nected with the bleeding of hundreds of patients, thirty years ago, 
 when I first commenced the study of veterinary medicine, and my 
 impression is, that not the slightest difference exists between the 
 character of inflammation now and what it was then. 
 
 3d Peop. — That the principles on which blood-letting and anti- 
 phlogistic remedies have hitherto been practiced are fallacious and 
 opposed to pathology. 
 
 Large and early bleeding have been practiced, under the idea 
 that, by diminishing the amount of circulating fluid, 1st, the 
 materus morbi in the blood would be diminished ; 2d, less blood 
 would flow to the inflamed parts ; 3d, the increased quantity of 
 blood in the part would be lessened ; 4th, the character of the 
 pulse was the proper index to the amount of blood that ought to 
 be drawn. Let us examine a few of these principles of practice. 
 The increased throbbing and circulation of blood in an inflamed 
 part may be shown not to be the cause of inflammation, but the 
 result of it, and that the idea of so-called determination of blood 
 to inflamed parts is fallacious. Now, if we attend to what takes 
 place in the finger from a thorn entering the skin and remain- 
 ing unextracted, we find the irritating body first acts upon the 
 cellular constituents — the nerves and blood-vessels of the part; 
 then comes on the congestion and exudation, and, lastly, follows 
 the throbbing, which is the evidence of so-called determination, 
 and result of the inflammation, and not a cause of it. The blood, 
 in this case, instead of being sent by a vis a tergo, is, in fact, 
 drawn by a vis afronte, and, as we shall endeavor to show, for 
 the most important purposes. But why should Nature, in cases 
 4 
 
50 DADDS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 of inflammation, draw an increased amount of blood toward the 
 part? She does so, it seems to us, in obedience to one of her 
 wisest laws, but one which has been too much ignored by medical 
 practitioners. It must be obvious, however, that an inflamma- 
 tion having occurred, the great work now to be accomplished is 
 the removal of the exudation — to eliminate from the injured part 
 either directly by discharge externally, or by passage into the 
 blood, to be finally excreted through the emunctories. In all 
 such cases, the blood is not sent or determined, but drawn to the 
 part, in consequence of the increased actions going on in them ; 
 in short, it is absolutely imperative that the part in which these 
 changes go on should receive more blood than in health. But, 
 hitherto, medical practitioners have supposed that this phenome- 
 non is injurious, and ought to be checked by blood-letting and. 
 antiphlogistics. The rapid flow of blood, which is so necessary, 
 they have sought to diminish, and the increased amount in the 
 neighborhood of the part which is so essential for the restoration 
 to health, it has been their object to destroy. In doing so, we 
 argue they act in opposition to sound theory, and, as we shall 
 afterward attempt to show, good practice, also. 
 
 The inconsistency of the theraupeutical rules on this head will 
 become more manifest when we remember that it is necessary, in 
 the opinion of many medical practitioners, not only to weaken 
 the pulse when it is strong, but to strengthen it when it has been 
 made weak. Now, although it is obviously good practice to sup- 
 port the strength when the calls upon the nutritive functions 
 have exhausted the economy, it is injurious to diminish, by blood- 
 letting, the nutritive processes themselves, when they are busily 
 engaged in operating on the exudation and eliminating the mor- 
 bid products. In short, the phenomena of fever and excitability 
 accompanying inflammation have been wrongly interpreted, and 
 danger is to be apprehended from them, not directly, but from 
 the subsequent exhaustion which all great exertions of the animal 
 economy produce. In themselves, these exertions are sanative, 
 and indicate the struggle which the economy is engaged in when 
 attempting to get rid of the diseased processes ; and whenever we 
 lessen the vital powers at such a critical juncture, we diminish 
 the chances of that struggle terminating favorably. This propo- 
 sition seems to be universally admitted in the case of essential 
 fevers, and its truth ought to be accepted equally in inflammation. 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 51 
 
 It has been argued, however, that the immediate effect of blood- 
 letting justifies the practice. But, assuming it is granted that 
 in some cases the pain is for a time relieved by bleeding, and 
 that in pneumonia the respiration temporarily becomes more free, 
 at what a cost are those advantages obtained, should the patient 
 be so weakened as to be unable to rally ! Even if he does rally, 
 a large bleeding almost always prolongs the disease. Of course, 
 we are now speaking of a true pneumonia, and not of that com- 
 bination of symptoms commonly called a chill, or lung fever. 
 
 4th Prop. — That an inflammation once established can not be 
 cut short, and that the object of judicious medical 'practice is to 
 conduct it to a favorable termination. 
 
 There was a time when it was supposed that the progress of 
 influenza, distemper, and many other specific fevers which are now 
 generally allowed to run their natural course, could be arrested by 
 medical interference. But with regard to them has been estab- 
 lished the principles, first, of prevention, and, second, when this 
 fails, of simply conducting them to a favorable termination. 
 
 It appears to me that the same rule ought to hold with regard 
 to internal inflammations, and that this will be admitted when it 
 is made apparent, not only that every inflammation, once formed, 
 runs through a definite course, but what that course is. This I 
 now proceed shortly to consider. If a violent blow or injury has 
 been received, a greater or less amount of exudation is infiltrated 
 among the contused and torn tissues, which undergo disintegra- 
 tion, is absorbed and excreted from. the economy; if not, it col- 
 lects, in the form of a fluid, and constitutes an abscess. The 
 series of changes here referred to have always been found to be 
 best perfected in animals of vigorous constitutions, while in the 
 weak, poor, and broken-down they proceed slowly, or not at all. 
 Surely, it can not be maintained that in cases similar to the above, 
 we can favor the reparative processess by blood-letting and low- 
 ering the strength of the economy ? 
 
 But in internal inflammations, say of the lungs or intestines, 
 are the processes different ? Certainly not. But because the pro- 
 cesses by which Nature relieves herself have been hid from view, 
 physicians have supposed that instead of treating the inflamed 
 parts, as the surgeon does, he ought to attack the general symp- 
 toms which result from the lesion. In cases of fracture and con- 
 tusion there are also febrile symptoms, increased pulse, and so on ; 
 
52 DADDS VETERINARY SURGERY AND MEDICINE. . 
 
 but does the surgeon imagine that callous will form better, or an 
 abscess be resolved or reach maturity sooner, by general blood- 
 letting and antiphlogistics ? Experience teaches him otherwise; 
 and in the same manner it may be most reasonably argued that 
 such treatment can not favor the natural termination of internal 
 inflammations. 
 
 5th Prop. — That all -positive knowledge of the experience of the 
 past, as well as the more exact observation of the present day, alike 
 establish the truth of the preceding propositions as guides for the 
 future. 
 
 Before it is possible, however, to determine with exactitude the 
 value of any practice, it is essential to ascertain the natural dura- 
 tion of the disease we propose to treat. Fortunately, we have 
 now some data which will enable us to arrive at this information 
 with regard to many diseases. We have seen many severe cases 
 of pneumonia submitted to homepathic remedies — that no rea- 
 sonable medical man can suppose to be any thing else than inert — 
 yet most of these cases got well, and, I think, may be considered 
 as excellent studies of the disease left entirely to Nature. Many 
 years' experience and close observation have convinced me that 
 uncomplicated pneumonia, especially in young and vigorous con- 
 stitutions, almost always gets well, if, instead of being lowered, 
 the vital powers are supported, and the excretion of effete pro- 
 ducts assisted. It is in exactly these cases, however, that we were 
 formerly enjoined to bleed most copiously, and that our systematic 
 works even now direct us to draw blood largely, in consequence 
 of the supposed imminent danger of suppuration destroying the 
 texture of the lung. Such danger is altogether illusory, and the 
 destruction to lung tissues, so far from being prevented, is far 
 more likely to be produced by the practice. In fact, the only 
 cures in which it occurs are in the aged or enfeebled constitutions, 
 in which nutrients, and not antiphlogistics, are the remedies indi- 
 cated. We can, however, readily understand how blood-letting, 
 practiced early, and in young and vigorous constitutions, does less 
 harm, or, to use a common expression, is "borne better," than 
 when the disease is advanced, or the patient weak, and this be- 
 cause then the vital powers are less affected by it. But that it 
 cures the greater number of animals attacked, or shortens the 
 duration of the disease, is disproved by every fact with which we 
 are acquainted. Before closing, we have a few words to offer on 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 53 
 
 1 mercurials.' The confident belief in their power of causing ab- 
 sorption of lymph, by operating on the blood, is not only opposed 
 to sound theory, but, like blood-letting, is not supported by ex- 
 perience, which has been so confidently appealed to in their favor. 
 I can not, therefore, resist the conclusion that the principles which 
 led to an antiphlogistic practice in inflammation were erroneous, 
 and are no longer in harmony with the existing state of pathology. 
 I think it has been further shown, that in recent times our success 
 in treatment has been great just in proportion as we have aban- 
 doned ' heroic remedies,' and directed our attention to furthering 
 the natural progress of the disease. 
 
 Internal inflammations are cured, not by bleeding and drugs, 
 but by a natural process as distinct and definite as the process of 
 normal nutrition. What we may do by our interference, may 
 either aid, promote, and even accelerate, this natural tendency to 
 get well, or it may very seriously impair and retard, and even 
 altogether stop, that salutary process. If, then, this view of the 
 nature of the means by which inflammation is resolved in internal 
 organs be correct, it is not unreasonable to assume that a very de- 
 pressed state of vital power is unfavorable to the healing process. 
 
 Indeed, if you watch those cases in which nothing at all has 
 been done, or in which nothing has been done to lower the vital 
 powers, you will find that the mere inflammatory process itself, 
 especially in an organ so important as the lung, depresses the 
 strength of the patient each day more and more. You will per- 
 ceive, then, that, according to these views, there are strong a priori 
 reasons in favor of the policy of upholding our patients, even in 
 the earliest stages of acute diseases, by such food as may be best 
 suited to their digestive organs, such as is most readily assimi- 
 lated, and calls for the least effort, the smallest expenditure of 
 vital force for its primary digestion — nutritive matters, tea, 
 sweetened milk, etc., and also alcohol, which is directly absorbed, 
 and tends to keep up the heat of the body. 
 
 If, then, it has been satisfactorily shown, in consequence of our 
 advanced knowledge of diagnosis and pathology, that an anti- 
 phlogistic practice is opposed to the cure of diseases, it follows that 
 many of the principles which have hitherto guided us in their 
 treatment must be considerably modified. That medical practice 
 has undergone a great revolution during the last fifteen years, is 
 a fact already so well established that it can be no longer denied. 
 
54 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 In my discourse on inflammation, reference was made to the 
 views held by the c neuro-pathologists.' ■ Now, nervous pathology 
 has been in medicine the ' great scape-goat' upon which more 
 professional sins have been heaped than any other. 'Nervous 
 exhaustion/ nervous irritation, etc., are a few of the many terms 
 with which we seek to cloak our ignorance of the real nature of 
 many disorders, the intimate nature of which is beyond our ken. 
 Many accomplished practitioners still maintain that abnormal, 
 vital phenomena may be, and are likely to be, occasioned by 
 dynamic aberrations alone, and that such phenomena are cor- 
 rectly designated as functional disease. We can not concur in 
 this opinion. What is called force of every description is con- 
 nected with, if not dependent on, changes in the atoms of matter. 
 Force is the hypothetic agent which underlies the phenomena of 
 material change : and to affirm that dynamic modifications of vital 
 function may exist without alteration of material organization, is 
 to ignore the fundamental principles of philosophic physiology. 
 All diseases, therefore, in our opinion, is organic, even mental 
 and nervous diseases of every kind and form. Not a thrill of 
 sensation can occur, not a flashing thought or a passing feeling 
 can take place, without changes in the living organism ; much less 
 can diseased sensation, thought, or feeling occur without such 
 changes — changes which we are not able to detect, and which we 
 may never be able to demonstrate, but which we are, nevertheless, 
 certain of. For, whether we adopt the theory that the states and 
 things which we call heat, electricity, vitality, etc., are distinct 
 entities of what is called 'imponderable' matter, or the far more 
 probable theory that they are only phenomena belonging to 
 ordinary ponderable matter, an atom or a cell, charged with 
 electricity or heat, or in a state of chemical activity, is essentially 
 in a different condition to a cell or an atom in chemical or elec- 
 trical equilibrium with surrounding substances. Organic actions 
 can not exist without corresponding changes' in material con- 
 dition. The only force capable of explaining any of the phe- 
 nomena of life is the chemical one, and this only in a state of 
 constant activity and interminable change. In disease, the chemi- 
 cal composition of the cells, or general matter, is altered from the 
 standard of health, and this alteration of chemical composition is 
 the real groundwork of organic disease. Those abnormal states 
 which depend upon an altered condition of the blood, are not less 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 55 
 
 strictly organic than all other diseases ; for not only can no change 
 take place in the composition of the blood without in some de- 
 gree affecting all parts which are nourished by it, but that this 
 fluid is, strictly speaking, itself a living organism, and every 
 change which takes place therein is organic. Life can not be 
 arrested without material change in the organs necessary to life. 
 Every autopsy in which we fail to discover these changes, proves 
 merely that our knowledge of life and death is defective, not that 
 the changes do not exist." 
 
 Pueulent Ophthalmia. 
 
 Purulent ophthalmia takes its name from the profuse discharge 
 of pus, or matter, which escapes from the eyelids. In regard to 
 the human subject, the authorities contend that there are several 
 varieties of this malady prevalent in man, one of which, the Egypt- 
 ian ophthalmia, is contagious ; but no such disease was ever known 
 to occur among horses. 
 
 Causes. — The various maladies which affect the eyes sometimes 
 owe their origin to accidents; at other times they occur in badly 
 ventilated stables, where a large number of horses are congregated 
 together, and then they are supposed to be contagious. But it ap- 
 pears that there is no necessity, in such case, to advance the theory 
 of contagion, by way of explanation of the outbreak ; for the same 
 cause which produced the malady in the first horse would be more 
 or less operative in all the rest. A hot, foul atmosphere has a 
 very bad effect on the eyes of both men and horses. The mem- 
 brane lining the eyelids, which also covers the eyeball, is very vas- 
 cular and sensitive, and is extremely susceptible to irritation from 
 the action of the ammoniacal gases which prevail in foul stables; 
 hence, in order to prevent the disease, proper attention must be 
 paid to ventilation and cleanliness. 
 
 Treatment. — For the treatment of purulent ophthalmia the au- 
 thor recommends the following lotion : 
 
 No. 3. Powdered chlorate of potass -| oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of matico 1 oz. 
 
 Water 8 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 A portion of this lotion should be applied to the eyes, by means 
 of a soft sponge, two or three times a day ; the eyes as well as the 
 
56 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 lids must, however, be previously cleansed with lukewarm water. 
 The patient should have a few doses of fluid extract of poke-root. 
 About half an ounce of the extract, night and morning, will suffice, 
 which will act as an alterative. 
 
 Specific Ophthalmia. 
 
 This form of disease affects animals periodically, and is depend- 
 ent on some peculiar predisposition; hence it may be termed 
 hereditary. 
 
 Symptoms. — There usually comes on very suddenly, perhaps in 
 a single night, a great tenderness in one eye, commonly marked by 
 the eyelids being shut, a copious secretion of tears, the white of the 
 eye appearing slightly red, and the whole anterior chamber of the 
 eye dim and clouded, there being no distinct speck on the cornea, 
 as takes place in the common inflammation of the eye. The red- 
 ness of the eyeball is never very remarkable, even though the 
 disease assumes its most aggravated form ; but the dimness of the 
 anterior chamber increases rapidly, and in two or three days, or 
 even a shorter period, a yellow spot appears at the bottom of that 
 cavity, arising from the formation of pus. Sometimes the quantity 
 of pus is very considerable, and I have seen it fill at least two- 
 thirds of the anterior chamber. After lasting one, two, or three 
 weeks, the inflammation and watering usually begin gradually to 
 subside. The pus, though in very large quantity, is sometimes 
 almost entirely absorbed, so that scarcely any vestige is to be seen ; 
 and in other instances thin webs of opaque matter remain, which 
 destroy the transparency and luster of the eye, and which, by their 
 adhesion to the edges of the pupil, interfere with its motions and 
 destroy its form. 
 
 It is astonishing how acute dealers in horses are in discovering 
 an eye which has had an attack of this kind. 
 
 Sooner or later, while the horse appears in a state of perfect 
 health, the eye is again attacked, the disease being accompanied by 
 the same symptoms, making a similar progress, and having the 
 same termination, while each new attack is accompanied with the 
 deposition of more and more opaque matter. These attacks suc- 
 ceed each other at very different, and sometimes at very distant, 
 intervals, until the whole pupil is filled with an opaque white 
 matter, and the sight of the eye completely destroyed. 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 
 
 57 
 
 During this progress, the disease is often confined to one eye ; at 
 least one eye is usually much more severely affected than the other. 
 In some cases the two eyes are simultaneously affected, and, finally, 
 by a succession of attacks, the horse becomes completely blind. 
 The probability is, that after a horse has suffered several times 
 from periodical attacks he will finally become blind. 
 
 Treatment. — The same treatment as recommended for common 
 inflammation of the eye is applicable to this complaint. 
 
SECTION III. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 
 
 Abscess within the Substance of the Brain — Hydrocephalus, or Dropsy of 
 the Brain — Stomach Staggers — Apoplexy, or Cerebral Hemorrhage— 
 -Apoplexy of Spine, or Spinal Hemorrhage, producing Paraphlegia — 
 Epilepsy, or Fits — Tetanus — Vertigo — Acute or General Disease of the 
 Brain, known as Encephalitis — Sleepy Staggers — Cerebral Meningitis — 
 Chorea, or Stringhalt. 
 
 Abscess within the Substance of the Brain. 
 
 THE author, having some doubts about the curability of abscess 
 within the brain, can not offer the reader much encourage- 
 ment as regards the cure ; yet, for the purposes of research, and in 
 view of prosecuting our Samaritan-like calling on a noble and 
 valuable animal, it is proper that the reader be put in possession 
 of the facts in the case. The symptoms and morbid conditions 
 connected with various forms of brain disease are, at the present 
 state of our knowledge, very obscure. Even in human practice, the 
 authorities contend that the subject of symptoms and conditions is 
 full of uncertainty and apparent irregularity. Doubtless there is 
 some constant and uniform connection of cause and effect between 
 the altered physical states of the brain and the altered manifesta- 
 tions of its functions, but we have not yet been successful in our 
 search after those settled relations, nor have we but partial and 
 imperfect glimpses of them. 
 
 Causes. — It is probable that the same causes which produce 
 abscess in other parts of the body, not clearly traceable to local 
 injuries, are operative in regard to the brain. Abscess is, as a 
 matter of course, always preceded by an active stage, known as 
 inflammatory, and when not called into existence by local injury, 
 must depend on both predisposing and exciting causes. The pre- 
 disposition lurks in breed, and the exciting causes may be among 
 (58) 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 59 
 
 A HORSE BENT ON MISCHIEF— THE SUBJECT OF PHBENITIS. 
 
 those which produce disorder in the digestive function or organs. 
 It is well known, however, that this, like some other diseases of 
 the brain, is constantly occurring among members of the human 
 family as well as the equine species, they being the subjects of 
 constitutional defect in the form of scrofula. Derangement of the 
 digestive organs almost always affect the brain, inconsequence of 
 sympathetic relations existing between the two. Hence, in view of 
 preventing disease of the brain, we must keep the stomach in good 
 working order, by means of an intelligent system of dietetics, and 
 the exhibition of sanative medicines when they seem to be needed. 
 Symptoms. — The observable symptoms of abscess within the bran 
 do not differ materially from those which are present in dropsy of 
 the brain. In the early stage, the animal appears lethargic, sleepy, 
 and, when urged to move, reels and comes near falling. The head 
 is usually somewhat depressed, yet it is often inclined to one side : 
 the pupil of the eye is dilated, and the membranes of the lids are 
 congested and reddened. As the disease advances, a state of torpor 
 sets in. Blindness, from pressure on the brain, ensues ; the animal 
 gets upon the floor, soon abrades the skin from the regions of the 
 hips and shoulders, until, as a matter of charity, the owner puts 
 an end to the sufferings of the patient. 
 
60 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 The lethargic condition, therefore — dilated pupils, torpor, and 
 reeling of the animal — indicate this serious difficulty in the sub- 
 stance of the brain or its cavities. 
 
 Treatment. — Should the surgeon or the proprietor of the affected 
 animal desire to attempt a cure, the author recommends the following : 
 
 No. 4 Fluid extract of stillingia, (queen's-root,) 4 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of bloodroot 3 oz. 
 
 Powdered iodide of potass 1 oz. 
 
 Water 6 oz. 
 
 Dissolve the iodide iu the water, and then add the stillingia and 
 bloodroot. 
 
 Dose, two ounces, twice daily. Local treatment in this malady 
 does not amount to much, if any thing at all, for the only way in 
 which the matter within the brain can be got rid of, if got rid of 
 at all, is by exciting the absorbents to action, so that the matter may 
 be absorbed. At the same time, alteratives are to be used ; and, for 
 this purpose, the above prescription is recommended. 
 
 Hydrocephalus (Dropsy of the Brain). 
 
 Hydrocephalus is the termination of some disorder in the brain 
 itself, or the membranes surrounding it ; yet some medical writers 
 contend that dropsy is rather a symptom of disease than disease in 
 itself. It may be so in some cases, which constitutes the exception 
 to a general rule ; but the author regards dropsy of the brain as 
 the last stage of organic disease of that organ. On the dissection 
 of the brain of some horses that have died of this malady, scrofu- 
 lous tubercles are often found in the substance of the brain, and 
 tubercular deposits also manifest themselves on the membranes cov- 
 ering the brain. In fact, the pathological appearance revealed on 
 dissecting the brain of a horse which has died of hydrocephalus 
 does not differ from that found in the human subject. Condie says : 
 
 " Tubercles, varying in size from that of a pin's head to that of 
 a pea, are very generally found scattered irregularly over the sur- 
 face of the pia mater, following it between the convolutions. Occa- 
 sionally, however, they occur in distinct patches of an inch or more 
 in extent. They are commonly hard and semi-transparent ; some- 
 times opaque, and of a whitish, grayish, or yellowish color. They 
 are found upon all parts of the surface, the convex and lateral por- 
 tions as well as the base, in the infractuosities of the convolutions, 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 61 
 
 and in the fissures. According to Rilliet and Barthez, they are 
 more frequent upon the convex surface of the hemispheres than at 
 the base. Dr. Hamernjh found them more frequently at or near 
 the base of the brain. They are much more abundant upon the 
 brain than upon the cerebellum. They are met with, also, imbed- 
 ded in the gray matter of the brain, and are here often surrounded 
 by a halo of redness, usually connected with an enlarged vessel, 
 ramifying from the pia mater. More rarely, tubercles are detected in 
 the medullary portion of the brain, where they are often overlooked, 
 in consequence of their pale, semi-transparent, yellowish tint. The 
 plexus choroides is, also, often covered with tubercles. They are 
 very commonly met with, likewise, on the serous membranes of 
 the thorax and abdomen, in the lungs, and occasionally in the sub- 
 stance of the liver. In twenty-seven out of thirty-three cases of 
 hydrocephalus, Barthez and Rilliet found tubercles or granula- 
 tions associated with inflammation of the pia mater ; in four cases 
 the meningitis was unattended by any trace of tubercular deposition 
 in the encephalon ; and in two cases the granulations, or meningial 
 tubercles, were unattended with any traces of inflammation. In all 
 the thirty-three cases the symptoms were nearly identical." 
 
 Causes. — Among the causes of this disease, therefore, we may 
 consider the scrofulous diathesis as being the most potent; yet we 
 can not always prove the fact until after the death of our patient. 
 Yet an autopsy held on such a case is really valuable to the inquiring 
 mind ; for, in discovering the true pathology of the affection, we are 
 not only enabled to comprehend its character, but also the modus 
 operandi of treatment. 
 
 The exciting causes of the malady are not always so apparent. 
 The author has known it to follow castration, puncture of the foot, 
 staggers, and acute disease of the stomach. 
 
 In some cases, faulty nutrition is the exciting cause; in short, 
 the symptoms sometimes supervene on the subsidence of some 
 other malady. 
 
 Symptoms. — As regards the symptoms of hydrocephalus, they do 
 not differ materially from those alluded to in the preceding article. 
 At first, torpor, unconsciousness, unsteadiness on moving; dilation 
 of the pupil ; the animal gets upon the floor, in many cases never 
 to rise again. Stertorous (grunting) breathing takes place ; the ani- 
 mal tosses his head about in an unnatural manner, often throwing 
 it backward — a very noticeable feature of this affection — occasion- 
 
62 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 ally raising it from the ground. Finally, convulsions set in, and 
 the subject dies in that state, perfectly unconscious. 
 
 When hydrocephalus occurs after phrensy, or what is known as 
 " mad staggers," it always proves fatal. 
 
 Treatment. — For the treatment of hydrocephalus give the fol- 
 lowing : 
 
 No. 5. Fluid extract of buchu 4 oz. 
 
 Water 6 oz. 
 
 Iodide of potass 2 oz. 
 
 Mis. 
 
 Dose, two ounces, morning and evening. 
 
 The patient should have injections of soap-suds, once or twice 
 daily ; and should the disease have made its appearance very sud- 
 denly, or, in other words, be of an acute character, so that the parts 
 in the region of the brain feel hot, they should be then sponged very 
 frequently with cold water j then give two drachms of fluid extract 
 of gelseminum twice daily, until the pulse feels soft, or until the 
 acute stage subsides. 
 
 Stomach Staggers. 
 
 The cerebral disease usually denominated stomach staggers pre- 
 vails among horses which are overfed, whereby the function of 
 digestion becomes deranged ; and thus the food given accumulates, 
 and finally gorges the stomach, producing cerebral derangement, 
 which makes the horse reel and stagger like a drunken man. The 
 horse may be said to be drunk from the effect of food. Sometimes 
 the cause is accidental. A horse gets loose in the stable, and, find- 
 ing a lot of meal or oats incautiously exposed, he devours vora- 
 ciously a large quantity, and very soon after becomes the subject 
 of stomach staggers. 
 
 Symptoms. — A stomach surcharged with food, without any ac- 
 companying distension, does not appear to occasion any local pain, 
 but operates with that kind of influence upon the brain which gives 
 rise to symptoms, not stomachic, but cerebral; hence the analogy 
 between this disease and staggers, and the appellation for it of 
 " stomach staggers." The unnaturally-filled stomach produces, for 
 the first time, a sense of satiety ; the horse grows heavy and drowsy, 
 reposes his head upon the manger, falls asleep, and makes a ster- 
 torous noise. All at once he rouses from his lethargy, and violently 
 thrusts his head against the rack or wall of the stable, or any thing, 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 63 
 
 in fact, that happens to oppose him, and in this posture paws with 
 his fore-feet, or performs the same action with them as he would 
 were he trotting, evidently all the while unconscious of what he is 
 about. His eye, which at first was full of drowsiness, has now 
 acquired a wild, unmeaning stare, or has already become dilated 
 and insensible to light. The respiration is tardy and oppressed; 
 the pulse slow and sluggish ; the excretions commonly diminished. 
 
 The late Professor Coleman used to relate a circumstance, in 
 his lectures, connected with this disease, which throws considerable 
 light on its origin. The artillery horses stationed in London dur- 
 ing the winter of 1817 suffered very considerably from stomach 
 staggers ; so much so that it was considered to be endemical, and 
 of an infectious character. With his usual penetration, he soon 
 discovered the cause, and found that, from some new regulations 
 about that time, the stablemen were not allowed any candles, and 
 during the winter the horses were bedded up at five o'clock in the 
 evening, and not fed again until eight o'clock on the following 
 morning, when they consumed their breakfast voraciously, gorging 
 their stomach, not to the degree likely to produce acute indiges- 
 tion, but sufficiently distending them as to oppress the blood-vessels 
 and the circulation through them. This practice, continued day 
 after day, caused a specific inflammation of the stomach — an inflam- 
 mation of a peculiar character, differing from gastritis or inflam- 
 mation of the part. The symptoms produced were regarded as 
 resulting from the sympathetic connection between the stomach 
 and the brain, united to the effects that would arise from the daily 
 distension, throwing a vast quantity of blood on the brain. An 
 order was obtained for candles for the use of the stablemen, which 
 enabled the horses to be fed at a later hour in the evening, and an 
 earlier one in the morning, when the disease disappeared. 
 
 A common error still prevails, in many districts, that staggers is 
 a contagious disease ; but should the horses on a farm be attacked 
 occasionally with slight fits of this kind, the farmer may rest 
 assured that there is mismanagement somewhere in the feeding 
 department. 
 
 From such evidence as this, it will be inferred that there exists 
 no doubt regarding the cause of stomach staggers. 
 
 Treatment. — We now propose to show how this disease ought to 
 be treated. The proposition of cure is, that the digestive function 
 shall be aroused, and the only way to accomplish that is by admin- 
 
64 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 istering bitter tonics and stimulants. In this view, the following 
 prescription is offered : 
 
 No. 6. Fluid extract of black pepper 4 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of ginger 6 oz. 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda 2 oz. 
 
 Water 4 oz. 
 
 Dissolve the hyposulphite in the water, then add the pepper and 
 ginger. Give the animal a wine-glassful every four hours. A 
 stimulating injection may be thrown into the rectum occasionally, 
 composed of a handful of fine salt to about four quarts of water. 
 
 The animal should be allowed to stand quietly in the stall, and 
 the medicine must be given with care, for the least excitement may 
 augment the cerebral difficulty. So soon as the medicine arouses 
 the digestive function, and the food gradually passes the pylorus 
 into the intestines, the animal will obtain relief. Both food and 
 water should be withheld until there is some marked improvement ; 
 the patient has had enough of food for some time, and water only 
 retards digestion. 
 
 Apoplexy (Cerebral Hemorrhage). 
 
 As regards the cause of apoplexy, the author has nothing to 
 offer, except he has noticed that the subjects of this affection gen- 
 erally have short, thick necks, and, as the saying is, " chunky " 
 heads. From this he infers that, in so far as conformation is con- 
 cerned, there lurks in the system of such animals a peculiar pre- 
 disposition. 
 
 Symptoms. — An animal may be on the road, trotting along as 
 usual, without any apparent impairment of health, when suddenly 
 he falls down ; the pupils of the eyes become dilated ; stertorous 
 breathing sets in ; a deprivation of the sense of feeling and of mo- 
 tion immediately occurs; a tremulous motion of various parts of 
 the body is observed; the pulse beats with unnatural force, yet 
 the animal appears to be in a deep, snoring sleep. It may be said 
 that the functions of animal life are suspended, excepting those of 
 respiration and pulsation. The animal is unable to swallow, and if 
 fluids be put into the mouth, they appear to choke him, or they 
 run out again at the corners of his mouth. The prognosis of apo- 
 plexy is very uncertain. Some horses die in a few hours, while 
 others live for several days. This depends on the amount of blood 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 65 
 
 extravasated on the surface of the brain ; but, in most cases of 
 cerebral hemorrhage, the horse falls never to rise again. He may 
 be conveyed home on some vehicle constructed for the purpose, but 
 the finger of Death is on him ; his days are numbered, and the 
 owner charitably puts him out of existence. 
 
 The reader must bear in mind that in apoplexy the horse falls, 
 and is suddenly deprived of all voluntary motion ; is insensible to 
 the prick of a pin, and the breathing, so soon as he is on the 
 ground, becomes stertorous. This disease, therefore, is not to be 
 confounded with others of the brain and spinal marrow. For 
 example, a horse may have an attack of simple apoplexy without 
 hemorrhage, fall down, and, by judicious treatment, recover; or 
 he may be the subject of epilepsy, which occasions a temporary 
 suspension of consciousness, with spasms recurring at intervals. 
 Hence, in case of doubt or mistake, it will be advisable to treat 
 the case in the following manner : 
 
 Treatment. — Procure a few ounces of spirits of ammonia, with 
 which saturate a sponge, then apply it to the nostrils. In the mean 
 time, sponge the head with cold water, and rub the body and limbs 
 briskly with a brush or whisp of straw. If he revive under this 
 treatment, there may be some hopes of recovery; and should it 
 appear that the act of swallowing can be performed, give a drench 
 composed of 
 
 No. 7. Powdered chlorate of potass 2 oz. 
 
 Boiling water -| pint. 
 
 When cool, administer. The action of chlorate of potass on the 
 blood is to oxygenize it, and thus liberate carbonic acid gas. 
 With the same object in view, we apply ammonia to the nostrils, 
 viz. : to decarbonize unpurified blood. 
 
 Blood-letting is inadmissible, for it can not accomplish any 
 good ; neither will it act as a purificator of the vital current which 
 the lungs have failed to arterialize. 
 
 Apoplexy of the Spine, (or Spinal Hemorrhage, 
 producing Paraplegia.) 
 
 Paraplegia signifies paralysis of the posterior half of the body. 
 Spinal apoplexy may be classed in the same order of disease as 
 cerebral apoplexy — that is to say, in so far as the pathology of the 
 two forms is concerned — and is usually just as fatal. 
 5 
 
66 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Causes. — These are very obscure, except in cases of fracture of 
 the spine, or injury to the same, by falling. Then the disease is 
 accounted for. It always ends in paraplegia — palsy of hind limbs. 
 
 Symptoms. — The disease is usually sudden in its attack. A pro- 
 fuse perspiration ushers it in ; next, the hind limbs fail to support 
 the body, and the animal makes desperate efforts to support him- 
 self, and gradually crouches and falls to the ground, unable, per- 
 haps, ever to get up again. 
 
 It has been noticed that paraplegia may also be occcasioned by 
 effusion of serum within the coverings of the spinal cord ; yet we 
 can not demonstrate the fact only by autopsy ; and if we could, I 
 fear that medicine would be of little value. However, if it is the 
 owner's wish that the case should be' treated, then the same course 
 as recommended for cerebral apoplexy must be pursued. 
 
 Epilepsy — Fits. 
 
 Epilepsy consists of a temporary suspension of consciousness. 
 This disease, if properly managed, is not often fatal. It varies in 
 duration. Sometimes a horse will suddenly fall, lose all sensibility 
 and consciousness, exhibit spasmodic contraction of the voluntary 
 muscles, go into convulsions, recover, and get up again in the course 
 of ten minutes ; or he may lie on the ground and have a succession 
 of paroxysms, which may last for half an hour or more. If pro- 
 tracted beyond an hour or so, the patient is very apt to die. Ac- 
 cording to the best authority, "the functions that are affected in 
 this disease are functions of the brain. Sensation, thought-, and mo- 
 tion, regulated by the will, are the natural functions of that organ.' 
 The temporary abeyance of sensibility, thought, and volition,* and 
 violent and irregular action of the muscles, which are thus with- 
 drawn from the government of the will, constitute a paroxysm of 
 epilepsy." 
 
 The fit is generally brought on by a derangement in the relation 
 between the arterial and venous circulation within the head and a 
 temporary pressure on the brain; in other words, a determination 
 
 * Horses think and reason just as man does. Their manifestations of mind do 
 not differ from ours in kind, but only in degree. "The noble and daring war- 
 horse, when he sniffs the distant field of blood, neighing for joy, instils a desper- 
 ate courage into the veteran trooper's quailing heart, gives evidence of a soul, 
 the proper attribute of man." 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 67 
 
 of blood to the head. After the horse has fallen, by his struggles 
 and herculean efforts to battle with the malady, although uncon- 
 ciously, he soon breaks out into a profuse perspiration. This has 
 the effect of relaxing the capillaries so that the blood circulates more 
 freely and uniformly. A"n equilibrium of the circulation takes place, 
 and this is the end of epilepsy for the time being. But a horse once 
 having had a fit of this kind must be looked upon with suspicion ; 
 for he is liable, when under excitement from wanton punishment, 
 or from exercising great feats of strength in drawing heavy loads, 
 to have a re-attack. 
 
 Cause. — The predisposing cause of epilepsy has an hereditary 
 origin. Horses subject to it have a misshapen head. It is not 
 symmetrical — does not correspond with the conformation of the 
 neck and body. In the language of the turf, "the head is too 
 coarse." It has been found, also, among members of the human 
 family, that epileptics have heads of an unnatural shape. Wat- 
 son says : " There is no doubt that a tendency to epileptic disease 
 is frequently hereditary. It may be bequeathed from parent to 
 child, or it may skip over a generation or two, and appear in the 
 grandchild or great-grandchild ; or it may be traceable only in the 
 collateral branches of the ancestry." Epilepsy, however, may not 
 always arise as an hereditary affection ; for a mere passive conges- 
 tion of the brain, owing to a loss of equilibrium in the circulation 
 of the blood, may produce it. In regard to the horse, it is very 
 difficult for us to decide on the universal hereditariness of the 
 malady, because we have no reliable history of the ancestry and 
 idiosyncrasies of our equine patients ; yet if we study carefully the 
 external conformation of well-formed horses, and make ourselves 
 conversant with anatomy, we shall be better able to judge whether 
 or no such an animal carries about with him the inherent tenden- 
 cies to particular diseases ; and this knowledge will make up, to a 
 certain extent, for the advantage which human medicine has over 
 the veterinary in this department of knowledge. The principal 
 symptoms of epilepsy are as follows : 
 
 Symptoms. — Suppose the horse attached to a vehicle, and trav- 
 eling along at any given pace. He gives a sudden, snorting, 
 loud noise, and falls to the ground instantly, as if felled by some 
 unknown power. Here he lies, to all appearance, totally uncon- 
 scious, violently convulsed in every limb, his eyes staring as 
 though they would burst out of their sockets ; the mouth foams 
 
68 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 with saliva, and violent convulsions will sometimes affect the 
 whole frame. Such are the principal symptoms attending this 
 formidable malady. 
 
 It will be quite a novelty to some of our readers to be in- 
 formed that the horse is actually subject to the same diseases 
 which afflict his master ; and in view of showing that there is a 
 reality in the author's views on the subject now under considera- 
 tion, the following quotation from the "Veterinarian" is offered. 
 It will show, by way of comparison, the features of the disease 
 as it occurs in the horse and in man : 
 
 " In the first place, as to the exciting cause or causes. It is 
 well known that among the exciting causes of epilepsy in the 
 human subject, mental or moral emotions have long been con- 
 sidered as holding a foremost rank. Without going into detail 
 on this subject, or offering illustrations of this statement, it will 
 suffice to remark that the experience of all adequately acquainted 
 with medical literature, or tolerably familiar with medical prac- 
 tice, cam not fail to supply them with numerous instances wherein 
 this class of causes has been in operation as concerned in the pro- 
 duction of the disease in question. Over and over again I have 
 myself witnessed cases of epilepsy, either during or after the par- 
 oxysm or fit, in which 1 have had good reason for entertaining 
 the opinion that certain mental or moral emotions had largely, 
 if not entirely, contributed to this result. Now, without deny- 
 ing that, in some instances, fright may so far affect the horse as 
 to prove an exciting cause of epilepsy in that animal, still, I 
 think that, almost as a general rule, the class of causes now 
 under consideration may be excluded from further notice as tend- 
 ing toward the production of this disease in the horse. 
 
 Assuming this position for the sake of argument, we thus 
 eliminate at once, so far as concerns this animal, most of such 
 cases of epilepsy as, if speaking in reference to the human sub- 
 ject, would be regarded as cases of epilepsy of centric origin. 
 Without altogether denying that, in some instances, the presence 
 of tumors, or morbid growths, or excrescences of any kind, or 
 of spiculse of bone in certain parts of the brain, or spinal cord, 
 or their membranes, may occasionally operate as causes of epi- 
 lepsy, yet I am by no means prepared to admit that their pres- 
 ence in such places, by irritation of these structures, is so frequent 
 a cause of this disease as is affirmed by some medical authorities. 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 69 
 
 Yet, whatever view of the question, whether affirmative or nega- 
 tive, may be taken, the same reasoning will apply equally to man 
 and the horse in regard to the disease under consideration. \Ve 
 are told that, in some instances, such foreign bodies have been 
 found in these situations on examination after death. This I do 
 not deny ; but, at the same time, the evidence that these had 
 much, if any thing, to do in the production of epilepsy, still less 
 that the disease took its origin from them, is, in my judgment, 
 far from complete, and, in some cases that have been recorded, 
 unsatisfactory to the last degree. Again, the circulation of blood 
 in an unhealthy state, in its accustomed channels through the 
 substance of the delicately-constructed brain or spinal cord, appears 
 to me not unlikely to be a frequent cause of this disease in man. 
 The comparatively recent physiological researches of Dr. Brown- 
 Sequard have thrown much light upon the heretofore obscure 
 pathology of epilepsy in the human subject ; and I conceive that 
 his arguments, and the conclusions deduced therefrom, are, for the 
 most part, perfectly applicable to an animal so high in the zoolog- 
 ical series as the horse is well known to be." 
 
 Treatment. — So soon as the horse falls, some hay or straw should 
 be placed under his head and around him. Bathe the region of 
 the cranium with cold water, and carefully wash the foam from his 
 mouth, taking care not to let any water, hay, or dirt enter the 
 nostrils. Officious persons are very apt to attempt, by force of 
 strength, to raise the horse on his legs ; but this ought not to be 
 done. Let him rest quietly until consciousness returns; then, 
 should he attempt to get up, help from the bystanders may then 
 be of some service. When on his legs, deal gently with him. Let 
 the external surface of the body be rubbed until the skin is dry; 
 then administer two ounces of fluid extract of valerian, and let 
 the patient be provided with comfortable quarters. For a few 
 days the patient should be excused from work, and be fed lightly. 
 The only way to prevent a re-attack is to keep him at light work, 
 and treat him in the most gentle manner, both in the stable and 
 out of it. 
 
 In cases of this character, as well as many others, men are apt 
 to place too much confidence in medicine, and dose the animal ac- 
 cordingly ; but, as we understand the practice of medicine, it is the 
 province of the good physician to know when to do nothing. 
 
70 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Tetanus. 
 
 We recognize tetanus by the unnatural condition of the muscles 
 of various parts of the body, more particularly those of the face 
 and neck. But the fault lies not in the muscles, but in the nervous 
 system. This disease constitutes one of the most terrible and fatal 
 to which the horse is subject. It is not only frightful to look upon, 
 but is productive of the most distressing agony to the animal. 
 
 THE TEST FOB TETANUS OR LOCKED-JAW. 
 
 Explanation.— On placing a hand under the angle of the jaw, and pushing the head in an upward 
 direction, the nictitating membrane (haw) will be suddenly thrown partly over the pupil, aa 
 seen in the above picture. This is the diagnostic symptom of tetanus. 
 
 There is no difficulty in recognizing this disease. It is charac- 
 terized by involuntary and persistent cramps of the voluntary 
 muscles. The muscles which seem first to be affected are those of 
 the jaws, neck, and throat; and soon all the other muscles are in- 
 volved. One of the principal tests for the discovery of the disease 
 is to place a hand under the jaw and raise the head. Immediately 
 the haw, or nictitating membrane, shoots over the eyeball. (See 
 cut.) There is no other disease with which tetanus can be con- 
 founded ; therefore, a minute description of the symptoms seems 
 superfluous at this point of our argument. 
 
 When the disease affects the muscles of the jaw only, it is called 
 trismus ; but it is only a variety of the same disease, and, therefore, 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 71 
 
 requires the same treatment. In former years the author met with 
 but little success in the treatment of this malady, yet recently, by 
 using more mild and sanative agents, he has been very fortunate. 
 Bleeding, purging, and blistering has had its day, but that day 
 has now past. We have learned that to do violence to the animal 
 system is not to do good ; and our aim now is to " pair off" with 
 Nature, endeavor to sustain the vital powers, or, rather, by sanative 
 medication and nutritious fluids, keep the animal alive, while the 
 disease runs its course. Physicians have no power to arrest the 
 disease, and those who think so only deceive themselves and their 
 employers ; and those who attempt the feat of cutting the disease 
 short by heroic medicines, are arrayed in hostility to Nature, and 
 an unnecessary death is often the consequence. Any of our readers 
 who happen to have great faith in drugs will probably feel little 
 comfort in the perusal of the following quotation, uttered by one 
 of the most distinguished physicians of France. It was intended 
 for the benefit of mankind, but it also applies to veterinary medi- 
 cine, simply from the fact that the diseases of animals are to be 
 treated on the same general principles which apply to man : 
 
 " The sick-room no longer resembles the sample department of 
 of a drug warehouse. Our physicians have consciences and com- 
 mon sense. They recognize Nature as the great antagonist of dis- 
 ease, and endeavor to assist her in her struggle to expel it, instead 
 of negatively helping disease by prostrating the physical strength 
 of its victims with drastic cathartics, cantharides, and the lancet. 
 In ailments for which gallons of medicine were given half a cen- 
 tury ago, as many ounces are not administered at the present day, 
 and bleeding and blistering have almost fallen into disuse. Not 
 long before his death, the great French surgeon, physician, and 
 medical chemist, Majendie, told his pupils, in the college of France, 
 that the old hospital practice was mere humbug ; that he himself 
 had prescribed the drugs of the dispensary at the Hotel Dku, in 
 Paris, without having the least idea why or wherefore, and that on 
 administering bread pills and colored water to one division of his 
 patients, and the preparations of the pharmacopoeia to another, he 
 found that the mortality was least among those who took no medi- 
 cine ! ' You tell me/ said this extraordinary man, in one of the 
 lectures of his final course, ' that doctors cure people. I grant you 
 people are cured. But how? Gentlemen, Nature does a good 
 deal ; imagination does a good deal. Doctors do very little, when 
 
72 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 they do n't do harm. You ask, then, what is the use of attending 
 medical lectures ? I '11 tell you. We come here (to the college of 
 France) to study Nature, to learn to reinforce and aid Nature, not 
 to spin fine theories. I would not give a centime for all the theories 
 in the world. Give me stubborn facts.' 
 
 " Such was the bold and candid language of one of the greatest 
 anatomists and physicians of the age but a short time before his 
 death. Our medical men do not take quite such strong ground as 
 Majendie took, but they show their lack of faith in what was 
 formerly called ' vigorous treatment ' by sparing medication, and a 
 still more limited use of the lancet and other mechanical means 
 of depletion. Nature, after having been professionally misused for 
 centuries, seems at last to have found a friend and ally in the 
 medical faculty." 
 
 We now come more directly to the treatment of tetanus; and, in 
 view of showing what unwarrantable outrages are perpetrated on 
 the poor uncorpplaining brute, the following article is here intro- 
 duced : 
 
 " Wounds of tendinous and ligamentous parts are the common 
 cause of tetanus, more generally known as locked -jaw, so-called 
 because the first symptoms of the violent spasmodic affection are 
 detected in the jaw. Castration, nicking, docking, lacerations, and 
 punctures, particularly of the feet, are the kinds of wounds that 
 end in tetanus. Even slight contusions will bring it on. It is a 
 dreadful and, too often, a fatal disease. The animal is nearly 
 paralyzed by the constant spasm of all the voluntary muscles. 
 The symptoms are unmistakable : First, a certain stiffness about 
 the throat, and difficulty in swallowing or turning the head. This 
 gradually extends to the jaws, contracting the mouth. The horse 
 possesses a desire to masticate, but, in the earliest stage of the dis- 
 ease, the work is imperfectly performed, with great pain. The eyes 
 become vivid in appearance, and present a retroverted aspect. The 
 disease continues to spread, and when it affects the voluntary mus- 
 cles of the trunk and the extremities, the animal becomes a living 
 picture of agony and distress. The cocked yet quivering tail, the 
 distended legs, the contraction of the abdominal muscles, the trem- 
 ulous and irregular pulse, the hurried respiration, the sweat-marks, 
 and the fixed and sunken eyes, all speak unmistakably of the vio- 
 lent and painful nature of the disease. The animal sometimes 
 suffers for six or seven days, when it falls, completely exhausted 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 73 
 
 by continued irritation and inanimation ; or it expires in terrible 
 convulsions. Tetanus, indisputably, is a nervous affection. An 
 injury to a small fiber of some nerve extends to the origin of the 
 nerve, when the brain becomes affected, and a diseased action of 
 the body ensues. When locked-jaw results fatally, it will be be- 
 fore the expiration of nine days, as the horse dies, without a remis- 
 sion of the spasms, from sheer exhaustion. The free use of the 
 lancet is regarded as one of the surest means of curing tetanic 
 cases, as by a flow of blood we open the bowels and tranquilize 
 the system. Venesection is the most powerful sedative for mus- 
 cular spasms. The nervous influence passes off with the blood ; 
 therefore the flow should be most copious. We may bleed the 
 horse until he falls, before the triumph is complete. The perma- 
 nent strength of the animal is not hazarded by the free use of the 
 lancet, but we simply make an attack upon the seat of the disease. 
 Physic, also, is a matter of much importance. Profuse bleeding 
 will cause the muscles of the jaws to relax, Avhen the dose may be 
 introduced into the mouth. Clysters assist the action of the pur- 
 gatives ; therefore are useful. The application to the spine of 
 green sheep-skins, Avarm from the slaughtered animal, will some- 
 times diminish the sufferings of the patient. By gently rubbing 
 the spine with the hand, and then by using an opiate liniment, a 
 relief may be afforded. From eight to ten drachms of aloes should 
 be administered as a physic. The farina of croton-nut is also a 
 powerful purgative. A solution of Epsom salts constitutes a safe 
 injection as a clyster. Opium, when given in doses, varying from 
 one half to two drachms, is a valuable medicine in cases of lock- 
 jaw. The disease is a violent one, and to check it prompt meas- 
 ures must be resorted to." 
 
 Contrast this with the following case : While in the city of St. 
 Louis, a short time ago, I was requested to visit a bay gelding, 
 aged eight years, the property of Captain Silva. The messenger 
 informed me, not knowing that it was a case of tetanus, that the 
 horse was " all stiffened up." On an examination, the following 
 symptoms were presented : The muscles in the region of the neck 
 and back, rigid ; the eyes had a sort of squinting appearance ; the 
 nose protruded ; the ears were erect and stationary ; the nostrils 
 were expanded to their utmost capacity ; the head, neck, and trunk 
 seemed to be immovable, so that it was impossible to make him 
 turn in any direction, or describe the least segment of a circle. 
 
74 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 The abdomen appeared " tucked up," as the saying is. This arose 
 from the rigid state of muscles of the abdomen. The hind limbs 
 presented a straddling appearance, and the fore ones were unnat- 
 urally advanced far beyond the axis of the shoulder-blade ; the 
 bowels were constipated ; the pulse was wiry, and the respirations 
 were accelerated and laborious. The case was diagnosed as tetanus 
 from puncture of the oif hind-foot. It appeared that the animal 
 had picked up a nail, five days previous, which was withdrawn by 
 a blacksmith, and the foot was dressed in the usual way. The 
 treatment was as follows : 
 
 The rigid muscles were rubbed, twice daily, with a portion of 
 the following antispasmodic liniment : 
 
 No. 8. Cod-liver oil 12 oz. 
 
 Oil of cedar 4 oz. 
 
 Sulphuric ether 3 oz. 
 
 The application of the liniment was continued during a period of 
 ten days, in which time four drachms of Indian hemp were daily 
 placed on the tongue. The jaws now relaxed, so that the patient 
 could eat bran mashes. At the expiration of two weeks all signs 
 of tetanus had disappeared. 
 
 Vertigo. 
 
 The term vertigo signifies giddiness or dizziness. It is usually 
 the result of some latent disease within the brain ; and when that 
 is present, any exciting cause, which we shall presently refer to, 
 may bring on a fit of vertigo. The following article, by surgeon 
 Haycock, will, perhaps, prove interesting to the reader : 
 
 " By vertigo is meant a chronic disease of the horse, chiefly in- 
 dicated by a disturbance of the sensitive faculties, occasioning 
 derangement in the ordinary functions of life. Much that is incor- 
 rect has been written regarding the seat, properly so-called, of the 
 evil. At present, most veterinary surgeons are agreed in seeking 
 the proximate cause, not as formerly, on the brain, but in the ab- 
 dominal organs, and on considering the cerebral affection as purely 
 secondary." 
 
 Vertigo often succeeds acute disease of the brain. 
 
 Causes. — Its chief exciting causes are confinement in hot and 
 badly-aired stables, cold, extreme fatigue, blows and injuries on 
 the head, indigestion, unwholesome or too much food in proportion 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 75 
 
 to the exercise taken. The fear of punishment, especially of the 
 whip, occasionally gives rise to it, in sensitive and irritable ani- 
 mals. Some horses have an hereditary predisposition to it, and 
 mares are considered more subject to it than stallions. Further, 
 it is scarcely ever observed except in hot weather; and as it is 
 generally at the beginning of summer that it commences to appear, 
 it goes away always in autumn, at least with respect to its chief 
 symptoms. 
 
 Symptoms. — The horse having, previous to the attack, been 
 lively and active, begins, all of a sudden, to appear heavy and in- 
 dolent. He is dejected, and prefers to keep himself in the dark- 
 est corner of the stable. Eyes, dull ; look, fixed and stupid ; eye- 
 lids, half shut ; inattention to every thing, forgetting even himself, 
 and, as it were, asleep, his head hanging down, or resting on the 
 manger. His gait is heavy, slow, and unsteady ; he raises his feet 
 very high, and puts the entire sole to the ground, raising and let- 
 ting down the limbs in a manner purely mechanical, and, as it 
 were, unconsciously. He exhibits much awkwardness in turning, 
 and can not be pulled back except by depressing the head very 
 much, and pushing it latterly. He also leans to one side in walking. 
 To maintain his equilibrium the better, he places the fore-legs 
 beneath the belly, and moves his ears backward in a peculiar 
 manner. According as the disease progresses, he becomes less 
 and less sensible to external impressions. Mastication is per- 
 formed slowly. He takes, from time to time, a mouthful of food, 
 masticates it, swallows a portion of it, but keeps the remainder 
 in his mouth. He prefers taking his food off the ground rather 
 than in any other way, and when drinking, he plunges his head 
 into the water, even above his nostrils. During and after some 
 rather violent movements, his symptoms become much aggra- 
 vated, and the signs of complete insensibility become more and 
 more marked. The animal runs on quite blind till some obstacle 
 stops him, or turns round, or remains tranquil, with his head 
 depressed, and the legs crowded beneath the body, without being 
 able to change this unusual attitude, unless assisted to do so. 
 There is never any fever. The pulse is often from ten to twelve 
 pulsations slower than in the normal state. 
 
 In the same way, also, the respiration is constantly slow, 
 deep, and frequently of a sighing character. In almost all cases, 
 the tongue is foul, and the mouth dry and clammy. With respect 
 
76 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 to treatment, the remedies which have succeeded best with me are, 
 camomile (some doses), then sulphur and nux vomica. In a par- 
 ticular case, where, independently of the symptoms peculiar to 
 vertigo, the conjunctiva, tongue, and mouth were more yellow, 
 the horse frequently flexed his fore-legs, seldom lay down, the 
 fteces were hard, and he passed but little urine. 
 
 The reader will perceive that many of the symptoms above 
 alluded to are present in other diseases of the brain; therefore, 
 some difficulty may be encountered in diagnosing the case. It is 
 best for us, however, to diagnose the case on the symptoms of 
 dizziness or giddiness ; then a mistake is not likely to occur. Yet, 
 after all, a mistake in the true nature of the malady will not 
 prove disastrous, provided the patient be treated on the general 
 principles laid down in this work, by means of sanative medicines 
 and little good common sense. 
 
 Treatment. — For example, should a horse have an attack of 
 vertigo on the road, the driver must immediately stop and loosen 
 the throat-latch and check-rein. Then let the animal stand in 
 quietude for a few minutes, during which time he may possibly 
 recover, and soon be able to resume the journey. If not, he must 
 be taken out of the harness, and carefully led to the nearest sta- 
 ble, or where he shall be free from annoyances of every kind. 
 After the excitement is over, the animal may be led home, and 
 put into a roomy stall, where he must be dieted according to his 
 condition. If fat and plethoric, bran mashes are indicated, into 
 which should be stirred a drachm or two of hyposulphite of soda. 
 Should the patient be poor in flesh, a few good oats are indicated, 
 to which add a small quantity of powdered ginger and balmony. 
 The surface 'of the body being cold, it must be warmed, after the 
 usual fashion, by means of clothing. But should the surface of 
 the body feel hot, more particularly in the region of the head, 
 then tonics, stimulants, and food are to be withheld. A bucket 
 of cold water is then to be placed before him, into which about 
 four drachms of nitrate of potass may be stirred. 
 
 Acute and General Disease of the Brain known 
 as Encephalitis. 
 
 The contents of the cranium are called, collectively, the ence- 
 phalon ; hence the term encephalitis, which signifies inflammation 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 77 
 
 of any, or all portions of the contents of the cranial cavity. 
 Various terms are applied to disease of this character, such as 
 " sleepy staggers," " coma," " phrenitis," cerebritis," and " cere- 
 bral meningitis," the latter being formerly recognized as blind or 
 sleepy staggers. These several terms merely apply to the various 
 stages of the acute disease as it gradually invades the membranes 
 covering the brain, or the substance of the brain itself. It some- 
 times appears to invade at once the whole of the parts within 
 the skull, or, beginning in one part, it extends rapidly to all the 
 rest, so that the term encephalitis seems to be more applicable 
 than those just enumerated. It is a matter of impossibility for 
 us to tell precisely what are the pathological conditions of the parts 
 affected. Nor are the symptoms always the same. They may 
 range from a state of phrenzy to one of coma. Still, in our treat- 
 ment, we shall not be led astray ; for, being an acute affection, (or 
 affections, as some persons may term it,) we have to treat it on the 
 same general principles which obtain in many or all diseases of 
 an acute character, viz. : by means of sedatives, laxatives, cold 
 water, spare diet, and rest. 
 
 Should the patient die during the acute stage of disease of the 
 brain, an autopsy will reveal great vascularity and softening of 
 the cerebral mass, and thickening of its membranes ; but should 
 the disease run on unchecked to a fatal termination, pus and 
 fluid may be found within the lateral ventricles of the brain. 
 This enables us to explain the difference between the symptoms 
 which prevail in the early and latter stages of the malady ; for, 
 at the commencement of the acute stage, the loss of equilibrium 
 in the circulation sends the red arterial blood, in undue quanti- 
 ties, to the brain — the part, perhaps, most predisposed to diseased 
 action, or, it may be, at the time actually in a pathological con- 
 dition ; hence the loss of equilibrium in the circulation — which, 
 in consequence of accelerated respiration, becomes highly charged 
 with oxygen, acts as a potent stimulus, not Only to the nervous 
 system, but to the muscular system also, producing those active 
 and phrenitic symptoms which have led us to infer that the patient 
 is going or is actually mad ; hence the name which some per- 
 sons have applied, " mad staggers." This activity can not last 
 long ; for it is potent to exhaust the vital forces. Organs and 
 parts of the body become overworked ; then comes organic 
 changes — softening of the brain, effusion, formation of pus, which 
 
78 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 ends in coma, which is the latter stage just referred to, devoid of 
 any mad or phrenitic symptoms, but marked by lethargy, or a 
 prolonged comatose condition, from which no stimulus will 
 arouse the patient. He is not only the subject of altered struc- 
 ture within and around the brain, but the latter is compressed by 
 the serum, or pus, as the case may be, and thus sensibility is 
 more or less destroyed. The degree of coma, however, will be 
 directly proportioned to the degree of pressure. Now, the reader 
 will perceive that the proposition of treatment, just referred to, 
 for the acute stage will not apply to the comatose condition ; for 
 here we have to stimulate and give tone to the system, so as to 
 sustain the failing vital powers. 
 
 In regard to this subject, Professor Copeman observes: "In 
 inflammation of the brain, phrenitis, mad staggers, I have told 
 you that it may be said to be impossible to distinguish, with any 
 thing like certainty, in individual cases, acute inflammation of 
 the substance of the brain from those affecting the membranes 
 or ventricles. The reason will be obvious when we reflect that 
 the phenomena, in every instance, are, in fact, attributable to 
 pressure on the entire contents of the skull, encephalon, viz. : 
 cerebrum, cerebellum, medulla, oblongata, and membranes; and 
 if this be rapid and general, it can matter little whether it orig- 
 inates from the membranes or the brain. Acute inflammation 
 does, however, sometimes appear to invade at once the whole of 
 the parts that are lodged within the skull ; or, beginning in one 
 part, it extends rapidly to all the rest. The symptoms which 
 usually mark an attack of cercbritis are the following : The horse 
 becomes sleepy, heavy, or more or less comatose, accompanied by 
 general fever. After a time a convulsive attack supervenes. He 
 becomes morose, and shows delirium; perhaps rears both fore- 
 legs into the manger, from which position he may reel around 
 and fall, kicking and tearing every thing about him. During 
 the fit his respiration is much excited, and he sweats profusely. 
 If he gets upon his legs, he makes sudden and violent efforts, 
 dashing against rack, manger, or stall, totally disregarding any 
 thing that may be said or done to him. Thus he is oontinually 
 struggling, panting, and perspiring, perhaps foaming at the 
 mouth, leading the ordinary observer to believe he is not only 
 delirious but actually ' mad.' But all these symptoms vary much 
 in different cases. Coma occurs frequently, but often only tern- 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 79 
 
 porarily. Great prostration and muscular debility are generally 
 observed. 
 
 The seat of ' sleepy staggers/ or cerebral meningitis, is the so- 
 called subarachnoid cavity, in which is a quantity of loose areola 
 tissue, richly furnished with blood-vessels. It generally results 
 that the exudation poured into this cavity is quickly accompanied 
 or followed by pus. Hence, we find that what is generally called 
 a recent layer of coagulable lymph, covering the convolutions in 
 meningitis, is, in point of fact, a layer of pus, generally present- 
 ing a molecular character. As to the diagnosis, notwithstanding 
 the efforts which have been made to distinguish meningitis of the 
 convolutions from that of the base, or either of these from a sim- 
 ple effusion into the ventricles, I have in vain sought for any 
 precise symptoms, which could be relied on, as indicative of the 
 situation of the disease. Drowsiness and coma, causing slow and 
 subsequently rapid pulse, succeeded by restlessness. The horse 
 is excited; he flings himself about, frequently jerking his head up 
 and down, sometimes rearing, perhaps, into the manger; tension 
 of the limbs, thrusting the head into the rack. The faculties of 
 the organs of sense are lost, for the horse neither hears nor sees. 
 The state of excitement may terminate, more or less quickly, in 
 convulsions and death, or the patient may relapse into a state of 
 coma, and ultimately result in partial or complete recovery. 
 
 The gradual mode of invasion, and the succession of the symp- 
 toms to one another, are also characteristic, and differ markedly 
 in degree from those which attend sudden attacks of apoplexy 
 caused by hemorrhage. They are both the result of general 
 pressure on the brain, and hence the reason why mere effusion can 
 not be distinguished from hemorrhage." 
 
 Treatment. — The treatment of the preceding forms of acute dis- 
 ease of the brain was formerly, and is at present, to some extent, 
 conducted on the absurd antiphlogistic plan, by blood-letting, 
 purging, and blistering, which practice kills more than it ever 
 cures. The plan now adopted by the author is to give drachm 
 doses of gelseminum every four hours, until relief is apparent. 
 The cranial region is kept constantly bathed with cold water ; the 
 rectum is kept free from excrement by means of injections of soap- 
 suds; the bowels are kept in working order, by mixing Glauber 
 salts with thin bran mashes. Half a pound of salts, dissolved in 
 about four quarts of mash, will generally prove laxative. Should 
 
80 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 it fail to have this effect, after a lapse of about six hours, the dose 
 may be repeated. This plan of treatment is more rational, and 
 has proved more successful, than that just alluded to. 
 
 Should the disease progress so that the animal manifests symp- 
 toms of coma, or lethargy, then chlorate of potass is the best 
 agent. It should be given in half-ounce doses, every four or six 
 hours, in the form of drench, or it may be dissolved in the water 
 which the animal is allowed to drink. A few doses of the fol- 
 lowing preparation must also be given : 
 
 No. 9. Fluid extract of golden seal ) each 4 Qz 
 
 Fluid extract oi jumper j 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Dose, two ounces every morning. 
 
 Keep the rectum empty by injections, and, if the case be curable, 
 such treatment as this, followed up by careful nursing, will ac- 
 complish the object. Copeman, who is authority in this disease, 
 fully indorses this treatment, and says : 
 
 " Hitherto the treatment of meningitis (sleepy staggers), whether 
 real or supposed, has been antiphlogistic, but it is impossible to say 
 that any benefit has ever been effected by the practice. The early 
 stages of the disease are probably generally overlooked. So long 
 as the horse retains his appetite and his consciousness, no suspicion 
 of disease arises. It is only when exudation or effusion has been 
 poured out in such quantity as to cause drowsiness and stupor that 
 our suspicions are awakened, and thus it is very difficult to under- 
 stand how blood-letting or purging could facilitate its absorption. 
 Besides, we have seen that the tendency of such effusion is to pass 
 into the circulation. Hence, the treatment which favors the re- 
 absorption of the exudation, as I have previously explained, must 
 be most effectual. For this purpose time is required, and the vital 
 strength, instead of being lowered, should be supported. In short, 
 the duty of the practitioner is to support the economy as much as 
 possible, to give nutrients with moderate stimulants, to unload the 
 bowels, from time to time, artificially, by injections, etc., and in this 
 way to gain time, which will enable the effused matters to pass 
 through their natural transformations, to be absorbed and ulti- 
 mately excreted. It has appeared to me that the collection of 
 serous fluid, whether in the ventricles or over the surface of the 
 brain, either with or without exudation, is consecutive on obstruc- 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 81 
 
 tion of the vessels, and is, therefore, more allied to the dropsies 
 than to inflammations. It is the collection of serum which does 
 the mischief — presses on the brain, and causes the coma and stu- 
 por. If so, the occurrence of those symptoms should be regarded 
 as secondary, instead of as primary, and as analogous to ascites, 
 dropsy, or anasarca, following disease of the kidneys. These 
 pathological considerations are, it appears to me, wholly opposed 
 to the idea of blood-letting and antiphlogistics being beneficial 
 after effusion has occurred." 
 
 Equine Chorea, or Stringhalt. 
 
 Chorea, or stringhalt, consists of an irregular and involuntary 
 spasmodic action of some of the muscles of the hind extremities. 
 Equine chorea differs somewhat from human chorea. In the lat- 
 ter case, it usually begins with slight twitches in the muscles of 
 the face, or in the upper extremities, and various parts of the body 
 twitch and contort in such a singular and unnatural manner, 
 that some persons have denominated the disease " insanity of the 
 muscles." 
 
 In the case of horses, no such " insanity of muscles " has been 
 observed. It is mainly confined to the posterior limbs. Mr. 
 Feron, a distinguished V. S., contends that stringhalt bears 
 some affinity to what is known in human medicine as chorea, or 
 " St. Vitus' dance." He does not, however, wish to convey the 
 idea that they are essentially the same disease, only they are both 
 of a convulsive or spasmodic character, wherein the mind, will, 
 or instinct has lost more or less of its control over the voluntary 
 muscles of the hind extremities, and the peculiar feat is thus ac- 
 complished. When the animal has lifted his hind leg from the 
 ground, which is always done with a convulsive twitch, the fet- 
 lock nearly approaches the belly, and, by some other remarkable 
 irregularities in its action, before the foot can be replaced on the 
 ground, displays such unnatural movements as to convince us that 
 volition is impaired. Hence, we may infer that, in a majority of 
 cases, stringhalt is the result of some abnormal condition of the 
 nervous system. What occasions that condition is a matter of 
 fact and argument, which remains as an open question for some 
 future pathologist to decide. So far as the author's experience 
 goes, he is satisfied from actual dissection of the parts, that some 
 6 
 
82 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 stringhalt horses are the subjects of ulcerative disease of the hock- 
 joint, and they finally become sprained. 
 
 In such cases, it is possible that stringhalt may be the result of 
 hock disease, which irritates the nerves in the vicinity of the part, 
 and thus affects that portion of the nervous system which controls 
 the muscles concerned. Andral tells us that " chorea, like epi- 
 lepsy, may be excited by irritation." Hence, in the commencement 
 of spavin, or so soon as osseous incrustations are thrown out, they 
 may, during the active motion of the joint, produce local irritation, 
 of nervous filaments, in the vicinity, which irritation may be com- 
 municated to larger and more important nerves, and thus induce 
 stringhalt. 
 
 We all know that local irritation produced by the prick of a 
 nail, or sometimes docking and pricking, is often productive of 
 locked-jaw, simply because some nervous or tendinous structure 
 is injured; and so the local irritation in the region of the hock 
 may be productive of the malady now under consideration. The 
 author has paid considerable attention to this subject, and is con- 
 vinced that almost all horses of the nervous or excitable tempera- 
 ment, the subjects of inter-articular spavin, manifest more or less 
 catching-up of the limb (stringhalt) at some period during the 
 progress of spavin, and that when the bones of the hock are 
 anchylosed (united), and the motion and irritation of the parts 
 have ceased, the stringhalt becomes modified. The reader, how- 
 ever, must not receive this opinion as absolute; for at times, in 
 consequence of some peculiar idiosyncrasy, the stringhalt gradu- 
 ally grows worse. Among some members of the human family, 
 of the peculiar temperament to receive the impression, almost any 
 thing which makes a forcible impression upon the nervous system 
 may act as an exciting cause of chorea. The subject is a very 
 important one, and most veterinary writers of the English school 
 have rather mystified the subject, and at last have come to the 
 conclusion that the disease is incurable. This was formerly the 
 author's opinion, but a change has taken place in his sentiments, 
 and he is unwilling to deprive the afflicted animal of the benefits 
 of progressive science. More light on the subject may enable us 
 to effect many cases of cure; at least it will enable us better to 
 understand the pathology of the case, which is an important 
 step in the right direction. In view, therefore, of furnishing the 
 reader with some useful information, whether he be a veterinary 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 83 
 
 practitioner or not, we shall borrow from analogy, in the intro- 
 duction of the following article from "Watson's Practice" : 
 
 " In certain of M. Magendie's experiments on animals, the 
 following curious facts were ascertained : "When a vertical section 
 of the cerebellum of a rabbit was made, leaving one-fourth of the 
 whole adhering to the crest of the right side of the cranium, and 
 three-fourths to that of the left, the animal rolled over and over 
 incessantly, turning itself toward the injured side. The same phe- 
 nomenon occurred upon the division of the crus cerebelli. The 
 animal lived for eight days, and continued, during the whole of 
 that time, to revolve upon its long axis, unless stopped by coming 
 in contact with some obstacle. How like is this to the symp- 
 toms exhibited at one period in the girl whose case is related by 
 Dr. Watts. Nor is Dr. Watts's case a singular one. M. Serres 
 has described another much resembling it. A shoemaker, sixty- 
 eight years old, of intemperate habits, after one of his debauches, 
 exhibited a kind of drunkenness which surprised his friends. 
 Instead of seeing objects turning around him, as a drunken person 
 is apt to do, he thought he was himself turning, and soon began 
 to revolve, and this lasted till he died ; and when his head was 
 examined, extensive mischief was found in one of the pedicles of 
 his cerebellum. Again: M. Magendie noticed that when the 
 upper part of the cerebrum is gently removed in birds and mam- 
 malia, they become blind; but no affection of the locomotive 
 po wers is produced. No further result is occasioned by the removal 
 of a portion of the gray matter of the corpora striata ; but when 
 the striated part is cut away, the animal immediately darts forward 
 with rapidity, and continues to advance as if impelled by some 
 irresistible force, until stopped by an obstacle ; and, even then, it 
 retains the attitude of one advancing. The experiment was tried, 
 with the same results upon various species of animals — dogs, cats, 
 hedgehogs, rabbits, Guinea-pigs, and squirrels. It seems that 
 there are horses that can not back, although they make good 
 progress enough in a straightforward direction. Now, Magendie 
 says that he has opened the heads of such horses, and has always 
 found in the lateral ventricles of their brains a collection of water, 
 which must have compressed and even disorganized the corpora 
 striata. It has been further ascertained, by the same experimenter, 
 and by others, that certain injuries of the cerebellum cause ani- 
 mals to move backward contrarily to their will. If the tail of 
 
84 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the animal so mutilated be pinched, he still persists in his retro- 
 grade course. Injuries of the medulla oblongata had the same 
 effect. Pigeons, into which he forced a pin through that part, 
 constantly receded for more than a month, and even flew back- 
 ward. A section of the medulla oblongata, where it approaches 
 the anterior pyramid, gives rise to a movement in a circle like 
 that of a horse in a mill, the animal, in its walk or its flight, 
 bearing round continually to the injured side. Surely we have, 
 in these facts, supplied by experiments on living animals, and by 
 observation of the phenomena of disease in the living human 
 body, some of the materials for a more exact knowledge, both of 
 the physiology and of the pathology of the nervous system, than 
 we have reached. M. Magendie supposes that different portions 
 of the encephalon are endowed with energies which tend to cause 
 motion in various directions ; that in the healthy state these bal- 
 ance each other, and that a preponderating impulse can be given 
 to any one of these forces by the will ; but that when the equilib- 
 rium is destroyed by disease, the will is not sufficient to counter- 
 act the tendencies which are then brought into play. Mr. Mayo 
 offers a different explanation of the phenomena. He supposes 
 that the injuries inflicted on the nervous matter produce a sensa- 
 tion analogous to vertigo, and that the animal conceives itself 
 either to be hurried forward, and makes an exertion to repel im- 
 aginary force, or to be moving backward, or turning round in 
 one direction, and endeavors to correct this by moving the corre- 
 sponding muscles." 
 
 Treatment. — In stringhalt, it is nearly always safe for us to 
 conclude that it must be treated on the same general principles 
 which obtain in the management of other nervous disorders of a 
 chronic character, viz .: in the use of tonics and anti-soasmodics. 
 Take, for example : 
 
 No. 10. Fluid extract of valerian ") , 
 
 Fluid extract of poplar bark } e( l ual P arts ' 
 
 Dose, one ounce, morning and evening; to be placed on the 
 tongue. The spine and affected limb or limbs should be rubbed 
 every night, for a couple of weeks, with a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 11. Fluid extract of poppies 6 oz. 
 
 Proof spirit 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 85 
 
 Should the animal prove to be spavined, the following liniment 
 is recommended : 
 
 No. 12. Cod-liver oil ) } te> 
 
 Kerosene oil ) 
 
 Mix. 
 
 A small quantity of this liniment should be rubbed on the seat 
 of spavin, inside of the hock, once or twice daily, until counter- 
 irritation is accomplished, which shall be known in consequence 
 of the hair falling off ; then discontinue the liniment, and lubricate 
 the affected parts with olive oil, and wait patiently, so as to see 
 what Nature will do for the case. " Patient waiters are no losers." 
 The popular, or rather the ancient, method of treatment does more 
 harm than good. 
 
SECTION IV. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND 
 
 ORGANS. 
 
 Importance of Ventilating Stables — Brief Exposition and Description op 
 the Function of the Lungs — Spasm of the Muscles of the Glottis and Epi- 
 glottis—Laryngitis, (Suppurative and Inflammatory) — Croup — Chronic 
 Cough — Roaring — Polypus — Bronchocele — Influenza, or Epizootic Ca- 
 tarrh — Pneumonia, or Inflammation of the Lungs, including Typhoid 
 Affections, Pleurisy, and Dropsy of the Chest. 
 
 Importance of Ventilating Stables, in view of 
 preventing disease of the ltjngs. 
 
 IT was the intention of the Creator that all animals, so long as 
 they were permitted to exercise their natural instincts, and 
 thus comply with the requirements of physiology — the science of 
 life — should enjoy health and long life. Hence a great amount 
 of disease and death results from the evils of domestication. 
 
 One of the conditions which physiology imposes, in order that 
 a horse shall enjoy health, is, that the atmosphere, at all times, 
 and under all circumstances, shall be uncontaminated, so that the 
 blood shall be decarbonized and purified of the defiling elements 
 acquired in the course of circulation. 
 
 Let the reader understand that the lungs are something like a 
 sponge, elastic, composed of a myriad of cells. In the former, 
 however, these cells have a vast internal surface, communicating 
 with each other up to their common origin, the bronchial tubes 
 and windpipe. On their internal surface we find a delicate yet 
 highly important membrane permeable to atmosphere. In extent, 
 it is supposed to occupy a square surface equal to that of the ex- 
 ternal body. In contact with this membrane comes the atmos- 
 phere. If pure — zephyr-like — it fans into healthful blaze the 
 flame of life, upheaving from the living Vesuvius arid lava, in 
 (86) 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 87 
 
 the form of carbonic acid gas, almost as destructive to animality 
 as that issuing from its great prototype proves to vegetation. 
 
 The stable atmosphere being pure, and the lungs in working 
 order, the blood is well arterialized, capable of supplying the 
 waste of the animal machine and renovating its tissues. On the 
 other hand, should the atmosphere be impure, it fails to vitalize 
 the blood. The latter is unfit for the purpose of nutrition, and 
 may be considered a non-supporter of vitality. Hence the need 
 of pure air, the breath of life. 
 
 But are horses always furnished with pure air ? Let the own- 
 ers of unventilated, crowded, filthy, down-cellar and low-roofed 
 stables answer. Let those who have stables in the region of 
 swamp, sewer, and stagnant pools of water answer. In such lo- 
 cations disease and death run riot, and the noble companion of 
 man, instead of being within the ramparts of the science of life, 
 is on the margin of death's domain. He may exist for several 
 days without food and water, yet the consequent result is nothing 
 when compared to that occasioned by breathing an atmosphere 
 highly charged with emanations arising from his own body ex- 
 crements and decomposing bedding. 
 
 A horse is said to consume in the lungs, in the course of twen- 
 four hours, ninety-seven ounces of carbon, furnished by venous 
 blood. In order to perform this feat, he requires 190 cubic feet 
 of oxygen. Now, suppose there are ten horses occupying the sta- 
 ble. They require, in the same time, 1,900 cubic feet of oxygen, 
 and consume 970 ounces of carbon. They are supposed, also, to 
 give out from the lungs a volume of carbonic acid gas equal to 
 that of the oxygen inspired ; and supposing the atmosphere to 
 be saturated with only five per centum of the former, it is a non- 
 supporter of life. Hence, a horse shut up in an unventilated 
 stable must, sooner or later, become the subject of disease. The 
 evil may be postponed, but the day of reckoning is sure and cer- 
 tain. 
 
 Diseases, such as horse-ail, influenza, catarrh, strangles, and 
 glanders, often originate and prevail to an alarming extent in 
 the unventilated stable and pest spot; while in other locations, 
 favorable to the free and full play of vital operations, the favored 
 ones seem to enjoy a remarkable immunity from the prevailing 
 disease, or epizootic. 
 
 Stablemen and husbandmen are often led to remark, that when 
 
88 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 they keep but few animals, disease and death, except in cases of 
 accident or old age, are quite rare, but so soon as they crowded 
 the same, sickness and death were the consequences. In view of 
 supporting this theory, we may be permitted to remark that ship 
 and jail fevers may be manufactured ad libitum, at any time when 
 a large number of persons are congregated together in a given 
 space, no provision having been made for the admission of pure 
 air. The unfortunate prisoners in the Black Hole of Calcutta 
 are an example, and the mortality occurring on board our emi- 
 grant ships furnishes another illustration. 
 
 A number of horses were once shipped from England to Spain, 
 and on the passage, a violent gale arising, it became necessary to 
 batten down the hatchway. The consequence was that most of 
 them ultimately died of either glanders or farcy. We contend, 
 therefore, that the active or morbid germ of disease enters the 
 living citadel through the pulmonary tissue in an insidious man- 
 ner, and, therefore, much oftener than the generality of men 
 would be likely to realize. Therefore, it is a matter of vital im- 
 portance that attention be paid to the ventilation of our stables. 
 If proper sanitary regulations were established, and fully carried 
 out in all our stables, glanders and other infectious diseases would 
 be exceedingly rare. They are so among horses free from the 
 control of man, whose stalls are broad as from ocean to ocean, 
 their height ranging from earth to regions above, the space per- 
 vaded by a pure atmosphere concocted by the Great Chemist, pure 
 as the pearly drops and refreshing as the morning zephyr. In 
 such locations death has no terrors nor disease any victims. 
 
 Brief Exposition of the Function of the Lungs. 
 
 The principal function of the lungs is to arterialize or decar- 
 bonize the blood ; that is, purify it. This arterialization of the 
 blood, which goes the rounds of the circulation, is more essential 
 to life than either food or water ; for men and animals can exist 
 for several days, perhaps for two weeks, without food, yet the 
 same can not live over a few seconds unless supplied with a suffi- 
 ciency of atmospheric air. Hence, in a popular sense, pure air is 
 the " breath of life." 
 
 The functional acts of respiration are necessarily divided into 
 two parts; and in cattle the number of respirations are about 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 
 
 89 
 
 twelve per minute, varying, however, according to the tempera- 
 ment of the animal and the condition he may be in at the time 
 of making the observation; while in horses the respirations are 
 more frequent, varying in health, and when at rest, from fourteen 
 to twenty-five ; yet, under excitement and disease, they sometimes 
 number over one hundred. 
 
 THE CONTENTS OF THE THORAX. 
 
 Explanation.— Fig. 1, Trachte ; 2, Bifurcation of the carotid artery; 3, Internal carotid artery; 
 i i, Anterior lobes of the lungs; 5 5, Posterior lobes of the lungs; 6, The heart; 7, Coronary 
 artery; 8, Cartilages of the false ribs; 9, The diaphragm. 
 
 When an animal is located in a pure atmosphere, and the 
 lungs are in good working condition, all the impurities contained 
 in venous blood are brought into the presence of oxygen through 
 the lining membrane of the air-cells, and thus a change in the 
 color and character of the blood is immediately effected. In the 
 first place, the venous blood, as it appeared before having been 
 submitted to the action of the atmosphere, was of a dark purple 
 
90 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY, 
 
 color. By union with the oxygen of the atmosphere, it has 
 changed its color to one of scarlet. Next, the union of oxygen 
 with the carbon of the blood liberates carbonic acid gas and vapor. 
 The blood is now fit for circulation and for the renovation of the 
 tissues. It appears, therefore, that as carbon exists in the venous 
 blood, the lungs must be the pulmonary furnaces. The air-cells 
 are flues or safety-valves, the membrane of the cells being per- 
 meable to oxygen, yet suffers not the blood to escape. Pulmonary 
 combustion, therefore, bears some analogy to the combustion of 
 carbon or charcoal in a stove ; for, in that case, the oxygen causes 
 the generation or evolution of carbonic acid gas. 
 
 Brief Description of the Anatomy of the Lungs. 
 
 The lungs, in common parlance, are known as the lights. They 
 occupy the thoracic cavity, or chest. They are divided into right 
 and left lobes, with a septum or partition between, which makes 
 a double organ. This partition is a duplicature of the pleura, or 
 membrane which completely lines the chest. When the lungs 
 are healthy and properly inflated, they occupy the whole cavity of 
 the chest ; but when an action of expiration is effected, they are in 
 a comparative state of collapse, occupying but a very small portion 
 of the thoracic cavity. The lungs are composed of arteries, veins, 
 absorbents, bronchial tubes, air-cells, and also what is known as 
 their parenchyma, or substance. A healthy lung, when thrown 
 into water, will float on the surface ; while, on the other hand, a 
 diseased lung, in a state of hepatization or condensation, sinks like 
 a stone. In the fetal state, and when the lungs have never been 
 inflated, they also sink when thrown into water. 
 
 Spasm of the Muscles of the Glottis and Epiglottis. 
 
 The aperture leading into the larynx and windpipe is termed 
 the glottis. Spasm of the muscles of the glottis is one of the most 
 terrible accidents that can possibly occur in either man or horse. 
 I view it in the light of an accident, because it usually occurs 
 without warning or any other premonitory symptoms, selecting its 
 victims in the very prime of life, and carrying them off, usually, 
 in the course of a very few seconds. The terms cramp and spasm 
 mean the same thing. When a man, while bathing in the river 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 91 
 
 or sea, is suddenly seized with cramp, it is nothing more nor less 
 than spasm of the flexor muscles of his limbs. Sometimes, how- 
 ever, the extensor muscles are affected. In either case, unless 
 assistance be at hand, the person is apt to find a watery grave. 
 Cramp or spasm of the intestines is the same form of affection, 
 only it is confined to the muscular fibers of the intestines ; and 
 whenever it occurs in the limbs or intestines, it is always accom- 
 panied by excruciating pain and torment. 
 
 Treatment. — As regards spasm of the muscles of the glottis, it is 
 very apt to prove fatal, either in consequence of lack of knowledge 
 of the proper mode of treatment, or in failing to apply the remedy 
 which the urgency of the case demands. I allude to the operation 
 of tracheotomy, which consists of making an incision into the 
 windpipe and inserting a tube into the same. A tube may not 
 always be at hand, but this must not deter us from operating ; for, 
 by some means or other, air must be admitted, even if it be neces- 
 sary to dissect out a piece of the trachea, which I always do in the 
 case of a horse, whether I have a tube by me or not. Very little 
 pain attends the operation, and that only occurs when cutting 
 through the skin ; for the windpipe, being composed of cartilage, 
 is comparatively insensible. It may be policy, when the subject 
 is not in immediate peril of his life, to resort to some counter- 
 irritant and antispasmodic liniment (equal parts of spirits of 
 camphor and tincture of lobelia) ; but when the danger is immi- 
 nent, and the finger of Death is plainly on the patient, we only 
 waste precious moments in the use of outward applications. 
 
 The following case, reported by J. B. Dobson, V. S., may pos- 
 sibly prove both interesting and instructive to some of our readers : 
 
 "At night a messenger came, saying the horse was very ill. 
 Upon entering the stable, the animal presented the following 
 symptoms: He was stretched out his full length in the stable, 
 apparently in the agonies of suffocation ; and such was the difficulty 
 attending respiration that he positively screamed, in performing 
 the act, so as to be heard at some considerable distance. I had 
 not been with him many seconds, however, before he was slightly 
 relieved, and in about ten minutes the spasm passed off, leaving 
 him, with the exception, of course, of great exhaustion, otherwise 
 as well as ever. Viewing the case as one of spasm of the muscles 
 of the glottis, I applied stimulants, and ordered constant fomen- 
 tations to the larynx, and left him with directions to be closely 
 
92 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 watched, in case the spasm might return. In the middle of the 
 night I was again called, in haste; and this time the breathing 
 seemed, if possible, worse than before, and it was evident that, if 
 no relief were afforded, the animal must soon be suffocated. I 
 accordingly, with some difficulty, owing to his struggles, per- 
 formed tracheotomy. The relief was instantaneous, and he was 
 soon on his legs, and anxious to feed. From this time the trach- 
 eotomy tube was kept in his throat for a week, when, considering 
 that the glottis might have resumed its normal functions, I placed 
 a cork in the orifice of the tube and sent him to work, as an 
 experiment, ordering the cork to be removed if any symptom 
 of suffocation should come on. We, however, found that the 
 slightest effort at exertion brought on a fit of bad breathing, and 
 it became evident that he would not work without the tube. 
 The horse was accordingly sent to his regular work with the tube 
 in his trachea, and, for three or four months, he did his accus- 
 tomed labor with it in. At the end of that time, however, by 
 an accident, the tube fell out, when he was some miles from 
 home, and the horse coming home tolerably well without it, the 
 horse-keeper neglected to inform me of it for a day or two, and 
 when I saw my patient, the aperture in the muscles of the neck 
 had closed. As the horse now seemed to work well without the 
 tracheotomy tube, it was not reinserted, and from that time to 
 this (more than two years) he had not another attack." 
 
 Should a case of this kind occur, and the consulted party have 
 no tube at hand, he must pass a ligature through each side of 
 the orifice, including a portion of skin and muscles. Each liga- 
 ture is then to be passed over opposite sides of the neck, and tied 
 at the upper part, just tight enough to keep the lips of the 
 wound apart. In this way air is admitted into the windpipe, 
 and thus the animal is out of danger. 
 
 Laryngitis (Suppurative and Inflammatory). 
 
 Laryngitis signifies inflammation of the lining membrane of 
 the larynx. On applying the ear to the region of the throat, the 
 locality of the affection is very evident, from the fact that no such 
 embarrassed sound can be elicited in the lower part of the wind- 
 pipe. Hence it must be inferred that the disease is located in 
 the upper, or superior, passage of respiration. 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 93 
 
 TBACHEOTOMY TUBE DJSEBTED IN THE WINDPIPE. 
 
 The inflammatory condition exists during a limited period, 
 varying from one to five days. Then commences the suppura- 
 tive stage, which is accompanied by a copious discharge, from 
 both nostrils, of a secretion somewhat resembling pus, or matter. 
 
 Causes. — As regards the special cause of this affection very lit- 
 tle is known. It may be supposed, however, to originate in a 
 common cold, or catarrh ; yet it is well known that horses are 
 sometimes attacked with it that are not exposed to the ordinary 
 influences which induce a catarrhal affection. Therefore we may 
 infer that such disease will occasionally occur, either spontane- 
 ously or accidentally, as the case may be, in spite of our best 
 efforts to prevent it. As the old saying is, " Nature is ever busy 
 in maintaining the integrity of the vital forces of the animal 
 economy. Any deviation from the prescribed laws which physi- 
 ology imposes is a sure and certain cause of disease." 
 
 I now propose to introduce a case which, at the time of its oc- 
 currence, attracted much attention and curiosity, both on account 
 
94 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 of the great value of the animal, and the desperate state of the 
 case at the time it fell into my hands. It will also serve to in- 
 dorse the old aphorism that " where there is life there is hope." 
 Record of the Case. — The patient was a Patchen colt, aged four 
 years, a very handsome and promising animal. He was pur- 
 chased by Mr. McPheksojST, of this city, for the sum of two 
 thousand dollars, and, at the time of his sickness, was considered 
 worth three thousand. But disease neither respects man nor 
 horse. Each have, once in awhile, to suffer and groan, swallow 
 drugs and get well, or die, as the case maybe. And as regards 
 the horse, the more costly shall he be, the more likely is he to 
 get sick, from the fact that valuable horses are almost always 
 overfed and petted, and receive too much care and attention. On 
 arriving at the stable where the animal was located, I found him 
 in a dangerous condition. He appeared to be gasping for breath. 
 A loud stertorous noise, which could be heard at some distance, 
 indicated the nature of the difficulty as depending on obstruc- 
 tion within the larynx. The pulse at the angle of the jaw was 
 very indistinct. Both pupils of the eyes were dilated, or in a 
 state of amaurosis. The extremities and external surface of the 
 body were deathly cold. The tongue and visible mucous surfaces 
 were livid, indicating speedy death. Once in awhile the animal 
 would be seized with a convulsive or spasmodic fit of coughing, 
 which, every time, seemed to threaten his life. In those fits of 
 coughing he passed from the nostrils a sort of cheesy matter, 
 which appeared to be mixed up with a diphtherial exudation — 
 yellow secretion and froth. Under the above circumstances, any 
 attempt to administer medicine was deemed unsafe. I there- 
 fore decided to perform the operation known as tracheotomy, 
 which was done, in the following manner : Having secured the 
 services of a couple of assistants, the horse was led to a conven- 
 ient spot in the center of the stable. An incision was then made 
 through the skin, to expose the trachea, about midway between 
 the jaws and breast-bone. The trachea was now punctured by 
 means of a pointed scalpel, and a probe-pointed bistoury was used 
 to dissect out a piece of the windpipe, corresponding to the size of 
 the tracheotomy tube. This tube, after being inserted into the 
 windpipe, was secured in place by means of elastic tape, which was 
 passed around the neck and tied. On the introduction of the 
 tube the alarming symptoms immediately subsided, aud the act 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 95 
 
 of breathing was performed through the tube. I then applied a 
 counter-irritant to the throat, composed of cod-liver oil and spirits 
 of camphor, equal parts ; ordered a warm bran mash, into which 
 was sprinkled one ounce of powdered chlorate of potass. 
 
 For several days a very copious discharge from both nostrils 
 occurred; also from the orifice made in the windpipe; so that the 
 tracheotomy tube had to be removed and cleansed several times, 
 both during the day and night. Four days after the operation, 
 at night, the tube accidentally slipped out of the windpipe, and 
 the mishap was not discovered until morning, when I found that 
 air from the lungs had escaped into the cellular tissue, and in- 
 flated it so that the soft parts in the region of the neck and head 
 appeared much swollen. I gave the patient, twice daily, one 
 ounce of hyposulphite of soda, and had the swollen parts well 
 rubbed with liniment. On the fifth day I removed the tube from 
 the windpipe, and allowed the animal to breathe through the arti- 
 ficial opening, he still being unable to respire through the nostrils. 
 At the expiration of fifteen days from the commencement of the 
 animal's sickness, the wound in the windpipe was closed, natural 
 respiration having been restored. During the treatment of the 
 patient, he was allowed, occasionally, flaxseed tea, with about one 
 ounce of chlorate of potass per day. He had good attention, or, 
 rather, good nursing, and finally was again restored to usefulness. 
 
 In the early stage of laryngitis, or, rather, the inflammatory 
 stage, cold water bandages should be applied to the throat, and 
 a few doses of fluid extract of gelseminum, at the rate of one 
 fluid drachm per dose. 
 
 Croup (Cynanche Trachealis). 
 
 Croup (cynanche trachealis), or, as it is sometimes termed, 
 tracheitis, manifests itself in the form of a violent and sudden 
 disease affecting the mucous membrane of that portion of the 
 air-passages which lies between the laryngeal cartilages and the 
 primary passages of the trachea, or windpipe. Condie contends 
 that, in the majority of cases, the inflammation in croup com- 
 mences in the mucous membrane of the larynx, and from thence 
 extends into the trachea. The disease is, therefore, strictly speak- 
 ing, a laryngeo-tracheitis. In many instances, however, we have 
 reason to believe that the inflammation commences in the bronchi, 
 
96 DADDS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 and from thence extends to the trachea ; but there are, we suspect, 
 very few cases indeed, if any, in which the disease is confined to 
 the trachea. In cases of croup that have terminated rapidly in 
 death, the inflammation and pseudo-membranous exudation which 
 form so striking a feature in this disease are found only in the 
 larynx and upper portion of the trachea. When death occurs at 
 a later period, the exudation is often present in the trachea alone, 
 or in the trachea and bronchi. It is never found to exist in the 
 latter tubes alone. It has been attempted to be shown, by -Turin" 
 and others, that in the ordinary form of croup the disease is, in its 
 first stages at least, simply a tracheitis, and that in the more vio- 
 lent and rapid form (suffocating croup) the inflammation is con- 
 fined to the larynx. Although this is not strictly true, as is proved 
 by the result of numerous dissections, yet our observations have 
 shown us that in cases marked by symptoms of great violence, 
 which are sudden in their onset and rapid in their progress, the 
 indications of inflammation are to a much greater extent, and the 
 pseudo-membranous exudation more copious about the larynx, glot- 
 tis, and upper portion of the trachea, than in cases in which the 
 disease succeeds to bronchitis, runs a more protracted course, and 
 is attended by symptoms of less violence. 
 
 The disease generally makes its appearance during the latter 
 part of winter and in early spring, and most frequently occurs 
 among horses just introduced to city life. The subjects such as 
 the author has had occasion to treat were young, most of them of 
 the lymphatic temperament, having short, thick necks, which 
 abounded in a profuse development of adipose and cellular tissues, 
 which results in a rotund bodily conformation. This, perhaps, 
 goes to show that some hereditary idiosyncrasy plays a part in the 
 creation of the disease. 
 
 Causes. — The indirect causes of the disorder are embraced among 
 the evils of domestication, which include errors in diet, impure 
 air, and bad management. It usually dates its origin from what 
 are generally considered as the causes of common cold. Several 
 days previous to the attack, the animal appears " dumpish," drowsy, 
 and inactive, having little desire for artificial food, and less for 
 water. The eyes appear somewhat tumefied, and the respirations 
 are laborious, having a peculiar, croupy sound, accompanied by a 
 distressing cough. The respirations can be heard at a distance (as 
 the disease progresses), and on making pressure in the region of 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 97 
 
 the larynx, the animal evinces signs of uneasiness, suffocation, and 
 pain. Soon the mucous, schneiderian, and conjunctivial mem- 
 branes become reddened, the eyes protrude, the tongue tumefies, 
 and external tumefaction in the region of the throat may be ob- 
 served. Febrile symptoms are also present, manifested by cold- 
 ness of the exterior and increased temperature of the interior 
 parts. The nose appears dry, and the mouth is full of frothy saliva 
 (sometimes lymphy mucus), and some difficulty is encountered in 
 opening the latter. 
 
 History of the Disease. — The following case, from the author's 
 note-book, will probably prove interesting to the reader: The 
 patient, a roan mare, aged seven. Temperament, lymphatic. 
 Just arrived, in company with several other horses, from Ohio. 
 The property of Mr. Banford, Merrimac stable, Boston. Our 
 patient had been "ailing" some three or four days before our 
 services were secured, at which time she was laboring under 
 "alarming symptoms" bordering on suffocation. The pulse was 
 indistinct, small, thready, and difficult to number, yet probably 
 exceeded sixty. The breathing was croupy, or stertorous, and 
 could be heard at a distance of several yards. The nostrils were 
 dilated, and from them issued a lymphy discharge, mixed with traces 
 of blood. The submaxillary space was somewhat tumefied, hard, 
 unyielding, and seemed to constrict the larynx and its associate 
 muscles. The eyes were prominent, their membranes congested, 
 and streaks of tears escaped over the inner canthus. The flanks 
 were bedewed with a cold, clammy perspiration. The tips of the 
 ears were quite cold, and the limbs the same. Auscultation, in 
 the region of the larynx, revealed a very laborious and crepitating 
 mucous rale. The trachea itself seemed to be free from obstruc- 
 tion. Thoracic auscultation elicited nothing tending to show that 
 the lungs were involved. 
 
 The patient appeared to be in a deplorable, in fact dying, con- 
 dition, making a sort of gasping effort to inflate the lungs. There 
 was little time to spare; and being satisfied that the larynx 
 was the seat of obstruction, we immediately cut down upon the 
 trachea, about five inches below the thyroid cartilage, and ampu- 
 tated, from between two rings of the trachea, a piece, of an oval 
 shape, corresponding in size to the caliber of Arnold's tracheotomy 
 tube, which was the instrument used on this occasion. So soon 
 as the opening into the trachea was effected, the patient experi- 
 7 
 
98 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 enced instantaneous relief from suffocation, and all danger from 
 the same seemed to have immediately passed away. The tube 
 was now introduced and secured around the neck in the usual 
 manner, after which the patient received an aloetic enema, and 
 had a strong counter-irritant applied to the submaxillary space 
 and throat, after which the fauces were swabbed with a weak 
 solution of alum, by means of sponge secured to a piece of whale- 
 bone. On examining the " swab," a sort of lymphy or albumin- 
 ous concretion adhered to it ; the mucous membrane of the larynx 
 was either injected or oedematous. The pharynx was not involved, 
 as the animal, shortly after the operation, drank two quarts of 
 water, containing two drachms of nitrate potassa. 
 
 The tube remained within the trachea for a period of five days, 
 during which time very little occurred worth recording, except 
 that one night pneumatosis (distension of the cellular membrane 
 with air) appeared, which yielded to a dose of hyposulphite of 
 soda and an outward application ot liquor ammonia acetatis; and, 
 also, on the fifth day, a submaxillary tumor was punctured, which 
 discharged freely. At the end of the above period, it was ascer- 
 tained, by holding a lighted lamp to the nostrils, at the same time 
 stopping up the orifice in the instrument, that the animal breathed 
 through the usual channel. Then the instrument was removed, 
 the parts cleansed, and secured together by suture. The wounds 
 healed by the usual process, and, at the end of three weeks, the 
 animal was disposed of, and went to work. 
 
 The operation of tracheotomy, formidable as it may appear to 
 some, is unattended with danger ; yet, like every other process of 
 surgery or medicine, is only calculated to relieve certain states 
 peculiarly adapted to the remedy. For example, the operation is 
 admissible in cases of nasal obstruction, from the presence of nasal 
 polypus or other causes; spasm of the larynx, threatening suffo- 
 cation ; suppurative laryngitis, when the animal is in great dis- 
 tress for " breath ; " and in case of any foreign body occupying the 
 larynx, which precludes the possibility of continuing the process 
 of respiration. On the other hand, the operation is worse than 
 useless in cases of lung difficulty, bronchial obstruction, or when 
 obstruction occurs within the trachea posterior to the usual point 
 selected for the operation. 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 99 
 
 Cough in its Chronic and Acute Stage. 
 
 According to veterinary jurisprudence, a cough, so long as it 
 lasts, renders the animal unsound ; hence it is very important that 
 we should know something about its cause, nature, and treat- 
 ment. Chronic cough is often the result of indiscretion in the 
 treatment of influenza, distemper, and disease of the respiratory 
 apparatus. It usually depends on a morbid and irritable condition 
 of the membrane found on the interior of the respiratory passages. 
 The cough is generally aggravated by over-exertion, especially 
 when the roads are dusty. Food of an inferior quality, and that 
 of a musty character, has the same effect. 
 
 It is generally supposed, by those persons who have not had the 
 benefit of a medical education, that the presence of acute or chronic 
 cough indicates diseased lungs, or disease in some parts of the 
 organs of respiration. But this is not always the case ; for, when- 
 ever the liver becomes diseased, the subject is very apt to be tor- 
 mented with a harrassing cough, which lasts as long as that organ 
 shall be the seat of disease. However, there are several symptoms 
 to be observed in cases of functional or organic disease of the liver 
 which are not present in lung disease ; hence there is no difficulty 
 in the way of making a correct diagnosis. And for the benefit 
 of the non-professional, the author would inform them that, in all 
 cases of liver disease, a marked yellow tinge will be observed on 
 the visible surfaces within the mouth ; the tongue slightly coated ; 
 the dung unusually dark colored, and voided in hardened lumps, 
 and the urine also of a dark yellow color. 
 
 Treatment of Chronic Cough. — Give the patient daily one ounce 
 of the fluid extract of Indian hemp (foreign), and offer him occa- 
 sionally some flaxseed tea ; or sprinkle in his food, every night, a 
 handful of unground flaxseed. Should this fail to effect a cure, 
 prepare the following : 
 
 No. 13. Fluid extract of bloodroot 4 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of pleurisy-root 6 oz. 
 
 Common syrup \ pmt 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Dose, two ounces per day. 
 
 The acute cough may be treated in the same manner as above, 
 by substituting for the syrup half a pint of syrup of squills. 
 In the case of liver disease, accompanied by cough, give the 
 
100 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 animal one ounce of fluid extract of mandrake every six hours, 
 until it operates on the bowels, or the membranes of the mouth 
 lose their yellow tinge. 
 
 Roaring. 
 
 Roaring is usually the result of structural alterations within 
 the larynx, or upper part of the windpipe bordering on the 
 trachea. In mild cases of roaring, we usually find a thickened 
 state of the membrane lining the upper portion of the respiratory 
 passage ; and when roaring is occasioned by thickening of this 
 membrane, its degree depends on the ratio of decrease in the cali- 
 ber of the tube breathed through. Roaring is a very aristocratic 
 disease. Many of the very best and fastest horses in England 
 were, and are now, notorious roarers. " Flying Childers," as fast 
 a horse as ever wore horseshoes, was one of the worst roarers ever 
 known. The story runs that when " Guilders " was at full speed, 
 his roaring resembled juvenile thunder ! He could be heard when 
 distant half a mile ! 
 
 The worst form of this disease is whistling. This is the sharp 
 shrill note not only occasioned by the thickening of the lining 
 membrane of the primary passages of respiration, but by altera- 
 tions in the form and structure of the larynx, the larynx being, 
 in popular language, known as the " voice-box." 
 
 Roaring is more prevalent among stallions than mares and 
 geldings, and the kind of horse most subject to it is the one hav- 
 ing a thick, chunky neck, and having the angles of the jaws in 
 very close proximity with the neck. Roaring scarcely, if ever, 
 admits of a radical cure ; and when of a hereditary or congenital 
 origin, a cure is impossible. A roarer should never be incum- 
 bered with a check-rein ; for it has the effect of causing undue 
 pressure on the larynx, and thus augments the difficulty. Roaring 
 can, however, be relieved by an operation known as tracheotomy, 
 which is performed at a point a few inches below the larynx. 
 
 At a meeting of the Imperial and Central Society of Veteri- 
 nary Medicine, M. Leblanc read a communication on tracheot- 
 omy which was performed on a carriage horse. The operation 
 had been performed because the horse was a severe roarer ; and he 
 wore the tube eighteen years and a half, doing fast work all the 
 time. The animal was destroyed at twenty-three years of age, 
 the owner not desiring to make further use of him nor to sell 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 101 
 
 him. Since the operation, Leblanc had not observed any 
 change in the horse, except a depression of the bones of the face. 
 After death, the Jarynx was found very narrow, the mucous mem- 
 brane and submucous cellular tissues were thickened, the epiglot- 
 tis deformed, very obtuse, and everted at its free margin. The 
 changes in the larynx were the original cause of roaring. The 
 depression of the bones of the face was connected with constric- 
 tion of the nasal chambers, and was evidently secondary to the 
 change in the course of the air in the process of respiration. The 
 parts of the trachea in contact with the tube had undergone a 
 transformation into very hard tissue. It filled the trachea above 
 the point where the tube had been introduced, and intermixed 
 with this firm fibrous deposit was a cartilaginous and osseous tissue, 
 which offered great resistance to the scalpel. Roaring, thick wind, 
 whistling, etc., are often the sequel of strangles, influenza, laryn- 
 gitis, and other affections of the respiratory passages, and hence 
 have an accidental origin. In such cases, we may entertain a hope 
 of doing some good by means of medicinal agents and counter- 
 irritation. 
 
 Treatment. — The medicines which have proved most successful 
 in my practice are as follows: 
 
 No. 14. Iodide of potass 4 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of stillingia 12 oz. 
 
 Water 4 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Give the patient two ounces daily, by means of a small vial; 
 and rub the region of the throat every night with a portion of 
 the following : 
 
 No. 15. Cod-liver oil 
 
 Spirits of camphor. 
 
 I equal parts. 
 
 Polypus within the Nostrils. 
 
 Polypus is the name given to an excrescence, or tumor, which 
 has its origin from the surface of the membrane lining the nasal 
 cavities. It is designated as growing from a mucous membrane, 
 having a narrow neck and body, resembling, in shape, a pear. 
 The usual symptoms attending the presence of polypus in the nasal 
 cavities are as follows : Difficulty of breathing, evidently occasioned 
 by obstruction in the air-passages. 
 
102 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Percivall informs us that the true polypus is at- 
 tached to mucous membranes, and is usually found in 
 the nasal cavities. He tells us that attending the diffi- 
 culty of breathing is a mucous discharge from one or 
 both nostrils, sometimes attended by a discharge of 
 blood. Occasionally, however, pure blood run,s con- 
 tinuously from the nose. Inspection in a full light dis- 
 TviTHiN the closes, higher or lower in the nostril, the rounded base 
 
 NOSTRIL. ' ~ ' 
 
 of a polypus. 
 
 Treatment. — The services of a veterinary surgeon are, as a 
 matter of course, here needed. The patient must be cast and the 
 head fixed in a position so as to take advantage of the light. The 
 operator then passes into the nostril and around the tumor an in- 
 strument called an ecraiseur, which will remove the tumor without 
 loss of blood. If the instrument is not at hand, the surgeon will 
 pass a ligature around the base of the tumor, and in the course of 
 a couple of days it will be detached. Percivall, recommends 
 that, in bringing down the tumor for operation, we must not use 
 any great force. The pedicle being but a duplicature of the skin, 
 and uot a portion of the polypus itself, may be divided anywhere. 
 In some cases, the polypus is so high up within the nostril that, 
 in order to get at its base, it becomes necessary to make an incis- 
 ion through the wall of the nostril. 
 
 Chabert, in his " Veterinary Instructions," relates the follow- 
 ing : " A horse in a cavalry regiment had been gradually losing 
 flesh, and was quickly and painfully blown at every little exer- 
 tion. Fetid matter began to run from his off nostril, and the 
 gland correspondent enlarged. The horse was supposed by the 
 sergeant-farrier to be glandered, (there being no veterinary sur- 
 geons then in the French service,) and was treated accordingly. 
 After a time, to the confusion and astonishment of the man, a 
 fleshy substance began to appear in the nostril, and which rapidly 
 increased in size. At length a great mass protruded, and the far- 
 rier cut it off. Xo benefit followed ; the nostril was still stopped, 
 the breathing laborious, and the horse daily became thinner and 
 weaker. After the lapse of a twelvemonth, the case attracted 
 the attention of M. Tears, the surgeon of the regiment. He cast 
 the horse and slit up the nostril, when he not only found it com- 
 pletely filled with polypus, and the septum narium bulging into 
 the other division of the cavity, but, from long-continued inflani- 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 103 
 
 mation and pressure, it adhered to the membrane of the nose in so 
 many points, and so extensively, that it was impossible to get 
 round it or move it. He contrived, at length, to pass a crucial 
 bandage around it, and it was torn out by main force. Four con- 
 siderable portions of the turbinated bones were brought aAvay with 
 it. The hemorrhage was excessive. He however filled the nos- 
 tril completely with tow, and brought the divided edges of the 
 false nostril together by sutures. In three days they were all 
 torn out by the incessant attempts of the animal to get rid of the 
 obstruction; but the horse eventually did well. The polypus 
 weighed two pounds seven ounces." 
 
 Gohier relates a case of a horse who had in his left nostril a 
 polypus as large as a turkey's egg, of a grayish color and glossy 
 surface, too high up to be reached with the finger, which prevented 
 his breathing on that side, and gave rise to offensive effluvium, to 
 enlargement of the lymphatic glands, but not to roaring. Go- 
 hier slit up the nostril, and, with an iron rod with a notch upon 
 its end, contrived to inclose its neck in the slip-knot of a liga- 
 ture. In drawing this tight, however — which was, of necessity, 
 done in an oblique direction — the pedicle was cut through. Little 
 hemorrhage succeeded, although the tumor weighed twenty-four 
 ounces. The slit nostril was sewn up, and* cold water injected into 
 its cavity. A copious discharge from both nostrils followed, with 
 swelling of the lymphatic glands. This was met by proper treat- 
 ment, and in fifteen days the patient was sent out of the hospital. 
 
 Bronchocele (commonly known as Enlargement of 
 the Thyroid Glands, or Goitre). 
 
 Bronchocele, or enlargement of the thyroid glands, is a disease 
 which very frequently makes its appearance among certain breeds 
 of horses and sheep, and is supposed to owe its origin to heredi- 
 tary predispositions and influences. It is also very prevalent 
 among members of the human family. It seems to acquire a 
 home in certain localities in Derbyshire, England, where it is 
 said to be a very common disorder; but its occurrence in other 
 parts of that country is by no means frequent. Among the in- 
 habitants of the Alps, and other mountainous countries bordering 
 thereon, it is a disease very often met with. 
 
 The uncastrated animals seem to suffer, most. After they get 
 
104 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 to be about eight years of age, the tumors acquire such magni- 
 tude that they press on the vocal organs, so as to decrease the 
 caliber of the larynx, and thus the animal becomes a "roarer." 
 Judging from what we know of the disease in the human subject, 
 the glands, while undergoing enlargement, do not occasion much 
 pain. The danger arises from mechanical causes, and the death 
 of the subject, if it occur, is due to asphyxia, or suffocation. 
 Among horses there are very few fatal cases on record. The 
 reverse is the case as regards sheep. When these glands are 
 much enlarged, and the animal is near or past the adult age, it 
 is very unsafe to attempt their removal by means of the knife; 
 for at this stage they are highly vascular, and the arteries which 
 run into them are much enlarged. The operation has been suc- 
 
 8H0WINO THE TUMOE OP BBONCHOOELE IN THE REGION OP THE THROAT. 
 
 cessfully performed on lambs, but it must be done when they are 
 quite young, and the artery must be secured before the gland is 
 extirj>ated, or the animal will bleed to death in a few seconds. It 
 is well known among the members of the profession that the dis- 
 ease is incurable; and the same remarks apply to all hereditary 
 diseases, yet the growth of the glands may be retarded by means 
 of local and constitutional treatment. 
 
 The thyroid glands are two ovoid bodies, varying in size from 
 a filbert to an egg, located in the region of the thyroid cartilage 
 (throat), one on each side of the trachea (windpipe). Their at- 
 tachments are cellular. When, cut into, they exhibit a porus tex- 
 ture, highly vascular, well supplied with blood-vessels. Very 
 little is known of their physiology. They are called vascular 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 105 
 
 glands without ducts or outlets, and thus they correspond with 
 the spleen, thymus gland, and supra-renal capsules, all of which, 
 when in active operation, are largely supplied with blood. As 
 regards the function of each, they may be supposed to separate 
 certain materials from the blood, and only differ from ordinary 
 glands in not having a direct outlet. Consequently, not knowing 
 the precise part which the thyroid glands play in the animal 
 economy, it would be very unwise to remove them, when their 
 enlargement, in some cases, amounts to little else than an " eye- 
 sore." Their enlargement is generally the consequence, and not 
 the cause, of disease. Men, horses, dogs, and cattle of the scrof- 
 ulous diathesis, are known to have what may be termed chronic 
 enlargement of these glands, and this peculiarity would seem to 
 indicate that the thyroid glands are somewhat associated with the 
 lymphatic system. Then, again, we find these glands enlarged 
 in cases of throat and lung difficulties — in catarrh, influenza, dis- 
 temper, etc. — so that their extirpation would not remove the 
 original difficulty. In such cases they decrease in size as soon 
 as the original malady ceases. The enlargement is not then of 
 a permanent character. 
 
 Treatment. — Should the enlargement appear to exist independ- 
 ent of febrile symptoms, twenty-five grains of the iodide of 
 potassium may be given daily, in water (which the patient will 
 not refuse to drink), and a small portion of the ointment of 
 iodide of potassium may be rubbed on the enlargement, with 
 decided advantage : 
 
 No. 16. Iodide of potassium 1 part. 
 
 Lard 8 parts. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 On the Action of Iodine. — Iodine and its compounds are the 
 principal agents used by veterinary surgeons for the treatment of 
 glandular affections, and they supersede, to a certain Extent, the 
 preparations of quicksilver, in the form of mercury, which are 
 apt to be absorbed into the system, and thus produce mischief. 
 
 Morton, in his " Manual of Pharmacy," thus alludes to iodine : 
 "The action of iodine and its compounds is markedly seen on 
 glandular structure, and newly-formed and abnormal growths. 
 For the latter they seem to manifest a decided preference, which 
 renders them so valuable as therapeutic agents. Their influence 
 is that of a stimulant to the absorbents; and by means of these 
 
106 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 vessels, when those agents have been long and injudiciously given, 
 it is recorded that the mammae of women and the testes of men 
 have almost disappeared. A case illustrative of the effects of 
 iodine on the glandular system was related by Mr. Wardle, who 
 employs this agent largely, and with considerable success. He 
 had been for some weeks exhibiting the iodide of potassium, and 
 also applying it externally to a bull for an enlarged parotid gland. 
 The reduction of the swelling having been accomplished, his at- 
 tention was directed to the testicles of his patient, which had be- 
 come so much diminished in size; and it was also found that the 
 animal had no desire to copulate. Four months generous feed, 
 however, effectually restored the parts to their pristine state. 
 
 In chronic enlargements of the submaxillary, parotid, mam- 
 mary, and other glands ; in tumors of long standing ; for thick- 
 ening of the integuments, and indurated swellings about the joints, 
 in all our domestic animals, and for unhealthy ulcerated surfaces, 
 the use of iodine and its compounds is indicated, combining both 
 their internal and external employment. The latter should be 
 accompanied with friction ; and so soon as soreness is induced, the 
 application of the compound must be suspended. A desquama- 
 tion, or scaling off of the cuticle, or skin, usually follows this, and 
 a reduction of the swelling will soon after be perceptible. Unfor- 
 tunately, it is too often the case that, if the expectations of the 
 practitioner are not at once realized, the agent is discarded as use- 
 less. Now, the compounds of iodine rank among those substances 
 whose operation is slow, but which, at the same time, constitute 
 an important class, as their effects are permanent." 
 
 Influenza, or Epizootic Catarrh. 
 
 Influenza is a disease of a catarrhal character, always accompa- 
 nied by gr£lt weakness or debility. It is apt to migrate from one 
 tissue to another, and thus produce various complications. In sta- 
 bles that are badly ventilated, or over-crowded with horses, the 
 malady is apt to make sad havoc, and assume a malignancy ending 
 in typhoid or typhus fever. 
 
 In some cases the heart or lungs become congested, and thus 
 their function is embarrassed. The blood accumulates carbon, the 
 heart fails to propel, and the lungs to vitalize the blood. This 
 state demands stimulants of a character that shall excite vital action, 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 107 
 
 and tend to effect chemical changes in the blood. The most valu- 
 able agent, in this view, is carbonate of ammonia. In veterinary 
 practice this agent is considered as one of the most valuable diffu- 
 sible stimulants. It acts first on the nerves of the stomach, and 
 through them excites the whole nervous system. It may be given 
 in doses from one to three drachms, either in the form of bolus or 
 drench. Its stimulating influence over the heart and nervous sys- 
 tem may be increased by the addition of one or more drachms of 
 good Jamaica ginger. This treatment may be continued until 
 congestion subsides, which may be known by the fullness of pulse 
 and heat of the external surface of the body, and by other symp- 
 toms which usually attend fever in its inflammatory stage. 
 
 The exciting or stimulating plan of treatment must never be 
 entirely abandoned. To husband the powers of the system, and 
 thus guard against subsequent prostration, must be our chief object. 
 Although the case may require a sedative to-day, in the form of 
 two or three drachms of fluid extract of gelseminum, yet, in the 
 course of a very few hours, the prostration becomes so apparent that 
 we are again compelled to exhibit life-sustaining agents. Excit- 
 ants, or counter-excitants, are also, at times, needed externally. 
 If the patient has a deep-seated cough, strong liniment, composed 
 of oil of hartshorn (and sometimes oil of camphor), must be applied. 
 Often I anoint the parts with a thick paste, composed of mustard 
 and vinegar. The membranes of the fauces (throat) are exces- 
 sively sore ; then the same course has to be pursued. At the same 
 time, a mucilaginous drink, composed of flaxseed sweetened with 
 honey, must be allowed. The nervous system must also be aroused 
 by the application of the above liniment to the spinal column. 
 At another stage of the malady, diaphoresis (increased perspiration) 
 must be excited by clothing the body with flannel, and drenching 
 with a preparation known as solution of acetate of ammonia, to 
 the amount of six or eight ounces per day, until the skin feels soft 
 and warm. In case sedema (local dropsy) of the body or extremi- 
 ties sets in, the patient then requires diuretics. One or two ounces 
 of sweet spirits of niter, or two ounces fluid extract of buchu, may 
 be given in linseed tea, until the kidneys respond, and the secretion 
 of urine becomes augmented. The bowels are sometimes inactive, 
 but that inactivity may be corrected by adding to a bran-mash 
 from four to six drachms of fluid extract of mandrake. Occa- 
 sionally the patient becomes uneasy, paws with his fore-feet, and 
 
108 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 evinces signs of abdominal pain. In that event, he should have 
 two or three drachms of fluid extract of Indian hemp. These 
 latter symptoms indicate danger, showing that the bowels are 
 congested, and the result may be mortification of the same. 
 
 The following case, occurring in the author's practice, goes to 
 show that influenza may sometimes be followed by an acute disease 
 of the brain, pleurisy, etc. : The patient was a bay gelding, aged 
 about eight years. The groom informed me that the disease was 
 ushered in by a shivering fit. Soon a discharge from both nos- 
 trils ensued. The throat became sore; cough and laborious 
 respiration followed, and the animal became so weak that it was 
 almost impossible to back him out of the stall. He ate but little, 
 and in the act of drinking, the water returned through his nos- 
 trils. The treatment was commenced in the usual manner, by 
 administering tonics and stimulants, which seemed to have a good 
 effect on him. He also received enemas of soap-suds; yet, not- 
 withstanding, symptoms of pleurisy supervened. He appeared to 
 suffer much pain, and was very unwilling to have the region of 
 the chest explored. The least pressure on the region of the inter- 
 costal spaces would cause him to grunt or groan with pain. The 
 pulse was active and wiry, and the visible surfaces were much 
 reddened. I administered a full dose of powdered niter, and 
 twenty drops of aconite; and fearing effusion into the chest, I 
 plastered the walls of the same with hot vinegar and mustard. 
 The latter made the patient very uneasy, and he cut up all kinds 
 of capers. In the course of a few hours I repeated the dose, and 
 left the patient for the night. Next morning I again visited him, 
 and was informed that he had made several attempts to get up in 
 the manger. I noticed that his head was elevated, and the eyes 
 fiery red. He acted wildly and showed decided symptoms of 
 phrenzy. On attempting to administer a sedative, the animal 
 went into convulsions, and I was compelled to make my escape 
 from the stall as quick as possible. He soon got his fore-feet over 
 the tops of an adjoining stall, five feet in height, remained there 
 for a short time, when he scrambled over and fell like a log right 
 into the next stall. I never expected to see him rise again ; but 
 after a few minutes, with some assistance, he got up. I gave him 
 twenty drops of aconite. During this day the frantic animal 
 went over a stall twice in succession, and fell very heavily each 
 time on his back, yet did not appear to have suffered any injury. 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 109 
 
 Most of the time he appeared frantic, yet unconscious ; and just 
 before going into a convulsive fit, he would stamp with his fore- 
 feet, continuously toss up his head, his neck being the seat of 
 spasmodic twistings. Next day the symptoms had not altered 
 much, and, during my examination, he pulled back, broke a por- 
 tion of his manger to which he was tied, and fell head over heels 
 on the floor. During the forenoon he became more calm, and lay 
 on the floor, yet would occasionally jerk his head backward, and 
 have slight convulsions. I continued the prostrating plan of 
 treatment, only exhibiting smaller doses, and soon the patient began 
 to improve. The membranes of the eyes, mouth, and nostrils as- 
 sumed a more natural appearance ; then the plan of treatment was 
 altered, and the patient received tonics and stimulants, which soon 
 resulted in convalescence. 
 
 Among all the cases that have come under my care and observa- 
 tion, I have neither found it advisable nor necessary to practice 
 the antiphlogistic treatment, in so far as it relates to bleeding and 
 purging ; and I can not conceive a case, so depressing as influenza 
 is known to be, that would require any such heroic treatment. 
 The safety of our patient depends on the judicious application of 
 remedies such as are here named, and, therefore, I would warn the 
 farmer against the use of fleam and cathartic in the treatment of 
 influenza. Yet, after all, the best treatment may fail in restoring 
 a patient. We require aid in the form of pure air, suitable diet, 
 and good nursing. Failing in the latter important adjuncts, our 
 treatment avails but little. 
 
 Influenza is a disease accompanied by a discharge from the res- 
 piratory, conjunctival, and schneiderian membranes; and the 
 organs of respiration themselves are more or less involved, as 
 shown by cough and soreness of the throat, lassitude, fever, thirst, 
 and loss of appetite. Now, if the term influenza means any thing, 
 it signifies epidemic catarrh, and the cases alluded to were not of 
 this character, but quite diverse, indicating a low congestive state. 
 Still, the majority of cases that we have seen do appear to be noth- 
 ing more nor less than influenza ; but if the above diseases appear 
 simultaneous with the latter, there is danger of persons making 
 great mistakes in the treatment, for it is very apt to run into 
 typhoid fever. 
 
110 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Typhus or Typhoid Affections. 
 
 The veterinary surgeons of England have hitherto maintained 
 a remarkable silence on the subject of typhoid affections occurring 
 among horses; and so late as the year 1850, Mr. Percivall in- 
 forms the world, through the pages of the " Veterinarian," that in 
 London very little is known about such disease. In view, there- 
 fore, of lighting up the dark spots that exist in our department on 
 this side of the water, we furnish a translation from the French, by 
 Mr. Percivall. The article is a selection from a prize memoir 
 written by a distinguished surgeon. It is preceded, as the reader 
 will perceive, by a review from the pen of the translator, who 
 says: 
 
 " In the ' Collection of Memoirs and Observations on (French) 
 Military Veterinarian Hygiene and Medicine,' which we have so 
 lately been engaged in examining, are contained two prize 
 memoirs — one on Farcy, the other on Typhoid Affections 
 in horses.* On the latter of these we would make a few remarks, 
 if it were only for the reason of showing what is meant to be un- 
 derstood by such imposing titles. Typhus and typhoid are words 
 but rarely heard in our own country in connection with veterinary, 
 or at least with hippiatric, medicine. Our old writers on farriery 
 described fevers in horses as very destructive in their character, 
 requiring antiphlogistic treatment : 
 
 "'Typhus Fever. — A disease touching which we (the author) are 
 in possession of but few observations, and one that has been, and 
 still is, in our opinion, mistaken for and confounded with either 
 enteritis or gastro-enteritis — in cases, for example, in which its 
 consequences are of little importance — though, perhaps, with pu- 
 trid fever, when, on the other hand, malignant and exhibiting 
 extraordinary violence, its progress is rapid and its termination 
 fatal. In its most benignant form, typhus fever, indeed, bears so 
 great a resemblance to pure inflammation of the primary intestinal 
 passages, that it is often difficult, very difficult, even to distinguish 
 them. As for the cause which occasions it to be confounded with 
 putrid fever, it is no matter of astonishment to us, since, in our 
 opinion, one fever possesses, in many respects, so great an analogy 
 
 *The reader will find an article on Typhus Fever, but in an enzootic form, in 
 "The Veterinarian," vol. xxii, p. 462. 
 
DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. Ill 
 
 with the other; while typhus itself, through causes which remain 
 latent up to the present hour, is, like the gastro-enteritis of 1825, 
 dangerous, fatal, and epizootic. In general, typhus fever begins 
 without any warning, though there are times in which its ap- 
 proach is marked by dullness and weakness, and a manifestation 
 of being easily fatigued, sweating through little exertion, etc., 
 with loss of appetite. 
 
 Of the first stage, the most remarkable symptoms are either a 
 yellow redness of the pituitary membrane, or a dryness or a dis- 
 charge of viscous matter, which adheres in thick incrustations 
 around the alse of the nostrils, with, occasionally, an appearance 
 of drops of blood. The nostrils are more or less dilated, the res- 
 piration more or less frequent, according to the sharpness of the 
 abdominal pains, or the existence of a lamentable complication of 
 thoracic with abdominal disease. The ear applied to the wind- 
 pipe or to the walls of the thorax, almost always detects a well- 
 marked mucous rale; also there is cough, with full, strong, and 
 frequent pulse. 
 
 In the second stage, the mouth becomes dry, and sometimes dis- 
 plays aphthae or cracks of some depth. The tongue is red about 
 its point and along its sides, but its middle and base are of a deep 
 yellow tint. The breath is tainted. When abdominal symptoms 
 are present, which is not always the case, they are sufficiently 
 well marked. The dung is either very hard, or it is, more com- 
 monly, liquid ; sometimes it is bloody, and issues a fetid odor, the 
 debility frequently being such at this period as to cause constant 
 opening of the anus. The pituitary membrane is dry, and covered 
 with bloody points. The conjunctival membrane is reddened and 
 infiltrated, and, like the pituitary, presents petechial patches. 
 The pulse has not its force and fullness, etc. Some veterinarians 
 have remarked, at this period, upon the insides of the thighs those 
 little vesicles to which the name of sudamina has been given. 
 Urine scanty, possessing a remarkable fetor, and voided occasion- 
 ally with great pain; great dejection, and occasional stupor; and, 
 ordinarily, at this period it is that the ataxic or adynamic symp- 
 toms set in. 
 
 In the third stage, the parotids tumefy and ulcerate. Any setons 
 or rowels that may have been introduced, or blisters, become so 
 many causes of mortification of the parts in which they have been 
 applied. And now the mouth becomes quite dried up ; the tongue 
 
112 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 acquires a horny feel, and turns brown; the gums and teeth are 
 covered with a dingy slime. Bleeding from the nose, which mostly 
 appears during the inflammatory stage, now returns. The pulse 
 becomes irregular and more feeble; oedema, sometimes consider- 
 able, of the extremities ; great debility. The temperature of the 
 body sinks. The neck, belly, flanks, axilla, and groins become 
 covered with cold and clammy sweats; the tympanitis increases, 
 the evacuations being bloody and fetid to a remarkable degree. 
 The animal, continually in pain, exhibits symptoms of colic, often 
 seeking to lie down ; but if he does, he soon rises again. Respi- 
 ration greatly accelerated ; nostrils widely dilated ; pulsations of 
 the heart tumultuous. At length, beginning to stagger, he falls, 
 either to die an easy death or to expire amid agonizing convulsions. 
 When, however, recovery in place of death follows, such symp- 
 toms as we have last detailed do not occur, or with only modified 
 force and character. When blood has been drawn for experiment, 
 under such circumstances, at a time when adynamic and biliary 
 symptoms prevailed, it has been found to contain but little hema- 
 tosine, but, on the contrary, a large proportion of serum, of a light 
 greenish hue. The disease may last from four, seven, or eight to 
 thirty days. Relapse is extremely likely, even under every pros- 
 pect of convalescence, unless great care be taken. The diagnosis 
 at the commencement is difficult, even impossible, when the char- 
 acteristic symptoms are but scantily and imperfectly developed. 
 
 The affections whose symptoms most resemble those of the dis- 
 ease before us are plegmasia of the intestinal tube, and particular 
 of the brain. Should sudamina be detected, they are, as in human 
 medicine, to be regarded as definitely characteristic of typhoid 
 fever. Prognosis, for the most part, unfavorable; and the more 
 so according as the nervous accompaniments are more numerous, 
 more violent, and more early in showing themselves; the stupor 
 great, the strength failing more, the pulse faltering, the diarrhea 
 greater, more bloody, fetid, etc. 
 
 Our etiology is all at fault. In truth, we know not the deter- 
 mining cause of typhus. The post-mortem states are by no means 
 agreed upon by those who have reported them. Most agree that 
 the digestive canal exhibits the most constant and marked symp- 
 toms of disorder. The mouth presents marks of inflammation, 
 and, on occasions, aphtha? or ulcerations, though commonly too su- 
 perficial to destroy the living membrane. The pharynx sometimes 
 
DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 113 
 
 the same as the mouth; at others, nothing. The stomach is fre- 
 quently the seat of inflammation of a marked character. The 
 intestines also reddened, to more or less extent. The cavity of 
 the peritoneum, containing a citron-colored fluid, reddened, per- 
 haps, the omentum being at times almost entirely destroyed. A 
 liquid matter — a sort of bloody corruption of more or less consist- 
 ence — is often found within the cavities of the small guts ; and in 
 those of the large, the csecum and colon in particular, are some- 
 times to be remarked red and black spots, or ecchymoses, buds of 
 smaller or larger size (glandes de Bruner} indistinctly planted over 
 the mucous surface. 
 
 Malignant or Putrid Typhus — (Typhus Charbonneaux.) — These 
 malignant and putrid affections, either constitutional, or, in some 
 instances, but local in their origin, ever of a highly acute nature 
 and of unequaled rapidity of progress, since not unfrequently they 
 cause death in a few hours, are of more consequence for us to be- 
 come acquainted with, as they are not only susceptible of being 
 communicated from one animal to another, but even from animal 
 to man, in whom, losing none of their malignity, they are likewise 
 most commonly mortal. Frequently sporadic, sometimes epizootic, 
 but most commonly enzootic, these diseases at times assume so re- 
 doubtable a form that nothing can arrest their progress. Invading 
 farms or other extensive localities, they produce therein terrific 
 ravages; for, being susceptible under various forms, almost equally 
 fatal one with another, of prostrating a vast number of animals of 
 the same or different species, these affections determine, under vary- 
 ing circumstances, losses which, on occasions, desolate and com- 
 pletely ruin the country where they have broken out. 
 
 Such are the two especial forms of typhus fever which have 
 been observed among horse-kind — one of which would seem to 
 occur at times in practice without being sufficiently heeded or re- 
 cognized by veterinary surgeons in this country, while the other 
 may be said to comprehend those malignant epidemics by which 
 our cattle, if not our horses, have, of late years, been too fearfully 
 visited.' " 
 
 In the treatment of typhoid affections, we endeavor to give tone 
 to the system by furnishing nutritious diet, tonic, and stimulating 
 medicines. Ginger and golden seal, with a small portion of hy- 
 posulphite of soda, are the best remedies. 
 
 8 
 
114 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 PLAN OF A VAPOR BATH USED IN THE TREATMENT OF LUNG AFFECTIONS. 
 
 Explanation.— a, represents a boiler originally erected for the purpose of supplying the infirmary 
 with hot water ; e, is the main pipe issuing from the top of the boiler receiving the steam, and 
 conducting it, when not required for other purposes, into either a flue or the open air at b; e 
 and / are branch pipes from the main one (c), / being that which conducts the steam into a 
 worm (h), winding through a condensing trough (g); e. the branch pipe which conducts the 
 steam (prevented by stop-cock from going in the other direction ' into the bath, the place of 
 admission (n) being on one side, close to the floor, at a point intermediate between the horse's 
 fore and hind feet while standing in the bath, with his head outside" m is the bath, being a 
 horse-box, such as is used for embarking horses on board of ship, with the addition of a lining 
 of flannel, a roofing of hoops and tilting, and curtains over the doors, front and back, to pre- 
 vent the escape of steam. The box, being placed upon wheels, serves, besides being used as a 
 bath, for the transport of sick or lame horses ; and, having doors at both ends, and a moveable 
 platform for the horse to walk in upon, is, in general, entered without any great deal of unwill- 
 ingness. 
 
 Pneumonia (Inflammation of the Lungs). 
 
 Inflammation of the lungs, known to veterinarians as pneu- 
 monia, is not apt to be so prevalent among horned creatures as 
 among horses, except, however milch cows, when they are located 
 in filthy, unventilated milking establishments. In such places 
 diseases of the lungs are often fearfully prevalent, raging as an 
 epizootic, as it did a few years ago in the swill-milk establish- 
 ments of New York. It makes sad havoc when prevalent among 
 a large herd that may be confined in a barn or stable of con- 
 tracted proportions. All domestic animals require plenty of 
 room, as well as light and pure air; for it is now pretty clearly 
 demonstrated that the pleuro-pneumonia, which appeared in 
 Massachusetts, in 1860, on the premises of Mr. Chenery, arose 
 there spontaneously. His barn, or rather the basement, where 
 the cattle lived, was a room fifty feet square and only eight 
 feet in height. The walls on the north, and a portion of the 
 
 
 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 115 
 
 east and west sides, were composed of brick, and the remainder 
 of boards, with joints battened. On the south, east, and west 
 sides were glass windows ; on the north side a door opened into 
 the vegetable cellar, and on the roof there was a sky-light. A 
 stairway led to the hay-loft above, another to the manure cellar 
 below, both closed by doors. The manure cellar was eight feet 
 deep, and extended under the whole room. In the winter and 
 spring of 1859 were confined forty head of cattle, arranged on 
 three sides, with their heads toward the center ; and within that 
 center was another square, containing animals, so arranged that 
 almost all were brought face to face. The manure cellar, about 
 this time, contained from fifty to one hundred cords of manure, 
 with from ten to twenty hogs in it. " This," says Mr. Chenery, 
 " was my condition in the beginning of the year 1860. I had 
 buried nearly half of my herd. I had experimentally acquired 
 a knowledge of the fact that, in order to keep animals alive and 
 in health, it was absolutely necessary that they should be supplied 
 with pure air as well as with good food and pure water." 
 
 So far as the direct or indirect causes of pneumonia are con- 
 cerned, we may safely infer that crowding and a bad system of \/ 
 ventilation includes them all. Yet, among horses, this disease 
 often originates as the consequence of laborious work and feats 
 of speed, which produces rapid and sometimes distressing respira- 
 tions; but among cattle, whose powers of speed and endurance 
 are not often put to the test, and whose natural respirations are 
 slower, we infer that impure air, and perhaps exposure, too, are 
 more operative than action or ill-usage. 
 
 The stimulating and morbid action of an impure atmosphere 
 may produce a disease of this character by its irritating eifects on 
 the highly vascular membrane which lines the bronchi and air- 
 cells. But then we all know that impure air fails to decarbonize 
 the blood ; hence it is rendered unfit to enter the system. It has 
 been noticed, however, by the drovers of the East, that when cat- 
 tle have been driven a long distance without food, and in tem- 
 pestuous weather, they are apt to become the subjects of diseased s/ 
 lungs. Fortunately for the poor brute, pneumonia is not so pain- 
 ful as bronchitis, pleurisy, or laryngitis ; and having passed through 
 the acute stage, which is usually brief, it assumes a mild or sub- 
 acute form, and ends in altered structure of the lungs, known as 
 induration (hardening) or hepatization (liver-like), or it may end 
 
116 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 in pleurisy, and ultimately dropsy of the chest. I should judge 
 that cattle, when the subjects of pneumonia, suffer less than horses, 
 from the fact that the former will lie down during the progress of 
 the disease, and the horse is scarcely, if ever, known to do so until 
 shortly before he dies. In the horse, this malady occasionally 
 takes a metastatic turn ; that is, the disease is translated to the feet 
 or brain, producing an affection of a very formidable and acute 
 character. Among cattle, however, such translation is very rare. 
 
 Forms of Pneumonia.- 1 - P 'neumonia is divided into several stages 
 and forms, but as such refer more to its degree or intensity, I shall 
 only inform the reader that pneumonia may exist either as a con- 
 dition of congestion or of inflammation. Congestion signifies a 
 distended or plethoric state of the blood-vessels of the substance 
 of the lungs, and slow motion of the blood ; and it sometimes 
 sets in as suddenly as that form which is termed inflammatory; 
 among cattle the former form is more prevalent. In the conges- 
 tive stage the symptoms are those of embarrassment — the blood 
 courses through its vessels sluggishly, and there is not that activity 
 of the heart and lungs which is noticed in inflammatory pneu- 
 monia. 
 
 Symptoms of Inflammation of the Lungs. — There are many symp- 
 toms attending lung disease which are common to various other 
 forms or affections. These must be inferred ; for, by detailing 
 them, I might only confound the non-medical reader, and render 
 the diagnosis difficult, and, perhaps, impossible. The symptoms, 
 in the early stages, are such as are usually observed at the com- 
 mencement of febrile diseases, viz. : coldness of the extremities, 
 and slight shivering fits ; loss of appetite ; labored respiration : 
 pulse variable, and the mouth hot and clammy ; the animal heaves 
 at the flanks, is rather unwilling to move, and the fore-legs are 
 widely separated, while the head is held in a drooping position. 
 As the disease progresses, these symptoms vary more or less, and 
 the appearance of the membranes of the mouth, nose, and eyes 
 may vary from the color of bright scarlet to that of a leaden hue. 
 In congestive pneumonia, the pulse is more voluminous, yet less 
 active, than in health, or in acute disease. A cough, slight or 
 active, as the case may be, is usually noticed ; it is a sort of deep- 
 seated, half-suppressed one, and sometimes it is the first symptom 
 which calls the owner's attention to the ailing animal. 
 
 Treatment. — It is important, at the commencement of the treat- 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 117 
 
 ment, that the patient shall be placed in a comfortable shed or 
 barn, where pure air abounds; for, under such circumstances, 
 the cooperation of Nature in the cure of the malady is secured. 
 Should the disease be of an acute character, it will be accom- 
 panied by quick or labored respiration, and a strong, wiry pulse. 
 In that event, I should give two drachms of the tincture of gel- 
 seminum. The brisket and sides of the chest are to be rubbed 
 occasionally with mustard and vinegar. This acts as a counter- 
 irritant, and diverts the blood from the lungs to the surface. It 
 was customary, in former years, to bleed and purge almost all 
 animals when attacked with acute pneumonia; but as the mor- 
 tality was then very great, and less under a more rational sys- 
 tem, we are led to believe that bad treatment was the cause of 
 our want of success. Two or three doses of gelseminum, given 
 at intervals of six or eight hours, will, together with the elapsed 
 time, have a tendency to modify the affection. Then active medi- 
 cation is to be suspended, and we immediately give life-sustaining 
 agents, which consist of pure air, water, proper food, tonics, and 
 stimulants. The best tonics and stimulants that I know of 
 are powdered golden seal and ginger, equal parts. Dose, half 
 an ounce night and morning, as a drench; or two ounces, night 
 and morning, of the fluid extract of resin weed may be substituted. 
 The animal should have one ounce of powdered chlorate of potass 
 every twelve hours, until it is evident that convalescence is ap- 
 proaching, or has actually set in, when it may be discontinued. 
 The best way to administer the chlorate of potass, is to dissolve it 
 in a few quarts of linseed tea, or an infusion of slippery elm, 
 which should be kept in a bucket before the animal until he has 
 partaken of the whole of it. The chlorate of potass is also indi- 
 cated as a valuable agent in the treatment of all lung affections, 
 including pleuro-pneumonia and pleurisy ; its use is to be discon- 
 tinued, however, when the urinary secretion becomes much aug- 
 mented, or it may overwork the kidneys. Chlorate of potass acts 
 as a sedative to the nervous system and to the circulation, and is a 
 stimulant to the digestive organs and kidneys. For all cases of 
 congestive pneumonia, or when the surface of the body is cold, as 
 well as the limbs and ears, warm stimulants are indicated — ginger 
 and golden seal ; and, if possible, the body and limbs should be 
 clothed, for the purpose of maintaining the natural heat of the skin, 
 and of producing an equilibrium of the circulation ; for when an 
 
118 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 equilibrium in the circulation of the blood is secured, then con- 
 gestion ceases to exist. 
 
 I would caution my readers not to place too much reliance in 
 art and medicine for the cure of disease. The physician does 
 much good when he practices rationally — constitutes himself the 
 servant of Nature, does her bidding, and does the system no harm 
 in the use of poisons and meddlesome medication. In the treat- 
 ment of many forms of curable disease it is often a question of 
 time; they will "have their run." Hence, what we most need 
 is patience, great faith in Nature, and a moderate degree of faith 
 in drugs. The great trouble is, our instruction derived from text- 
 books and veterinary institutions of learning tends to develop 
 heroic notions of medicine and its powers, and to depress those 
 more potent remedies, the vitalizing and reanimating forces of 
 Nature. A case of heroism of this kind, as an example, I must 
 now relate, in order to illustrate my position : 
 
 Mr. S , of Chicago, bought of Mr. P a fine, promising 
 
 young gelding, aged about eight years. The purchaser had used 
 him during a period of five weeks with perfect satisfaction. Sud- 
 denly the newly-purchased animal became sick, and the services 
 of a noted blacksmith were secured. The man of" tongs and ham- 
 mer," idealizing that the patient was the subject of the prevailing 
 influenza, gave the patient " fits," in the form of the administra- 
 tion of a physic ball. He then abstracted two gallons of blood. 
 The horse grew no better very fast. In consequence, he got more 
 medicine. Purgation set in, which continued for twenty-four 
 hours, when the horse died. The lives of many valuable animals 
 are thus sacrificed. Finally, those men generally become the most 
 distinguished who soonest emancipate themselves from the theory 
 of the heroic schools of medicine. 
 
 The plan of treatment here recommended may appear to some 
 of our readers as very simple. That is just what we claim for it. 
 It is the simplicity of the practice which makes it really valuable, 
 because such a system harmonizes with the law of Nature, and does 
 not oppose her forces, which are always operating physiologically 
 for the restoration of the sick and infirm ; and it is our business, 
 as rational physicians, to aid Nature in all possible ways. This 
 is the kind of knowledge that we require — how to aid Nature, or 
 give her the required assistance; and, in view of obtaining that 
 information, we must read the great book of Nature, as its leaves 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 119 
 
 are unfolded to us in the various departments of her great domain. 
 We must altogether abandon a blind faith in doses of poisonous 
 medicines and bleedings ; otherwise, all our efforts are as but a 
 withering simoom. For example, over seventy thousand head of 
 cattle have lately perished of what has been called the "rinder- 
 pest," in and around the great city of London, which is claimed 
 to be the model seat of veterinary learning for all British sub- 
 jects. It is probable that the heroic practice there taught has 
 something to do with this tremendous mortality; for we learn 
 that a more simple plan of treatment has been inaugurated by 
 another class of physicians, whose medicines are almost inert, and 
 they have been more successful than the advocates of setons, blis- 
 ters, sedatives, and narcotics, not forgetting their " sheet-anchor," 
 calomel — as Napoleon observed, in derision, when on the island 
 of St. Helena, " Bleeding and calomel for ever ! " Simple, sana- 
 tive medicines act potently, yet silently, after the fashion of 
 Nature's workings ; so that we should never attempt to force her 
 to adopt our system of cure for that of her own. 
 
 Pleurisy. 
 
 Pleurisy signifies inflammation of the pleura. This membrane 
 lines the internal surface of the chest, and furnishes a covering 
 to the organs within the chest. It also serves to divide the 
 chest into two cavities, which are known as the right and left. 
 This membrane is similar in its texture and function to that 
 which lines the cavity of the abdomen. Both are serous mem- 
 branes, secreting, on their inner surface, a lubricating fluid, which 
 guards against friction. This membrane is the seat of pleurisy, 
 and pleurisy consists of inflammation of it. 
 
 Causes. — It may be presumed that the ordinary causes which 
 produce affections of the lungs are operative in the production 
 of this malady, viz. : exposure, by which the surface of the body 
 becomes chilled; injuries in the thoracic region; over-work; an 
 impure atmosphere; a plethoric state of the system; in short, 
 any cause which is likely to produce an inflammatory affection 
 in other parts of the body. I have known horses become the 
 subjects of this malady that have been confined to the stable 
 for weeks. Such cases are clearly traceable to plethora, want of 
 exercise, and impure air. It is possible that some animals inherit 
 
120 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 a predisposition to pleurisy. It has been noticed that animals of 
 the sanguine temperament are more prone to the malady than 
 others of different temperaments. Hence, the only way to prevent 
 pleurisy is to try and keep up a good standard of health in horses, 
 by affording them a chance to have regular exercise, pure air in 
 the stable, and a fair allowance of good wholesome food. Pleurisy 
 in the horse is very apt to end in hydro-thorax, or dropsy of the 
 chest; and the case that I am now about to offer will illustrate 
 this, as well as the symptoms and treatment. 
 
 Case of Pleurisy and Dropsy of the Chest. — A few months ago I 
 was requested to visit a gray gelding, the property of a Mr. Waldo. 
 The animal had been out of health for a week or more, suffering 
 from a slight attack of influenza, but was improving — so thought 
 the person who was in medical attendance ; but the owner thought 
 otherwise, and decided to secure my services. 
 
 Symptoms. — On examination, the following symptoms were 
 found present: Pulse, wiry; respirations, quick, laborious, and 
 accompanied with a slight grunt, indicating pain within the chest. 
 When pressure, ever so slight, was made on the sides of the chest, 
 it elicited very decided symptoms of pain. The animal would 
 occasionally turn its head toward the sides, as if to inform us of 
 the seat of his sufferings. Dropsical swellings were observed un- 
 der the chest and belly, and the hind legs were also dropsical, and 
 the vascular surfaces of the mouth and nose were tinged slightly 
 yellow; the feces were scanty, and the urine was high-colored; 
 the appetite was much impaired, but the patient was very thirsty. 
 On the strength of the condition of the animal, and the presenta- 
 tion of the above symptoms, and percussion revealing water in the 
 chest, I informed my employer that the case was one of pleurisy 
 and dropsy of the chest. It is probable that water had been accu- 
 mulating in the chest for several days, and that the pleura was 
 involved at the commencement of the malady. 
 
 Treatment. — Dropsy of the chest is a very formidable disease to 
 treat, and there are but few cases of cure on record ; yet, I think 
 if such cases came early into the hands of educated surgeons, and 
 they use life-sustaining agents in view of husbanding the powers 
 of the vital forces, more cures will hereafter be recorded. The 
 treatment of this case was as follows : I rubbed the sides of the 
 chest occasionally with a portion of camphor dissolved in olive oil, 
 and gave, morning and evening, during a period of seventeen days, 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 121 
 
 thirty grains of iodide of potass in two ounces of fluid extract of 
 resin-weed root ; an occasional dose of golden seal was given as a 
 tonic. The iodide of potass acted on the system as a glandular 
 stimulant, and thus increased the power of the absorbents and ex- 
 crementitious vessels, to rid the chest of its fluid contents, while 
 the resin-root acted as a diuretic, thereby carrying off some of the 
 fluid by way of the kidneys. During the period of the sickness 
 of this animal, the resonance of the chest gradually became clear, 
 so that at the end of three weeks not more than a couple of pints 
 of serum remained in the chest. The animal rapidly convalesced. 
 
 During the treatment of such a case as the above, I usually feed 
 the animal liberally on oats and sweet hay ; and, in order to obvi- 
 ate constipation, I order an occasional bran-mash. The animal, 
 however, may not, at the commencement, have much relish for 
 food, but after a few doses of the medicine here recommended have 
 been given, the appetite will soon be restored. It will be noticed, 
 during the progress of this malady, that the animal does not lie 
 down, but stands with the fore-legs widely apart, although, at the 
 very commencement of acute pleurisy, the subject will often get 
 down, in view of mitigating the lancinating pain from which he 
 suffers, in consequence of the distension of the vessels of the pleura. 
 Pleurisy sometimes sets in as an accompaniment of influenza, 
 which almost always ends in dropsy of the chest ; and as a case of 
 this kind is a good one to place on record, I here introduce one 
 from my note-book : 
 
 Pleurisy ending in Dropsy and Death. — The horse, the subject 
 of the above-named maladies, was the property of a milkman of 
 Chicago. The animal had been previously treated for the prevail- 
 ing influenza, accompanied by pleurisy, and had about recovered 
 so as to take daily exercise ; but finally the owner discovered that 
 the horse was suddenly taken with a relapse. Feeling alarmed, 
 he procured one pint of linseed oil, with which he drenched the 
 animal. Still, the horse rapidly grew worse. At this period, my 
 services were sought. On auscultating and percussing the chest, 
 I found that the right cavity was occupied by a large quantity of 
 water. Dropsical swellings were found in various parts of the 
 body, viz. : the sheath, limbs, and region of the pectoral muscles. 
 On applying the ear to the trachea, the respiration was of a mucous 
 character, and tubular, showing that the lungs were much diseased. 
 The examination revealed the fact that about one-half the left lung 
 
122 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 was involved in disease. The animal had no appetite, yet was 
 thirsty ; and when urged to move, would utter a grunt, indicative 
 of pain. It was evident that the relapse was, or might be, con- 
 sidered a case of pleurisy, ending in effusion into the chest. The 
 worst feature of the case Was that the animal purged violently 
 (liquid stools), having a very strong odor of linseed oil; it covered 
 a large space on the floor, and ran down his hind extremities. 
 This seemed to me to render the case hopeless ; for super-purgation 
 of itself will often cause the death of an otherwise well animal. 
 But this poor creature was laboring under a malady from which 
 few ever recover. However, I thought that while "there is life 
 there is hope," and I commenced the treatment by performing 
 the operation of tapping for dropsy of the chest. I drew off 
 three and a half gallons of fluid, of a light straw color, from the 
 right cavity of the chest. On auscultating the chest, both sides 
 appeared resonant, showing that the waters must have occupied 
 both cavities; hence, the mediastinum (the membrane which di- 
 vides the thorax into two equal cavities) must have been ruptured, 
 thus permitting an influx and reflux of the fluid. Next, counter- 
 irritants were applied to both sides of the chest. The patient was 
 properly clothed, tonics and astringents were given, and the case 
 was left in the care of an attendant for the night. Next day I 
 found the patient was respiring very comfortably. The tapping 
 of the chest seemed to have done much good, yet the purging still 
 continued ; so I ordered scalded milk and charcoal, and adminis- 
 tered tonics and stimulants, as before. But it was very evident 
 that the animal must die of super-purgation, and next morning I 
 received word that death had taken place. It was unfortunate, 
 under the circumstances, that the owner should have given linseed 
 oil ; for it is a very powerful irritant and cathartic, and produces 
 much irritation and inflammation on the surface of the interior 
 of the stomach and intestines, as well as uncontrollable purga- 
 tion. It is a remedy which is very quickly absorbed, and finds its 
 way into the blood in a very few minutes, as the following case 
 will show : I once gave a horse a dose of linseed oil for the pur- 
 pose of experiment. (He happened to be in good health, or I 
 should probably have lost him.) Ten minutes after administer- 
 ing the dose, I applied a linen handkerchief to the highly organ- 
 ized membrane lining the eyelid, and both the odor and color of 
 the oil could easily be detected. On exposing the handkerchief 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AND ORGANS. 123 
 
 to a moderate degree of heat, for the purpose of evaporation, a 
 grease spot remained on the same ; hence it is an agent that should 
 never be used in pleurisy, nor in any disease occurring in the or- 
 gans of respiration. Dropsical diseases, supervening on influenza, 
 are never benefited by cathartics, for they always lead to debility 
 and prostration. Influenza is a disease of very prostrating char- 
 acter; hence the proper plan of treatment is to sustain the vital 
 power, by nourishing diet, tonics, and stimulants — ginger and 
 golden seal. While commenting, however, on the linseed oil 
 treatment, I do not wish to censure the owner of the animal ; for 
 I should be throwing stones into glass houses, having myself, in 
 former years, used and recommended this kind of oil for various 
 diseases ; but, after many mishaps, I am satisfied that it is unsafe 
 in the treatment of equine affections. 
 
 Pericarditis (Inflammation of the Pericardium). 
 
 The pericardium is a membranous sac, which surrounds and 
 incloses the heart. It is composed of two layers, united by cel- 
 lular tissue. The external layer is dense and fibrous, and is 
 attached, by ligaments, to the sternum, or breast-bone and dia- 
 phragm, and above to the roots of the large blood-vessels. The 
 internal layer exhibits internally a smooth surface, like the lining 
 membrane of the cavity of the chest. From this surface is secreted 
 a serous fluid, which lubricates the heart, and protects it from the 
 friction which would otherwise occur. The pericardium is a wall 
 of defense for the heart, and keeps it in its proper position. 
 
 Pericarditis signifies inflammation of the inner membrane of 
 the pericardium. It is a disease which is almost unknown to the 
 ordinary practitioner in this country, and entirely unknown to 
 the husbandman ; yet it is a disease that carries off a large number 
 of horses and cattle, and often the parties concerned in the treat- 
 ment and ownership of the animals do not even suspect the true 
 nature of the malady. After the inflammatory action of the per- 
 icardium has reigned for several days, unsuspected and un- 
 checked, an inordinate effusion from the serous lining takes place. 
 We then have dropsy of the " heart-bag." Water accumulates 
 around the heart, which interferes with its action so as to put a 
 stop to circulation, and this results in the death of the animal. 
 Pericarditis often accompanies, or is the sequel of, pleurisy and 
 
124 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 other diseases of the serous membranes ; yet, fortunately for the 
 patient as well as the practitioner, it does not require any special 
 treatment other than that laid down for pleurisy and disease of 
 other serous membranes. 
 
 Causes. — The causes of pericarditis are the same as those which 
 are said to be operative in the production of pleurisy and disease 
 in the serous membrane, viz. : sudden impressions of cold upon 
 the external surface of the body; injuries; overtasking the pow- 
 ers of the animal by laborious and rapid work. Sometimes 
 foreign bodies, such as pins and needles, have been found within 
 the pericardium, which must have been taken into the stomach 
 with the food, and have worked their way so as to penetrate the 
 pericardium and heart. Such cases almost always prove fatal. 
 
 Symptoms. — The general symptoms of the disease are anxiety, 
 shivering, coldness of the skin and mouth, loss of appetite; the 
 jugular veins are congested, and they pulsate like an artery ; there 
 is a sort of tinkling or metallic sound, when the ear is applied to 
 the chest and lower part of the neck. In the latter stages the 
 respiratory murmur becomes very indistinct, and there is a sort 
 of double expiration, and the ribs become contorted, the same as 
 in dropsy of the chest. 
 
 Treatment. — The heat of the external surface of the body must 
 be restored, and kept uniform by means of leggings and body 
 clothing. Both sides of the chest are to be briskly rubbed, two or 
 three times daily, with hot vinegar and strong mustard. One 
 drachm of iodide of potass, dissolved in five ounces of warm water, 
 should be given every four hours; but, should the case be seen, 
 and the true nature of the malady discovered in its early stages, 
 omit the iodide of potass, and substitute two fluid drachms of tinc- 
 ture of gelseminum. Two or three doses, at intervals of four hours, 
 will suffice ; then resort to the iodide of potass, or substitute for 
 the same four drachms of chlorate of potass. So soon as the animal 
 appears to improve, discontinue the above-named medicine, and 
 give tonics. Four drachms of fluid extract of golden seal, twice 
 daily, will suffice. 
 
 A fatal case of pure pericarditis is related by Mr. Woodger, 
 V. S., in the London "Veterinarian." The autopsy revealed a 
 healthy state of the lungs and pleura ; yet the pericardium con- 
 tained about three quarts of serum, highly colored. The walls of 
 the pericardium were considerably thickened, and studded with 
 
DISEASES OF RESPIRATORY PASSAGES AftD ORGANS. 125 
 
 merous bauds of lymph, on the inner surface, of a bright yellow 
 color. Several small patches of inflammation were likewise ob- 
 served on the ventricles of the heart, near the valves of this 
 organ. The heart itself was also larger than usual, and much 
 softened. 
 
 Heaves. 
 
 A disease prevails among horses, more particularly in the 
 Eastern States, known as heaves. The affected animal heaves at 
 the flanks, or, rather, performs what is known as abdominal respi- 
 ration, by bringing into play, at the moment of expiration, the 
 abdominal muscles, for the purpose of aiding the lungs and dia- 
 phragm in the function of expiration and respiration. The 
 disease somewhat resembles asthma, it being of a spasmodic 
 character, and, after continuing for some time, will suddenly 
 disappear. The disease may be defined as being great diffi- 
 culty in breathing ; continuous ; aggravated, by dust on the road, 
 musty hay, improper provender, impure air, and sudden atmos- 
 pheric changes. On applying the ear in the region of bronchi, 
 or to the upper sides of the chest, a wheezing sound of respira- 
 tion is heard. These symptoms, together with the heaving motion 
 at the flanks, constitutes heaves. When the disease is merely 
 functional — that is to say, brought on by feeding musty hay and 
 musty clover — a cure is affected by feeding prairie hay, which 
 contains the well-known silphyum, " resin weed." The husband- 
 men who reside in the vicinity of where the resin weed grows 
 are well acquainted with the properties of this plant, and they 
 declare that it is a specific for the treatment of asthma or heaves. 
 I have used the article in the form of fluid extract, prepared from 
 the root, and I find it to be a very valuable remedy. The dose 
 of the fluid extract is two ounces, morning and evening. There 
 are some cases, however, which are incurable, owing to organic 
 disease of the bronchi, or rupture of air-cells in the lungs. Such 
 cases are known by the unnatural respiration when the horse is 
 drawing a heavy load or traveling up hill. His breathing is then 
 very distressing, and he not only brings into play the abdominal 
 muscles, but also the muscles of the chest (intercostals). Such 
 cases, although considered incurable, may be palliated by the daily 
 use of fluid extract of resin weed. Provided prairie hay can not 
 be obtained as food, the ordinary hay used should be sprinkled 
 
126 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 with salted water, in the proportion of a handful of salt to one 
 bucket of water. Sprinkling the hay with weak lime-water has 
 also a good effect. Sliced carrots, parsnips, or potatoes, fed occa- 
 sionally, are also beneficial. But, of all our remedies, none equals 
 a run at grass on prairie lands. 
 
 MAIN ARTERIES ON THE INSIDE OF ONE OF THE FORE-LEGS, FROM 
 SHOULDER TO KNEE. 
 
 Explanation of Plate. 
 
 1. Humoral thoracic, 
 
 2. Axillary. 
 
 3. Internal thoracic. 
 
 4. Dorsal scapular. 
 
 5. External thoracic. 
 
 6. Humoral. 
 
 7. Brachial. 
 
 8. Branches of the triceps. 
 
 9. Ulnar branches. 
 
 10. Spiral branches. 
 
 11. Radial branches. 
 
 12. Metacarpal arteries, large and small. 
 
SECTION V. 
 
 DENTITION AND DIET. 
 
 The Horse's Age as shown by his Teeth — On the Diet of Horses — The effects 
 of various kinds of food — as regards the quantity of food required — 
 as regards changes in dlet conclusion. 
 
 The Horse's Age as shown by his Teeth. 
 
 FIGURE 1 is a representation of a foal's " mouth" as it ap- 
 pears at the age of twelve months ; the temporary teeth are 
 shown, and all, except the corner ones, are worn quite smooth. 
 (See remarks on temporary teeth.) Figure 2, a two-years old; 
 the two anterior, or front temporary teeth, are shed, and the per- 
 manent ones, with their deep pit in the center, and unworn edges, 
 
 Fig. 1. 
 
 TEMPORARY TEETH OF THE COLT. 
 
 TWO TEARS OLD. 
 
 are approaching a level with the remaining temporary. Figure 3, 
 a three-years old ; the two permanent middle teeth are seen, with 
 their deep pits, etc., and are nearly on a level with the two front 
 permanent teeth, which are smoothed down. Figure 4, a four- 
 years old ; the permanent corner teeth are now " cut," and the 
 tushes have appeared, although the latter may not appear until 
 
 (127) 
 
128 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 jive. Figure 5, a five-years old ; the corner teeth are well up ; 
 the faces of the front and middle are worn more or less, and 
 the tushes are more developed. Figure 6, a six-years old ; the 
 black marks have disappeared from the two front teeth, and a 
 
 Fig. 3. 
 
 Fig. 4. 
 
 THREE YEARS OLD. 
 
 FOUR YEARS OLD. 
 
 brownish mark is perceivable. Figure 7, a seven-years old ; the 
 black marks have now disappeared from the two middle teeth, and 
 a brown spot is seen in the center. Figure 8, an eight-years old ; 
 the marks and cavities of the corner teeth are now effaced. Fig- 
 ure 9 is a horizontal view of " Black Hawk's " incisors, and, con- 
 
 Fig. 6. 
 
 FIVE YEARS OLD. 
 
 SIX YEARS OLD. 
 
 trasted with figure 10, (a young mouth,) shows the degree of 
 inclination existing between the incisors of the aged and young 
 animals. 
 
 The Colt's Mouth. — Remarks on the Temporary Teeth. (In- 
 cisors.) In the course of from ten to fifteen days after birth (varying 
 
DENTITION AND DIET. 
 
 129 
 
 occasionally), the front nippers in the upper and lower jaw make 
 their appearance, and, during the period, which occurs between 
 the third and fifth week, the middle incisors appear. Between the 
 seventh and ninth month the lateral or corner teeth are cut. The 
 
 Fig. 7. 
 
 SEVEN YEARS OLD. 
 
 EIGHT TEARS OLD. 
 
 colt is now in possession of a full set of temporary incisors. These 
 temporary, or " milk " teeth, differ from the permanent ones by- 
 being much smaller and (previous to shedding) whiter, having on 
 their anterior or front surfaces grooves or furrows; also a well- 
 defined body, neck, and slender fang. They also present oval 
 surfaces anteriority, or in front; and within the mouth they are 
 concave. Their surfaces are generally uniform and smooth, and 
 resemble the eye of an English horse-bean. 
 
 Fig. 9. 
 
 HORIZONTAL VIEW OF OLD BLACK HAWK'S INCISORS AND TUSHES. 
 
 The Permanent Teeth. — Constitutional idiosyncrasies are 
 often operative in hastening or retarding dentition, and the char- 
 acter of the food, whether it be natural or artificial; and the 
 9 
 
130 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 mode of obtaining the one or the other makes considerable differ- 
 ence in the wear and tear of the same, consequently we must 
 bear in mind that the popular theory of " age " is sometimes more 
 arbitrary than truthful, and allowances for the same must be 
 made. At the age of two, or a few months over, the front perma- 
 nent teeth ought to appear, and, consequently, at the age of three, 
 varying a few months, the middle teeth are up. At four, varying 
 as in the preceding cases, the corner teeth begin to show them- 
 selves, and are not up square with the others until the fifth year. 
 The animal now emerges from colthood, and is known as a horse. 
 As regards the female, during her minority she is termed "filly; " 
 at five she enters the adult stage, and, consequently, is denomi- 
 
 Fig. 10. 
 
 A YOUNG HORSE'S MOUTH. 
 
 nated a mare. Supposing the horse to have a full set of nippers, 
 or incisors, at the age of five, the marks, or black incrustation, 
 will have so worn away at six as to leave a faint brown mark. 
 At seven, similar appearances have taken place in the two next, 
 or middle, teeth. At eight the marks, or rather the cavities, of 
 the two next, or corner teeth, are now about obliterated, and the 
 face of the teeth are nearly level, and the central enamel is nearer 
 the inward than the outward border. After the marks have all 
 disappeared in the lower jaw, the exact age can not clearly be 
 shown. At the age of nine the front teeth appear somewhat 
 rounded; the middle and corner ones contract their oval faces, 
 and the central enamel diminishes and approaches the inward 
 border. At ten the middle incisors resemble those at nine, and 
 the central enamel has approximated the inward border and is 
 rounded. At eleven the middle teeth resemble those at ten, and 
 
DENTITION AND DIET. 
 
 131 
 
 the central enamel is almost worn off. At twelve the corner teeth 
 take on the triangular form, and their central enamel is very con- 
 tracted, and a yellow mark is left. At thirteen the sides of the 
 front teeth thicken, and they begin to assume a triangular appear- 
 ance, and the whole incisors of the lower jaw complete the trian- 
 gular form at the age of seventeen. At eighteen the front teeth 
 are somewhat flattened from side to side; the flattening goes on 
 in the middle and corner teeth, and is completed at the age of 
 twenty-one, giving them the appearance of a reversed oval. As 
 regards the marks in the upper incisors, they disappear from the 
 front teeth in the course of the ninth year, from the middle in the 
 tenth, and from the corner or lateral ones in the eleventh year ; 
 
 Fig. 11. 
 
 A PORTION OP THE LOWER JAW OP OLD BLACK HAWK, 
 
 (Aged twenty-three years and eight months.) 
 
 and as the animal increases in years, the upper corner teeth be- 
 come indented or notched. The inclination of the teeth enables 
 us to form some idea of the horse's age. In a young horse, the 
 teeth are upright (see fig. 10) ; after the age of eight they gradu- 
 ally become horizontal, (see " Black Hawk's " mouth,) and the 
 upper teeth overlap the under ones, and thus wear off their outer 
 edge. 
 
 The Tushes, oe Canine Teeth. — Between the ages of four 
 and six the tushes, which, in the male, are four in number, make 
 their appearance. In shape they are conical, with a sharp point, 
 and curved. On the inside there are two furrows, which com- 
 mence at the base and meet at the apex, leaving a triangular 
 eminence between them. The sharpness of the apex, the degree 
 of curvature, and the distinctness of the furrows are good crite- 
 rions of youth ; for, as the animal advances in years, the tushes 
 
132 
 
 DADDS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 become blunt, less angular, and more rounded, and the furrows 
 have disappeared. Supposing that the tushes are not completely 
 evolved until the age of jive; in the sixth year the apex of the 
 cone is worn some ; in the seventh the furrows grow shallow ; in 
 the eighth year they are obliterated, after which period the apex 
 gradually wears away, and the body of the same becomes rounded 
 and pointed, or blunt, according to circumstances. Aside from 
 the teeth, an aged horse may be known by the deep pits above the 
 orbital processes; the sunken eye ; by the prominence of the joints 
 and loss of plumpness in the muscles; the lips are somewhat pen- 
 dulous ; the withers sharp ; the back becomes arched ; the teeth 
 are lengthened, and become yellow. 
 
 Fig. 12. 
 
 .■■■"■■.- 
 
 A PORTION OF THE T7PPEB JAW OF OLD BLACK HAWK, 
 
 (Aged twenty -three years and eight months.) 
 
 The Grinders, or Molars, afford but very little information 
 as regards the precise age of a horse. As he advances in years, 
 however, the outer edges become sharpened, so that it often be- 
 comes necessary to rasp them. As regards their development, it 
 is understood that the foal is born with two upper and lower 
 grinders in each jaw. At the end of a month, sometimes more, a 
 third appears. At the completion of the first year, or thereabouts, 
 a fourth grinder in each jaw appears. Thus the yearling has six- 
 teen grinders. At the age of two, a fifth grinder appears, and at 
 the age of three the sixth and last appear. It must be remembered 
 that cribbers and voracious feeders are apt to deface their teeth, 
 and thus some persons are apt to be deceived as regards the exact 
 age; but a good judge, who takes into consideration not only the 
 appearances of the surfaces, but also the marks, points, and the 
 inclination of the teeth, will not be apt to make any grave mistake. 
 
DENTITION AND DIET. 133 
 
 On the Diet of Horses — (Men often Dig their Graves 
 with their Teeth, and the same is true as regards 
 Horses) — Variety of Food necessary — Effects of 
 
 certain kinds of food as regards the requisite 
 
 quantity, etc. 
 
 It is admitted by medical men, and the experience of the reader 
 may possibly have confirmed the fact, that a great proportion of 
 the diseases occurring among live stock are produced, either di- 
 rectly or indirectly, by errors in diet; consequently the means of 
 prevention should be known, and used accordingly. 
 
 No special form of diet can, for any great length of time, pre- 
 serve the integrity of the animal system. In order to substan- 
 tiate this assertion, we shall show the effect of simple elementary 
 principles on the body of man, inferring, at the same time, that 
 man's servant, the horse, is included. The reader has probably 
 heard of the experiment made by Napoleon Bonaparte, which 
 was that of trying to supply the nutritive wants of his system by 
 living on a concentrated preparation of beef, in the form of jelly. 
 He gave it a fair trial, yet came very near starving on the same ; 
 and he was led to remark that the stomach was a sort of scav- 
 enger, which required a given amount of rubbish to sort from, 
 and select the necessary elements for renovating the tissues. He 
 probably selected jelly because it is highly nutritious, containing 
 more of the flesh-making principle than most articles of food. 
 It was rich, not only in nitrogen, but also in oxygen, hydrogen, 
 and carbon, four of the principal elements which compose the 
 animal fabric. 
 
 The fact is, no single article of diet, let it be ever so rich in the 
 elements of organized tissues, can long support life. A nation of 
 men subsisting long on a simple form of diet, without variety, 
 would soon become emaciated, and die of innutrition. Let the 
 Grahamites abstain from milk, and live on bread and water, and 
 they would soon exterminate themselves. Milk is a highly nu- 
 tritious compound, and furnishes their systems with the equiva- 
 lents that we obtain from beef and mutton. The inhabitants of 
 the "Celestial Empire" (Chinese) are great consumers of rice. 
 It is the principal article of diet among the poorer classes, many 
 of whom are lank and lean, and would make very respectable 
 
134 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 walking lanterns, (if lighted candles were placed within their 
 abdomens), only they happen, occasionally, to catch a stray dog 
 or pig, on which they make a savory meal, and thus furnish the 
 materia] for the formation of muscle and fat. 
 
 Magendie has proved that even the canine race can not live 
 more than forty days on any single article of diet, let it be ever 
 so nutritious, for it is either followed by starvation or disease; 
 hence the necessity for variety in food. In allusion to disease 
 being produced by the long-continued use of a single article of 
 diet, I would mention that the Scotch peasants are great con- 
 sumers of oat-meal. This article is little inferior to wheat in the 
 flesh-making principle, and we might naturally infer that an arti- 
 cle of diet so valuable and palatable, when properly cooked, should 
 tend to promote health. This, however, is not the case. Those 
 who eat the most oat-meal are, according to medical testimony, 
 the notorious subjects of intestinal concretions, and in the Edin- 
 buro; Anatomical Museum is to be seen a vast and valuable col- 
 lection of intestinal calculi, most of which caused the deaths of 
 confirmed oat-meal consumers. 
 
 Dr. Carpenter, an eminent physiologist, says that "no fact 
 in dietetics is better established than that concerning the impos- 
 sibility of long sustaining health and life on a single alimentary 
 principle. Neither pure albumen, fibrine, gelatine, gum, sugar, 
 starch, fat, nor oil, taken alone, can serve for the due nutrition of 
 the body. This is partly due to their failing in supplying the 
 waste of the tissues, and partly to the fact that single alimentary 
 substances, long continued, excite such a feeling of disgust that 
 the animals experimented on seem to prefer the endurance of 
 starvation to the ingestion of the same." 
 
 The reader is probably aware that when a person has long been 
 confined to any particular article of diet, a craving for something 
 else is experienced, which very few persons can resist. This 
 teaches us that, in order to preserve the health of live stock, we 
 must vary the diet, and are not to be over-particular in selecting 
 the most nutritious articles. But we want, as Napoleon says, a 
 little rubbish — coarse rubbish. The internal surface of the stom- 
 ach and bowels require to be irritated once in awhile, and this 
 probably was the idea which Graham had when he first recom- 
 mended coarse food. The stomach must be made to labor hard 
 at times, or its function will deteriorate. Persons who complain 
 
DENTITION AND DIET. 135 
 
 of weak stomachs and dyspepsia are those who live on dainty- 
 viands, and seldom, if ever, distend that organ to a healthy- 
 capacity with coarse material. Consider, for a moment, the con- 
 dition of Spanish and Italian peasants. They have not much of 
 our national disease (dyspepsia) among them. The bread that 
 they eat is made of coarse material ; yet with that, and the addition 
 of a little oil, wine, and a few vegetables, they can indure greater 
 fatigue, and often carry a heavier burden than he who lives on 
 more concentrated food. We may distend the horse's stomach 
 with coarse food, and, perhaps, not impair its function so much as 
 when overburdened with meal and concentrated food. 
 
 The stomach must be made to work for a living once in 
 awhile. Hard work agrees with it, and coarse fodder stimulates 
 and develops its latent powers, and augments the gastric secretion, 
 which is the active solvent of the food. Labor operates on the 
 stomach in the same manner and in the same ratio that it does 
 on the brain or muscles — increases their capacity. Compare, for 
 example, the brawny arm of the mechanic with that of the count- 
 ing-house clerk, or the powerful muscles of the truck and farm- 
 horse with those of the pet saddle-horse. This comes of work, 
 hard work. See the king of birds, the eagle, towering above and 
 beyond the sight and ken of man, darting, with almost lightning 
 speed, from mountain to valley, buffeting the rude shocks of 
 heaven's artillery. He acquires strength of muscle and wing by 
 extraordinary exertion and desperate feats of flight. After the 
 same fashion we develop the mental faculties, augment protracted 
 mental labor, close thought, and study, light up the intellectual 
 nature of man, and develop the latent powers of his brain ; and 
 the more his mind acquires, the greater and more varied are its 
 powers. 
 
 It must be borne in mind, however, that the various functions 
 of the body require periods of rest ; for, should a horse be permit- 
 ted to stand up to a full crib, and spend the greater part of the 
 day and night in cramming his stomach, disease, sooner or later, 
 must surely occur. The same is true as regards man. Let an 
 individual gormandize through the day, and then indulge in a 
 late supper, and continue the practice, he soon acquires a sympa- 
 thetic headache, or the stomach grows refractory, and casts up the 
 burden, for the simple reason that its function is overtaxed. It 
 must have rest. The same rule applies to the muscular and men- 
 
136 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 tal natures. If, therefore, hard labor develops the function of 
 either, rest, at suitable intervals, preserves their integrity, and, 
 therefore, must not be disregarded. 
 
 In selecting food for working animals, we must remember that 
 they require certain inorganic equivalents, which seem to be as 
 necessary for the support of the system as nutriment. Salt, for 
 example, is not nutritious ; yet neither man nor brute can long 
 exist without it. Common salt, chloride of sodium, is decom- 
 posed in the stomach, and is there found in the form of muriatic 
 acid and soda. The former is supposed to aid digestion, and the 
 latter eliminates bile. Neither is phosphorus (found in straw) 
 nutritious, yet that article is absolutely necessary for the support 
 of animal life. It is an element of both vegetable and animal 
 organization. The former absorbs it from the soil, and, in turn, 
 yield it to animals, by the process of digestion. Oats and beans 
 are nitrogenous compounds, flesh-making equivalents, yet they 
 furnish only one part in a thousand of the article we need — phos- 
 phorus ; while cut straw, potatoes, and several other " inferior " 
 vegetables, contain more than double the quantity of the same; 
 so that a horse must eat such rubbish as straw, potatoes, carrots, 
 beets, and "stubble," in order to supply the necessary material. 
 Then consider that sulphur, iron, chlorine, lime, potassium, mag- 
 nesium, and several other mineral substances, not in the least 
 nutritious, are alike necessary for the support and integrity of 
 the living organism, and, therefore, should be the elements of 
 food. Some articles furnish the needful in abundance; in others 
 there is a deficiency. This supplies another argument in favor 
 of variations in diet. 
 
 A lecturer on physiology has remarked that " there exists a 
 peculiar analogy between vegetable productions and living ani- 
 mals. Animal and vegetable fibrine — albumen of eggs and the 
 gluten of wheat — contain about 15 per cent, of nitrogen, so that 
 they are somewhat identical. If you take 100 lbs. of flour and 
 wash it in water, frequently changing the same, you get 15 lbs. 
 of gluten. This is the flesh -making principle, and represents 15 
 lbs. of the albumen of flesh. The gluten of flour, caseine of cheese 
 and peas, albumen of eggs, and the flesh of an animal contain 
 also a relative amount of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen ; so that 
 the flesh of animals is already prepared for them in the vegeta- 
 ble world. The digestive organs of animals merely change the 
 
DENTITION AND DIET. 137 
 
 mechanical form and condition of the former ; their chemical com- 
 position remain about the same." 
 
 The effects of various kinds of Food. 
 
 It is customary, in some stables, to feed horses, nearly all the 
 year round, with what is known as " cut feed," which is composed 
 of cut hay, meal, shorts, salt, and considerable water ; the whole 
 is mixed together, and served out, sometimes, without regard to 
 quantity. This kind of food might, and sometimes does, agree 
 with horses, but it is not right to feed them, year after year, on 
 the same, for the reason just set forth. Another reason for ob- 
 jecting to this food is, that, in the stables alluded to, we hear 
 of a great many cases of tympanitis and flatulent colic (diseases 
 somewhat identical), arising, no doubt, from the presence of so 
 large a quantity of water as some persons are in the habit of 
 using. It saturates the food, and retards digestion. Not only 
 this, but when dry food, highly charged with water, enters the 
 stomach, the temperature of the latter causes the food to swell — 
 increase in bulk — and distends that organ, and also favors fer- 
 mentation instead of digestion ; hence arises flatulency. We do 
 not, however, mean to contend that such food is at all times the 
 direct cause of indigestion, colic, etc., because many stablers are 
 ready to testify that they have fed the same for many years with- 
 out any apparent inconvenience to their horses; but we contend 
 that it acts indirectly in the manner alluded to; and, although 
 some horses may " get used to it," and others, having wonderful 
 digestive organs, assimilate it, yet the day of reckoning may not 
 be far oif. We contend that water taken with food always retards 
 digestion. The proper solvents of the food are the gastric fluids, 
 and the horse has abundant facilities for supplying the requisite 
 quantity. An ordinary horse is said to secrete, while feeding, 
 fluid, of salivial and gastric characters, at the rate of one gallon 
 per hour — enough, we should judge, to saturate a common meal ; 
 therefore the water is not needed. We urge no objection against 
 the more rational custom of merely sprinkling the food with salted 
 water, in view of absorbing dust, which often abounds in inferior 
 hay, but do seriously object to the practice of using a large quan- 
 tity of cold water in the preparation of food for horses. 
 
 From experiments made by scientific men, it has been ascer- 
 
138 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 tainecl that parsnips, carrots, turnips, and cabbage, which contain 
 from 80 to 90 per cent, of water, require over twice as much time to 
 digest as when the food is free from water. Cabbage, for example, 
 requires twenty hours, and broiled beef-steak only eight, to digest. 
 Turn a cow into a luxuriant pasture of grass or clover, and, after 
 partaking of one or the other, she is liable to become " blown" or 
 "hoven" — tympanitic; the abdomen becomes enormously dis- 
 tended with gas, (either carbonic acid gas, or sulphureted hydro- 
 gen,) and, unless the same be condensed or evacuated, rupture and 
 death are sure to follow. This imperfect digestion and consequent 
 generation of gas is due to the presence of vegetable fluids found in 
 green fodder. Therefore, animals having weak digestive organs, 
 predisposed to flatulency, should have the privilege of watering 
 their own food with sal i vial fluid. The best diet for such an ani- 
 mal would be " dry feed," composed of ground oats, cracked corn, 
 "fine feed," and a small quantity of sweet hay. On the other 
 hand, a constipated state of the bowels always indicates coarse 
 food ; and in this view the English use chopped straw and coarse 
 bran, with decided advantage. Animals should never be watered 
 immediately before nor after meals, after the lapse of an hour 
 from feeding time is the best. 
 
 As REGARDS THE QUANTITY OF FOOD REQUIRED. 
 
 The adult horse does not require so much of the flesh-making 
 principle as the young and growing animal, but he seems to require 
 a greater variety. The adult merely requires enough to replace 
 the waste — the wear and tear of his system. If he obtains more 
 than this, the surplus is either excreted from the body, or else 
 stored up within the same in the form of fat; and every body 
 knows that a fat horse or fat man are not best adapted for a race 
 nor hard labor, but of all others, (except those in a state of de- 
 bility,) they are most subject to acute disease. With the young 
 and growing animal the case is different. Here we require bone, 
 muscle, and nerve. Oats, corn, and pollard furnish the same. 
 The colt obtains from its mother's milk all the elements of its own 
 organization in a concentrated form — all that seems necessary for 
 developing bodily proportions and hereditary traits; therefore, 
 when weaned, the colt must be furnished with the same equivalents 
 in the form of fodder : ground oats, wheat bran, and meal furnish 
 
DENTITION AND DIET. 139 
 
 the same. It is the young and growing animal that requires our 
 greatest attention. If our readers desire to raise colts that shall 
 remunerate them for the trouble and expense incurred, they must 
 feed the same, during their minority, with a liberal hand. Any 
 neglect at this period can never be made up in after life. The 
 subject will always remain lank and lean — living monuments of 
 their master's folly or ignorance, as the case may be. In addition 
 to the food required for the colt's growth, we must also furnish 
 enough to supply the waste incurred by expenditure of muscular 
 power. We all know that the young are very active and playful. 
 Every muscular movement involves an expenditure of vital force, 
 and thus exhausts the system; therefore, in view of developing 
 their full proportions, and promoting the integrity of the living 
 mechanism, they must have nutritious food, and plenty of it. They 
 are not, however, to have a large quantity at a time, but little and 
 often. Their stomach is small, not larger than that of a man's. 
 Should it be overdistended with innutritious food, the organs of 
 respiration and circulation become embarrassed, and the blood 
 loaded with carbon. They require food often, because the diges- 
 tive organs are very active, and soon dispose of an ordinary meal. 
 Then comes the sensation of hunger, which every one knows is 
 hard to bear. 
 
 The climate or temperature of the surrounding atmosphere has a 
 wonderful effect on the animal machine. Let two horses be located 
 in different stables, one of which shall be, like "Jack Straw's" 
 house, neither wind-tight nor water-proof; the other built on 
 the air-tight principle. The occupant of the former will require 
 more food than he of the latter, because cold air has a depressing 
 influence on the body, exhausting superficial heat. Our readers 
 are probably aware that if a hot brick be placed in contact with 
 a cold one, the caloric radiated from the first is absorbed by the 
 latter, until a sort of equilibrium be established. The same is 
 true as regards the body of a horse. He being in an atmosphere 
 many degrees less than that of his own body, gives off the heat 
 of the same to the surrounding medium. The heat thus given 
 off has to be replaced by food, which is the combustible material. 
 But it often happens that the digestive organs are deranged, in- 
 capable of assimilating a sufficiency of carbonaceous material to 
 maintain even the normal temperature of the body. The conse- 
 quences are, loss of flesh and health. On the other hand, a fat 
 
140 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 horse can endure the depressing influences of a cold atmosphere, 
 because he has within the body a vast generator and non-conductor 
 of heat in the form of adipose matter. It has been proved that 
 the immediate cause of death in warm-blooded animals, when food 
 has been withheld, was their inability to keep up that temperature 
 necessary for the integrity of vital operations. The animal located 
 in an air-tight stable is, probably, surrounded by an atmosphere 
 almost equal in temperature to that of his own body, and, conse- 
 quently, he does not require so much food as the former. Hence, 
 the amount of food necessary in the one case might be too much for 
 another, and, consequently, operate injuriously. A cold, bracing 
 wind is said to " sharpen the appetite." The inhabitants of north- 
 ern regions require more food than those of the southern. A horse, 
 therefore, of weak muscular organization, the subject of debility, 
 requires a comfortable stable, and food that will develop muscles. 
 Now, it has been ascertained that horse-beans contain more of the 
 nitro-albuminous principles than any other article of diet. Eng- 
 lish horses are very partial to the same, and in such the develop- 
 ment of muscle is very remarkable; consequently, a fat horse 
 requires less of the nitro-albuminous principle, and more of the 
 aqueous, in the form of carrots, potatoes, and beets. 
 
 It must never be forgotten that some horses will keep in fair 
 working order on a moderate supply of aliment. In such cases, 
 we infer that the digestive organs are in a state of activity capable 
 of extracting all the nutrient properties from the same. On the 
 other hand, a horse performs less work than the former, consumes 
 twice as much food, yet actually loses flesh. The digestive organs 
 are then at fault. A horse, however, may lose flesh, become weak 
 in the legs, etc., in consequence of the laborious nature of his em- 
 ployment. Therefore, any derangement occasioned in this way 
 prevents the food from being converted into healthy chyme, chyle, 
 or blood, and thus the necessary deposit of new matter is pre- 
 vented. 
 
 Most voracious feeders are dyspeptic, and such are almost never 
 free from intestinal worms. Their breath becomes feted; saliva, 
 thick and tenacious ; excrement, slimy; and should the subject be 
 fed on oats, the same would be found, after traversing the aliment- 
 ary canal, unmasticated. The principal remedy for indigestion is 
 change in diet. Sometimes it may be proper to allow scalded oats, 
 although cooking does not add to their nutritive quality, yet, more 
 
DENTITION AND DIET. 141 
 
 or less, completes the destruction of organization, and better pre- 
 pares them for the action of weak solvents. 
 
 Changes in diet will sometimes work wonders in the restoration 
 of a dyspeptic ; yet he will require, also, suitable medicinal agents, 
 in view of augmenting the digestive function, for which purpose 
 the following is recommended : 
 
 No. 17. Fluid extract of chamomile 4 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of ginger 3 oz. 
 
 Powdered hyposulphite of soda 2 oz. 
 
 "Water 5 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Dose, a wine-glassful night and morning. 
 
 Changes in Diet. 
 
 Sudden changes in diet are not recommended. For example, 
 should an animal have been previously fed on corn, meal, or oats, 
 he should not be turned out to shift for himself, as the saying is, 
 and depend entirely on grass for a living. Grass acts on horses 
 unaccustomed to it as an aperient — scours them — which is a de- 
 bilitating process. Grass may improve the health of a fat, lazy, or 
 humory horse — reduce flesh and purify his blood ; but the emaci- 
 ated horse requires, in addition, a daily feed of oats or cracked 
 corn, to make up for the deficiency of carbon in the former. For 
 these, and other reasons that we might urge, the reader will per- 
 ceive that changes in diet can only be made valuable in proportion 
 to our knowledge of the wants of the animal economy. 
 
 A great proportion of our horses are too well fed, obtaining more 
 food than they require. In this land of plenty, most of our valu- 
 able horses are overfed; and more especially does this happen 
 among animals owned by wealthy and liberal individuals. The 
 impression we wish to convey to the mind of the reader is, that 
 the food of such is not proportioned to labor; in other words, 
 there exists a disproportion between the amount of carbon taken, 
 in the form of food, and the oxygen received, in the process of 
 respiration. Now, to illustrate this, we will suppose that a man 
 engaged in mercantile pursuits owns one or more horses. He has 
 not the time nor inclination to give the one or the other the neces- 
 sary amount of exercise. They stand up to a full crib, from day 
 to day, enjoying, or, rather, gorging themselves with, a certain 
 
142 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 amount of fodder over and above what they actually require, 
 and much more than they really need. The surplus is often stored 
 up in the form of fat, and this induces acute diseases, and they die 
 of too much food and care. It is very rare that we have occasion 
 to recommend a man to feed his horse more liberally, but almost 
 always the reverse. Starvation is said to be the cause for many 
 equine diseases ; but, so far as our experience goes, such cases are, 
 in this country, very rare. We conceive the term starvation to be 
 a libel upon civilization ; and so unfrequent is its application among 
 a nation of husbandmen, that it is omitted in our dictionaries. A 
 man on a barren rock, or a horse in the deserts of Arabia, might 
 probably starve ; but the idea of the latter starving in the vicinity 
 of a well-stocked barn or stable, within striking distance of a land 
 of plenty, seems to us a very absurd conclusion. There are enough 
 horses to be found dressed up in the garb of starvation, having 
 tight skins, prominent ribs, and a cadaverous countenance, living, 
 yet half dead. But they know nothing of the " famine in Egypt ;" 
 they get not only enough, but too much of the same kind. They 
 probably require a change in diet, or else they are confirmed dys- 
 peptics, laboring under a chronic form of indigestion ; and if such 
 should be the case, quantity is objectionable, and good quality more 
 desirable. The stomach, however, is not at fault, its function being 
 deranged. Or they probably get enough, and perhaps too much, 
 for a weak stomach ; hence loss of flesh, etc. 
 
 Some men are in the habit of bleeding their horses every spring. 
 This is done in view of reducing fat and flesh, the subjects being 
 humory (plethoric), their systems abounding in highly carbonized 
 blood, which is proof positive that the same have been overfed. 
 The racer, before he can perform a feat of speed, must be prepared, 
 as the saying is. This implies bleeding and physicking. Some 
 works on farriery lay down regular rules for putting a horse in 
 racing condition, and the remedies are fleam, physic, and bran, 
 proof positive that such animals have had too bounteous a supply 
 of nutriment. 
 
 Some horses — and the same is true of man — grow poor in con- 
 sequence of having to carry about a juvenile restaurant within their 
 digestive organs. They probably become exhausted, or plethoric, 
 as the case may be, in consequence of an overburdened stomach. 
 A stomach overburdened reacts on the nervous system, deranges 
 the physiological condition of the subject, and lays the foundation 
 
DENTITION AND DIET. 143 
 
 for hypertrophy (which is an abnormal increase of fat or tissue), 
 or the opposite, which condition is known as atrophy — a wasting 
 of the same. But most frequently an overburdened stomach in- 
 duces diseases known as staggers, cerebral congestion, softening 
 of brain, etc. 
 
 Many horse owners are continually devising means to excite the 
 appetite of their horses, in order to get as much food as possible 
 into their stomachs. Some men seem to think that an error in 
 this direction can never occur; and should the animal refuse to 
 consume the abundance thus placed before him, the liberal owner 
 is apt to consider his pet sick, or think that he must have a poor 
 appetite. Now, it were far better, for both man and horse if the 
 former would only experiment in the opposite direction, and 
 ascertain how small a quantity a horse may subsist on. A small 
 quantity of good food, well digested, answers the purpose of nu- 
 trition much better than a large quantity, imperfectly so. It is 
 very interesting to contemplate how efficient a little food proves 
 for the promotion of health and longevity. For example, a little 
 barley and coarse fodder will suffice for the " courser of the desert." 
 Shetland and Welsh ponies will live and grow fat on the mere 
 vestiges of vegetation. The best cow in the world — the property 
 of J. H. Kelly, of Cleveland, Ohio, weighing 1,350 pounds — is 
 fed exclusively on hay and straw. Very poor fodder some may 
 exclaim ; yet in the course of ten months the same creature yielded 
 4,921 quarts of milk, and during a single month, after calving, 
 she gave 620 quarts, and the least she gave during the winter 
 months was 562 quarts. A pig will grow fat on small quantities 
 of the right kind of food, and yet lose flesh when suffered to gorge 
 himself with the same. Many swine, in the vicinity of coal mines, 
 consume both coal and charcoal, and little else, yet they thrive 
 well. 
 
 Evidences can be furnished going to show that both the superior 
 and inferior orders of creation might subsist on much less food 
 than they are in the habit of using, and without danger to them- 
 selves. Shipwrecked mariners have been known to exist several 
 weeks without food ; and there is a man now residing in Illinois, 
 who, during a period of thirty-two days, never tasted food. The 
 sleeping man of Rochester is another example; and a case is 
 recorded in one of our medical journals showing that an individual 
 once lived for several months on nothing but pure water. As 
 
144 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 regards horses, they form no exception to this peculiarity. We 
 might introduce evidence, convincing and positive, of their ability 
 to. endure the privations of hunger, and, at the same time, show 
 that they suffer but little from its effects. A single case will serve 
 to illustrate this. We once treated a case of tetanus (lock-jaw). 
 The subject never tasted food during a period of sixteen days; on 
 the seventeenth the masseters relaxed, and the faculty of swallow- 
 ing returned. At this period we might suppose him to be " hungry 
 as a bear," yet, on offering him a few oats, he did not appear to be 
 very ravenous, and partook of food subsequently offered him as if 
 nothing had happened. These are extreme cases, yet they go to 
 show that there is no cause for alarm because a horse happens to 
 be " off his feed " once in awhile. Such condition may ultimately 
 prove salutary, affording the stomach and its associates time to rest 
 from their herculean labors. 
 
 The fact that most of our adult horses get more food than they 
 need has been demonstrated by analysis of their excrement, which 
 has been found to contain a large amount of nutritious material 
 over and above what the animals actually need. We can develop 
 the gormandizing powers of very many horses, by placing before 
 them, from day to day, more than they require. Their appetites, 
 like some of ours, are not proof against temptation ; and the diges- 
 tive organs may be trained to dispose of twice the quantity of food 
 actually needed, and the habit, at first acquired, becomes perma- 
 ment, and the creature is known as a voracious feeder — a glutton. 
 Hence, through indiscretions of this character, we can augment 
 both function and capacity of stomach. We remember examining 
 the stomach of a horse, the property of a baker, who was in the 
 habit of feeding the former on brown bread. The animal died of 
 chronic indigestion, and his stomach exceeded in capacity that of 
 two ordinary horses. Great care, therefore, is requisite in regard 
 to the proper feeding of horses ; for, in their domesticated state, 
 they have lost those natural instincts which serve to inform the 
 untamed animal of the necessary amount of food which his system 
 needs, and they are in the condition of a thoughtless child that 
 will eat all day, and, on retiring to bed, will crave and cry for 
 more. 
 
 Our rearlers have probably heard of the gormandizing propensi- 
 ties of natives in the arctic regions. Some of them think nothing 
 of bolting down twenty pounds of meat and oil per day, and 
 
DENTITION AND DIET. 145 
 
 making a good supper on tallow candles. A case is related, by 
 Captain Cochrane, of a Russian who ate, in the course of twenty- 
 four hours, the hind-quarter of an ox, twenty pounds of fat, and 
 drank a quantity of melted butter. He also states that he has 
 seen three gluttons consume a deer at one meal. But we need not 
 go beyond our own immediate vicinity to prove that the gorman- 
 dizing powers of both men and horses are equally extraordinary. 
 The corn-dealer's bill furnishes one illustration ; and the length- 
 ened meal which some of our young men indulge in, commencing 
 in the morning and only ending at night, completes the evidence. 
 Hence, with these facts before us, we may safely conclude that 
 errors in diet are constantly occurring, and, consequently, a great 
 many unnecessary diseases arise in consequence; therefore, we 
 recommend our readers to make an experiment in the opposite 
 direction, and ascertain how small a quantity of good food will 
 answer the purpose of nutrition. Should the quantity be insuf- 
 ficient for the animal's wants, we shall soon be made aware of the 
 fact by loss of flesh and other unmistakable signs. On the other 
 hand, the error alluded to is not so easily corrected ; for the animal 
 may die, overburdened with fat, of an acute disease, before we can 
 reduce his system. 
 
 Conclusion. 
 
 The reader will perceive that in the management and feeding 
 of horses there opens a fine field of observation and improvement ; 
 yet, in order to apply that unlimited power which man seems to 
 possess over his own organization and that of the inferior orders 
 of creation, he must be conversant with animal physiology; for 
 on this science alone do we base the problem of life. 
 
 Now, reader, after having presented this essay for your consider- 
 ation, pray do not find fault with the stable-keeper because your 
 horse does not look fat and sleek. You had better trust to the 
 discretion of the man who, having been long in the stable business, 
 is perhaps better qualified than yourself to judge of the effects of 
 food under the states of rest and exercise, and knows how to grad- 
 uate the same accordingly. We frequently have occasion to notice 
 .,that horses owned by stable-keepers are never so fat as the board- 
 ers — a very good proof that the latter get more than they require. 
 Some men are in the habit of ordering a given quantity, say six 
 or twelve quarts, of oats at a feed, whenever they put up, and the 
 10 
 
146 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 feeder gives it. At the same time he is well aware that the animal 
 does not need it, yet he must obey orders; for should he suggest 
 that the quantity be too great, his motive may be questioned, and 
 wrong inferences drawn. Depend upon it, therefore, that when 
 the stabler, by a judicious system of feeding, prevents fat from ac- 
 cumulating on horses, he is conferring a favor on his patrons and 
 benefiting the animal. 
 
 As regards the number of meals per day, our own observations 
 satisfy us that working horses require three meals per day — a 
 bountiful, yet very early breakfast; at noon, a light meal, com- 
 posed of cut hay and oats ; and at night the quantity may be in- 
 creased equal to the morning meal. It is very poor policy to feed 
 or water on the road when performing a short journey ; yet, should 
 a horse seem to stand in need of something, we should not object 
 to a handful of oats and a few swallows of water occasionally. 
 
SECTION VI. 
 
 GLANDERS AND FARCY. 
 
 Glanders — Glanders can be communicated to Man — Contagiousness op 
 Glanders — Suspected Glanders — How came the Disease to be called 
 Glanders? — Diagnostic Symptom of Glanders — Treatment of Glanders — 
 Farcy (Disease of the Absorbents). 
 
 Glanders. 
 
 ONE of the greatest evils which farmers and horse-dealers have 
 been subjected to, during the prevalence of our late national 
 troubles, was the sale of condemned army horses, many of them 
 being afflicted, either insidiously or actually, with that form of 
 equine affection known as glanders; for it is a well-known fact 
 that this terrible malady is, under certain circumstances or con- 
 ditions of the animal economy, both infectious and contagious; 
 hence the great evil. 
 
 For example, should a glandered horse be placed in a stable 
 where the principles of ventilation and of the admission of light 
 are entirely disregarded, the other inmates of the den, by continu- 
 ally breathing, over and over again, the contaminated atmosphere 
 which must necessarily occupy the same, will (provided their sys- 
 tems are susceptible) take the disease by infection ; that is to say, 
 the miasmatic virus finds an introduction into the blood through 
 the lungs and pulmonary circulation. On the other hand, glanders, 
 under almost every circumstance, can be communicated by con- 
 tagion or touch ; that is, bringing the glandered nasal discharge in 
 contact with an abraded surface, including cuts and scratches. 
 
 Glanders can be communicated to Man. 
 
 "Within the last quarter of this century, two veterinary sur- 
 geons — one residing in "Walworth., and the other in "Wolverhamp- 
 
 (147) 
 
148 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 ton — are reported as having died from inoculation of glanders. 
 This terrible disease is not often seen in Scotland, but very fre- 
 quently in England, and still more so in Ireland. From the latter 
 circumstance, the malady is often found to be imported about the 
 west coast of Scotland. London has always been rather renowned 
 for the prevalence of glanders among omnibus, cab, and other 
 
 SECTION OF A HOBSE'S HEAD SHOWING ULCERATION OF THE SCHNEIDERIAN MEMBRANE, WHICH 
 CONSTITUTES THE DIAGNOSTIC SYMPTOM OF GLANDERS. 
 
 Explanation. — On contrasting the above picture with the one on the opposite page, the 
 reader will perceive, in the above, a number of dark spots on the lining membrane of the 
 nose (schneiderian), showing the chancreous ulcerations which constitute the diagnostic 
 symptoms of glanders. 
 
 1. The cerebrum, or anterior portion of the brain. 
 
 2. The cerebellum, or posterior portion of the brain. 
 
 3. The spinal cord. 
 
 4. Shows a section of the cervical vertebrae, or bones of the neck. 
 
 5. The oesophagus. 
 
 6. The windpipe. 
 
 7. The tongue. 
 
 9. Section of the occipital bone. 
 
 10. The schneiderian membrane. 
 
 11. A muscle known as the sterno maxillarius. It is located beneath the neck, and is in- 
 serted into the angle of the lower jaw and the front part of the breast bone. Its action is to 
 aid in closing the mouth and drawing the head downward toward the breast; one muscle act- 
 ing draws the head to one side. 
 
 12. The frontal sinuses. 
 
 13. Section of the anterior portion of the upper jaw. 
 
 14. The hard palate. 
 
 15. The strong ligament of the spine known as the ligamentum sufHavium. 
 
 16. Section of the inferior portion of the cervical vertebrae 
 
 horses. A very strict supervision is maintained, and all glandered 
 horses are destroyed when discovered; but nevertheless we can 
 state, on good authority, that the omnibus horses of London have 
 suffered very severely from this disease, and do so still. The par- 
 
GLANDERS AND FARCY. 149 
 
 tial measures adopted by companies are not sufficient to eradicate 
 it, and the " glandered night train " is not altogether a thing of the 
 past. The danger to human life is so great that we feel happy to 
 seize any opportunity to urge the adoption of the most effectual 
 measures for the suppression of any practice which tends to pro- 
 long the life of the glandered horse. 
 
 SECTION OF A HOESE'S HEAD IN A HEALTHY CONDITION— ITS ANATOMY. 
 
 Description. — a The lining membrane of the nose, known as the schneiderian membrane. 
 On its surface are seen the vessels which furnish it with arterial blood. 
 
 b The anterior portion of the brain, known as the cerebrum. 
 
 c The posterior portion of the brain, known as the cerebellum. 
 d The frontal sinuses. 
 
 e The tongue. 
 
 / Showing the velum palate, or soft palate. 
 
 g The back part of the mouth. 
 
 h The pharynx, or top of the oesophagus. 
 
 i The epiglottis, or cartilage at the root of the tongue. 
 
 ;' The glottis, or opening into the windpipe. 
 
 Jc The oesophagus, or gullet. 
 
 I The trachea, or windpipe. 
 m The spinal cord. 
 
 n Junction of the cerebellum with the spinal cord. 
 op Showing a section of the cervical vertebrse, or bones of the neck. 
 The dotted lines between a and g, show the direction leading to the trachea and oesophagus. 
 
 A fatal case of glander, reported in the Baltimore " Herald of 
 Reform," is as follows : Mr. I. P. Burus, a grocer, died a horrible 
 death in that city in consequence of poison communicated to his 
 system from a horse afflicted with glanders. During the admin- 
 istration of medicine, Mr. Burus thrust into the animal's mouth 
 his hand, a finger of which had been previously cut, and the flesh 
 laid open. Through this wound the virus was absorbed, and mor- 
 tification supervened. A surgeon was called upon to amputate 
 
150 DADJD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the diseased member. Perceiving, however, that the poison had 
 penetrated to every portion of the unfortunate man's system, he 
 declined performing the operation, and stated that no earthly skill 
 could save him. After lingering in great agony, death closed the 
 scene. 
 
 Death of a Russian Lady from Glanders. — The awful death 
 of Madame Palesikoff, one of the most charming among all that 
 bevy of entertaining Russian ladies who sometimes gladden the 
 winters of Paris, has created a terrible shock among the circles 
 she so lately embellished by her presence. The unhappy lady left 
 Paris but a short time ago on a summer tour to Germany. While 
 stepping from the door of the opera-house in Berlin, to gain her 
 carriage, she let fall one of her bracelets close to the pavement. 
 Stooping to pick it up, she noticed, at the time, laughingly, that 
 " one of the horses belonging to a carriage standing at hand, 
 dropped his head so close to her face that he touched her, and left 
 a moist kiss upon her cheek." In a few days the unfortunate lady 
 was taken ill with that most horrible disease, glanders, and in a few 
 days more, breathed her last, in spite of the attendance of the first 
 physicians of Berlin, and every resource to be obtained by wealth, 
 or by the ceaseless vigilance of friends.* 
 
 Still another case. — Sidney W. M., aged 23, a horse-slaughterer, 
 residing at Plumstead, England, was admitted into Guy's Hos- 
 pital, on March 13, 1861, under the care of Mr. Birkett. He had 
 always enjoyed good health, but he lived freely. Six days pre- 
 vious to his admission he cut his right hand deeply over the dorsal 
 aspect of the thumb. The wound bled freely, but he felt no in- 
 convenience from it, of any consequence, until the 10th. He then 
 had pain in the part, extending upward to the axilla, and also a 
 numbing pain in the calf of the right leg. His appetite was good, 
 and he had so little constitutional disturbance that he went as 
 usual to superintend the work which the accident had prevented 
 his carrying out. On the llth the pain in the arm increased, and 
 that in the leg, on the 12th, extended upward to the thigh. This 
 had become considerably aggravated, and he then became gener- 
 ally indisposed, and was unable to stand. The following day he 
 applied for admission. He stated that he was extremely ill, and 
 that his limbs felt almost paralyzed. He was quite unable to 
 
 * Berlin Court Journal. 
 
GLANDERS AND FARCY. 151 
 
 stand. He had constant rigors, a burning skin, white tongue, and 
 his pulse was 120. The wound in the hand was inflamed, and 
 the calf of the right leg and the thigh were swollen, and evidently 
 the seats of abscesses. These were freely opened, with relief. He 
 was ordered effervescing medicine, and two pints of porter. The 
 case was then regarded as one of pyaemia. On the 14th he was 
 much relieved. He had slept tolerably. The abscesses. discharged 
 freely, and he was able to take his food. On the 15th he was seized 
 with vomiting, bringing up a dark bilious fluid. His powers were 
 less. Wine was given freely. On the 16th the vomiting continued, 
 and he complained of a pain in the left thigh. An abscess was dis- 
 covered, on examination, which was freely opened. The man, at 
 this time, was physically in a very low condition. He took brandy, 
 eggs, and other liquid nourishment with avidity. His manner was 
 peculiar, and somewhat excited. On the 17th another abscess was 
 opened in the left arm. On the 18th the left foot became the seat 
 of an abscess, and on the 19th, for the first time, a pustular erup- 
 tion was observed on the face and body, which suggested to Mr. 
 Birkett the probability that some animal poison was the cause of 
 all this mischief. 
 
 The eruption was peculiar, having no definite shape. It ap- 
 peared to be more like small irregular blebs, containing pus, vary- 
 ing from the size of a pea to a sixpence. Some were round, others 
 oval, and others of an irregular form. Toward evening, also, his 
 breathing became much impaired, a bloody mucus obstructing the 
 nostrils. Toward night he became delirious; his powers became 
 less, the nasal discharge more profuse, and at 1.30, on the 20th, he 
 died. The eruption, some hours before his death, in parts, had 
 disappeared ; but in others a fresh crop sprang up, particularly 
 over the region of the sternum. These were, however, of the 
 same character, but smaller. No post-mortem examination was 
 made.* 
 
 Contagiousness of Glanders. 
 
 Mr. Perctvall submits the following deductions, regarding 
 the contagiousness of glanders, as the result of facts gleaned from 
 his own experience: 
 
 " 1. That farcy and glanders, which constitute the same disease, 
 
 * Medical Times and Gazette. 
 
152 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 are propagated through the medium of stabling, and this we believe 
 to be the more usual way in which the disease is communicated 
 from horse to horse. 
 
 2. That infected stabling may harbor and retain the infection 
 for months, or even years ; and although, by thoroughly cleansing 
 and making use of disinfecting means, the contagion might be 
 destroyed, yet it would not be wise to occupy such stables imme- 
 diately after such supposed or alleged disinfection. 
 
 3. That the virus, or poison of glanders, may lie for months, in 
 a state of incubation, in the horse's constitution before the disease 
 breaks out. Of this we have had the most positive evidence. 
 
 4. That when a stable of horses becomes contaminated, the dis- 
 ease often makes fearful ravages among them before it quits ; and 
 it is only after a period of several months exemption from all dis- 
 ease of the kind that a clean bill of health can be rendered." 
 
 From the preceding evidence, it is probable that the reader will 
 entertain but little doubt of the contagious character of the malady ; 
 yet it is very important that every one, either directly or indirectly 
 interested in horses, or having any regard for the welfare of man- 
 kind, should be familiar with all that is important and useful as 
 regards the cause and nature of the awful malady now under con- 
 sideration. It is often mistaken for other diseases that (in so far 
 as contagion is concerned) are perfectly harmless ; yet many valu- 
 able human lives have paid the forfeit, and many priceless animals 
 have been sacrificed on an altar of ignorance which the light of 
 science has but recently illuminated. Hence, correct information 
 is what the people require, in consequence of the emergency of the 
 peril ; and this is what the author aims at in offering this article 
 for the consideration of the reader. 
 
 Many hundreds of times, during the professional career of the 
 author, have horses been brought to him for treatment, declared 
 by their owners to be the subjects of glanders, simply because they 
 had enlarged glands under the jaw, and a nasal discharge; and 
 by the successful treatment of the same, he has got the credit of 
 curing glanders, a feat which he never pretends to have accom- 
 plished. Mr. Gamgee has very lucidly illustrated this part of 
 the argument, as regards the mistakes made in diagnosing glanders. 
 He states that glanders may be suspected, instead of being a real- 
 ity; hence, many supposed cures are on record. The following 
 are his remarks, under the caption of " suspected glanders " : 
 
GLANDERS AND FARCY. 153 
 
 " Glanders is, fortunately, a rare disease in this country (Scot- 
 land), thanks to the pole-ax. Englishmen have long since advo- 
 cated and practiced the shooting of suspected animals, rather than 
 trusting the lives of men and horses to the chances of escape, 
 wherever cases of chronic nasal discharge are met with. The com- 
 mand officer and veterinarian of a British cavalry regiment would 
 consider it a great disgrace if such a disease acquired any firm hold 
 in their stables ; and in spite of occasional introductions of the dis- 
 ease when a number of remounts may be purchased, the unrelent- 
 ing order to kill rather than attempt to cure, saves the public purse 
 and the reputation of those responsible for the health and condi- 
 tion of our troop horses. I am as great an advocate for the 
 slaughter of glandered horses as I am for the slaughter of cattle 
 affected with rinderpest. Glanders is more incurable than the 
 cattle plague, as not even ten per cent, recover, but its commu- 
 nication is less certain and swift. It never could and never did 
 destroy its tens of thousands over a country in the short space 
 of time in which the steppe murrain spreads over the land, but 
 it is, nevertheless, wise and proper to stamp it out. We have not 
 indulged, as do our neighbors the French — who manage this 
 matter, at all events, worse than we — in wild theories as to the 
 transmissibility of acute and not of chronic glanders. We admit 
 it to be always contagious and always deadly, and prevent it kill- 
 ing by shooting its victims. 
 
 We must not, however, forget that there are hundreds — nay, 
 thousands — of cases of chronic nasal discharge which admit of 
 some diagnosis on the part of skilled veterinarians, and which 
 are erroneously set down as cases of glanders. Many of these 
 cases are condemned because they baffle the attempts to restore 
 them for a great length of time; and, unfortunately, in this 
 country many forms of nasal disease have been rarely cured, 
 simply because their nature has not been understood, and bold 
 surgical operations have been dreaded. I could relate the histo- 
 ries of many cases which have yielded to radical measures after 
 several veterinarians had pronounced the animals incurably gland- 
 ered — more to get rid of them, perhaps, than from a conviction 
 that they were suffering from the disease. I have seen as many 
 as half a dozen animals, in a stable containing a score of horses, 
 given up by practitioners because they had chronic discharge and 
 swollen glands; and in ten days or a fortnight all the animals 
 
154 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 have recovered under the influence of nasal injections, and the 
 internal administration of tonics. 
 
 It is impossible to enter into details as to the diagnosis, of a 
 great variety of cures. I may mention, however, that the curable 
 discharges set out as incurable forms of glanders may be grouped 
 under six heads. 
 
 1st. Fetid discharges from the nostril, owing to a carious tooth 
 and caries of the upper jaw. The fetor is characteristic. 
 
 2d. Intermittent discharges from an abscess in one of the tur- 
 binated bones within the nasal chamber. The swelling of the 
 nasal bones and flow of pus when the head is jerked upward are 
 diagnostic. 
 
 3d. Continuous or intermittent discharge from one or both 
 nostrils, from accumulations of pus in the frontal and superior 
 maxillary sinuses, indicated by the shape of the forehead and ab- 
 sence of resonance on percussion. 
 
 4th. Irregular discharge from the guttural pouches, brought 
 on by exercise, or seen when an animal is made to eat hay, oats, 
 a turnip, or carrots off the ground. As the head is depressed and 
 jerked, a somewhat fetid and often abundant purulent matter 
 flows freely. 
 
 5th. Discharges kept up by foreign objects in the posterior 
 nares, which are continuous and fetid. 
 
 6th. Chronic regular nasal discharge — pure ozena — dependent 
 on constitutional causes and defective management of acute ca- 
 tarrh. 
 
 All the foregoing varieties include the innumerable cases of 
 suspected glanders for which animals are wrongfully destroyed. 
 It is not every practitioner who can or' would venture to open the 
 guttural pouches, or practice dissection on the bones of the face to 
 such an extent as we find requisite in overcoming deformities and 
 curing long-standing diseases. The longer these cases are treated 
 by any but the right plan, the greater the difficulties encountered 
 when surgical operations are determined upon ; and for this reason 
 even those who would not dare to cut should always strive cor- 
 rectly to diagnose the form of disease presenting itself. It is not 
 necessary to refer at greater length to the method of dealing with 
 the very various forms of disease above indicated." 
 
GLANDERS AND FARCY. 155 
 
 HOW CAME THE DISEASE TO BE CALLED GLANDERS. 
 
 Percivall is our authority for the following explanation: 
 "The derivation of our word glanders is traceable through the 
 French language, from which we appear to have borrowed it, to 
 the Latin roots glandula and glans, the latter signifying any fruit 
 kernel, such as a chestnut or acorn ; the former, its diminutive, 
 any small fruit kernel ; and both afterward used in medicine to 
 denote the glands of the body, many of which — such as were then 
 so called — are small and comparable, both in shape and size, to 
 acorns or other kernels. Celsus applies the term glandula to a 
 swelling in the neck, supposed to be glandular; and Vegetius 
 uses the same to denote sAvollen glands ' between the cheek-bones 
 and lower jaws : ' from his saying, however, that the glandules are 
 1 especially troublesome to foales,' it would appear the disease he 
 meant to describe was not glanders, but strangles. The French 
 veterinarians, following the ancient phraseology, called a horse 
 exhibiting any submaxillary tumor or enlargement, glande; not 
 with any special reference to glanders, but simply because his 
 glands or ' kernels/ as our farriers denominate them, had become 
 enlarged; hence, with the French, a horse was said to be glande 
 de gourme, as well as glande de morve and glande de farcin. It 
 seems to have been our English writers on farriery who have 
 restricted the application of the term to the foul and malignant 
 disease now known under that appellation. Before then, glanders 
 appears to have had no other meaning save that the horse had tu- 
 mefied glands, or that, in the farrier's phrase, 'his kernels had 
 come down/ The French call the disease la morve. A horse, 
 however, in the estimation of Lafosse, is not to be regarded as 
 having la morve proprement dite, unless he be glande, or have tu- 
 mefaction of his glands." 
 
 Diagnostic Symptoms of Glanders. — Glanders consists in a dis- 
 charge, from one or both nostrils, of matter which, by transfer or 
 inoculation, will produce the same disease in another animal (of 
 the equine or human species), and which discharge is, sooner or 
 later, accompanied by vascular injection and chancrous ulceration 
 of the schneiderian membrane of the nostrils, and tumefaction 
 of the submaxillary lymphatic glands, and by farcy; so that a 
 horse can not be considered as the subject of glanders until these 
 symptoms are made manifest. 
 
156 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 On consulting " Hippopathology," I find a paragraph, credited 
 to a French surgeon, who very accurately describes the symptoms 
 of glanders. It reads as follows : " The signs by which the disease 
 may be known are, when a horse, already too old to be troubled 
 with strangles, without a cough, voids matter by the nose, and 
 has a kernel sticking to the bone ; and, besides, in glanders the 
 matter usually flows from one nostril, whereas, in a cold, it runs 
 always out of both. Some cast the matter that is voided by the 
 nostrils into water, and, if it swim on the top, they conclude the 
 horse to be free of this distemper ; but if it sink to the bottom, it 
 is a sign of glanders, the principal use of this experiment being to 
 distinguish the pus. But you must not depend on the certainty 
 of this sign ; for if the matter stick to the nostrils, like glue, it is 
 a bad sign, and you may conclude the disease to be the glanders, 
 though the matter do swim on the top. "When either the breath 
 or matter that comes out of the nostrils stinks, the disease is almost 
 always incurable. I have seen horses troubled with this distemper 
 without kernels, or, if there were any, they were small and move- 
 able; and the only sign by which we could discover it to be 
 glanders, was the glueyness of the matter discharged from the nasal 
 outlet." 
 
 Treatment. — The author knows of no remedy for the cure of 
 glanders. He considers it an incurable disease. In fact, most of 
 our educated veterinarians contend that the disease, like pulmo- 
 nary consumption, is incurable. 
 
 Mayhew, one of the most intelligent veterinary teachers of the 
 present period, informs us that " no medicine can restore the parts 
 which disease has disorganized. There is no cure for glanders, 
 which is essentially an ulcerative disorder." And this opinion is 
 indorsed by others of equal eminence in the profession, who were 
 employed lately, by the members of an agricultural society in 
 England, to ascertain if there was any specific for the disease 
 known as glanders, and the verdict was that no specific could be 
 found. So soon as glanders is discovered in the horse, he should, 
 by all means, be destroyed, and buried deep in the earth. 
 
 Farcy (Disease of the Absorbents). 
 
 This disease is usually met with among horses of the scrofulous 
 diathesis, which diathesis is known by a proneness to diseases of 
 
GLANDERS AND FARCY. 157 
 
 the skin, and does not readily yield to medical treatment. Such 
 horses are noticed as belonging to the nervous temperament, hav- 
 ing thin, spare muscles, wiry neck and limbs, very quick and 
 active in their movements, and having a very narrow chest. Yet 
 it should be remembered that the scrofulous diathesis may exist 
 in any horse, without regard to his conformation or temperament, 
 provided he inherit, from either sire or dam, the requisite pre- 
 disposition. 
 
 The disease sometimes steals on in a slow and insidious man- 
 ner, so that it is not known to exist until, all at once, the animal 
 becomes lame, and, in the course of a few hours, his legs swell; 
 large inflammatory farcy-buds appear just as suddenly ; a stink- 
 ing discharge takes place from the nostrils, and, unless the animal 
 be destroyed, he soon dies. This form of farcy may, very prop- 
 erly, be denominated malignant farcy. When the disease mani- 
 fests itself after this fashion, it is dangerous for a person to haudle 
 the subject. He should be destroyed and buried. 
 
 A case of this kind occurred very recently in a large stable, 
 the facts of which are as follows: The author was requested to 
 visit a bay gelding, of the nervous temperament, supposed to be 
 the subject of a catarrhal affection. He did not show any very 
 marked symptoms of ill-health, except a slight discharge from 
 both nostrils. He had performed labor up to within a few hours 
 of the time of my visit, and had partaken of his usual amount of 
 food. This was toward evening. I directed the foreman to rub 
 the throat with stimulating liniment. Two ounces of fluid extract 
 of resin weed were given him ; his legs being cold, they were ban- 
 daged, and a warm bran-mash was placed before him. Next day 
 he was a pitiable sight to behold. His limbs and other parts of 
 the body had become dropsical; his face and eyelids had become 
 so tumefied that the eyelids were almost totally closed, and scald- 
 ing tears ran profusely down his cheeks. In various parts of the 
 body the lymphatics were tumefied, presenting unmistakable farcy- 
 buds. A stinking discharge ran from his nostrils, and he was so 
 lame that it was almost impossible to get him out of the stable. 
 The case being diagnosed as farcy, the animal was shot. 
 
 Mr. Percivakl alludes to the lameness and rapid tumefac- 
 tion in the following language: "I have known horses so lame 
 from farcy before the disease had, in any local or characteristic 
 form, declared itself, that shoes have been removed and feet 
 
158 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 searched, etc., to discover the seat and cause of lameness, no sus- 
 picion having existed at the time that farcy was present in the 
 animal's system. It may so happen, however, that some of the 
 preliminary symptoms are observed or observable; that, on the 
 contrary, farcy at once develops itself in an attack on some local- 
 ity — most probably one hind limb. Indeed, so sudden, sharp, and 
 severe are attacks of farcy, in some instances, that, in the course of 
 one night, the horse's limb will be swollen to a frightful size, so as 
 to incapacitate him almost from turning in his stall and walking 
 out of the stable. Ordinarily, the development of farcy plainly 
 accounts for the halting or lameness, yet the lameness may appear 
 without any ostensible cause." 
 
 Symptoms. — The ordinary symptoms of farcy are, slight impair- 
 ment of the general health; feverish symptoms; a small, quick 
 pulse ; swelling or tumefaction of one of the hind legs, generally 
 the left, with much lameness ; tumefaction of the lymphatics, on 
 various parts of the body, and in the groin. On the inside of the 
 thighs, along the course of the femoral vein, corded, nodulous 
 swellings will be found. Sometimes one or both hind limbs will 
 swell below the hock, and an abscess may form in the vicinity of 
 the fetlock, and isolated blotches will break out, suppurate, and 
 terminate in farcy ulcer. No swelling of a hind limb, or any 
 other part, constitutes a case of farcy apart from the unequivocal 
 signs of lymphatic disease. There must be present corded, nod- 
 ulated swellings, buds in some form or other, together with actual 
 or approaching tumefaction of the lymphatic glands, or the case is 
 not farcy. The disease evidently affects the absorbents. When 
 it commences in those which are deep-seated, it usually ends in 
 glanders. Glanders and farcy are considered the same disease; 
 yet, unlike glanders, many cases of cure of mild farcy are on 
 record, but the author knows of none. A disease known as lym- 
 phatitis is often mistaken for farcy, and, as the former is curable, 
 it is often recorded that the latter affection has been successfully 
 treated. 
 
 Treatment. — I do not know that it is good policy for me to re- 
 commend any form of treatment for the disease known as true 
 farcy. It is against the laws of this country, and the interests of 
 society for any one to keep or treat a case of declared farcy ; there- 
 fore, the advice offered in regard to the treatment of glanders 
 applies also to farcy. To show the reader that the author is not 
 
GLANDERS AND FARCY. 159 
 
 singular in his opinion as regards the treatment of this disease, a 
 quotation from Mayhew is here introduced : 
 
 " Farcy is, by the generality of practitioners, regarded as a 
 more tractable disease than glanders. Certainly the course of the 
 disorder is arrested much easier ; but, to cure the malady, there is 
 a constitution to renovate and a virus to destroy. Is it in the 
 power of medicine to restore the health and strength, which have 
 been underfed, sapped by a foul atmosphere, and exhausted by 
 overwork ? Tonics may prop up or stimulate for a time ; but the 
 drunkard and the opium-eater, among human beings, can inform 
 us that the potency of the best selected and the choicest drugs, 
 most judiciously prescribed, and carefully prepared, is very lim- 
 ited. Sulphate of copper, iron, oak bark, cayenne pepper, and 
 cantharides, probably, are the chief medicines the practitioner will 
 give. With such the horse may be patched up ; he may even re- 
 turn to work. But at what a risk! He carries about the seeds 
 of a disorder contagious to the human species, and in man even 
 more terrible than the quadruped. Is it lawful, is it right, to try 
 to save an avaricious master the chance of a few shillings, and 
 incur the risk of poisoning an innocent person? The author 
 thinks not. Therefore he will give no directions how to arrest 
 the progress of farcy. The horse once contaminated is, indeed, 
 very rarely or never cured. The animal, after the veterinary sur- 
 geon has shaken hands with the proprietor and departed, too often 
 bears about an enlarged limb, which impedes his utility, and, at 
 any period, may break forth again with more than the virulence 
 of the original affection." 
 
SECTION VII. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 
 
 Lampas — Spontaneous Salivation— Bots — Inflammation of Stomach — Rup- 
 tuke of Stomach — Gorged, or over-distended Stomach — Meteorization 
 — Flatulent Colic — Spasmodic Colic — Inflammation of the Peritonum — 
 Ascites — Inflammation of the Intestines — Strangulation of Intestines — . 
 Wounds penetrating the Abdominal Cavity — Splenic Apoplexy — Func- 
 tional Disease of the Liver — Pancreas; its Function — Parasites which 
 affect the Intestines. 
 
 Lampas. 
 
 LAMPAS is the name given to a slight tumefaction of the soft 
 palate of the horse's mouth. It usually occurs during the 
 period of dentition, at which time the mouth is hot and tender. 
 At the time when the tushes are about making their appearance, 
 the membrane over the crown of the tooth becomes tense, so as 
 to cause the root of the tooth to press on the tental nerve. This 
 causes much pain. In such cases we make a slight incision over 
 the region of the tooth, which immediately relieves the animal. 
 But most men overlook this difficulty, and, because the palate hap- 
 pens to be tumified, it is at once attacked with the barbarous firing- 
 iron. This treatment was condemned by Percivall, who, in 
 writing of it, says : 
 
 " Are lampas disease ? The complaints, frequent and grievous, 
 which are daily reaching our ears, are enough to persuade us that 
 they are disease. Every groom that has an unthriving horse, or 
 one that does not feed, is sure to search for lampas ; and, should 
 he find any, the cause of loss of appetite, etc., is detected* and the 
 remedy obvious — burning them out. Many a poor wight of a 
 horse, even when suffering from a constitutional disease, has been 
 subjected to this torturing operation, with a view of demonstrating 
 the sagacity of the groom, and thereby has got added to his other 
 . (160) 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 
 
 161 
 
 ailments a foul, sloughy, carious sore upon the roof of his mouth. 
 This may be said to be the fruits of the removal of lampas. 
 
 Supposing that the existence of lampas is owing to the teeth, 
 surely the teeth should be removed, and not the bars of the mouth. 
 In cutting or burning away the lampas, we are mistaking the effect 
 for the cause. If it be contended that lampas do not owe their 
 production to the irritation of teething, then I should like to be 
 informed what does give rise to them ; and, let what will give rise 
 to them, I do not imagine there is any veterinarian hardy enough 
 
 BURNING A HOBSE'S MOUTH FOE LAMPAS. 
 
 (A cruel and unnecessary operation.) 
 
 to contend that the cause resides in the palate, and becomes re- 
 moved by the hot iron. Those who are entering private practice, 
 and find themselves compelled, at all times, to belie their con- 
 sciences by the performance of unnecessary operations to please 
 their employers, may be told that burning out lampas is, after all, 
 preferable to lancing or cutting the bars; for, unless the palative 
 artery is wounded, very little blood is obtained by stabbing the 
 mouth ; and the wounding of this vessel, which will certainly take 
 place, should the punctures be made along the sides of the palate, 
 or extend forward beyond the fourth bar from the front teeth, is 
 not always a very safe proceeding." 
 
 It is an unfortunate occurrence that men can be found who will 
 
 perform barbarous and unnecessary operations just to please their 
 
 employers. If men were true to themselves and their profession, 
 
 neither threats nor promises of reward would tempt them to prac- 
 
 11 , 
 
162 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 tice cruelty on animals. It is a fact that some men are often ap- 
 parently compelled to perform unnecessary operations even when 
 the inward monitor admonishes them that they are about to out- 
 rage the feelings of a poor dumb brute. Yet, for the honor of our 
 profession, let it be recorded that there are but few, if any, of our 
 educated surgeons that can be induced to perpetrate this outrage. 
 If medical men will only take the pains to explain this matter, and 
 prove to the people that the enormity here complained of is both 
 absurd and barbarous, then the evil will soon cease ; but so long 
 as horse-owners believe lampas to be a disease, and men can be 
 found ready to " burn them out," just so long will the evil exist. 
 The more intelligent portion of husbandmen are now beginning to 
 lend their influence to the work of rebuking ignorance, and of re- 
 forming the barbarous customs of bygone days, and, erelong, it will 
 be a difficult job to convince them that their horses have lampas, 
 and that the firing-iron is the remedy indicated. Surely, if the 
 distinguished Perctvall calls lampas a " supposed malady," and 
 sets his face against the means used for its removal, the wise men 
 of the fleam should indorse his sentiments. 
 
 Treatment. — Should the colt's mouth, while teething, be hot and 
 tender, it should be sponged often with a portion of equal parts of 
 vinegar and water ; and should any of the teeth appear imprisoned 
 by the membrane of the mouth, a slight incision over the point of 
 the tooth will give immediate relief. 
 
 Spontaneous Salivation — " Slavering." 
 
 Persons who own and handle horses must have noticed, occa- 
 sionally, a foaming at the mouth, and sometimes a constant and 
 profuse discharge of saliva. This, when occurring without any 
 assignable cause, is termed spontaneous salivation. The disease is 
 usually occasioned by some irritation in the immediate vicinity of 
 the salivary glands, or from perverted function in the glands 
 themselves. The preparations of antimony and calomel, when 
 given to horses for any great length of time, in the form of con- 
 dition powders, are very apt to produce salivation. Musty clover, 
 and hay that is intermixed with lobelia, will also produce it; so, 
 also, will sharp, projecting teeth ; and diseased teeth have the same 
 effect. In such cases, the cause being discovered, the removal of 
 the same is the first step toward the cure. Then drench the ani- 
 mal, twice daily, with the following : 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 163 
 
 No. 18. Powdered chlorate of potass 1 oz. 
 
 Water \ pint. 
 
 Should the animal show signs of debility or weakness, give one 
 ounce of fluid extract of golden seal every morning, before feeding. 
 Should the mouth appear to be sore, from the constant flow of 
 6aliva over its surfaces, or from any other cause, then the parts 
 should be sponged two or three times daily with a portion of 
 equal parts of powdered borax and honey, or with an infusion of 
 bayberry bark. 
 
 When spontaneous salivation occurs in an aged horse, it denotes 
 debility, and thus points out the propriety of sustaining the pa- 
 tient's strength by administering tonics and diffusible stimulants. 
 The following is the best remedy for this state of the system : 
 
 No. 19. Fluid extract of chamomile 1 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of giuger \ oz. 
 
 Give as a drench, night and morning. The patient should have 
 a fair allowance of good nutritious diet. 
 
 Secretion of Saliva in Horses. — From experiments lately made, 
 it appears that a healthy horse secretes from the paroted glands, 
 which are situated beneath the ears at the posterior angles of the 
 lower jaw, during active mastication, about one gallon of saliva 
 per hour, and other glands in the vicinity of the throat and mouth 
 secrete, in the same amount of time, three gallons, making in all 
 four gallons per hour, which is mixed with the food during masti- 
 cation. The following experiment was lately made on an aged 
 horse, 15 hands 3 inches in height. The tubes leading from the 
 paroted glands were divided on either side, and so fixed as to 
 throw their contents into vessels held for that purpose; the ani- 
 mal was then fed on oats, which he masticated during a period of 
 thirty minutes, at the end of which time half a gallon of saliva 
 was caught. This calculation, however, will not hold good in all 
 cases ; for ravenous feeders, who do not thoroughly masticate their 
 food, fail to secrete the necessary amount of saliva ; hence the food 
 is not properly masticated nor insalivated, and can not, therefore, 
 undergo proper digestion; and when food is not thoroughly di- 
 gested, it imparts but little of its nutriment to the body. Slow 
 feeders, therefore, are more likely to accumulate flesh than the 
 voracious ones. 
 
164 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Bots (Stomachic and Hemorrhoidal). 
 
 Some persons contend that bots are always injurious. The 
 author dissents from this dictum. It is possible that, as in the case 
 of intestinal worms, which are now recognized as the scavengers 
 of Nature, that the bots are Nature's hirelings, created and com- 
 missioned to do her bidding, to maintain the integrity of her 
 physiological laws. The parent of the bot, as Bracy Clark re- 
 marks, " selects her subjects," or, in other words, pounces on those 
 who are not in rapport with Nature, and hence have no business 
 to enjoy good health, nor even to live. 
 
 This was the case when the people of the great city of London 
 were afflicted with the terrible plague, which ran riot and carried 
 off about one-fourth of the inhabitants. The sanitary emissary of 
 Nature, whose shield was emblazoned with the motto, " Thus far 
 shalt thou go and no further," pounced upon selected subjects, 
 the intemperate, licentious, and the gluttonous, and those who had 
 violated Nature's laws by wallowing in filth in down-cellar loca- 
 tions, where the breath of life — pure air — scarcely ever entered. 
 These were the selected sufferers. The same is true as regards the 
 mortality attending the yellow fever, which made such sad havoc 
 in the city of New Orleans some years ago. The medical author- 
 ities contend that the disease carried off over one thousand of the 
 inhabitants, without touching a single sober or temperate person ; 
 hence the plague, the yellow fever, and the cholera may be said to 
 be the forces which Nature employs to maintain the integrity of 
 her laws. Intestinal worms, found in the intestinal tube of the 
 emaciated and the glutton, are said to be Nature's scavengers, and 
 the same perhaps is true of bots. They may be the agents of Na- 
 ture, employed to keep the balance of power within her own hand, 
 for the purpose, sometimes, of preventing a too rapid multiplica- 
 tion of the species ; at others, to avenge her for crimes committed 
 against the laws of physiology. 
 
 Let us, for example, inquire into the history and habits of some 
 of the inferior orders of creation, and we may be led to infer that 
 the presence of bots in the stomach of a horse is no deviation from 
 the general rule which seems to pervade all creation. Our tenure 
 of life depends on the use which we make of it, and the same is 
 true as regards the horse. 
 
 In the study of physiology, we discover that animals and insects 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 165 
 
 require the operation of certain forces, in order that their peculiar 
 vital properties shall be manifested. They all require food, water, 
 and oxygen — food for the development of organized tissues, 
 water to maintain an equilibrium between the solids and fluids, 
 and oxygen for promoting various changes, uniting some particles 
 for the benefit of the whole fabric, and disengaging others destined 
 for excretion. These have to be obtained under various circum- 
 stances. The number of the different species of reptiles known 
 to naturalists is about 1,300, and there are at least 160,000 species 
 of insects. Among this vast assemblage of animate forms, a great 
 proportion obtain food, water, and oxygen in a situation and at a 
 temperature which is most congenial to each species, each one of 
 which, as species, exhibit great varieties in physical organization 
 and habits ; and hence the necessity for that diversity in geograph- 
 ical distribution which seems to surprise some men. Each species 
 of animal and insect carry about with them, in their own organi- 
 zation, the fertile embryonic habitation for successive parasitic 
 development, and all are, to a certain extent, dependent on each 
 other for both food and life. It has been truly said that there 
 " is life within life." Begin with the body of man, for example, 
 and we shall find that it is infested with thirty-nine distinct spe- 
 cies of entozoa. These are not confined to a single location, as 
 the bots to the digestive cavity of the horse ; but some are to be 
 seen in the eye, bronchial glands, kidneys, liver, gall, bladder, in- 
 testines, muscles, and even in the blood. There are several other 
 species of entophyta, to the number of ten, inhabitants of the skin 
 and mucous surfaces. So that the master can boast of a larger 
 number of living parasites within and about his body than we 
 have yet been able to find in his servant, the horse. And if the 
 former can carry about in the living citadel such a myriad of liv- 
 ing, active creatures, without inconvenience, and he being the 
 weaker party, why should not the horse, who is stronger, be able 
 to furnish nutriment for some half dozen or more bots that are 
 occasionally found in his stomach, and to perform his 2.40 gait 
 without inconvenience? Some of the inferior orders of creation 
 are the receptacle of a still greater amount of parasites. The 
 grasshopper, for example, is infested with a species of gordius, a 
 sort of hair-worm, which some persons have erroneously supposed 
 to be a transformed horse-hair. Several of these coil themselves 
 into the digestive cavity of the former, at times penetrating the 
 
166 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 abdomen, thorax, and cranium. Their bulk and weight often ex- 
 ceeds that of an ordinary grasshopper ; still you see and hear them, 
 skipping, jumping, and chirruping, notwithstanding this immense 
 parasitic mass, just as freely as those not infested. 
 
 Then consider the condition of the hog. We frequently find, 
 in his liver, a vesicle filled with fluid, apparently possessing no 
 further organization. But examine it carefully, and we shall find 
 within its enveloping tunic others, the rudiments of successive 
 cells, in various stages of growth. These are all young hydatids, 
 which contain still others, which increase in size until the parent 
 sac is so distended that it finally bursts, and thus liberates a mul- 
 titude of parasites, which, in their turn, undergo the same evolu- 
 tion, becoming each a parent hydatid, producing a subsequent 
 generation, which diffuse themselves over the whole body of the 
 pig; and hence arises that peculiar feature in pork known as 
 measles. 
 
 Examine the same animal after he is slaughtered, and you may 
 possibly find in the intestines a large number of the ascaris lum- 
 bricoides (the common worm of the human intestines) ; and they 
 are so prolific that naturalists have calculated sixty-four millions 
 of ova within the body of a single female, which are, at the proper 
 season, deposited within the intestinal tube of the pig, who, not- 
 withstanding, grows fat, and furnishes a savory meal for the lovers 
 of pork. Sheep, also, are infested with a species of entozoa termed 
 the " fluke," besides other different species ; and it is only when 
 the latter become very numerous that they can be considered in- 
 jurious. 
 
 We might go on to show that every living being is more or 
 less infested with parasites, and that parasites are, in their turn, 
 the local habitation for other parasites. The very atmosphere we 
 breathe, and which is the purificator of the vital current (the 
 blood), teems with an innumerable host of living organized crea- 
 tures. The water which serves to quench the thirst, that plays 
 so important a part in our economy, and in the arts and sciences, 
 whether it be the ocean, lake, river, pond, or gully, all contains 
 crowds of parasites, or animalculse, at times, so numerous that 
 several hundred thousand have, by means of a magnifying lens, 
 been discovered in a single drop of this fluid. Yet such is good 
 and pleasant to the taste; and the water is not injured thereby; 
 neither is it, in turn, injurious to man. Dr. Leidy states that he 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 167 
 
 has, at various times, purposely swallowed large draughts of water 
 containing myriads of animalculse, without ever perceiving any 
 effect; and he combats the notion that diseases are produced or 
 propagated by these parasites taken into the body. The most 
 curious feature in the history of parasites is their extraordinary 
 powers of multiplication, which is doubted by some ; but it is well 
 known to others that some species are capable of producing a 
 hundred repetitions of themselves, and the process can be repeated 
 ten times in a season. The common white ant is capable of de- 
 positing eggs at the rate of 80,000 per day, for several successive 
 weeks, and the common flesh-maggot can be generated by the 
 million in the course of a few hours ; and as regards growth and 
 development, the common flesh-fly and the caterpillar increase in 
 weight 200 times in the course of twenty-four hours. 
 
 But the bot is a creature that does not multiply nor increase in 
 bulk at this rapid rate. He may be said to be a " slow coach," 
 and when once located in the stomach of a horse, he generally 
 makes it his abode for a season, at least. He is a sort of aristo- 
 cratic entozoa. He lives in the upper region, the stomach. He 
 seldom condescends to mix with the lower orders that infest the 
 alimentary regions. The little creature seems to exercise consid- 
 erable tact in selecting his location. Although he has but a squat- 
 ter's title to it, yet it is the best and safest in the whole diggings. 
 He is in the upper part of the stomach, where the fluids (poisons 
 or medicines) with which you are about to coax or drive him off, 
 are inoperative, (for they merely give him a sort of shower-bath,) 
 and pass immediately through the stomach into the intestines, 
 where all the fluid a horse drinks is generally found ; therefore 
 they can not act on the bot. Then, again, he is located on the 
 cuticular coat of the stomach, a membrane as insensible as the 
 horse's hoof, and, therefore, not liable to become diseased, nor to be 
 acted on by either medicine or bot nostrums. You may kill the 
 horse by the same, but the bot, being within his own castle, can 
 refuse whatever you offer him. 
 
 We can not make medicine act on the external surface of the 
 bot, for it does not absorb fluid; it is impervious. These crea- 
 tures have been put into muriatic acid, and kept there for a time, 
 without being injured. You may put them into new rum, and 
 keep them for weeks, and, on taking them out and exposing them 
 to the sun's rays, they will manifest vitality. 
 
168 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 We often hear wonderful stories related of bots burrowing 
 through the coats of the stomach. This, we think, rarely takes 
 place while the horse is alive. That cavity is the home of the 
 bot, its natural habitation; for we know of no other. Here it 
 generally remains until it is capable of exercising an independent 
 existence. In this situation the little creature is too comfortably 
 located to burrow through the stomach into a cavity where it 
 might perish for want of food. If the time has arrived for it to 
 vacate its stronghold, instinct teaches it the most safe and expe- 
 ditious route, which is through the alimentary canal. Turn a 
 horse out to grass in the spring, or give him some green fodder in 
 the stable, and the bots will soon leave him, if they are matured ; 
 otherwise they must remain until that period arrives, unless 
 Nature has some work for them to perform. We shall not contend 
 that bots are never found in the abdominal cavity, for some per- 
 sons have testified to the fact; but, during a practice of several 
 years, and having opportunities of making many post-mortem 
 examinations, we have not yet been able to observe the phenom- 
 ena, except in cases of ruptured stomach. Still, a few solitary 
 cases are on record, and hence it remains for us to explain how 
 they got there. 
 
 We all know that the moment a horse dies his whole body is 
 subject to the common law of decomposition; but the central or- 
 gans, where the greatest activity prevailed during life, are gener- 
 ally the first to succumb. Our business is with the stomach, the 
 great chemical laboratory, the center of sympathies — an organ 
 that is very seldom permitted to rest, consequently an active one. 
 Its powerful solvents, during life, were busy in transforming hay 
 and grain into chyme, chyle, and blood ; but now that death has 
 the victory, the gastric fluid acts on the coats of the stomach, and 
 thus its decomposition is effected; so that what was previously 
 good food for bots is now their bane, and, unless they escape, their 
 death is sure and certain. 
 
 The peristaltic motion of the intestines, which favored the exit 
 of the bots through that channel, has ceased; they are too well 
 acquainted with its intricate labyrinthian outlet (their usual route) 
 to even attempt its passage. No ! the same energies of one Eternal 
 Mind, " pervading and instructing all that live," suggests the 
 only means of escape from threatening dangers. The stomach 
 being partly decomposed, offers but little opposition to their en- 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 169 
 
 croachments. They burst their prison-house, and hence are found 
 in the abdominal cavity; and when there, they may be said to 
 have jumped from the "frying-pan into the fire !" Open a horse 
 immediately after death, and, provided his stomach be in a healthy 
 condition, we shall find that the bots have not penetrated beyond 
 the cuticular coat of it ; but if he shall not be examined until some 
 hours have elapsed, the bots may be found to have passed through 
 the walls of the decomposed stomach and its peritoneal tunic. 
 
 We can imagine, also, that a large number of bots might con- 
 gregate at a given point in the stomach of a horse, and, aided by 
 disease, occasion a loss of continuity in the fibers of that organ; 
 then, on the slightest distension by wind, its walls might be rup- 
 tured and its function paralyzed, and thus the bot be involun- 
 tarily driven from its home, to seek shelter and food in another 
 location. 
 
 We contend that the stomach of a horse is the natural habita- 
 tion of the bot during its minority, and, at the proper season, the 
 digestive canal is the usual channel for its introduction into the 
 external world ; and if these parasites are ever found in any other 
 situation within a horse's body, they are there by the force of cir- 
 cumstances, owing to disease or rupture of the stomach, or from 
 some morbid condition in the gastric fluids, which arouses a set 
 of involuntary actions in response to a stimulus ; because, during 
 the whole period of their minority, that is, the larveal state, (a 
 term which, in the language of entomology, applies to the bot from 
 the time of emerging from the egg, or nit, up to that period when 
 it vacates the horse and assumes the form of a gad-fly), they are 
 in the same condition as a new-born babe or an idiot — the one 
 imbibing its mother's milk, and the other performing unnatural 
 antics, both appearing to lack that train of mental operations 
 which implies knowledge, motive, or the consequences resulting 
 from such actions. We very much doubt if the bot can, at any 
 time, by voluntary act, vacate the body of the horse. Reason- 
 ing from analogy, we are led to the conclusion that the result 
 is accomplished through their instinctive properties, which are 
 common to many insects and parasites — a perfect adaptation of 
 means to an end — by which they perform a certain set of opera- 
 tions without choice, purpose, or intention of their own, yet, in 
 many cases, producing results which man, through the aid of his 
 superior intellect, has not been able to surpass. 
 
170 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Persons who have paid any attention to the study of physiology, 
 are aware that these instinctive or involuntary movements, per- 
 formed without consciousness, are the birthright of a vast number 
 of the inferior orders of creation; therefore, it is not likely that 
 the bot would, even if he possessed the power, voluntarily vacate 
 a location favorable to its growth and development. 
 
 Veterinary surgeons have long since discarded the absurd notion 
 that bots are the cause of any pain or suffering to horses. In fact, 
 some of the most distinguished of them assert that these little 
 creatures, with their rough exterior, are rather beneficial than 
 otherwise, and that, by friction and irritation, they arouse the 
 sluggishness of the stomach, and thus promote digestion. Per- 
 sons unacquainted with these facts are, therefore, apt to attribute 
 effects, during life, to causes which happen after death, and, conse- 
 quently, the poor horse has to be dosed with all sorts of nostrums. 
 
 So popular has been the belief that bots are injurious to horses, 
 and, therefore, must be expelled at all hazards, that almost all the 
 old works on farriery contained some favorite recipe for their ex- 
 pulsion. Popular opinion, too, has been so much in favor of the 
 theory, that Mr. Percivall, thought it his duty, as a public 
 teacher, to make use of the following language : 
 
 " You may boldly assert that bots are in nowise injurious. Still, 
 you can not persuade the world so, and, therefore, you must be 
 prepared to meet the complaints of those unbelievers, who will, 
 now and then, declare that their horses have bots, which must be 
 got rid of. But I know of no medicine that has the power of 
 destroying ; and even if we possessed such, I am not sure that we 
 could, even when dead, detach them from the cuticular coat of the 
 stomach, to which they are attached by small horns." 
 
 In allusion to the parasites which infest the human body, Wat- 
 SON remarks: 
 
 " It is a curious fact that numerous parasites do crawl over the 
 surface of our bodies, burrow beneath our skin, nestle in our en- 
 trails, and riot and propagate their kind in every corner of our 
 frame, producing ofttimes such molestation and disturbance as to 
 require the interference of medicine. Nearly a score of animals 
 that have their dwelling-place in the interior of the human body 
 have been already discovered and described, and scarcely a tissue 
 or an organ but is occasionally profaned by their inroads. Each, 
 also, has its special or its favorite domicile. One species chooses 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 171 
 
 the heart for its place of abode ; another inhabits the arteries ; a 
 third, the kidney. Myriads of minute worms lie coiled up in the 
 voluntary muscles or in the areolar tissue that connects the flesh 
 fibers. The guinea-worm and chigoe bore through the skin, and 
 reside in the subajacent reticular membrane. Hydatids infest 
 various parts of the body, but especially the liver and brain. A 
 little fluke, in general appearance much like a minature flounder, 
 lives, steeped in gall, in the biliary vessels. If you squeeze from 
 the skin of your nose, what is vulgarly called a maggot (the contents 
 of one of the hair-pellicles), it is ten to one that you find in that 
 small sebaceous cylinder several animalcules, extremely minute, 
 yet exhibiting, under the microscope, a curious and complicated 
 structure. Even the eye has its living inmates; but it is in the 
 alimentary tube that we are most infested with these vermin." 
 
 It is evident, from competent testimony, that these, as well as 
 other kinds of parasites, are always more or less injurious ; hence 
 the same may be true as regards the bot in a horse's stomach. The 
 best authority we have for the origin and history of the bot is 
 Bracy Clark, V. S., a selection from whose works is here in- 
 troduced : 
 
 "The (Estrus Equi, or the Stomach Bot. — When the female has 
 been impregnated, and the eggs sufficiently matured, she seeks 
 among the horses a subject for her purpose; and approaching him 
 on the wing, she carries her body nearly upright in the air, and 
 her tail, which is elevated or lengthened for the purpose, curved 
 inward and upward. In this way she approaches the part where 
 she designs to deposit the egg, and, suspending herself for a few 
 seconds before it, suddenly darts upon it, and leaves the egg ad- 
 hering to the hair. She hardly appears to settle, but merely 
 touches the hair, with the egg held out on the projected point of 
 the abdomen. The egg is made to adhere by means of a gluti- 
 nous liquor secreted with it. She then leaves the horse at a small 
 distance, and prepares a second egg, and, poising herself before the 
 part, deposits it in the same way. The liquor dries, and the egg 
 becomes firmly glued to the hair. This is repeated by these flies 
 till four or five hundred eggs are sometimes placed on one horse. 
 
 The skin of the horse is usually thrown into a tremulous motion 
 on the touch of this insect, which merely arises from the very great 
 irritability of the skin and cutaneous muscles at this season of the 
 year, occasioned by the heat and continual teasing of the flies, till, 
 
172 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 at length, these muscles appear to act involuntarily on the slightest 
 touch of any body whatever. 
 
 THE (ESTEUS EQUI. 
 
 1. The female fly, about to deposit an egg. 
 
 2. The male fly. 
 
 3. The egg; its natural size. 
 
 4. The egg magnified. 
 
 5. The newly-hatched bot. 
 
 6. The bot full-grown. 
 
 7. The head of a bot magnified. 
 
 8. The chrysalis. 
 
 The inside of the knee is the part on which these flies are most 
 fond of depositing their eggs, and next to this on the side and back 
 part of the shoulder, and less frequently on the extreme ends of the 
 hairs of the mane. But it is a fact worthy of attention that the 
 fly does not place them promiscuously about the body, but con- 
 stantly on those parts which are most liable to be licked with the 
 tongue, and the ova, therefore, are always scrupulously placed 
 within its reach. 
 
 The eggs thus deposited I at first supposed were loosened from 
 the hairs by the moisture of the tongue, aided by its roughness, 
 and were conveyed to the stomach, where they were hatched ; but 
 on more minute search, I do not find this to be the case, or, at 
 least, only by accident ; for when they have remained on the hairs 
 four or five days, they become ripe, after which time the slightest 
 application of warmth and moisture is sufficient to bring forth, in 
 an instant, the latent larva?. At this time, if the tongue of the 
 horse touches the egg, its operculium is thrown open, and a small 
 active worm is produced, which readily adheres to the moist surface 
 of the tongue, and is thence conveyed with the food to the stom- 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 173 
 
 ach. At the first hatching, as we observe, it is a small, active 
 worm, long in proportion to its thickness ; but as its growth ad- 
 vances, it becomes proportionably thicker and broader, and beset 
 with bristles. 
 
 Bots are very frequent in horses that have been at grass, and 
 are, in general, found adhering to the white insensible tissue or coat 
 of the stomach. They usually hang in dense clusters to the white 
 cuticular lining of the stomach, and maintain their hold by means 
 of two dark brown hooks, between which a longitudinal slit is seen, 
 which is the mouth of the larvse. When removed from the stomach 
 by the fingers, by a sudden jerk, so as not to injure them, they 
 will, if fresh and healthy, attach themselves to any loose mem- 
 brane, and even to the skin of the hand. For this purpose they 
 sheath or draw back the hooks almost entirely within the skin, 
 until the two points come close to each other. They then present 
 them to the membrane, and, keeping them parallel till it is pierced 
 through, they expand them in a lateral direction, and afterward, by 
 bringing the points downward toward themselves, they include a 
 sufficient piece of the membrane, to remain firmly fixed for any 
 length of time, as if at anchor. These bots pass the autumn, 
 winter, and spring months in the stomach, and arrive, about the 
 commencement or middle of the summer, at their full growth, 
 requiring a year to fully complete their structure. 
 
 The (Estrus Hemorrhoidalis, or Fundament Bot. — The parts 
 chosen by this insect for this purpose is the lips of the horse, 
 which is very distressing to the animal, from the excessive titilla- 
 tion it occasions; for he immediately rubs his mouth against the 
 ground, his fore-legs, or sometimes against a tree, with great 
 emotion, till the animal, at length, finding this mode of defense 
 insufficient, quits the spot enraged, and endeavors to avoid it 
 by galloping away to a distant part of the field; and if the fly 
 still continues to follow and tease him, his last resource is in the 
 water, where the oestrus never is observed to pursue him. These 
 flies appear sometimes to hide themselves in the grass, and, as the 
 horse stoops to graze, they dart on the mouth or lips, and are 
 always observed to poise themselves, during a few seconds, in the 
 air, while the egg is preparing on the extended point of the abdo- 
 men. "When several of these flies are confined in a close place, 
 they have a particularly strong, musty smell ; and I have observed 
 both sheep and horses, when teased by them, to look into the grass 
 
174 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 and smell it very anxiously ; and if they, by these means, dis- 
 cover the fly, they immediately turn aside and hasten to a distant 
 part of the field. I once saw, in a meadow or field, upon the 
 cliffs of Margate, a fly of this sort teasing a horse that was con- 
 fined to a small space by a spike stuck in the ground, to which a 
 cord was tied. He could not get away from its attack, and became 
 quite furious, for in kicking at the fly with his fore-foot, which he 
 did vehemently, he often struck the bone of the lower jaw, creating 
 excessive pain ; for in that direction, while grazing, the fly comes 
 to the beard of the lower lip. 
 
 THE (ESTRUS HEMORUHOIDALIS. 
 
 1. The female about to deposit an egg. I 
 
 2. The egg magnified. ! 
 
 5. The male fly. 
 
 3. Thebot. 
 
 4. The chrysalis. 
 
 The eggs of this species are difficult to be seen upon the horse's 
 skin or beard, owing to the agitation of the beast, and from the 
 color of the egg being dark, like that of the skin of the horse. 
 The animal has been generally too impatient, while undergoing 
 this operation, to let me examine them very well. I ascertained, 
 however, its form by pressing one of these eggs from the abdomen. 
 
 The larvae, or grubs, of this species inhabit the stomach as the 
 former, generally adhering to the white lining, and are disposed 
 promiscuously in dense clusters, after the same manner. They 
 may, however, be distinguished from them by being, in general, 
 smaller and longer in proportion to their bulk. 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 175 
 
 The larva of this species may be obtained from almost any horse 
 that has been much the preceding year at grass, and exposed to 
 these flies, and will be found, during the summer months, sticking 
 more or less within the verge or opening of the anus, adhering to 
 its soft lining, and producing considerable irritation and uneasiness. 
 Indeed, I once well remember being on a tour of pleasure in the 
 Isle of Wight, and experiencing much annoyance from these 
 larva?. The little horse I had hired for the journey became so 
 lazy and unwilling to go on, and moved so awkwardly, that I 
 could not keep pace with my company, and I was at a loss how 
 to proceed ; but, on casually taking up the tail, I discovered three 
 or four of these insects hanging to the rectum, and their removal 
 instantly proved a cure." 
 
 It is very likely that the fundamental or hemorrhoidal bot 
 does produce some irritation within the rectum, but not more so 
 than the ascaris, or the filaria, which inhabit the intestines, in- 
 cluding the rectum, of both man and horse. Taking a rational 
 and scientific view of this subject, the author is inclined to believe 
 that all parasites infesting the bodies (or living citadels) of tmj su- 
 perior orders of creation are only, in their essence, so many modes 
 of death, more or less sudden or gradual, as the case may be, or 
 as the exigencies of Nature require. In some cases it is supposed 
 to be a beneficent provision that some horses, as well as men, 
 should have a gradual exit out of life, when, by virtue of their 
 constitution, they inherited no long lease of it. The parasites 
 here alluded to, and others not mentioned, may be classed as so 
 many diseases, which never prove mortal unless the individual's 
 lease of life has expired, and then, as before remarked, he has no 
 tenure on longevity. In taking this view of the subject, the 
 reader will, of course, infer that all extraneous or accidental causes 
 of death are excluded. 
 
 Disease, which probably includes the presence of all parasites, 
 in the bodies of men and animals, may be considered as the trials 
 of pilgrimage life, and, therefore, may be classed as the check- 
 mates to Nature. In order to play the game of life so as not to 
 get checkmated, we must understand the law of rational physiol- 
 ogy, and use our intelligence accordingly, to preserve health. In 
 the ordinary acceptation of the term disease, it does not mean 
 much of any thing ; for it does not express the manner in which 
 the animal is affected. It simply means that he is sick, from 
 
176 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 some cause or other. A man or animal may be diseased without 
 our expression of the manner in which either are affected, just as 
 a flower may be said to be colored without designating its partic- 
 ular hue. In each case we receive definite, although negative, 
 ideas — in the one, that the creature is not in health ; in the other, 
 that the flower is not colorless. And so the same reasoning may 
 apply when bots become the subject of our consideration. In a 
 given case, they may prove injurious (according to our ideas), and 
 in another they may remain, for a certain length of time, perfectly 
 harmless ; so that the animal infected or infested may or may not 
 suffer any infliction, but trot on through the journey of life just 
 as long as horse-life is worth wearing. 
 
 As regards the several modes of death to horse flesh, in which 
 bots are said to play an active part, they may thus be stated: 
 Bots sometimes congregate, in large numbers, at the superior or 
 inferior inlet or outlet of the stomach, and thus produce mechan- 
 ical obstruction to the passage of both semi-fluids and solids ; and 
 the result is, equine death. The author once held an autopsy, 
 whjgjh revealed the presence of a cluster of bots, numbering about 
 one hundred, located in the cardiac region of the oesophagus. 
 They completely obstructed the passage of food into the stomach. 
 The horse died suddenly, as if suffocated, from distension of the 
 oesophagus and pressure on the trachea. 
 
 The following case, furnished for the " Veterinarian " by Sur- 
 geon Mather, illustrates another mode of death from the pres- 
 ence of bots : ' 
 
 " The inclosed tongue and larynx I took from a foal this even- 
 ing, which I shall feel obliged to you for examining, as at the base 
 of the tongue you will find about a score of what appear to me to 
 be perfeet specimens of a small bot. I have only made a partial 
 examination, as I was anxious to send the specimen off to you 
 before it became decomposed, as the weather is very hot. The 
 history of the case is as follows : Two days ago I was requested to 
 go to Lord Glasgow's breeding establishment, to see a foal that 
 was unwell. I inquired of the stud-groom how long the animal 
 had been ill, and he informed me that three days ago it appeared 
 to have a difficulty in swallowing, and that he noticed some saliva 
 issuing from its mouth; and that, thinking it had a sore throat, 
 he had rubbed some embrocation upon the parts. On examining 
 the animal, I found it in a very debilitated state. Pulse, very 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 177 
 
 weak, and numbering 80 ; ears and legs, extremely cold, associated 
 with shivering fits of the entire body; mouth, filled with partly 
 masticated hay and grass ; tongue, furred. The animal had seem- 
 ingly a desire to eat, but was unable to open its mouth more than 
 about an inch. It was likewise unable to swallow any thing but 
 liquids, and these only in very small quantities. In spite of all I 
 could do, the power of swallowing got worse, and this morning it 
 died, very much to their disappointment, as it was a very high- 
 bred animal. 
 
 Could this foal have taken in the ova of the gad-fly, and some 
 of them become hatched, and, instead of passing into the stomach, 
 have become adherent to the base of the tongue, and there set up 
 such an amount of irritation as to cause the parts to swell so as to 
 prevent the animal from swallowing ? 
 
 Observations on the- Gase. — We are indebted to Assistant Pro- 
 fessor Varnell for the following remarks upon this singular case: 
 
 ' The morbid specimen forwarded by Mr. G. Mather, is of very 
 rare occurrence. We have never met with such an One before, nor 
 are we aware that a similar instance has ever been recorded. The 
 parts came to hand in a good state of preservation, although the 
 temperature at the time was very high, so that we were enabled 
 to form a pretty correct opinion as to the nature of the changes 
 that had taken place during the life of the animal. The dorsum 
 of the tongue, its root, the whole of the surface of the fauces, the 
 velum palati, and the margin of the glottal opening, as well as the 
 lining membrane of the larynx and pharynx, were very much in- 
 flamed, and, in places, considerably thickened. These parts were 
 likewise covered with a deposit seemingly consisting of a mixture 
 of mucus, lymph, and pus. 
 
 The most remarkable feature, however, of the case was in the 
 cause that had given rise to the inflammatory state of the throat ; 
 namely, the existence of a number of small bots — the oestrus hem- 
 orrhoidalis (the ' red-tailed horse bot' of Bracy Clark) — which 
 were found to be firmly adhering, by their tentacula, to the mu- 
 cous membrane. Besides the number which were still in situ, 
 many others had apparently been attached to the parts, but which 
 had, most likely, been lost in the handling they had undergone. 
 
 By a little reflection, we may probably form a correct opinion 
 as to how these parasites became located in this unusual situation. 
 We imagine that the foal, by licking, gathered the ova, in a state 
 12 
 
178 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 of perfection, from the hair of its dam, on which they had been 
 deposited, rather than from its own coat. The perfected ova, 
 being thus taken into the mouth, became first entangled in its 
 mucus, and finally lodged in those shallow recesses at the root of 
 the tongue, where they became hatched. Some of these creatures 
 measured as much as three-eighths of an inch in length, and rather 
 less than one in diameter. They were firmly fixed, by their little 
 booklets, apparently to the inner surface of the mucous follicles. 
 Their free extremities were of a deep red color, and their bodies 
 of a yellowish brown/ " 
 
 Treatment. — The only remedy for ridding the system of bots is 
 a run at grass, in the month of May. 
 
 Gastritis, or Inflammation of the Stomach. 
 
 Acute inflammation of the stomach seldom, if ever, occurs 
 among horses as a spontaneous aifection. It is usually occasioned 
 by irritating medicines or poisons, or food of an inferior quality. 
 When an irritating poison has been received into the stomach, and 
 excites inflammation there, or when acute inflammation arises 
 from any cause, the symptoms which mark that inflammation are 
 pain, distress, and restlessness ; a loathing of food ; for, if any thing 
 be given by the mouth, it creates increased pain. The animal 
 breaks out in a cold sweat, lies down and quickly rises again, be- 
 comes early and greatly prostrated in strength, and has a pulse 
 usually quick and much oppressed. Sometimes purging sets in ; 
 at others, the bowels are constipated. The disease is very apt to 
 run into gastro-enteritis — inflammation of the stomach and bowels. 
 
 Treatment. — The general treatment consists in the administra- 
 tion of slippery-elm mucilage, and half-ounce doses of chlorate of 
 potass, two or three times per day. Should gas accumulate in the 
 stomach or bowels, give one ounce of hyposulphite of soda, dissolved 
 in a pint of warm water. The ordinary drink should consist of 
 hay tea, to which a small quantity of molasses may be added. 
 
 Rupture of the Stomach. 
 
 Rupture of the stomach is always a fatal malady, over which 
 neither art nor nature has any control ; yet, the accident being one 
 of frequent occurrence, it becomes necessary for us to know some- 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 179 
 
 thing regarding its cause and symptoms, which are all detailed in 
 the following case, from the author's note-book : 
 
 Death of a Horse from Ruptured Stomach. — The subject, a black 
 gelding, nine years old, had been driven a distance of twelve miles 
 into the city; on arriving at the "City Hotel stable," he first 
 manifested signs of uneasiness, by pawing with his feet and turn- 
 ing his head toward the belly. He finally got down, rolled, 
 tumbled about, and passed considerable flatus, etc. His owner, 
 supposing him to be the subject of colic, administered a dose of 
 " fire-water," in the form of gin and cayenne pepper, followed by 
 three ounces of spirits of niter. He urinated freely, passed con- 
 siderable flatus, yet grew no better very fast. Four hours from 
 the commencement of the attack our attention was called to him. 
 The case then appeared hopeless, consequently we declined pre- 
 scribing. The following were the symptoms : Pulse, small and 
 thready; in number, fifty-six; respirations, sixty — laborious, 
 emitting, occasionally, a sort of grunt, indicative of pressure, from 
 a distended stomach, on the diaphragm and lungs. The eyes 
 were amaurotic (pupils dilated and loss of vision) ; sclerotica 
 (white of the eye) slightly injected ; conjunctival membrane, 
 within the eyelids, surcharged with blood. The buccal membrane, 
 within the mouth, intensely inflamed, induced, probably, by the 
 fire-water drench. The tongue was of a leaden hue, and the nasal 
 membranes were somewhat reddened. The body, or external 
 surface, was the seat of profuse perspiration,, which ran down the 
 limbs like rain. They, as well as other parts of the body, re- 
 mained comfortably warm until within a few minutes of death. 
 There appeared to be considerable distension in the region of the 
 stomach, and less at the flanks, from which circumstance we con- 
 cluded that the patient was laboring under tympanitis (windy dis- 
 tension) of the stomach. At the moment of death, the reverse 
 was the case, which circumstance seemed to confirm this opinion ; 
 for then, the stomach being ruptured, the gas would diffuse itself 
 in the abdominal cavity and increase in bulk. 
 
 Aspect and motions of the body. — The head was kept within 
 striking distance of the ground; the tail was elevated, and kept 
 in a quivering condition (involuntary). The fore extremities were 
 advanced, one leg frequently crossing the other ; the hinder parts 
 maintained a crouching attitude, and the penis hung pendulous. 
 "When not in fhis position, the patient would revolve in a circle ; 
 
180 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 then lie down flat on his side, turn his head toward the ribs, and, 
 after a short time, raise the forward parts, and sit on his haunches 
 like a dog. At last he fell over, gave two or three convulsive 
 struggles, and died, just thirty -five minutes from the time we first 
 saw him. 
 
 Next morning, in company with Dr. Wood, we proceeded to 
 Ward's establishment, but came very near being too late ; for the 
 metamorphosis of the horse into grease, food for swine, etc., had 
 commenced. We however had an opportunity to make a casual 
 examination of some of the organs, and found a rupture of the 
 stomach of some six or eight inches. The contents, some of which 
 were found in the abdominal cavity, weie very imperfectly (crudely) 
 masticated. It may be proper, therefore, to name the disease in- 
 digestion ; its consequences, tympanitis of the stomach ; the cause 
 of death, rupture of the stomach. The loss of vision referred to 
 is one of the symptoms which generally attends acute indigestion. 
 
 A person, who was present during the last moments of the ani- 
 mal's life, asked if Ave were not going to give or administer some- 
 thing. Our reply was, that we never tortured dying horses by 
 forcing drugs down their throats. One of our duties, as a physi- 
 cian, was to know when to withhold medicine — when to do 
 •nothing ; and another equally important one was to be able to 
 ■discriminate between .a hopeless and curable case. The one in 
 question was beyond the aid of science, and, therefore, in view of 
 '" clearing our skirts " of being the cause of death by administer- 
 ing the last dose (a charge that is often ungenerously laid at the 
 door of medical men), we preferred to watch the dying animal, 
 and give directions calculated to lessen the pains of death. 
 
 Unfortunately for us and our patients, many employers form an 
 estimate of medical qualification in proportion to the amount of 
 medicine administered. They have an idea that the more medi- 
 cine we give, the greater are our efforts to control the disease, and 
 the more willing are they to pay for the same, when, in ninety- 
 nine cases out of a hundred, the very reverse is the case; for 
 •many diseases to which horses and cattle are subject have a definite 
 type and limited duration, and would terminate favorably with 
 less medicine ; provided, however, the patient have the advantages 
 of pure air, suitable diet, and proper management. Many medi- 
 cal men are compelled to swerve from the line of their own con- 
 victions merely to satisfy their employers. This should not be. 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 181 
 
 If a man employs a physician, (quacks are not here considered,) 
 he should have unbounded confidence in the ability of the former 
 to treat the case. If any thing occur to lessen that confidence, let 
 the attendant be discharged immediately. The employer has no 
 right to dictate how or in what way his horse shall be treated when 
 he abandons him to scientific men. The science of medicine is 
 never a " God-send." No man is thus favored. It is the result 
 of diligent application and study, in and out of the dissecting-room, 
 and the legitimate student of medicine is a person entitled to the 
 full confidence of reasonable men for its legitimate practice. 
 Therefore, we contend that the qualifications of a veterinary sur- 
 geon should never be estimated in ratio to the quantity of drugs 
 administered, nor the length of his newly-invented syringe, nor 
 by the number of instruments contained in his pocket-case; but 
 by nis works let him be judged. 
 
 There is one practice, prevalent among some horsemen, which 
 we very much deplore ; that is, the drenching of sick animals with 
 gin, pepper, and molasses. This is a universal stable panacea in 
 certain quarters, and is often the cause of much pain and annoy- 
 ance to the animal, and more frequently of an aggravated form 
 of disease. Gin, or the fire-water sold under that name, is not 
 always to be procured pure. A great deal of it appears to us to 
 be composed of spirits of turpentine, new rum, and spirits of juniper, 
 which, of course, in certain cases, excites inflammatory action. We 
 have seen a horse's mouth in a most shocking condition — the in- 
 terior surfaces almost completely denuded — after a drench of the 
 same ; consequently, in cases of inflammation of the stomach or 
 bowels, (which the stable oracles are apt to mistake for colic, or 
 " bots," as they term it,) the remedy (poison) is certainly objection- 
 able, because it not only operates unfavorably on the horse by ag- 
 gravating the disease, and sometimes changing a simple into a grave 
 one, but much valuable time is lost, in not sending for a competent 
 person to treat the case. Besides, if a medical man be called on 
 after the animal has been improperly treated, he then has two 
 things to contend against : a medicinal disease and .the original 
 one; and the former is sometimes more difficult to control than 
 the latter; and this is the reason why some medical men, ourselves 
 included, refuse to take charge of what we term a second-hand 
 case. 
 
 The above case illustrates our argument. The remedies were 
 
182 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 not adapted to the emergency. Even the simple article molasses 
 was objectionable, because it is an acid. The case required alka- 
 lies, in the form of ammonia or chloride of lime. Gin was ob- 
 jectionable, because it is an excitant of the brain and nervous 
 system, when, instead of the brain, the stomach ought to have 
 been stimulated. Niter, which was given, is an agent that in- 
 creases urinary discharges only, and, therefore, was not needed. 
 The trouble was in the stomach — to arouse its function and con- 
 dense the gas which distended the same. Alkalies and tonics 
 should have been administered, followed by such other treatment 
 as the nature of the case demanded. We look upon this gin and 
 molasses treatment as decidedly unprofitable to owners of live 
 stock. It savors too much of our grandmothers' castor-oil prac- 
 tice, which often proves more heroic than salutary, does moue 
 harm than good, and, at the present day, is decidedly unpopular. 
 Our advice to horse-owners, therefore, is, if you have a sick 
 animal, and can not comprehend the nature of the disease, never 
 attempt to prescribe for him, but call in the aid of a professional 
 man. We give this advice under the conviction that domestic 
 animals are subject to many of the diseases that afflict our race ; 
 that the treatment should be somewhat analagous, and the tact 
 and skill not inferior, but superior, to that of the human practi- 
 tioner. 
 
 Gorged or Over-distended Stomach. 
 
 Gorged stomach is usually the result of overfeeding, by which 
 means the stomach becomes overtaxed in its function, or over- 
 burdened in its capacity; so that, in the first place, digestion is 
 partially or totally suspended; and, secondly, the stomach, being 
 distended beyond its physiological capacity, can not perform the 
 mechanical action, viz. : contraction and expansion, so necessary 
 for the physiological process of digestion. The act of digestion is 
 consummated through the aid of Nature's chemistry, by means of 
 the salivial fluids, bile and pancreatic juice. These are the solvents 
 of all the digestible food. This chemical action receives much aid 
 in the mechanical action of the muscular fibers of the stomach, 
 which, by alternate contractions and expansions, keep not only the 
 stomach in motion, but also its contents, and thus the food is di- 
 gested. As regards overfeeding, however, it may be proper to 
 remark, lest the groom or feeder take offense, that an animal may 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 183 
 
 be regularly fed from meal to meal (not carelessly overfed), yet 
 the stomach, being disordered, does not digest the usual meal. A 
 portion of it is " left over," as the saying is, and thus gradually 
 accumulates in that organ, until over-distension, with its conse- 
 quences, commands our attention. The reader must also bear in 
 mind that horses sometimes free themselves from the halter at 
 night, or when the groom is absent, and voluntarily gorge them- 
 selves ; therefore the person who has charge of and feeds the sub- 
 ject is not always at fault. When engorgement of the stomach 
 occurs, and is associated with flatulency, the sufferings are doubly 
 severe, because then the intestines are also the seat of distension, 
 and the pain from that alone is sometimes terrific. 
 
 The following case, which lately occurred in the author's prac- 
 tice, fully .illustrates the condition just alluded to. The subject 
 was a bay gelding, aged about seven years, the owner of which in- 
 formed me that the animal had, in the early part of the morning, 
 broken loose from his stall, and immediately commenced a des- 
 perate attack on a bag of oats, which happened to be within reach. 
 The horse was known as a ravenous feeder, and the probability is 
 that he did not spare the oats, but took a pretty large dose, so as 
 to over-distend his stomach. The services of the animal being re- 
 quired, a few hours afterward he was hitched up. He soon, how- 
 ever, showed symptoms of distress, attempted to lie down, and 
 finally got into a profuse perspiration. Shortly after this, my 
 attention was called to him. I found the patient in great distress — 
 his head pendulous ; breathing, much embarrassed ; pulse, very 
 rapid; body, bedewed with a chilly perspiration; legs and ears, 
 cold ; continual eructations of gas ; at the same time efforts to 
 vomit, which brought away nothing more than salival secretion, 
 which, however, was quite profuse. The patient rolled and tum- 
 bled about considerably, and would occasionally stand up for a few 
 seconds at a time. 
 
 Treatment. — It appeared that the indications, in view of relief, 
 w r ere to arouse the action of the stomach, and, at the same time, to 
 arrest fermentation. I was under the impression that the contents 
 of the gorged stomach could only be got rid of in the ordinary way, 
 viz. : by digestion. I am aware that it is customary to give drastic 
 cathartics, in view of getting rid of the contents of the stomach ; 
 yet I would not advise the reader to do this, for the horse may die 
 ere the medicine operates. The following drench was administered : 
 
184 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 No. 20. Fluid extract of ginger 1 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of golden seal 2 oz. 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda 2 drachms. 
 
 Water 4 oz. 
 
 After the exhibition of the above, I threw into the rectum a 
 couple of quarts of soap-suds, to which was added a handful of 
 salt. In the course of about an hour the animal appeared to be 
 somewhat relieved, and passed a large quantity of oats, whole. 
 I repeated the dose ; also the enema. The patient very soon after- 
 ward passed a large quantity of excrement, mixed with oats, and 
 so rapidly improved that I left him, and did not see him until the 
 next morning, when he appeared to have entirely recovered. 
 "With the exception of a bran-mash or two, the above comprises 
 the whole of the treatment. 
 
 It was lucky for the horse as well as the parties concerned that 
 the animal did not get corn instead of oats ; for the same quantity 
 of corn would have surely caused death, from the fact that when this 
 article of fodder is submitted, within the stomach, to the action of 
 heat and moisture, it increases in bulk in a ratio of about five to 
 one, and the usual result is rupture of the stomach. Still, should 
 any of our readers be called upon to treat a case of the latter kind, 
 there is no other plan of treatment with which 1 am acquainted 
 that will be likely to succeed in saving the animal than the one 
 here indicated. 
 
 Another case. — The patient, a gray gelding, aged about eight 
 years, the property of Messrs. "Wright & Bros., of Chicago, had 
 performed an ordinary day's work without showing any symptoms 
 of ill-health. About five o'clock in the evening he was unhar- 
 nessed and put up for the night. In a few minutes it was noticed 
 that he began to bloat, and that the abdomen increased in size very 
 rapidly. A messenger was immediately dispatched for me. On 
 arriving at the stable, I found the animal in a very dangerous con- 
 dition. The abdomen was enormously distended, and an eructation 
 of gas from the stomach, by the mouth, was continually occurring. 
 The respirations were laborious and accelerated, and very much 
 quickened ; pulse, very indistinct ; extremities and surface of the 
 body, quite chilly ; rectum, protruding ; and the animal was very 
 uneasy, and appeared to suffer much pain. Occasionally he would 
 get down and make desperate efforts to roll on his back, yet he 
 did not succeed, for he was round as a barrel ; and when he could 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 185 
 
 scarcely stand alone, in fact, required the services of three men to 
 steady him, he could walk, and seemed most at ease when kept 
 in motion. I commenced immediately to inject warm soap-suds 
 into the rectum ; but so soon as the fluid entered the same it was 
 immediately ejected, there being no room for it within, in conse- 
 quence of the distension of the walls of the intestines, which 
 pressed on the rectum. I next attempted to administer a colic 
 drench, composed of ginger, golden seal, and hyposulphite of soda, 
 but did not succeed in getting much of it down ; for as soon as the 
 fluid entered the sesophagus, it was met by a volume of eructating 
 gas, which brought the fluid back by way of the mouth and nos- 
 trils. I learned, however, that, previous to my arrival, Mr. 
 Smith, the foreman, had succeeded in drenching the patient with 
 a full dose of the colic mixture. This probably had the effect of 
 limiting the generation of gas ; otherwise the animal might have 
 died ere my arrival. The case now appeared almost hopeless ; so 
 I procured a trocar and canula, and plunged them through the 
 flank into the large intestines. (See puncture of the intestines). 
 On withdrawing the cutting instrument, a steady volume of gas 
 issued through the canula for a period of ten minutes. The relief 
 was immediate. I next gave a dose of colic drench, and left the 
 animal in charge of the owner for the night. Early next morn- 
 ing I visited the animal, and found that he was all right. He was 
 fed lightly for a few days, and, without any other medical treat- 
 ment, was again put to work. 
 
 The dangers to be apprehended in cases of this character are 
 either rupture of the intestines or diaphragm. In either case, 
 death is sure and certain. Sometimes, however, neither of these 
 ruptures occur; then the distended intestines exert such pressure 
 on the diaphragm and organs of respiration that the animal dies 
 of suffocation and loss of pulse. When, therefore, it becomes im- 
 possible for the patient to swallow medicine, in a case of this char- 
 acter, recourse must be had to the trocar and canula, in view of 
 liberating the imprisoned gas. The lack of a little knowledge on 
 this subject has been the cause of the loss of very many valuable 
 horses. 
 
186 dadd's veterinary medicine and surgery. 
 
 Meteorization or Sudden Distension of the 
 Intestines. 
 
 Meteorization is the name given to a disease known as bloat or 
 hoven in cattle. When it appears in a horse, it receives the above 
 name, or else is termed acute tympanitis. This form of windy or 
 tympanitic distension is always sudden in its attack ; animals ap- 
 parently in the very best of health all at once show symptoms of 
 enormous distension of the abdomen, and, in the course of a few 
 moments, their lives may be said to be in peril. The distension 
 of the stomach and intestines is due to the presence of an immense 
 volume of gas — probably carbureted hydrogen — which augments 
 either by spontaneous generation, or in consecpience of the food 
 running into fermentation instead of being digested. 
 
 Cause. — As regards the cause of this malady, we may, with 
 safety, assert that it is the result of a temporary derangement of 
 either the digestive function or the organs of digestion ; and such 
 condition is inaugurated by overtaxing that function, or those 
 organs which carry it on, either by feeding indigestible food, or in 
 feeding with too liberal a hand. I have noticed that many ani- 
 mals have periodical attacks of this malady. Such are said to be 
 voracious feeders. Their abdomen is unusually large, and out of 
 proportion to other parts of the body; hence, in so far as their 
 conformation is concerned, they may be said to be predisposed; 
 yet the disease sometimes occurs accidentally, and without the 
 intervention of any hereditary tendency. 
 
 Physiologists contend that very many diseases which afflict 
 horses are due to hereditary tendencies. For example, diarrhea 
 and colic are, to a certain extent, hereditary, inasmuch as they are 
 very prone to attack animals of particular form and constitution, 
 as those with narrow loins, large sides, and of what is generally 
 termed a " washy " appearance. If such animals be overworked, 
 especially soon after being fed, if their food be suddenly changed, 
 or if they be allowed an unusual quantity of water, they are almost 
 certain to be attacked by purging or tympanitis. The tendency of 
 these diseases appears, in such cases, to depend on a want of adjust- 
 ment among the different organs of the body — a want of balance 
 among the functions of digestion, circulation, and respiration. 
 
 The following case will give the reader some idea of the symp- 
 toms and treatment of this malady : 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 187 
 
 History of the Case. — The horse had performed his usual daily 
 labor, without any fault-finding on the part of his driver, when, 
 all at once, he commenced to bloat, appeared uneasy, and, by 
 his actions, demonstrated very conclusively that he needed some 
 assistance. On examination, I found that the abdomen was dis- 
 tended to its utmost capacity. The walls of the abdomen were 
 rigid as a plank, and the respirations, in consequence of the great 
 pressure on the diaphragm and lungs, were very laborious and 
 much accelerated, amounting to about one hundred per minute. 
 The pulse was thready and indistinct; the tongue, livid; eyes, 
 glassy and protruding ; surface of the body, bedewed with a cold, 
 clammy perspiration ; paralysis ot the optic nerve had set in, and 
 the animal was " blind as a bat ; " in fact, he was dead to all in- 
 tents and purposes. This was not the worst feature of the case. 
 He was continually vomiting from both nostrils, and, as the story 
 goes, " a horse that vomits surely dies." Occasionally the animal 
 would fall on the ground with violence, and then assume a vari- 
 ety of positions, in view of finding some relief, but, alas ! to no 
 purpose. His agony was intense, and there seemed to be no re- 
 lief for him, unless by a surgical operation. Medicine was out 
 of the question ; the animal had lost the power of swallowing, and 
 an attempt to administer a drench would have choked him to 
 death; so I selected the most salient or tympanitic spot on the 
 left flank, and then sent a trocar and canula through the walls of 
 the abdomen into the large intestine. So soon as I had withdrawn 
 the trocar, the gas escaped very rapidly through the tube, making 
 a noise like a steam-whistle. The animal obtained almost imme- 
 diate relief, and the bad symptoms rapidly subsided, so that I was 
 enabled to give a colic drench. This operated to prevent fer- 
 mentation, and gave tone to the digestive organs. Two subse- 
 quent drenches, of four ounces each, were given, and at the end 
 of twenty-four hours the animal was taken home. The slight 
 wound made through the walls of the abdomen into the intestine 
 healed readily, so that I had no trouble with that; and, to con- 
 clude, I would inform the reader that puncture of the intestine is 
 the only rational plan of treatment in a case of this character. 
 
 Colic drench is made up of the following ingredients : 
 
 No. 21. Fluid extract of ginger 2 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of golden seal 2 oz. 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda 1 oz. 
 
188 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Tympanitis. 
 
 Case in Illustration. — At midnight, June 16, 1865, 1 was called 
 upon to visit a horse afflicted with this disease. On arriving at 
 the stable, I found the animal on the floor, apparently in great 
 agony. The abdomen was distended with gas to an immense 
 capacity ; the pulse was feeble ; respirations accelerated, and very 
 laborious ; body was bedewed with a cold, clammy perspiration ; 
 tips of the ears, cold ; extremities in a similar condition. Eruc- 
 tations of gas from the stomach, by the way of the mouth, were 
 constantly occurring, indicating that the stomach, as well as the 
 intestines, were occupied with gas. The animal had bruised him- 
 self very badly in struggling, and extensive abrasion of the skin 
 had taken place in various parts of the body. I was informed 
 that the horse had just returned from a very long journey, and 
 had not tasted food for sixteen hours. On arriving at the stable, 
 where I found him, a bountiful supply was placed before him. In 
 his weak and exhausted condition, this was about the worst that 
 could have been done ; for the stomach and digestive organs, 
 sharing, either by direct sympathy or otherwise, with other parts 
 of the body, were not in a fit state, until a period of rest had oc- 
 curred, to digest even a small quantity of food. The cravings of 
 hunger, or a morbid appetite, induced the animal to devour most, 
 if not all, of what was placed before him. The consequence was, 
 the food, instead of undergoing digestion, ran into fermentation, 
 and generated gas known as sulphureted hydrogen. 
 
 Treatment. — The animal was urged to rise. I then gave him a 
 colic drench, composed of two ounces of fluid extract of golden 
 seal, and one ounce of hyposulphite of soda. The surface of the 
 body was then rubbed with wisps of straw, which produced some 
 reaction, so that the surface of the patient became warmer. Oc- 
 casionally the animal was led about for a short distance, and then 
 was led back again to the stall, where he would get down, and roll 
 and tumble about, as if in great agony. I administered enemas 
 of soap-suds and salt, but did not succeed in bringing away either 
 feces or gas, and all the gas which escaped from the alimentary 
 cavity passed by the mouth. Two hours after the administration 
 of the first dose, finding that the animal was still unrelieved, I 
 repeated the dose of colic drench, and threw soap-suds into the 
 rectum. Soon after some feces were voided, and with them quan- 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 189 
 
 tities of gas. A slight improvement was soon perceptible, yet it 
 appeared that the fermentation was still going on, as the abdomen 
 did not decrease in volume ; so I gave two ounces of hyposulphite 
 of soda, in view of arresting the generation of gas. This had the 
 desired effect ; for, as the gas was liberated, the abdomen decreased 
 in size. It was not, however, until a lapse of ten hours from the 
 attack that the patient obtained complete relief from his suffer- 
 ings. This case only differs from meteorization in the sudden- 
 ness of the attack of the former. 
 
 Persons who attempt to treat cases of this character must exer- 
 cise due patience. The animal must suffer a certain length of 
 time, notwithstanding the best-selected remedies are exhibited. 
 In other words, the reader is advised not to be in too much of a 
 hurry in getting the animal on its legs again. Take good care 
 of him ; give him plenty of bedding to rest or roll on ; in short, 
 nurse him as if he were a child, and, above all, do not give him 
 too much medicine. 
 
 Flatulent Colic. 
 
 This is a disease of very frequent occurrence among horses. It 
 is known by a distension of the intestines and abdomen, with 
 flatus or gas. In the early stage, no perceptible abdominal dis- 
 tension occurs, yet it very soon manifests itself. One way of sat- 
 isfying ourselves of the presence of flatus is, to apply the ear to 
 the abdominal region, within which a sort of active rumbling is 
 heard, often accompanied by a tinkling or metallic sound. But 
 while making our examination, we may, perhaps, perceive that 
 the horse passes flatus by the anus, or eructates it from the stom- 
 ach by the mouth. In either case, our doubts, if we have any, 
 are set at rest. This feature of flatulency, accompanied by others 
 which will be alluded to, complete the chain of evidence. 
 
 In some cases the gas accumulates in the large intestines until 
 the abdomen resembles, in size, that of an ox when " hoven." It 
 is very distressing to witness the sufferings of an animal in this 
 condition ; and when the intestines are so enormously distended 
 as to threaten rupture, the only chance of relief is to send a trocar 
 and canula through the walls of the abdomen, into some portion 
 of the distended intestine, and thus liberate the gas. 
 
 Symptoms. — It may be well to bear in mind that flatulent colic 
 
190 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 is always sudden in its attack, and some horses are liable to it under 
 every variety of circumstance — in the stable, on the road, or at 
 grass. At the commencement of the attack the animal becomes 
 uneasy from pain, and commences to paw with his fore-feet. He 
 soon gets down, and, if space be sufficient, he commences to roll 
 from side to side, often remaining for a few moments on his back, 
 in which position he seems to obtain temporary relief; Sometimes, 
 as quick as thought, he is on his legs again, gives the body a shake, 
 and then anxiously regards his flanks, by turning his .head toward 
 one side or the other, as much as to say, " Here is the seat of my 
 trouble." Soon he is down again on the floor, rolling and tum- 
 bling about. Now and then the animal remains quiet for a time, 
 in a sort of crouching attitude, the limbs being gathered beneath 
 the body, until the distension is so great, or the pains so severe, 
 that he must shift his position, when again we find him rolling, 
 or standing with his hind extremities stretched backward, and the 
 fore ones advanced, thus representing the attitude of a horse in the 
 act of urinating. Supposing, at this period, that there be no flat- 
 ulency present, yet the respirations are hurried, the pulse wiry, 
 the eyes glassy, and the patient excessively nervous and uncon- 
 trollable, the case is then of a spasmodic character (see Spasmodic 
 Colic) ; but should the animal pass flatus, or the abdomen increase 
 in volume, the case is unmistakable — it is flatulent colic. 
 
 Causes. — I shall now offer some brief remarks on the cause -of 
 colic. If we could only stretch the imagination, so as to take for 
 granted all the popular causes assigned for the production of colic, 
 then their name would be legion. Some writers inform us that a 
 drink of cold water, when the animal is heated, is the most potent 
 cause. Then we must infer that the horses ridden by the Russian 
 Cossacs, in a country where cold water is abundant, should be the 
 subjects of colic; but the very reverse is the case. The disease is 
 almost unknown among them. 
 
 Previous to the introduction of Cochituate water into the city 
 of Boston, colic occurring among horses was partially attributed 
 to the cold well-water then used; but now they all drink the 
 former, yet colic is just as prevalent, and, indeed, more so, than 
 at the time referred to. 
 
 There are no people that pay more attention to the watering of 
 horses than the English grooms, and it is customary, when a horse 
 is taken from his home to a distant race-course, to remain away 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 191 
 
 only a few days, to have sufficient water transported with him 
 to last during his stay, such a dread have English grooms of 
 " strange water," as they term it. Now, it is a notorious fact that 
 English horses are more subject to bowel affections than those of 
 this country. From this circumstance, I infer that bowel affec- 
 tions are hereditary, or, in other words, a predisposition to such 
 is transmitted from parents to offspring. 
 
 I can well remember the time when physicians would not allow 
 a fever patient to taste water ; but now they act more in accord- 
 ance with reason, and allow the sick just what they crave for. It 
 is not good policy, however, to allow a horse, when performing a 
 journey, a bountiful supply of water, because active exercise some- 
 what suspends the digestive function, and, therefore, the water 
 may remain in a portion of the large intestines without undergo- 
 ing the usual transformation. It then occupies space, and, being 
 weighty, may, in the rapid movements of the animal, operate un- 
 favorably in various ways, more particularly on the gut itself, it 
 being pendulous from the spine. 
 
 A horse is often brought into the stable in a state of profuse per- 
 spiration, and, of course, is somewhat exhausted. Now, it would 
 be decidedly wrong to either feed or water him until he is rubbed 
 dry, and has rested awhile ; for, at such times food is just as likely, 
 and, I think, more so than water, to operate unfavorably on an 
 exhausted animal. Many horses, however, even when in this 
 exhausted state, will fill their stomachs with food and water, and 
 yet enjoy immunity from colic. Therefore, should colic occur in a 
 horse after he has had a hard drive, he having partaken of a 
 draught of water, it is rather difficult to decide which of the two, 
 if either, was the cause of the malady. One fact is certain, and 
 that is, the stomach is deranged, and, therefore, fermentation pre- 
 cedes digestion; hence the gas. 
 
 Notwithstanding our best efforts to prevent it, colic will occa- 
 sionally occur. Green grass, clover, carrots, and turnips are said 
 to occasion it. Then, again, it appears in stables, where nothing 
 but corn, oats, and hay are used. One horse is attacked imme- 
 diately after a draught of cold water ; another has the chill taken 
 off his, yet he is often found in the same predicament. Warm 
 water is the most insipid and nauseating drink that you can offer 
 a horse ; and many would prefer to "continue thirsty for some time 
 ere they would imbibe it. 
 
192 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 It is well known to physiologists, and I presume the reader 
 must have observed, that both men and animals inherit peculiar 
 idiosyncrasies. Each are predisposed, either through parental de- 
 fect, temperament, or conformation, to certain forms of disease. 
 This peculiarity, or predisposition, is said to lurk in breed, and 
 those conversant with the horse's structure and temperament can 
 readily determine whether he be predisposed to certain forms of 
 disease or not. For example, a horse predisposed to flatulent colic 
 is often observed to have a capacious belly, voracious appetite, and 
 does not properly masticate his food ; and he is not over-particular 
 as to the kind of diet, for we often find him devouring, with ap- 
 parent relish, the filthy straw that has served as bedding. Often 
 he proves to be a " crib-biter." (Cribbing is a defect, either in- 
 herited or acquired.) Ordinarily the salivial fluid is augmented, 
 yet it does not look healthy ; it is more like soap-suds, and of a 
 dirty color. The tongue is also foul, and the breath somewhat 
 fetid. One or more of these peculiarities generally predominate 
 in colicky horses. I contend, therefore, that some horses are pre- 
 disposed to colic ; and this explains the reason why the ordinary 
 exciting causes, such as cold water, exposure, fatigue, irritating 
 food and medicine, are operative on the system of one horse and 
 inoperative on that of another. Colic is the heritage of some of 
 the best horses in the world. 
 
 Now, should the question be asked, What are the causes of colic? 
 I answer, It is occasioned by predisposing, direct and indirect 
 causes, operating conjointly or not. In all cases of colic, the 
 function of the stomach is either disturbed or partly suspended. 
 
 Treatment. — The principal objects in the cure of colic are, to 
 restore the tone of the stomach, by means of stimulants and tonics, 
 and to arrest fermentation and absorb the gases of the alimentary 
 canal. I shall not undertake to say that the remedies here alluded 
 to are the very best ; but, as I have met with remarkable success 
 in their use, I can safely recommend them. I have an impression 
 that when a horse is the subject of colic, he requires to be treated 
 just as any intelligent physician would treat one of us. There 
 is no necessity to convert his stomach into a " slop-shop." The 
 patient should be treated in a rational manner, by the same means 
 and with the same skill as if one of our race were concerned. 
 
 I do not like to see an animal trotted up one street and down 
 another, followed by a biped, whip in hand, and a crowd of idlers, 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 193 
 
 when he is the subject of excruciating abdominal pains, and the 
 sweat is pouring off him like rain, from sheer agony. The cus- 
 tom is decidedly wrong. Our reasoning faculties confirm this 
 opinion ; and what reason teaches, man should endeavor to put in 
 practice. No practitioner of human medicine dare advise such a 
 course as compelling a man to hop off a bed of sickness, and start 
 on a fast trot up and down stairs ; for, should he so advise, he 
 would very soon entitle himself to a ticket of leave. Should, 
 however, the attack be slight, a little walking exercise does no 
 harm ; and if the patient appears disposed to roll, it were better 
 to let him do so — on the ground, rather than in a narrow stall. 
 
 My usual directions are : Give the patient a wide stall and 
 plenty of bedding. Let him lie down, rise, and tumble about 
 just as much as he pleases, only watch and see that no accident 
 happens to the animal. The colic drench used by the author, 
 during the past ten years, is composed of the following : 
 
 No. 22. Fluid extract of Jamaica ginger 2 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of golden seal 1 oz. 
 
 Powdered hyposulphite of soda 1 oz. 
 
 Water 4 oz. 
 
 Dissolve the hyposulphite of soda in the water, then add the 
 other ingredients to it. The dose may be repeated, if necessary. 
 
 A good wisp of straw, vigorously applied to the belly and flanks, 
 and also to the limbs, may do some good, because we thus preserve 
 the equilibrium of the circulation. Enemas of soap-suds should 
 be administered often, and, provided the case be a curable one, 
 the horse will soon recover. 
 
 Spasmodic Colic. 
 
 The usual causes of spasmodic colic are, mental emotions, ex- 
 ternal chilliness by exposure, cold water drank hastily, drastic 
 cathartics, poisons, etc. Spasmodic colic is usually confined to the 
 small intestines, and they become cramped and contorted. In this 
 condition the patient is much tortured. The pain occasionally 
 remits, and the patient will appear easy, but only for a short time. 
 In some cases the patient will stamp and paw almost continually, 
 and strike his belly. He throws himself violently on the floor, 
 and occasionally rolls on his back. The abdomen is not distended, 
 as in the case of flatulent colic, but is rather tucked up, and the 
 13 
 
194 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 abdominal walls are rigidly contracted. In the commencement 
 of the malady, the pulse is usually.hard and wiry, but varies as 
 the disease progresses ; and the same is true of the respirations, 
 viz. : they are accelerated and laborious. The patient occasionally 
 suffers much pain in consequence of retention of urine and over- 
 distension of the bladder, which is the result of sympathetic spasm 
 in the region of the neck of the bladder. Such are the notable 
 symptoms of spasmodic colic. 
 
 Treatment. — The disease being of a spasmodic character, requires 
 the exhibition of medicines of an antispasmodic character, such as 
 assafetida, lobelia, sulphuric ether, and copious enemas of warm 
 water, or an infusion of lobelia. The latter is the most valuable 
 antispasmodic now in use. Should the case, however, be a des- 
 perate one, I advise the reader to follow the treatment indicated 
 in the following case, taken from my note-book : 
 
 On making an examination of the animal, the following symp- 
 toms were observed: Pulse, very strong and wiry, averaging 
 twenty beats above the natural standard ; membranes of the mouth, 
 nose, and eyes very vascular, or highly reddened ; the surface of 
 the body was bedewed, in patches, with perspiration; there ap- 
 peared to be much rigidity of the muscles, especially in the ab- 
 dominal region. All at once the animal would throw himself 
 violently on the floor, and throw his limbs about in the most wild 
 and reckless manner. He would assume all sorts of positions, yet 
 seemed to obtain most ease when flat on his back ; still, if closely 
 approached or touched, he would kick and strike with fury, as if 
 he were intent on mischief. In short, the horse cut up such an- 
 tics that it was almost impossible to approach him; yet I finally 
 succeeded in delivering an antispasmodic drench while the animal 
 lay on his back, in which position I also gave an enema, composed 
 of warm water and lobelia. 
 
 The animal kept growing more restive and uncontrollable, till, 
 at last, it became very evident that convulsions had set in. The 
 breathing had become fearfully laborious and rapid; his nostrils 
 were dilated to their utmost capacity; the sight had become so 
 affected, through temporary paralysis of the optic nerve, that tem- 
 porary blindness had set in. 
 
 There seemed to be little hope for the animal, and, fearing that 
 he might either kill himself by violence, or injure those in attend- 
 ance, I concluded to chloroform him, and thus put a stop to his 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 195 
 
 dangerous performances. He had had the best of us long enough, 
 and now it was for me to show what science had in store for such 
 otherwise unmanageable cases. I procured a mixture, composed 
 of four ounces of chloroform and the same quantity of sulphuric 
 ether; next, a sponge was tied to a broom-handle, and covered 
 with a towel. Thus we were enabled to chloroform him at a safe 
 distance. 
 
 The patient did not seem to relish this mode of practice. He 
 fought for some time, tried to strike and kick me, but, being tem- 
 porarily blind, I had the advantage of him. It was soon evident 
 that the chloroform was beginning to do its work. The patient 
 gradually settled himself on the floor, and was soon completely 
 etherized. As it is dangerous to keep a horse under the full effects 
 of chloroform any great length of time, I now removed the sponge, 
 and only applied it occasionally, slightly saturated, so as to insure 
 a sort of incomplete state of insensibility. It was an encouraging 
 sight to behold the once powerful and furious animal now lying 
 free from pain, and deprived of the power of injuring himself or 
 those in attendance ; and it is also gratifying to know that science 
 ministers to the wants and necessities of the inferior as well as the 
 superior orders of creation. 
 
 At the expiration of an hour, during which time the animal 
 was more or less under the anaesthetic agent, he was allowed to 
 rise. He gave himself a few shakes, and seemed very much re- 
 lieved and more tranquil. I now gave a drench of spirits of niter 
 and infusion of lobelia ; administered, also, a lobelia enema, and 
 left the patient to the care of his attendants. A few hours after- 
 ward I again visited the patient, and learned that he had a slight 
 spasm occasionally, for which I prescribed two drachms of pow- 
 dered assafetida. I then introduced the male catheter into the 
 bladder, drew off a small quantity of urine, and this. completed 
 the whole of the treatment. The patient recovered. 
 
 Another case of Spasmodic Colic, treated by Inhalation. — The 
 subject was a large and powerful stallion, aged about eight years, 
 the property of a gentleman residing in Chicago. The horse was 
 attacked in the street with symptoms of acute abdominal pain, 
 and, in consequence, was hurried home to the stable. The mo- 
 ment he arrived there, he threw himself down and commenced 
 rolling, and grew excessively uneasy and irritable. In the course 
 of an hour our attention was called to him. He then exhibited 
 
196 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 symptoms of acute abdominal pain. The eyes appeared wild, and 
 their membranes congested ; the nostrils were dilated ; pulse, about 
 sixty ; extremities cold ; body, bedewed with perspiration ; no tym- 
 panitis, yet the animal anxiously regarded his flanks. He would 
 paw with his fore-feet, and strike forward in a most reckless man- 
 ner, and fall down, as if in convulsions ; then he would roll on 
 his back, curve his head to one side, and, as quick as thought, 
 jump up again. 
 
 He was now so spiteful and unmanageable that it was impos- 
 sible to administer either drench or ball. We tried every means 
 to get something down, but all to no purpose; he was determ- 
 ined to make us keep beyond the reach of his fore-feet and 
 mouth. It now became evident to us that the patient must be 
 mastered, and, in this view, not knowing at the time that the 
 agent we were about to use would act beneficially on the disease, 
 we procured three ounces of chloroform, and the same quantity 
 of sulphuric ether. An old sheet and a sponge were used as an 
 inhaler. Watching an opportunity, when the horse was down, 
 we got two men to secure him there by the neck. We then sat- 
 urated the sponge with the mixture, and applied the same to the 
 nostrils, enveloping them with the folded sheet, leaving an orifice 
 for the admission of air. The patient struggled violently at first, 
 but soon became quieter, and, in the course ot two minutes, trem- 
 bled, breathed deep and loud. The pupils then became dilated, 
 the breathing stertorous, and the animal was fully etherized. 
 Having him completely under control, we were not disposed to let 
 him up in a hurry. The sponge, however, was removed, and so 
 soon as he showed signs of partial consciousness, it was again re- 
 plenished with ether, and applied. 
 
 Supposing that the case might be running on to intussusception, 
 or entanglement of the bowels, we thought there could be no harm 
 in keeping the animal under the influence of an agent that seemed 
 to act so well ; consequently he was kept under its influence for 
 fifty-five minutes. His head was then brought toward the door, 
 and a few drops of cold water were sprinkled on him. Soon he 
 raised his head, looked bewildered, yet showed no symptoms of 
 pain nor uneasiness. Shortly afterward he got on his legs, but 
 had to be supported by several men, who soon rubbed him dry. 
 He was then drenched with laudanum, five drachms ; sweet spirits 
 of niter, one ounce. He was led to a stall, entirely free from pain, 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 197 
 
 partook of some gruel, and rested well during the night. Next 
 morning he got five drachms of aloes and one of ginger, in solu- 
 tion ; the bowels responded to the same, and four days after he 
 was at work. We would not, however, have the reader suppose 
 that the same agent shall suit all cases of this character ; for 
 another similar feat might prove a failure, and a third equally un- 
 manageable. A case might yield to the ordinary sedatives, how- 
 ever, provided the patient could be induced to swallow them. 
 
 Inflammation of the Peeitoneum (Peeitonitis). 
 
 The peritoneum is a serous membrane, which not only gives a 
 covering to the intestines, but also a lining to the abdominal cav- 
 ity. Our pathologists teach that the peritoneum, like other serous 
 membranes, is very ready to take on inflammatory action upon the 
 operation of certain exciting causes. Watson informs us that 
 "acute inflammation, beginning in one spot, is almost sure to 
 transfer itself to any other spot that happens to be in contact with 
 the first, and is very apt to extend itself rapidly to the whole 
 membrane. The disease tends to the effusion of serum, and of 
 coagulable lymph. It is of the adhesive kind, and its effects are 
 those of distending the peritoneal cavity with fluid, or of gluing 
 its opposite surfaces together, so as to obliterate that cavity, or 
 of forming partial attachments. In all these respects the analogy 
 between inflammation of the peritoneum and inflammation of the se- 
 rous membranes of the chest and the covering of the heart is perfect." 
 
 Peritonitis is generally a manageable disease when treated ac- 
 cording to the principles of rational medicine ; but when treated 
 according to the dictum of Blain and others, who have never 
 done any original thinking, in so far as veterinary science is con- 
 cerned, it is decidedly the reverse. For example, here is a pas- 
 sage from Blain's works : 
 
 " The treatment of peritonitis is much the same as for enteritis. 
 The only difference is, that the animal will lose more blood before 
 he displays any symptoms of uneasiness. We may also be more 
 bold with purgatives. The three ounces of solution of aloes may 
 be increased to five, the pint of oil enlarged to a pint and a half; 
 and if this produces no signs of its having acted on the bowels, 
 it may even be repeated when another three hours and a half have 
 elapsed. All the other measures are alike, in both cases." 
 
198 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Those who follow such advice as this would be very apt to lose 
 their patients, either through the direct influence of meddlesome 
 medication, or by converting peritonitis into dropsy of the abdo- 
 men. But let us see what Watson says on the subject of the 
 treatment of peritonitis : 
 
 " Most writers whose worth I am acquainted with recommend 
 purgatives as highly serviceable in peritonitis. I do not think the 
 good which they are calculated to do, as antiphlogistic remedies, 
 can at all be put in competition with the harm that I am per- 
 suaded they may produce, by increasing the peristaltic action of 
 the intestines, and so causing additional friction and tension of 
 the inflamed membrane. I believe that in all cases of well-marked 
 and pure peritonitis, when the inflammation is limited to the se- 
 rous membrane, it is far better and safer to restrain than to solicit 
 the internal movements of the alimentary tube." 
 
 In human practice, physicians, instead of giving purgatives, 
 resort to the use of narcotics, in view of tranquilizing the system, 
 and for the purpose of mitigating the intense pain which exists 
 during the acute attack. 
 
 Symptoms. — The most marked symptoms of peritonitis are as 
 follows : In the early stage, the animal paws slightly, but not 
 with that sort of viciousness which is characteristic of colic or 
 strangulation of the intestines. Soon, he shows febrile symptoms ; 
 the pulse runs up to seventy or more, and a shivering fit sets in. 
 When pressure is made on the abdomen, the animal evinces signs 
 of pain. He will sometimes get down and lie on his back, but 
 he soon finds out that the best way of lessening his pains and 
 aches is to keep as quiet as possible. His tongue is usually coated, 
 and the bowels are inactive. 
 
 Treatment. — Give the patient mucilaginous drinks, as in the case 
 of enteritis, and drench him occasionally with an infusion of poppy- 
 heads, in pint doses. Empty the rectum by means of soap-suds 
 enemas, and then throw in a quart of infusion of hops. Cloths, 
 wet with warm water, should be applied to the abdomen, and the 
 surface of the body should be kept warm by means of blankets. 
 This kind of treatment, with good nursing, will probably restore 
 the animal to health. Should symptoms of dropsy set in, give two 
 ounces of fluid extract of buchu, daily. 
 
diseases of the digestive organs. 199 
 
 Ascites, or Abdominal, Dropsy. 
 
 Ascites signifies a collection of serous fluid within the abdom- 
 inal cavity. The subject of this disease is noticed as having a 
 symmetrical and uniform enlargement of the abdomen ; and, if the 
 patient be a mare, some persons are likely to infer that she is 
 pregnant, but examination, by pressure, will suffice to determine 
 the conditions; for, if pressure be made with the fingers, in the 
 abdominal region, a waving or fluctuating motion is discovered, 
 similar to that which follows the forcible displacement of liquid. 
 This fluctuation is the discriminating symptom between ascites 
 and pregnancy, for in the case of pregnancy no such fluctuation 
 can be elicited. 
 
 Ascites is usually the result of some chronic or acute disease of 
 the peritoneum (lining membrane of the walls of the abdomen), 
 or, rather, a loss of equilibrium between the local functions of 
 secretion and absorption. This disease, like many others, may be 
 rapid or insidious. If rapid or acute, it is apt to prove fatal in 
 the course of a few days ; if insidious or chronic, the animal may 
 survive for a long time, as the following case will show : 
 
 Case of Dropsy of the Abdomen, ending in Rupture of the Stom- 
 ach. — The subject of the above-named affections was a mare, owned 
 by the North Chicago Railroad Company. She had been in their 
 employ during a period of three years, and had always performed 
 the work required of her without any manifestation of disease ; in 
 fact, had gone her usual trips up to within a few hours of her death. 
 She had just partaken of a hearty breakfast, when, all at once, she 
 began to falter, and the surface ol the body was soon bedewed with 
 a profuse perspiration ; she trembled, the head became pendulous, 
 and the case assumed an alarming aspect. 
 
 This happened at about six o'clock in the morning. At eight, 
 my attention was called to her, when the following symptoms were 
 observed. Pulse, small and indistinct ; respirations, humid, and 
 rather laborious ; abdomen, quite tense from distension ; percus- 
 sion over the region of the abdomen yielded a dull sound, yet 
 fluctuating, showing that the abdominal cavity was occupied by 
 some kind of fluid. From the peculiar conformation of the abdo- 
 men, I at first suspected that the animal was pregnant, which 
 proved not to be the case. 
 
 On percussing over the region of the stomach, a tympanitic 
 
200 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 sound was elicited, showing that the stomach contained a large 
 quantity of gas, and was over-distended. Her extremities were 
 cold, and other symptoms were present which indicate death. I 
 suspected that the food was running into fermentation, and, in 
 view of arresting it, I gave one ounce of the hyposulphite of soda, 
 and the same quantity of fluid extract of ginger and golden seal. 
 The body was bathed with new rum, and she was rubbed vigor- 
 ously, by three men, for about half an hour, from which treatment 
 she seemed to rally some. Several injections of salt and soap-suds 
 were thrown into the rectum. They brought away a slimy sub- 
 stance, but very little feces. Finally nothing came away but that 
 which was injected, and from this I was led to infer that, either 
 from pressure or stricture, the small intestines were closed. 
 
 I now determined to send a trocar into the abdomen, for the 
 purpose of discovering what it contained, and, accordingly, selected 
 a point in the lower middle of the same. In withdrawing the cut- 
 ting instrument, a fluid commenced to run, which, in color and 
 consistence, resembled urine. For an hour and a quarter this fluid 
 continued to run through the tube, and the amount obtained must 
 have been over three bucketsful. I was in hopes that the with- 
 drawal of this large amount of fluid might remove the pressure on 
 the intestinal tube, and thus the gas, which was pent up in the 
 stomach, might find its way to the anal outlet. Not so, however ; 
 for, notwithstanding all our efforts and attention, the mare died, 
 at noon, with rupture of the stomach. 
 
 The autopsy revealed a rent, or rupture, in the stomach, of about 
 eight inches in length, through which a portion of the food and 
 fluids of the stomach had escaped into the abdominal cavity. The 
 small intestines were the seat of stricture in several places ; their 
 external surface, or, rather, peritoneal covering, was studded with 
 albuminous and fibrous deposits, resulting from abdominal dropsy; 
 otherwise, the contents of the chest and abdomen presented the 
 appearance of perfect health. I should judge that the water had 
 been accumulating in the abdominal cavity for a long time. The 
 foreman at the stable observed that the animal always appeared 
 very portly, so much so that the abdomen was square with the 
 hips, which had led some persons to suppose that her hips were 
 " knocked down.'' 
 
 Most authors contend that when a horse is the subject of rupture 
 of the stomach or intestines, he squats on the haunches, like a dog; 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 201 
 
 but this animal did not exhibit any such symptoms, but stood up 
 until within a few minutes of death. 
 
 Treatment. — A case of this kind requires the exhibition of tonics 
 and diuretics, and the following is the best remedy which can be 
 given : 
 
 No. 23. Fluid extract of buchu ) , , 
 
 Fluid extract of snakehead J ^ " 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Dose, two ounces per day. 
 
 Inflammation of the Intestines (Enteeitis). 
 
 This disease is located on the inner or mucous coat of the in- 
 testines, sometimes, however, involving the muscular portion of 
 the same. The causes are various: improper management, bad 
 food, worms, irritating medicines, musty hay or clover, chilling 
 the body by cold water, exposure to rain, etc. 
 
 Symptoms. — The disease often commences with a shivering fit, 
 to which succeeds heat of the skin, restlessness, loss of appetite; 
 the mouth hot and dry ; the inner membrane of the eyelids and 
 nostrils are redder than usual. As the disease progresses, the pain 
 increases, and the animal will lie down. There is no intermission 
 of pain; it is persistent. The breathing is accelerated, and pres- 
 sure in the abdominal region elicits symptoms of pain. The bowels 
 are usually constipated, and if any feces are voided, they consist of 
 small, hardened balls. 
 
 An examination after death reveals a gangrenous state of the 
 small and sometimes the large intestines. Often extravasated 
 blood is found within the intestinal tube. So soon as the pain 
 ceases, and the animal appears no better, we infer that gangrene 
 has set in ; cold sweats set in, and the animal shortly dies. 
 
 Treatment. — The treatment of enteritis does not, and should not, 
 differ from that of any other acute affection. Mucilaginous drinks, 
 chlorate of potass, hyposulphite of soda, in doses as recommended 
 for inflammation of the stomach. Occasional enemas of soap-suds 
 are to be thrown into the rectum, so long as the feces remain hard, 
 or are voided with difficulty. The objectionable method of back- 
 raking — so highly recommended by some authors — should never 
 be resorted to ; it is a disgusting affair, and actually unnecessary ; 
 for, let the rectum be ever so impacted, it can be evacuated by 
 
202 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 203 
 
 enemeta, composed of soap-suds, to which add a little ginger or 
 lobelia. If the weather is not too cold, cloths wet with warm water 
 may be applied to the abdomen, over which throw a blanket, so 
 as to prevent evaporation and chill. The outrageous treatment 
 recommended by some authors is a disgrace to the profession. 
 They recommend bleeding until the horse faints or falls ; then to 
 scorch the sides with ammonia and cantharides ; and, lastly, to 
 empoison what little blood he may have left in his system, so that 
 death may occur secundum artem. 
 
 Should the subject of inflammation of the intestines suffer much 
 pain, a drench of half a pint or more of infusion of hops, or pop- 
 pies, may be given occasionally ; or one ounce of the fluid extract 
 of one of these agents may be substituted, to be given two or three 
 times during twenty-four hours. 
 
 The treatment of inflammation of the intestines, as well as in- 
 flammation of any other part of the body, consists in using those 
 means and agents which ward off or remove any agent which, in 
 its effects, does, or tends to, deprive any of the organs or tissues 
 of the living body of their vital action. The remedial means 
 used to accomplish this object must be such, and such only, as 
 sustain the weakened or increase the reduced vital action in any 
 of the organs or tissues. This is the doctrine which the author 
 attempts to teach in this work. And is the doctrine not plain? 
 Could any thing accord more directly with reason, or commend 
 itself more clearly to the common sense and unbiased judgment 
 of intelligent people ? If the vital action of any of the organs or 
 tissues become weakened or enfeebled, should they not be strength- 
 ened ? Can this be done by any other agent and means than those 
 which increase and strengthen this very vital action ? If this ac- 
 tion, in any of the organs or tissues of the animal body, becomes 
 reduced or impaired, must it not be increased by agents and means 
 which cooperate with the vital power ? Then, how can agents and 
 means which always impair vital action (poisons) cure disease? 
 
 Different remedial means have different effects upon the organs 
 and tissues of the system ; but all poisons and agencies which im- 
 pair the integrity of the organism of a well animal must have a 
 disastrous effect on one that is sick and suffering. Unhealthy and 
 poisonous agents impair and reduce the vital action of certain 
 organs and tissues according to the nature and tendency to affect 
 various parts of the living structures. 
 
204 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Now, if it can be made to appear that disease consists, in its 
 nature and effects, in increased vital action or increased health of 
 any portion of the body diseased, then will it be proved that poi- 
 sons are, and of necessity must be, medicines or the agents to cure 
 disease. But what are we taught by our brethren of the heroic 
 school upon this point? "In spontaneous disease," that is, dis- 
 ease which occurs without any apparent cause, Hunter contends, 
 " we know of no method that will entirely quiet or remove the 
 inflammatory action or disposition. All we can do, probably, is 
 to lessen every thing which has a tendency to keep it up. In- 
 flammation is either an increase of life or an increase of a dispo- 
 sition to use it." 
 
 Again : " One of the means of curing this inflammation," says 
 the same author, " is by producing weakness. The means of pro- 
 ducing weakness of an absolute character are, bleeding, purging, 
 and the exhibition of poisonous agents. The inconvenience, how- 
 ever, arising from this practice is, that the sound and healthy 
 parts must suffer nearly in the same proportion with the diseased ; 
 for, by bringing the inflamed parts on a par with health, the 
 sound parts must be brought much lower, so as to be too low. 
 The first method, namely, bleeding, will have the greatest, the 
 most permanent, the most lasting effect; because, if it have any 
 effect at all, the diseased action can not be soon renewed; the 
 second, purging and poisoning, will act as auxiliary, so that these 
 processes go hand in hand ; but neither these nor sickness can pos- 
 sibly lessen the original inflammatory disposition. Lessening the 
 power of action belonging to the inflammatory disposition can 
 only lessen or protect its effects, which, however, may be of serv- 
 ice, as less mischief will be done, and this will often give the 
 inflamed disposition time to wear itself out. But this practice 
 must not be carried too far. It must be followed with great 
 judgment. Nothing debilitates so much as purging, if carried 
 beyond a certain point. Even one purging may kill when the 
 constitution is much reduced. The internal medicines generally 
 ordered for the cure of inflammations are such as have a similar 
 effect to that of bleeding ; namely, lowering the constitution or 
 the action of the parts. As inflammation has too much action, 
 which action gives the idea of strength, such applications as 
 weaken are recommended." 
 
 Here, then, are the reasons for the use of poisons to cure dis- 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 205 
 
 eases, as believed and taught by our brethren of the heroic school. 
 Such agents and means we do not want, for the plain reason that 
 disease can be cured quicker and better without than with them. 
 Our system of practice, and that recommended in this work, tends 
 to sustain the vital powers during the progress of disease; and 
 this is accomplished by resorting to sanative medication. This 
 sanative system of medication must, eventually, commend itself to 
 the candid and to the unprejudiced reasoner and scientific inquirer 
 after truth. 
 
 Strangulation of the Intestines. 
 
 "When an animal becomes the subject of strangulation of the in- 
 testines, it is very difficult, at first, to diagnose the case, for the 
 symptoms very much resemble those of spasmodic colic; yet as 
 the treatment of the two diseases does not differ much, the mistake 
 in itself is of little consequence. 
 
 Symptoms. — The difficulty is, at first, accompanied by uneasi- 
 ness. The animal moves about in his stall, and commences stamp- 
 ing with one of the fore-feet. Frequently he gets down and rolls 
 on his back, in which position he will remain sometimes for sev- 
 eral minutes. So soon as he rises, he commences to paw and 
 stamp with a vengeance. As the disease advances, he totters, and 
 sometimes drops on the floor. The pulse is usually irregular, the 
 mouth cold, and visible surfaces pallid ; the tongue appears of a 
 bluish cast; and the body is generally bedewed with sweat. Fi- 
 nally, the animal makes great efforts to evacuate the rectum, and 
 in so doing strains violently, so as to cause blood to escape from 
 the rectum ; and sometimes the rectum itself protrudes. Should 
 the symptoms not improve, the animal soon dies of strangulation 
 and mortification of the intestines. 
 
 Treatment. — This must be of an anti-spasmodic character. An 
 ounce or two of fluid extract of lobelia should be given, every two 
 hours, in a pint of warm water; the body should be enveloped 
 in bandages, wet with warm water, and enemas of assafetida or 
 lobelia should be thrown into the rectum ; but if the rectum pro- 
 trude, enemas are inadmissible. On some occasions of the kind, 
 I etherize the patient, with marked relief. 
 
206 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Wounds penetrating the Abdominal Cavity. 
 
 The treatment of a penetrating wound into the abdomen will 
 depend somewhat upon the nature of the same. Should the intes- 
 tines protrude through the wound and exhibit a puncture, put on 
 the twitch and Rarey-strap. Then return the intestines into the 
 abdominal cavity, and proceed to suture or sew up the intestinal 
 rent, by means of a small needle, armed with sewing silk — first, 
 by means of sutures through the abdominal muscles, one end of 
 the suture being left long enough to hang out of the wound; 
 second, close the skin (the sutures should be distant from each 
 other about one inch) ; next place a cold water pad on the parts, 
 and encircle the body in the injured region with a cotton -roller, 
 over which place a surcingle, and securely fasten it. In the event 
 of the intestines being swollen and distended, it may be necessary 
 to cast the patient ; then roll him on his back, and thus the pro- 
 trusion may be returned ; but should they still prove too large for 
 the orifice, it must be dilated by means of a probe-pointed knife. 
 
 Splenic Apoplexy. 
 
 Mr. Gamgee has made some translations from foreign authors 
 on the subject of Splenic Apoplexy, and he tells us that " this is 
 the disease described as carbuncular fever by Renault and Rey- 
 nal. It is most common in hot and tempestuous seasons. In its 
 carefully-observed symptoms, M. Anginiard is induced to regard 
 the disease as dependent on miasmatic exhalation. Until recently, 
 the author had studied the malady only in sheep, but has fre- 
 quently observed it, of late, in the horse. It is not so suddenly 
 fatal in the latter as in the former. The prostration and stupor 
 are very striking. The horse can barely stand, and is very list- 
 less ; the muscles of the limbs tremble, and partial sweats bedew 
 the body. In some parts the skin is dry, and the coat staring ; 
 the breathing is slow and irregular; the conjunctiva, or lining 
 of the eyelids, is white, and indicative of an anemic or bloodless 
 state ; the pulse is feeble, wiry, and accelerated, offering a remark- 
 able contrast to the tumultuous action of the heart ; the loins are 
 very sensitive; and there are often indications of pain on pres- 
 sure on the abdominal walls. Colicky symptoms are frequently 
 noticed. At first, all appetite is lost, but, as the disease advances, 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 207 
 
 the animal eats and drinks freely. In attempting to bleed an 
 animal, great difficulty is experienced in filling the vein; and 
 when the blood flows, the animal instantly manifests great weak- 
 ness. The blood is black, and does not coagulate as in health. 
 The symptoms rapidly grow worse, the breathing labored, the 
 eyes sunken, the prostration extreme, and progression impossible, 
 until the animal reels over and dies. The disease runs a rapid 
 course, and, on an average, death occurs within fifteen or eight- 
 een hours. There is an absence of the external swellings char- 
 acteristic of ordinary carbuncular fever ; and the internal disten- 
 sions of organs, particularly of the spleen, so ably described by 
 Renault and Reynal, are sufficient, according to M. Anginiard, to 
 distinguish the two diseases. In the treatment of this disease, 
 Anginiard trusts mainly to quinine. He administers a drachm 
 and a half as soon as possible, either in an infusion of coffee or 
 other aromatic mixture. If the symptoms do not subside two 
 hours afterward, two drachms are given. Generally this is. suf- 
 ficient. If not, a third and fourth dose have to be exhibited. 
 Bleeding is to be condemned. The body of the animal may be 
 rubbed with a wisp, or a turpentine liniment may be employed 
 as a derivative. Free ventilation, and leaving the animal uncov- 
 ered, to permit free exhalation, are essential points in the man- 
 agement of these animals. M. Dumesnie has tried this treatment, 
 and found it most successful. Anginiard believes in small doses, 
 and not often enough repeated." 
 
 Apoplexy is a disease which, if not discovered early, is very 
 apt to prove fatal. Whether discovered or not, in its early stage 
 it generally baffles the skill of those who, in this country, have 
 attempted to cure it. The incurability of such malady may, under 
 the circumstances, be accounted for on the belief that it often 
 rages as an enzootic, affecting animals in isolated spots, without 
 regard to locality, and attacking only those susceptible to its 
 influence. "What the conditions are which favor its propagation 
 I am unable to determine, for I have known it to affect equally 
 those which appeared healthy as well as others unhealthy in ap- 
 pearance; hence it is very difficult for any one to point out the 
 direct causes of the affection. I have not seen many cases of either 
 enlargement of the spleen, or apoplexy of the same, occurring in 
 cattle, from the fact that my practice has been mostly confined to 
 horses in cities, where cattle were not very numerous ; but a friend 
 
208 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 of mine, located in a cattle-raising district in the State of Maine, 
 informed me that this disease, accompanied by enlargement, often 
 prevails there enzootically, and that most of the animals thus 
 affected die. I have had considerable experience in the treatment 
 of such affections in horses, but, as I have just observed, the result 
 is very unsatisfactory. I believe I have but one case of cure on 
 record, and the medicines used on that occasion were stimulants 
 and tonics, with forty grains of iodide of potass per day. The 
 spine was also rubbed, night and morning, with equal parts of 
 cod-liver oil and spirits of camphor. 
 
 Symptoms. — The symptoms of enlargement of the spleen in 
 horses (they do not differ much in cattle) are as follows: Feeble 
 pulse ; respiration not much disturbed ; the tongue is usually 
 coated; mouth, hot, and the breath has a feted odor; the mem- 
 branes lining the mouth and eyeballs have a slight yellow tinge; 
 the head droops, and the tips of the ears and lower parts of the 
 limbs are chilly; the patient is rather unwilling to move, and, 
 when urged to do so, exhibits a staggering gait, and sometimes falls 
 never to rise; the urine is scanty, and, in the last stages, blood 
 oozes from the anus and nostrils ; colicky pains attend the disease. 
 
 In a case that terminated fatally, I made the following record 
 of the post-mortem examination : On opening the abdominal cav- 
 ity, the spleen was found to occupy a very large space. It was 
 of immense proportions, and weighed nearly twelve pounds. The 
 ordinary weight is three pounds. It presented the appearance 
 of a spleen in the chronic stage of disease, being altered in struc- 
 ture, of a dark, pitchy color, and surcharged with dark, venous 
 blood. Before death, I percussed the left side, in the locality of 
 the spleen, and the sound elicited was of a solid character, which 
 indicated enlargement of the same. 
 
 The early symptoms of splenic apoplexy do not differ much 
 from the above, only they are of a more acute character. In the 
 latter stages, the malady is complicated with a painful affection of 
 the bowels. The diagnostic symptom of splenic apoplexy, with 
 enlargement of the same, is a notable enlargement on the left side 
 of the abdomen, well up toward the ribs. When standing behind 
 an affected animal, and casting one's eyes carefully along' the 
 sides of the abdominal walls, a perceptible eminence will be seen, 
 which can not be mistaken. The region of the spleen is between 
 the stomach and the false ribs on the left side. 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 209 
 
 In view of rendering this subject more valuable and interesting, 
 I now introduce the following, which was written for the " Edin- 
 burgh Review:" 
 
 "Splenic Apoplexy. — This disease broke out in the year 1858, 
 on a farm characterized by its extreme richness of soil, in the 
 north of Northumberland. In 1859 the malady reappeared, and 
 did not cease until twenty-three head of cattle had been affected. 
 Splenic apoplexy is a malady that has not hitherto been observed 
 in the north of Britain, and its occurrence recently is evidently 
 to be attributed to the special method of farming and feeding 
 stock where it has, for the last two years, proved so destructive. 
 
 The farm is a peculiarly dry one. About three hundred head 
 of cattle are annually fattened on it. One lot was made ready 
 by Christmas, and sold as fat beef in Newcastle; a second was 
 kept back until January, when they were allowed an abundance 
 of turnips, meal, and the best oat straw. The cattle affected were 
 three years old ; and it would appear that those fed on Swedish 
 turnips, especially from a certain field, suffered most; but some 
 fed on yellow or white turnips have been affected, and we should 
 regard the meal, and perhaps the oat straw, as more likely to pro- 
 duce this disorder. According to Delafoud's researches, legum- 
 inosa?, or forage very rich in nutritive principles and deficient in 
 water, from artificial pastures, are frequent causes of splenic apo- 
 plexy. The farmer in Northumberland suspected that the arti- 
 ficial manures had produced the trouble, and the following season 
 he dressed his land with home manure ; but the properties of the 
 last crop have proved as deleterious as those of the preceding one. 
 The fact is, the crop had nothing to do with the development of 
 the disease. 
 
 The malady stopped suddenly, about the middle of February, 
 and this was probably due to the cattle suffering only when the 
 system was taxed by change from rather moderate to very high 
 feeding. It is an interesting fact that in cows the disorder only 
 affects those which are approaching the period when the secretion 
 of milk is stopped, and when there is a tendency to lay on flesh, 
 they then being liable to plethora. Cows fed on food capable of 
 producing splenic apoplexy die of it. 
 
 Change of diet proved of no avail at the farm referred to (show- 
 ing very conclusively that the food was not the special cause). 
 Common salt was recommended as a preventive; but Delafoud 
 14 
 
210 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 has shown that salt is not a reliable remedy in such cases. The 
 malady stopped spontaneously, and the point now to settle is the 
 prevention of disease during the future seasons. 
 
 For the benefit of our readers who may not know the symptoms 
 of splenic apoplexy, we may mention that often there are premon- 
 itory signs — the animals apparently enjoying the best of health 
 early in the morning, may be dead some time before noon. Some- 
 times there are symptoms of excitement ; the eyes are prominent, 
 and the visible mucous membranes are injected or reddened. 
 Symptoms of uneasiness suddenly manifest themselves, and col- 
 icky pains indicate abdominal disorder. The urine voided is high- 
 colored and red, and there may also be blood in the feces. The 
 back becomes arched, and the animal fixes himself, hanging on to 
 any thing by which he is tied, or he will press his haunches on 
 some resting-place in the corner of the stall. After this the ani- 
 mal soon drops, and is seized with convulsive pains and twitchings. 
 In addition to the discharge of feces and urine, tinged with blood, 
 there is a red, frothy liquid, which escapes from the nostrils ; the 
 animal bellows, moans, and soon dies." 
 
 Treatment. — Tonics, alteratives, and glandular stimulants are 
 indicated. Take of 
 
 No. 24. Fluid extract of blood-root 4 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of golden sea.l 6 oz. 
 
 Chlorate of potass 4 oz. 
 
 Dissolve the potass in one pint of boiling water ; then add the 
 extracts. Give the patient a wine-glassful every six hours, until 
 amendment is perceptible, when the dose may be decreased to two 
 ounces every twelve hours. Rub the body with a portion of the 
 following : 
 
 No. 25. Proof spirits 1 pint. 
 
 Tincture of capsicum 4 oz. 
 
 Two or three applications, in the course of twenty-four hours, 
 will suffice. Should the animal suffer much from colicky pains, 
 dissolve one ounce of hyposulphite of soda in four ounces of hot 
 water, to which add half a table-spoonful of powdered ginger, 
 and drench with the same. Pure air and a light diet will aid in 
 restoring the animal, provided the case is curable. 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 211 
 
 Functional Disease of the Liver. 
 
 The liver, like other parts of the digestive apparatus, is liable 
 to become deranged, in either function or structure, by errors in 
 diet, which is the most potent cause of both functional and or- 
 ganic disease of the same. In almost all cases of liver disease, 
 we observe a yellow tinge of the visible surfaces — membranes of 
 the eye and mouth. In order to account for the yellow tinge, we 
 must bear in mind that bile is formed in the blood ; that the office 
 of the liver is to absorb or withdraw it from the circulation con- 
 stantly, as fast as it is formed. Disease of the liver, simulating 
 jaundice, manifests itself whenever the due separation of the bile 
 from the blood is not accomplished ; hence the accumulated bile 
 seeks other outlets, namely, the kidneys and intestines, and ex- 
 cretory gland of the skin. 
 
 When animals become jaundiced suddenly, we may infer that 
 the difficulty, whatever it may be, in the liver, is of an acute 
 character ; that is to say, it is recent in origin and active in form. 
 Jaundice is a phenomenon of several diseases peculiar to horses. 
 During the progress of the epizootic known as influenza, a jaun- 
 diced state of the visible surfaces is always present, which disap- 
 pears when the patient convalesces, showing that the liver is only 
 functionally deranged. When jaundice accompanies indigestion, 
 and disappears under the action of alteratives or changes in diet, 
 we may also infer that, if not absolutely functional, it is, at least, 
 not purely inflammatory. 
 
 It is plain, therefore, that jaundice is of but little consequence 
 in prognosis, since the symptoms with which it is often associated 
 declare, much more positively than itself, the gravity of the affection 
 in which it occurs as a symptom. It sometimes happens, however, 
 that the function of the liver becomes suddenly interrupted, causing 
 pain, after the fashion of what accompanies the bilious colic of man. 
 
 The following case will probably give the reader some idea of 
 the nature of acute functional disorder of the liver. The patient, 
 a gray gelding, aged nine years, was suddenly attacked with symp- 
 toms of colicky pains, for the relief of which the owner had given 
 a colic drench, which seemed to afford temporary ease; but soon 
 the symptoms reappeared, the animal got down, and seemed to be 
 the subject of acute pain. Under these circumstances, the owner 
 sent for me. 
 
212 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Symptoms. — On arriving at the stable, I found the patient stand- 
 ing, his head somewhat pendulous, appearing dull and sleepy. The 
 membranes within the eyelids and mouth were of a bright yellow 
 tinge ; pulse, rather feeble ; bowels, constipated ; in short, the usual 
 appearances attending functional derangement of the liver were 
 present ; yet the " key-note," or diagnostic symptom, was the bright 
 yellow tinge of the visible surfaces. 
 
 Treatment. — The following drench was given : 
 
 No. 26. Fluid extract of mandrake 3 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of golden seal 1 oz. 
 
 Carbonate of soda 2 dr. 
 
 Water 1 pint. 
 
 An injection of soap-suds was thrown into the rectum, which 
 brought away a small quantity of hardened, dark-colored excrement. 
 Next day I found the patient in about the same condition, and re- 
 peated the dose of medicine and injection. In the course of a few 
 hours the bowels responded, evacuating a large quantity of semi- 
 fluid, dark-colored feces, mixed with a substance resembling shreds 
 of albumen. Next day the animal appeared much better. I then 
 gave two ounces of fluid extract of golden seal, and one drachm 
 of hyposulphite of soda, and thus ended the treatment. 
 
 This case is an illustration of a simple mode of treatment far 
 superior to the old-fashioned system, which contemplates strong 
 doses of aloes and calomel, agents which usually intensify the 
 morbid phenomena, often producing a medicinal affection, which 
 requires much time for the animal to recover from. It is the 
 author's opinion that a vast number of very fine animals in these 
 United States die from the heroic system of practice, which over- 
 looks the best means of aid presented by the resources of mild 
 and sanative medication. 
 
 We have long been an advocate of the physiological method 
 of treating disease, and we contend that is more philosophical, 
 safe, and the surest means of restoring an equilibrium of vital 
 action in the animal economy, in all forms of morbid conditions; 
 and we earnestly entreat our readers to exercise great faith in the 
 powers of Nature to aid and assist in the cure of all maladies, 
 and place less reliance in the power of art. 
 
 In view of strengthening the faith of young converts to sana- 
 tive medication, we quote the language of Sir John Forbes, a 
 man of undoubted authority. 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 213 
 
 " Such has ever been the want of trust in Nature, and the over- 
 trust in art, prevalent among the members of the medical profes- 
 sion, that the field of natural observation has been, to a great extent, 
 hidden from them — hidden either actually from their eyes or vir- 
 tually from their apprehension. The constant interference of art, 
 in the form of medical treatment, with the normal processes of 
 disease, has not only had the frequent effect of disturbing them in 
 reality, but, when it failed to do so, has created the belief that it 
 did so, leading, in either case, to an inference equally wrong — the 
 false picture, in the one instance, being supposed to be true ; the 
 true picture, in the other, being supposed to be false." 
 
 In all cases of liver disease, it is good policy to change the diet, 
 and offer the animal green vegetables — sliced carrots, and grass 
 if it can be had. In all cases of chronic disease of the liver, a 
 run at grass is the most potent remedy for the cure of the same. 
 
 It was formerly supposed that the function of the liver was 
 merely to eliminate bile, but modern physiologists have discovered 
 that the blood itself is changed while circulating through that 
 gland, which elaborates fibrine from albumen, and fat from sugar. 
 The liver stores up fatty matter, so that, should the food be deficient 
 in fat, the liver yields up what it contains. It is very curious to 
 notice the peculiarity in the circulation of the liver. It is supplied, 
 like other organs, with arterial blood for its own support ; and it 
 also receives an immense quantity of venous blood through veins 
 commencing on the gastro-intestinal cavity, which terminate in a 
 vessel named vena porta. This vessel, on entering the liver, ram- 
 ifies in various directions, like an artery, and ultimately terminates 
 in the veins peculiar to the liver ; so that the blood, instead of flowing 
 directly from the stomach and intestines, is made to circulate through 
 the liver, and thus the various transformations are effected. The 
 liver must, therefore, perform the double function of secretion and 
 excretion. It secretes bile, and excretes carbon and hydrogen from 
 the system. Should an animal labor under diseased lungs, he may, 
 under proper medical treatment, recover, provided the liver be 
 healthy. This organ can, for a time, eliminate carbon and hydro- 
 gen ; but, instead of passing off as they do from the lungs, in the 
 form of carbonic acid, they accumulate in the liver, in the form 
 of fat, or else the liver increases to an extraordinary size. In 
 Strasburg they prepare a favorite dish from the livers of geese, 
 artificially enlarged by the cruel process of depriving them of 
 
214 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 light and liberty, confining them in a warm room, and stuffing 
 them with food. We find that, under such barbarous management, 
 there is a disproportion between the oxygen respired and the car- 
 bon taken in the form of food. The respiration which active ex- 
 ercise increases and rest diminishes are, now that the animal is 
 confined, slow and uniform. The lungs fail in eliminating car- 
 bonic acid, and hence carbon and hydrogen are driven back to the 
 liver by means of venous circulation. An excess of carbonaceous 
 material in the liver is liable to result in jaundice, which is a simple 
 functional derangement of that organ. It occurs generally in the 
 warm months, and is usually sudden in its attack. 
 
 Among the most prominent symptoms are high-colored urine, 
 yellow tinge of the visible surfaces, languid pulse, and slow action. 
 If the liver be the seat of inflammatory action, the pulse will be 
 quick and bounding, respiration hurried, the patient feverish, and 
 pressure over the region of the liver elicits symptoms of pain. 
 If simple functional derangement exists unchecked for any length 
 of time, it leads to organic lesions and structural disease. When 
 the bile accumulates, it is very apt to thicken and produce gall- 
 stones or calculi ; if these accumulate in the gall ducts, the subject, 
 unless relieved, soon dies. 
 
 Diseases of the liver have hitherto been considered the bane of 
 tropical climates, but they are equally prevalent in cold and moist 
 regions. Horses and men are as frequently attacked with it in 
 northern as in southern latitudes. The celebrated sheep-breeder, 
 Bakewell, knew that early disturbance of the liver led to the ac- 
 cumulation of fat, and, in order to derange the liver, he was in 
 the habit of folding his sheep in wet pastures. Now, the English 
 agriculturists are well acquainted with the fact that water mea- 
 dows have a tendency to produce that almost incurable disease 
 termed rot. Hot originates from a diseased liver, and, in the 
 early stages of it, the animal accumulates fat very fast ; so that 
 by rotting sheep he was able to bring fat ones early to market, and 
 thus steal a march on his more conscientious neighbors. This 
 state of the liver termed rot is associated with the existence 
 of parasites termed distoma hepatieum, commonly denominated 
 flukes, and these parasites are considered the cause of rot, when, 
 in fact, they are the results of deranged functions of the liver. 
 The rot, therefore, is not local. It can be produced in any coun- 
 try by exposing animals to the debilitating effects of moisture and 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 215 
 
 neglect. It is not only prevalent in England, but also in Asia, 
 Africa, and America. In Egypt, on the receding of the Nile, it 
 spreads to a fearful extent. In warm climates the livers of men 
 and animals become diseased, not so much from local causes as 
 from stimulating drinks and diet. If a man attempts to consume 
 the same amount of food in warm that he has been accustomed to 
 in cold climates, he is apt to become bilious, and this is a pre- 
 monitory indication of perverted function of the liver. A very 
 important fact has lately been discovered in reference to the func- 
 tion of the liver. A French chemist has ascertained that one 
 function of the liver was to produce sugar out of the animal or- 
 ganism. This is the secret of the formation of the fat. Chem- 
 ically speaking, sugar and fat are nearly allied, the chief difference 
 being that one contains a small portion of oxygen. 
 
 Many valuable animals are lost from organic disease of the 
 liver, the origin of which may, in many cases that have come to 
 our knowledge, be traced to simple functional derangement, which 
 has existed for some time. Its symptoms are either unobserved 
 or, if perceived, disregarded. Some of the subjects that have been 
 put under our care for the treatment of diseased liver had a strong 
 predisposition for the malady, their color being black and tem- 
 perament bilious. Such horses are the ones that require special 
 attention whenever they appear to be " ailing." It is remarkable 
 to observe, however, that many horses of a temperament diverse 
 from the bilious are often attacked with organic and functional 
 derangement of the liver, and this peculiarity can only be ac- 
 counted for on the ground that the horse has no gall-bladder — 
 no receptacle, such as is found in cattle, for the accumulation of 
 bile ; consequently, the horse's liver must be an active organ, 
 especially when the animal is permitted to make but one meal per 
 day, and that meal occupies a period from sunrise to sunset, and 
 daily and weekly continues to occupy no less time. The conse- 
 quence is, the organ is overworked, and is the seat of local ex- 
 haustion. The liver requires regular periods of rest to recover 
 from fatigue or functional duty, yet how is it possible to secure 
 the same when a horse is permitted to make a perpetual hay-rack 
 and corn-bin of his stomach ? The herculean feat of converting 
 a hay -stack and corn granary into bone, muscle, and nerve at the 
 rate of 2.40 is beyond the physiological capacity of any vital 
 organ; therefore, in the language of the sailor, the vessel sinks 
 
216 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 from local inundation — the liver caves in from overwork, too much 
 food, and too little discretion. A hard pull on an omnibus, or a 
 similar feat in a marketer's wagon, would be the very best medi- 
 cine in the world for a plethoric horse, or one predisposed to 
 hepatic derangement. 
 
 The Pancreas and its Function. 
 
 The pancreas is a glandular body lying across the spine, in the 
 epigastric region, underneath the diaphragm, near the small curv- 
 ature of the stomach. The body of this gland is pierced by the 
 vena porta (known as the gate rein) ; has one attachment to the 
 spleen, and another to the left kidney. It is divided into head, 
 body, and tail. Structure, similar to salivary glands. Color, 
 pale red, speckled. It is composed of many lobules. Every lobe 
 has a distinct set of nerves, arteries, veins, and ducts. Every lobe 
 is, therefore, considered as a distinct gland, and the same is true 
 of the salivary glands. The duct pierces the duodenum (known 
 as the second stomach), alongside of the hepatic duct. 
 
 The pancreatic arteries are derived mostly 1 from the hepatic. 
 Several, however, come from the splenic, in its course to the left 
 side of the abdomen, and one or two from the gastric. The veins 
 are tributary to the vena porta. The nerves come from the cceliac 
 plexus. The fluid secreted by the pancreas is a colorless, limpid 
 fluid. It forms an emulsion of fat ; hence it dissolves the fatty 
 matters of the food. It is an active agent in the preparation of 
 chyle. That the pancreatic juice possesses the property of emul- 
 sifying fat is proved from the fact that when the pancreas is 
 destroyed, and the animal fed on food containing fatty matter, the 
 latter passes with the feces,Just like fat in an unchanged state. 
 
 Mr. Gamgee says: "The pancreatic juice has another impor- 
 tant use which remains to be spoken of, and that is a peculiar 
 action on nitrogenized substances. If raw meat be placed in 
 some of the juice, the meat speedily softens and putrefies. The 
 same occurs with albumen or caseine in the raw state ; but if the 
 azotized principles are previously boiled, or acted upon by the 
 gastric juice, the pancreatic therefore serves many purposes, and 
 acts on every kind of aliment. 
 
 Circumstances affecting the digestive function in general have a 
 special influence on the pancreas, and modify its secretion. Such 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 217 
 
 is not the case "with the salivary glands and their products. The 
 pancreatic juice may, like every other secretion, be found to con- 
 tain adventitious substances that have accidentally entered the 
 blood. Thus, iodide of potassium may be eliminated from the 
 system by the pancreas. It is not so with every salt, the prussiate 
 of potash, for example, never being seen in the pancreatic juice. 
 
 The pancreatic secretion is formed during infra-uterine life, but 
 we are at a loss to account for its uses there. It is difficult to de- 
 termine what nervous influences affects its production. A dose of 
 ether excites it, and pressure on the abdominal viscera likewise 
 tends to its increase ; the efforts of vomiting stop it." ' 
 
 On Parasites which infest the Intestinal Canal. 
 
 There are various forms of parasites which infest the alimentary 
 canal of horses and cattle which, no doubt, are the cause of some 
 annoyance to the infested ; but really they are not, at all times, so 
 injurious as some writers make them out to be. They are rarely 
 if ever found in the intestines of healthy animals, and their pres- 
 ence is generally due to a deranged condition of the digestive 
 organs. They very frequently originate spontaneously. 
 
 "Certain independent organisms, both vegetable and animal, 
 are found in the body. The vegetable growths are all microscopic, 
 and belong to the lowest order of plants, the algae and fungi. 
 They are never met with except upon cutaneous or mucous sur- 
 faces, nor while these surfaces remain healthy, usually. A secre- 
 tion of fibrine or mucus, undergoing decomposition, forms the soil 
 in which they grow. In some cases, they are believed to be the 
 media of contagion. 
 
 Animal parasites are very numerous. Many of them are in- 
 fusorial. Many belong to the class of insects and mites, as fleas, 
 lice, bugs, and the acari, of which the most important one is the 
 itch-mite. A class of higher consequence comprises several sorts 
 of worms. Those which infest the intestinal canal are extremely 
 common, and are the oxguris vermieularis, or thread-worm, which 
 inhabits the rectum ; the trichocephalus dispar, or long thread- 
 worm, which is found in the large intestine, and especially in the 
 caecum ; the ascares lumbrieoedes, or round worm, whose ordinary 
 residence is the small intestine; the tape-worm, or taenia, which 
 also affects the same part. The kidney is occasionally the seat of 
 
218 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 a round worm, called ths strongylus gigas, measuring from five 
 inches to three feet in length, and from two to six lines in thick- 
 ness. 
 
 The diseases with which even large intestinal worms are con- 
 nected appear to be sometimes the cause and sometimes the effect 
 of the presence of these parasites. Very often they exist in con- 
 siderable numbers without producing the least disturbance of the 
 economy, but in other cases they are unquestionably the cause of 
 much suffering and ill-health. How far they are themselves the 
 result of a morbid state of the organs in which they appear is 
 still an undecided question. 
 
 The origin of parasites is extremely obscure, and has long been 
 a mooted point among naturalists. It may not be inappropriate 
 to present a summary of the opinions which are entertained respect- 
 ing a subject of so much interest, but, in doing so, we shall confine 
 our remarks to the parasitic animals which inhabit the interior of 
 the body, or entozoa. 
 
 It is evident that these animals must originate in one of two 
 ways ; that they must be derived directly or indirectly from with- 
 out, or be created out of materials existing within, and furnished 
 by, the body. No other supposition is possible. If an entozoon 
 is in any manner derived from without, it must be admitted that 
 this takes place either through the reception of the animal itself 
 or of its ova. If either opinion be assumed, it follows that the 
 parent animal must exist somewhere external to the body. But 
 the parasites in question have never, in any case whatever, been 
 detected except within the organism. If it is objected that many 
 of these animals are so minute that they might easily elude dis- 
 covery in the elements around us, the argument fails when applied 
 to the giant strongylus, the stout lumbricoid worm, and the taenia, 
 measuring many yards in length. Besides, even admitting for a 
 moment the possibility of the parasites which inhabit the intes- 
 tine, and other mucous cavities, having once existed externally, 
 the insuperable difficulty still remains of explaining the entrance 
 of entozoa into shut cavities and parenchymatous structures — into 
 the eye, or the muscles, for example, and their presence in the 
 unborn child, and even in the bodies of larger entozoa of a differ- 
 ent species. On the other hand, if it is maintained that the ova 
 are alone received, it must still be shown that the ova exist exter- 
 nal to the body, which has never been done. Nor would the 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 219 
 
 admission of this explanation be sufficient ; for many of the entozoa 
 are not propagated by eggs, but belong to the viviparous class, 
 so that in regard to them the difficulty remains undiminished. 
 But granting the existence of ova without, and their reception into 
 the body, it is still impossible to explain the development from 
 them of the animals found in the parenchyma, in the embryo, etc., 
 without, at the same time, admitting that the ova are not only 
 carried to these localities through the blood-vessels, but actually 
 pass through the walls of the capillaries. Such an admission 
 would be a physiological absurdity; for the extreme vessels will 
 allow of the passage of a single blood-globule at a time, and no 
 more, and will not permit any denser fluid than the plasma of the 
 blood to permeate their walls. How, then, could they afford a 
 passage in any manner to ova, the least of which is ten times as 
 large as a blood globule? 
 
 If the hypothesis now presented is untenable, it only remains 
 to adopt the alternative one, to-wit : that entozoa are generated or 
 created anew out of the materials or the products of the living 
 organism. It may be urged affirmatively, in support of this doc- 
 trine, that each organ possesses its own entozoa — the kidney, a 
 species different from those of the intestine, which are, again, un- 
 lit: e the parasites of the liver. Even more : the several parts of 
 the same organ generate dissimilar animals. The small intestine 
 produces the round and the tape-worms ; the large intestine, the 
 two species of thread- worms. These facts seem to show that some 
 extremely local concurrence of circumstances is essential to the 
 production of the several entozoa. It may also be argued, and we 
 think the argument unanswerable, that if spermatic animalcules, 
 which exist in the testicle, are there spontaneously generated, no 
 violence is done to probability in supposing parasitic animals to 
 be produced in the same manner. It will hardly be denied that 
 spermatozoa are literally evolved from the constituents of the 
 semen ; but it is objected to the doctrine of spontaneous generation 
 that it i§ against analogy, which every-where supports the famous 
 dogma, omne vivum ex ovo. This objection is a mere begging of 
 the question. The decision of the case in hand involves the truth 
 of the theory just quoted, and, as we believe, must be allowed to 
 show that this theory is not absolutely universal in its application. 
 Other facts, also, among which are the following, tend to invali- 
 date it. Nothing can be more certain than that all organized 
 
220 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 beings were, at some time or other, created. Geology proves that 
 successive genera and species have been thus created, at long in- 
 tervals apart ; and the history of disease renders it probable that 
 one affection, at least (syphilis), which is only propagated by direct 
 descent, ex ovo, as it were, is really of comparatively recent origin. 
 
 In conclusion, after the review of the preceding outline of an 
 argument upon the generation of parasitic entozoa, we feel obliged 
 to admit that the weight of facts and probabilities is wholly on 
 the side of the doctrine of spontaneous generation. At the same 
 time, we can not but look with interest to the results of future 
 observations in this field, nor altogether suppress the hope that 
 the simple law of Nature, omne vivum ex ovo, may even yet be 
 found to embrace the classes which now appear to form so striking 
 an exception to its provisions."* 
 
 Symptoms. — The usual symptoms indicating the presence of 
 worms in the intestinal canal are, sometimes, a scurfy, yellow mu- 
 cous accumulation around the margin of the anus ; the appetite 
 is not uniform ; the bowels are irregular, sometimes loose, and 
 sometimes constipated ; and the feces are often shrouded with 
 shreds of mucus, of a yellow color. When ascarides are present 
 (located in the rectum), the horse is much inclined to rub his tail 
 against any post or fence he can get at, and he employs himself 
 at such feats against the sides of the stall, in view, probably, of 
 allaying the intolerable itching which usually attends the presence 
 of these parasites. 
 
 The lumbrici, or round worms, sometimes exist in the intes- 
 tines in great numbers. They are then apt to be hurtful. In 
 such cases, the coat looks unthrifty, and the hair has lost its na- 
 tural glossiness, and appears rough to the sense of touch. It has 
 been noticed, also, that when horses are afflicted with intestinal 
 parasites, their breath gives out a fetid odor, and they have a sort 
 of dry, hacking cough. It is well known, however, that some 
 horses, enjoying, apparently, the very best kind of health, are often 
 the subjects of worms. 
 
 Treatment. — Most of the remedies recommended in the ancient 
 works on farriery are just about as likely to kill the horse as the 
 parasites, and consequently are, to say the least, unsafe. The true 
 theory is this : worms are the result of indigestion ; hence our 
 
 *Stille's "Elements of Pathology." 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 221 
 
 object, by way of prevention, is to give tone to the digestive or- 
 gans ; and soon after the worms have congregated in the intestinal 
 canal, bitter tonics and alteratives are obnoxious to them. They 
 then die, are digested, and pass from the anus as fecal matter. 
 
 Suppose we give the infested horse powerful purges, tartar 
 emetic, calomel, turpentine, etc., as the books recommend. We 
 may succeed in their expulsion, but that does not mend the mat- 
 ter; for the agents just named are all more or less prostrating, 
 and create a worse state of digestive derangement than that which 
 previously existed, and soon, by virtue of spontaneous generation, 
 a new crop of parasites make their appearance. 
 
 When a horse shows any of the symptoms here alluded to, in- 
 dicating indigestion, or the actual presence of worms, I recommend 
 that an occasional dose of the following be given : 
 
 No. 27. Powdered poplar bark (populus tremuloides). ~) 
 
 Powdered sulphur > equal parts. 
 
 Powdered salt J 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Dose, one table-spoonful, to be mixed with bran or oats. 
 
 EXAMPLES OF VERMIFUGES. 
 
 No. 1. — Fluid extract of wormwood, four drachms; to be given 
 in the morning, before feeding time, for several successive days. 
 
 No. 2. — Give one ounce of fluid extract of pink-root, every 
 morning, before feeding, for a week. 
 
 A GOOD REMEDY FOR THE TAPE-"WORM. 
 
 Give four drachms of the solid extract of male fern (aspidium 
 felix mas) every other morning, during a period of about ten days. 
 This is said to be a specific for tape-worm. 
 
 Finally, as regards the treatment of worms, Nature has endowed 
 these parasites with such tenacity of life, that no matters known 
 to us will effect their destruction, though a few may answer the 
 purpose of their expulsion. Bots are so hardy as apparently to 
 survive immersion in oil, in alcohol, spirits of turpentine, and 
 even powerful solutions of mineral acids. The continued use of 
 salt, mixed with the food, appears, however, obnoxious to them ; 
 for sometimes, under its use, their hold gives way, and they are 
 ejected. Bitters, purgatives, and the mechanical irritation of 
 
222 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 pointed bodies, as pewter, tin, etc., have no effect whatever upon 
 bots ; but with regard to the other parasites, rather more success 
 may be expected from medical aid, in the form of vermifuges. 
 It has been attempted to effect the removal of worms mechan- 
 ically, by dissolving the mucus they are supposed to be imbedded 
 in, for which purpose lime-water, oil, solutions of aloes, etc., have 
 been injected by clyster up the rectum, and which practice is most 
 to be depended on for the ejection of ascarides when in the rectum. 
 This practice of washing away the mucus of the intestine, and 
 thus to deprive the intestine of the secretion given for its protec- 
 tion, is not to be recommended, though oil, for this end, would be 
 harmless. Strong purges are given with the same intent, which 
 may remove them also from the whole alimentary track. Reme- 
 dies have likewise been exhibited to destroy them within the 
 body, by the mechanical irritation of their spiculi, under which 
 view tin, brass, iron, and pewter are thought remedial. The In- 
 dian caustic barley and Indian pink are reputed vermifuges 
 against the teres and ascaris. The oil of turpentine has also been 
 strongly recommended as an excellent general vermifuge; but, 
 except for the destruction of the taenia, or tape-worm, it certainly 
 does not appear to deserve that character."* 
 
 * "Blaine's Outlines." 
 
SECTION VIII. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 
 
 Inflammation of the Kidneys — Inflammation of the Bladder — Stone in the 
 Bladder — Suppression of the Urine — Retention of the Urine — Diabetes, 
 or Profuse Stalling — Rupture of the Bladder — Albuminous Urine — 
 Hematuria, or Bloody Urine. 
 
 Inflammation of the Kidneys (Nephritis). 
 
 A NEPHRITIC affection is often mistaken for what some 
 persons term "sprain across the kidneys" (lumbar sprain). 
 It is a mistake of some importance, from the fact that when sprain . 
 or strain is suspected, people are apt to resort to the use of irri- 
 tating embrocations or liniments, which may do much harm, as 
 their action is to augment heat and pain, which, in case of ne- 
 phritis, is to be avoided. 
 
 Symptoms. — Hard and accelerated pulse ; quickened respiration, 
 indicative of pain; back, arched; legs, straddling; the head is 
 often turned toward the loins, or region of pain ; the animal is 
 unwilling to describe a circle with its body, and, while the acute 
 stage lasts, scarcely if ever gets down on the floor; the urine is 
 reddened and scanty ; finally, the animal crouches when pressure 
 is made over the region of the loins, and, as is the case in all acute 
 affections, thirst and loss of appetite are observable. 
 
 Treatment. — The treatment of nephritis, in the acute or inflam- 
 matory stage, is just such as would be proper supposing the case 
 to be one of enteritis, or peritonitis. Twenty or forty drops of 
 fluid extract of gelseminum may be placed on the tongue two or 
 three times, at intervals of four hours; fomentations of hops or 
 poppy-heads (warm) should be applied to the loins, and occa- 
 sional enemas of warm water may be thrown into the rectum. 
 The drink should consist of what is known as flaxseed or slippery- 
 
 (223) 
 
224 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 elm tea. Soon the inflammatory symptoms will subside, the patient 
 will manifest some relief from pain, and the color of the urine will 
 change, become lighter and thicker in consistence. We then dis- 
 continue the above treatment, and administer one ounce of fluid 
 extract of buchu, morning and evening. This treatment, aided by 
 rest and good nursing, usually completes the cure. 
 
 Should it be suspected that the animal has a fit of pain, caused 
 by the "gravel," or passage or presence of urinary calculi, then 
 two drachms of muriatic acid should be mixed in the ordinary 
 drink, every time the animal is watered. He should also have a 
 small quantity of powdered slippery-elm or flaxseed mixed with 
 the food. Horses the subjects of urinary calculi pass urine which, 
 on being caught in an earthen vessel, deposits phosphates and other 
 earthy matter. When this occurs, and the animal has a fit of pain 
 or gravel, we may infer, in the absence of more positive proof, that 
 urinary calculi are present in some portion of the urinary apparatus. 
 
 Inflammation of the Bladdee (Cystitis). 
 
 The principal symptom of inflammation of the bladder is fre- 
 quent urination, accompanied by straining and pain. Sometimes 
 the urine dribbles away, involuntarily or not, as the case may be. 
 It appears that the least distension of the bladder causes pain; 
 hence the eifort to keep it empty. The urine is usually high- 
 colored, or, rather, of a dull red color. The animal stands with 
 his hind limbs widely separated. The treatment is precisely the 
 same as that just recommended for inflammation of the kidneys. 
 
 Stone in the Bladdee. 
 
 One very remarkable symptom attending the presence of calcu- 
 lus, or stone in the bladder, is, that after the urine is voided there 
 comes a painful sensation, which causes the horse to groan. This 
 is caused by the walls of the bladder coming forcibly in contact 
 with the calculus, which is now a foreign body. Occasionally the 
 horse is urinating a full stream, when, all at once, the stream is 
 suddenly arrested, the animal still straining until urination again 
 commences. This is a pretty sure sign of stone in the bladder. 
 Stones that have been taken from the bladder, after death, present 
 a highly-polished surface ; hence they do not produce that amount 
 
DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 225 
 
 of irritation which proceeds from intestinal calculi, the surfaces of 
 which are always rough. 
 
 Mr. Youatt says that " the symptoms of stone in the bladder 
 much resemble those of spasmodic colic, except that, on careful 
 inquiry, it will be found that there has been much irregularity in 
 the discharge of urine, and occasional suppression of it. When 
 fits of apparent colic frequently return, and are accompanied by 
 any peculiarity in the appearance or the discharge of the urine, the 
 horse should be carefully examined. For this purpose, he must 
 be thrown. If there is stone in the bladder, it will, while the 
 horse lies on his back, press on the rectum. Several cases have 
 lately occurred of successful extraction of the calculus, but to 
 effect this it is always necessary to have recourse to the aid of a 
 veterinary practitioner." 
 
 It is not necessary to cast the horse in view of ascertaining the 
 presence of calculus. The hand can be introduced into the rectum 
 while the horse is standing. The rectum should, however, first be 
 evacuated by enemas of warm water. But we have a better plan 
 than this. A sound or jointed catheter has been invented, which, 
 when passed into the bladder, determines, by percussion, the pres- 
 ence of calculi. The operation of lithotomy can only be performed 
 by one skilled in the science ; yet the reader may desire to know 
 something about the mode of performing it ; therefore I introduce 
 a case of the kind, which occurred in the practice of Mr. Field. 
 The following is the case : 
 
 "The animal was cast, in the usual manner, and both hind 
 legs were drawn to the shoulders, as if for castration. Read's new 
 flexible catheter being passed into the bladder, a quantity of warm 
 water was injected sufficient to distend that organ and the urethra 
 moderately. The catheter being withdrawn, and holding the penis 
 with the left hand, a slightly-curved grooved staff, two feet long, 
 was introduced, so as for the curved part to come into the subanal 
 portion of the urethra, above the posterior edge of the ischium, 
 extending toward the sphincter ani. An assistant, kneeling on 
 the left side of the horse, drew the penis forward with his left 
 hand, and gently pushed the staff backward with the right, at the 
 same time keeping the groove exactly beneath the raphe. This 
 elevated the portion of the urethra to be incised. I then made an 
 incision, a line from and on the right side of the raphe, through 
 the skin and fascia, extending the length of from three to four 
 15 
 
226 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 inches; and, pushing the penis a little on one side, I gradually 
 divided the muscular and spongy portion, and exposed the mucous 
 membrane of the urethra, when the finger readily detected the 
 groove of the staff, into which a small incision was made sufficient 
 to admit the bistoire cachee, following which with the index finger 
 of the left hand, the membrane was divided to the rectum. Very 
 little blood flowed, and the water of the urethra gushed out. The 
 staff being removed, I easily introduced the small forceps through 
 the urethra into the bladder, and grasped the stone, a portion of 
 which flaked off. The large forceps were then employed, and, 
 my brother holding the handles, I directed the blades upon the 
 stone, my left hand being in the rectum. Having placed the 
 stone in a proper position, I grasped it with the forceps, and, with 
 both hands, gave it a half-turn, so as to place its widest axis be- 
 tween the pubis and rectum; and thus, with a moderate force, I 
 gradually and evenly drew it out, the neck of the bladder readily 
 dilating. Two stitches were inserted in that part of the incision 
 nearest the anus, the lower part being left to itself." 
 
 Suppression of Urine. 
 
 Suppression of urine signifies that condition in which no urine 
 is either secreted or voided. The affection is due to either func- 
 tional or organic disease of the kidneys, or it is an accompaniment 
 of various forms of disease, and, in such cases, is termed functional. 
 For example, I lately treated a horse the subject of jaundice; 
 he did not pass a drop of urine for two days. I inferred that 
 the kidneys were inactive, and did not secrete urine, therefore he 
 had none to pass ; but after this period, a slight improvement in 
 the disease (jaundice) having taken place, he urinated, yet at first 
 only in small quantities. 
 
 When the affection comes on periodically, it indicates organic 
 disease of the kidneys, and, finally, is apt to prove fatal. Wat- 
 son says " that if no urine be separated from the blood, coma 
 soon supervenes, and death. It is believed that these conse- 
 quences result from the detention of urea in the system. Urea is 
 a mere excrement, which, in health, is removed from the blood 
 by the kidneys as fast as it enters that fluid. When it is not so 
 carried off, it accumulates in the blood, circulates with it to every 
 part of the body, and acts as a poison, especially upon the brain. 
 
DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 227 
 
 To render it thus poisonous, however, its decomposition in the 
 blood appears to be requisite. 
 
 This is one of the numerous instances showing that the carry- 
 ing fluid of the body may become the vehicle of disease and death, 
 if it be not duly purged of deleterious matters which pertain to 
 the unceasing processes of organic life. If carbonic acid be not 
 extricated by the lungs, the animal functions are as certainly and 
 almost as speedily extinguished by that gas as the flame of a taper 
 might be, and we know that when the outlet of the liver is shut 
 up, when the blood is not pumped from the excrementitious bile 
 the powers of animal life are weakened and sometimes utterly 
 and rapidly destroyed." 
 
 Frequent complaints are made to me, by horsemen, that their 
 horses do not urinate sufficiently, and I am requested to furnish 
 diuretics. I usually advise the former not to feel alarmed, for 
 Nature regulates these matters, and, in time, all will be well ; pro- 
 vided, however, good food is furnished, and proper care is taken 
 of the animal. The subject being one of importance, both as 
 regards man and horse, I here introduce the following article 
 from Watson's " Lectures : " 
 
 " Suppression of urine, for a considerable time, is not, however, 
 necessarily and universally fatal. Patients laboring under the 
 epidemic cholera would secrete not a drop of water for some days, 
 and yet recover. It was remarkable how entirely free such patients 
 were from any approach toward coma. Was the urea here drained 
 off from the blood in the enormous and unnatural flux from the 
 stomach and bowels? I think it probably was; but chemical 
 search has not detected that substance in the fluids so effused. 
 Schmidt thinks, indeed, that it would be found but for its rapid 
 decomposition into carbonate of ammonia. There are, however, 
 some very singular instances on record of persons who have passed 
 days and even weeks without secreting urine, and without show- 
 ing any other indication of impaired health. What degree of 
 credit such narratives deserve I do not know ; but assuming that 
 there was neither fraud nor mistake, it may be suspected that 
 either the natural secretion was compensated by some vicarious 
 or supplemental discharge, or that a small quantity of urine was 
 actually separated by the kidneys. ' If any water, however small 
 the quantity,' remarks Sir Henry Halford, 'had been made in 
 these cases, I should have thought it possible that the patient 
 
228 „ DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 might have recovered ; for it has often surprised me to observe 
 how small has been the measure of that excrementitious fluid 
 which the frame has sometimes thrown off, and yet preserved 
 itself harmless. But the cessation of the excretion altogether is 
 universally a fatal symptom in my experience, being followed by 
 oppression on the brain.' The same eminent physician states that 
 in three of his five cases there was observed a remarkably strong 
 urinous smell in the perspiration for twenty-four hours before 
 death. This I believe is of common occurrence in such cases. 
 Other patients have vomited, or passed by the bowels, watery 
 matters possessing some of the sensible qualities of urine ; and a 
 urinous fluid is said to have been found in the ventricles of the 
 brain in some of the fatal cases. 
 
 I have spoken of suppression of urine as a malady, though it 
 probably is never any thing more than a symptom ; yet it is one 
 of those symptoms which, from our uncertainty respecting their 
 origin and determining cause, we are obliged to treat and to study 
 as if they were substantive diseases. In the only well-marked 
 instance that I have seen of suppression of urine coming on in 'an 
 apparently healthy person, some blood had appeared in the urine 
 for a day or two before the secretion was totally suspended, and 
 the kidneys were found gorged with blood. Extreme congestion 
 or inflammation of the substance of the gland is probably at the 
 bottom of many of these cases. The same train of symptoms 
 supervenes not unfrequently upon organic renal disease. They 
 happen, too, sometimes, when the ureters become impervious from 
 disease, or from impacted gravel. In this condition urine con- 
 tinues to be secreted, for a time at least, and distends the ureter 
 behind the seat of the obstruction. The apoplectic state which 
 ensues may arise from a reabsorption of the secreted fluid ; or, in 
 consequence of the obstacle, the secretion itself, after going to a 
 certain point, may stop, and then the case becomes a case of sup- 
 pression." 
 
 Treatment. — Persons desirous of administering medicine for the 
 treatment of this affection, are advised to give half an ounce of 
 powdered chlorate of potass, dissolved in the drink, every night, 
 and half an ounce of fluid extract of buchu every morning. 
 
DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 229 
 
 Retention of Urine. 
 
 Retention and suppression of urine are terms very often con- 
 founded with each other. We have just shown what is meant by 
 suppression, and now it remains for us to understand the true na- 
 ture of retention. Retention signifies an undue delay of natural 
 discharges. The secretion of urine may be active as ever, yet the 
 animal has not the power to void it. The bladder soon becomes 
 distended beyond its physiological capacity. Its muscular fibers 
 are overstretched, and thus have not' the power to contract again 
 until the fluid is evacuated by means of the catheter; hence the 
 treatment of such a case as this pertains more to the art of sur- 
 gery than that of medicine. 
 
 Treatment. — In most of these cases we find the neck of the blad- 
 der spasmodically contracted. The spasm may be either primary 
 or it may accompany spasmodic colic, which is often the case. In 
 fact some animals, when suffering from retention of urine, act just 
 as if they had colic; hence it is, in such cases, highly necessary 
 that the bladder be examined by introducing a hand into the 
 rectum. By this means, should the bladder be distended, it can 
 easily be discovered. The catheter must then be introduced, or 
 the animal will die from rupture of the bladder. Provided no 
 catheter should be at hand, I should throw into the rectum copi- 
 ous enemas of warm water, and administer one or two ounces of 
 tincture of assafetida as an antispasmodic, which may possibly 
 have the desired effect. 
 
 Diabetes, or Profuse Urination. 
 
 Many veterinary writers contend that diabetes is caused by the 
 administration of diuretics, or else in consequence of improper 
 food. In some instances this may be true. Errors of this kind 
 may produce an excessive flow of urine, but this does not consti- 
 tute diabetes. 
 
 Symptoms. — The characteristic symptom of diabetes is a most 
 remarkable change in the quality of the urine. It becomes loaded 
 with sugar. It has been found that in true diabetes the urine is 
 never without sugar. The most ready test for sugar in urine is 
 as follows : Invert a test-tube, filled with urine, to which a small 
 quantity of yeast has been added, into a saucer, also containing 
 
230 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 urine ; set the mixture in a warm place, and, if sugar be present, 
 fermentation will soon commence, and carbonic acid rising in the 
 tube will depress the upper surface of the urine. 
 
 Very few experiments have ever been made on the diabetic 
 urine of horses ; but large quantities of saccharine matters have 
 been obtained from the diabetic urine of man, by a process of 
 evaporation. Watson tells us, in his "Lectures," that he has 
 seen large flat cakes of beautifully crystallized diabetic sugar. 
 " It differs somewhat from common sugar, the produce of the 
 sugar-cane, and approaches more nearly to the sugar of grapes. 
 This kind of sugar, which may also be produced artificially from 
 starch, chemists have named glucose. By rapid evaporation of 
 the water, a thick syrup is produced, resembling treacle ; but Dr. 
 Macintyre, who has presented to our hospital museum some very 
 fine specimens of this sugar, prepared by Dr. Blandford, informs 
 me that to get it well crystallized, the evaporation in a steam- 
 bath should be stopped while the urine is of thin consistence. It 
 may be quickly reduced to one-half, perhaps, of its original quan- 
 tity; then it should be set aside, in shallow plates, and in the 
 course of ten days or a fortnight the sugar will be deposited." 
 
 An animal the subject of diabetes is usually very thirsty. The 
 urine is light-colored, almost transparent. It has not the ordi- 
 nary odor of common urine, but something like musty hay. 
 
 Treatment. — The indications in the treatment of this affection 
 are, to give tone to the system and sustain the general health. A 
 drachm or two of the sulphate of iron may be occasionally mixed 
 with the oats (the latter must be of the best quality), and one 
 ounce of the fluid extract of buchu may be given every night.* 
 Good wholesome food and an occasional drink of slippery-elm 
 tea are also indicated. Should the disease not yield to such treat- 
 ment as this, the case may be considered incurable. 
 
 Cause. — In regard to the cause of diabetes, very little is known ; 
 but, to set the matter right in the minds of some who believe that 
 nothing but diuretics and inferior provender excite it, I offer the 
 following quotation from the pen of the author just named. I 
 think, however, that bad food is most likely to produce diabetes. 
 
 * The buchu is not a direct diuretic, like resin or niter; therefore it may be 
 given with safety. It acts as a tonic and sudorific, and operates physiologically 
 on the kidneys. 
 
DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 231 
 
 " It is probable enough that the exciting cause of diabetes may 
 sometimes lie in the digestive organs, as Mr. McGregor supposed. 
 The results of his experiments do not conflict with M. Bernard's. 
 Mr. McGregor, you may remember, found sugar in the partly- 
 digested food brought up from the stomach of a diabetic patient. 
 He detected it also in the saliva ; and in the feces, which, when 
 allowed to dry spontaneously, became covered, after the lapse of 
 some time, with distinct crystals of sugar. And yeast having been 
 administered to two diabetic patients, in ounce doses, after each 
 meal, had soon to be discontinued, because the patients, to use their 
 own expressions, felt as if they ' were on the eve of being blown 
 up.' There being sugar in the blood, we need not be surprised 
 that he met with it in the gastric and intestinal secretions from 
 the blood. Dr. Harley has observed that by injecting irritating 
 matters into the portal vein, (ammonia, ether, chloroform, alcohol,) 
 a saccharine condition of the urine may be artificially produced. 
 It is conjectured that these substances act upon fibers of the pneu- 
 mogastric nerve, whence an impression is transmitted to the nerv- 
 ous centers, and thence is again reflected upon the liver through 
 the splanchnic nerves. It is not difficult to imagine that irritat- 
 ing substances may find their way into the portal blood through 
 a faulty digestion, or through the use of certain kinds of food or 
 of medicine. Again : since contrived irritation of the brain at the 
 origin of the pneumogastric nerves will make the urine saccharine, 
 the cause of diabetes in the human subject may reasonably be placed, 
 in some instances, within the skull ; and we may understand how 
 injuries or diseases of the brain, or even mental disquiet and de- 
 jection, operating through the brain, may produce it. Some strik- 
 ing cases have been published by Dr. Goolden, in which head 
 symptoms were accompanied by saccharine urine, and in which 
 the diabetic symptoms were checked or removed by remedies ad- 
 dressed to the head affection — by blisters especially, and by pur- 
 gatives. Nay, we may ask whether there may not, in fact, be two 
 varieties of diabetes mellitus, in one of which the animal and in 
 the other the vegetable form of sugar may be present in the urine, 
 and whether the one of these varieties may not be more hopeful 
 of cure or recovery than the other. Bearing in mind the name 
 and the distribution of the pneumogastric nerve, may we not in- 
 dulge the conjecture that disease or injury of the brain near the 
 origin of that nerve may directly affect the functions of the stom- 
 
232 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 ach, and thus prevent its digestive power, or the functions of the 
 lungs, and thus interfere with the chemical destruction of sugar 
 in those organs ? This last notion might seem to receive support 
 from the frequent association of pulmonary disease or disorder with 
 saccharine urine." 
 
 Rupture of the Bladder. 
 
 It is well known that rupture of the bladder may arise from 
 over-distension with urine ; yet it may occur from other causes, 
 as the following article, contributed by Dr. C. M. Wood, will 
 show : 
 
 "September 1. — My subject was a bay horse, seven years old, in 
 high condition ; that is, fat. On inquiry, I was informed, by the 
 man who had the care of him, that when he entered the stable, 
 at four o'clock, A. M., he found the horse rolling and tumbling, 
 and in great pain. I asked, What has the horse been doing ? and 
 was answered that, having fallen into other hands, he had done 
 little more than merely exercise for the past four months. On 
 examination, the following symptoms were observed: The ani- 
 mal was standing, with the near fore extremity raised and extended, 
 and in the act of pawing, but he did not disturb his bedding. He 
 would suddenly place one foot down and raise the opposite one, 
 when he would continue to paw, in like manner, for two or three 
 minutes. He would then cease pawing, and extend himself in his 
 stall, with the head elevated, and a fixed stare, as if in the act of 
 urinating. He, would then perhaps lie down at full length in his 
 stall, or throw his head back upon his side, and remain in this 
 position a few minutes ; would again rise and commence pawing, 
 as before. When standing, his hind extremities were wide apart. 
 His pulse was forty-two ; mouth, hot, but moist ; the visible mu- 
 cous surfaces slightly injected ; his respiration little disturbed ; in 
 fact, his symptoms were not violent. I gave an antispasmodic 
 drench, and left him. At eight, A. M., again visited my patient. 
 Found him standing, apparently relieved, yet he occasionally man- 
 ifested slight symptoms of a kind of dull abdominal pain. His 
 bowels being costive, I gave him one ounce of cathartic mass, one 
 drachm of calomel, and half a drachm of pulverized opium, in a 
 ball. At noon he was still the same. Ordered him a bran-mash, 
 which he did not eat; nor did he drink. Gave an enema, stim- 
 
DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 233 
 
 ulated the abdomen, and left him. Six, P. M. — He has laid down 
 quietly for two hours ; stands easy, but neither eats nor drinks. 
 Nine, P. M. — Still the same; lies down occasionally. When 
 standing, paws considerably. Has had no evacuation of the bow- 
 els or of the urinary passages since the man discovered that the 
 animal was sick. Examined the rectum, but found no feces therein. 
 Gave half a drachm each of Venice turpentine and copaiba, in an 
 infusion of linseed ; gave also an enema, and left him for the night, 
 leaving a pail of water in the manger before him. 
 
 September 2, six o'clock, A. M. — On entering the stable, my 
 patient appeared much the same as when I left him the previous 
 evening. I inquired how he had been during the night. The 
 groom informed me that 'he had remained easy until about one 
 o'clock, when he commenced pawing, as before, but without touch- 
 ing his bedding; that he would lie down for a few minutes quite 
 easy, when he would throw himself at full length in his stall, and 
 remain in that position a short time ; then rise up and extend 
 himself, as if to relieve the urinary passages, but only a few drops 
 dribbled away, as usual.' As usual? said I. Have you never 
 observed any difficulty in his making water before ? He answered, 
 ' I have taken care of this horse for over two years, and have 
 never seen him make more than a wine-glassful of water at any 
 one time. He passed a little every ten or fifteen minutes. His 
 stall was constantly wet, but I have never seen any trouble on 
 account of it.' This statement was fully corroborated by several 
 other persons. I now examined my patient per rectum, and found 
 the bladder empty. Upon introducing the catheter not a drop of 
 urine was obtained, nor even could the odor of urine be detected 
 on the catheter. I now concluded that he had a ruptured bladder, 
 and gave up all hopes of his recovery. However, from the pain 
 at intervals, and apparent relief of the animal occasionally, I di- 
 rected my treatment to the kidneys and bladder, by giving oily 
 laxatives, emollient enemas, and counter-irritation, in the hope, 
 not of cure, but of palliation, and each, in turn, gave relief for a 
 short time. Nine, P. M. — Have seen my patient several times 
 during the day. His symptoms increasing in frequency and vio- 
 lence. Pulse, sixty -six ; respiration, hurried ; body and extremi- 
 ties, still warm. He paws, rolls, and tumbles violently. Gave 
 an enema, which had the effect to remove the contents of the rec- 
 tum, consisting of four or five small pellets of feces, covered with 
 
234 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 mucus. He now, for the first time, drank six or seven swallows 
 of water, but had no desire for food. I ordered a pail of water 
 to be placed before him, and that a man should watch him during 
 the night. 
 
 September 3, six, A. M. — Has drank the water. Still paws, 
 lies down, suddenly rises, paws again, and thus continues. The 
 body is still warm ; he is not at all violent, his pain being, as it 
 were, dull ; the abdomen rapidly increasing in size. Nine, P. M. — 
 Have seen my patient several times since morning. See no pos- 
 sible chance for recovery. His respiration is quick and laborious ; 
 pulse, seventy-four ; visible mucous surfaces highly injected ; head 
 and neck bedewed with a cold, clammy perspiration; tremor of 
 the fore extremities ; still paws, but does not lie down. He puts 
 his nose in the bucket, plays with the water in it, but does not 
 drink. Abdomen appears to increase in size. Notwithstanding 
 every means was used for his relief, the symptoms continued to 
 increase in severity, and he died at one o'clock, A. M., on the 
 fourth. 
 
 Made an examination thirty-six hours after death, the knacker 
 neglecting to remove the horse before. On opening the abdo- 
 men the following appearances were visible : A slight blush of 
 inflammation pervaded the whole of the intestinal canal. Ex- 
 treme distention of the caecum and colon, but their contents were 
 pultacious. The bladder quite empty, and contracted at its cervix 
 into firm rugoe ; in substance its walls thickened to half an inch ; 
 its apex bore marks of ulceration, with a rupture of one and a half 
 inches through its parieties. Had it not been ruptured, I think 
 the bladder could not have been made to contain more than a 
 quart; and we think this condition of the organ is sufficient to 
 account for the constant dribbling spoken of by the groom. There 
 was an accumulation of several gallons of fluid in the abdominal 
 cavity, and the peritoneum bore evident marks of inflammation, 
 which, doubtless, had been rendered less solvent by the medicines 
 administered. The lining membrane of the bladder was clothed 
 with a kind of mucus, thick, muddy, and of a dark color. The 
 kidneys were almost destitute of the investing membrane. What 
 remained rubbed off with the slightest touch. In attempting to 
 remove them from their connections, they were torn with very 
 little force. They were of a brick red color, extremely soft, so 
 that they could be squeezed between the fingers like a paste ; or, 
 
DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 235 
 
 when laid upon a board, they flattened like soft dough. The liver 
 was softened, or, as it is generally called, rotten. It appeared 
 pale, was of a clay color externally, and could be broken down 
 with the slightest pressure. The stomach was healthy, and con- 
 tained about four quarts of fluid. The thoracic viscera healthy ; 
 heart, large and firm ; lungs, sound, but discolored, doubtless from 
 lying so long after death. 
 
 An idea suggests itself in regard to the case now under consid- 
 eration : that the liver did not properly prepare the blood for the 
 secretion of the urine ; hence the morbid condition of the kidneys 
 and bladder. But, although these organs are shown to have been 
 exercising a diseased secretory action, yet doubtless the primary 
 seat of the affection was in the digestive apparatus, the stomach, 
 and more particularly the liver. This question is not only a very 
 important one in a pathological point of view, but it is also one 
 of peculiar interest to the practitioner in his treatment of disease. 
 It directs him to the proper remedies to employ, and the action 
 of these remedies on the organs affected. In the treatment of all 
 diseases, it is not only necessary to understand the cause, but to 
 know the organ or viscus affected." 
 
 Albuminous Urine. 
 
 This is rather a rare disease among horses ; yet, as it does occa- 
 sionally occur, it may be proper to take some notice of it. Those 
 cases which have come under the author's notice have occurred in 
 animals of the scrofulous diathesis, most of which animals had a 
 scurfy skin, and were otherwise unthrifty, just the subjects for 
 disease of the kidneys ; for it is well known that when the excre- 
 mentitious function of the skin is interrupted, the kidneys have 
 to perform double labor. Their function is then overtaxed ; hence, 
 disease. 
 
 Albuminous urine is often associated with various forms of dis- 
 ease, or, rather, is the result of disease, or may follow the use of 
 improper medicines or bad food. Such are said to be the cause 
 of this malady (functional) in the human; and, reasoning from 
 analogy, we infer that the same causes operate on the horse, for 
 all the functions of his body are carried on after the same general 
 plan that obtains in the body of man. 
 
 Watson teaches us " that some articles of food, and some medi- 
 
236 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 cines, have the effect, in some cases, of rendering the urine for a 
 time albuminous. Perhaps it would be more correct to say that 
 certain forms of indigestion may cause this change. Albumen 
 has, also, been detected after a blister upon the skin, or under that 
 general state of irritation of the skin called eczema rubrum, which 
 is produced by the use of mercury. In the crisis of some febrile 
 disorders, in some cases of pregnancy, of heart disease, and in epi- 
 demic cholera, the same phenomena has been observed. Whenever 
 blood, proceeding from the long track of mucous membrane which 
 lines the urinary organs, mingles with the urine, that fluid, of 
 necessity, contains albumen, and coagulates, if tested by heat or by 
 nitric acid." There is no albumen in healthy urine; neither can 
 we recognize its presence by mere inspection. Horses often pass 
 urine of a thick and ropy character, but that does not prove that 
 it is albuminous. It may be loaded with morbid or excrementi- 
 tious matter, yet contain not a particle of albumen. Healthy 
 urine, when recently discharged, possesses the ordinary temper- 
 ature of the body, is transparent, of a straw color, and exhales 
 a peculiar ammoniacal odor, which it loses in cooling. About 
 ninety-three parts in one hundred of healthy urine is water; the 
 remainder are made up chiefly of urea, saline and organic matters. 
 Albumen, being similar to the white of eggs, passes from the fluid 
 to the solid state by boiling ; therefore, in order to detect albumen 
 in urine, it is only necessary to heat the suspected urine to the 
 boiling point, when the albuminous opacity becomes visible. 
 
 A horse the subject of albuminous urine usually has a strad- 
 dling gait ; will stretch backward his hind legs ; is stiff, and makes 
 short turns with difficulty. He is usually thirsty and feverish, 
 has a quick pulse, and the feuces are hard and dark-colored. When 
 the disease is of long standing, and the animal loses flesh, and the 
 mucous membranes of the mouth appear pale, the probability is 
 that the disease is organic, and the case may be considered incura- 
 ble. In such cases, the morbid appearances after death denote 
 degeneration, or structural change in the secreting surface of the 
 kidneys, and in the glands also. 
 
 Treatment. — The best remedy for the treatment of this affection 
 is fluid extract of buchu, two ounces per day. Green vegetables 
 and carrots are also indicated. 
 
DISEASES OF .THE URINARY ORGANS. 237 
 
 Hematuria (Bloody Urine). 
 
 Hematuria consists of extravasation of blood from the urinary 
 organs, which is mixed with the urine, giving to the latter a blood- 
 red t'inge. Small quantities of blood is very often excreted from 
 the kidneys, in consequence of congestion of the renal blood-ves- 
 sels. The affection often follows injury or sprain in the lumbar 
 region, and may occur in consequence of active disease, scattered 
 in either the kidneys or the bladder. Strong diuretics, such as 
 turpentine, juniper berries, etc., are operative in producing hema- 
 turia. But many cases are very obscure. Blood is sometimes 
 voided with the urine without any assignable cause. I have 
 known mares, when menstruating, to pass considerable blood with 
 the urine, which ceased on the termination of menstruation. 
 
 Treatment. — The proper method of treating this affection is to 
 apply warm-water dressings to the loins, and drench the patient 
 with one ounce of fluid extract of matico, night and morning. 
 Mucilaginous drinks are also needed, which may be composed of, 
 slippery-elm, flaxseed, or gum arabic. 
 
SUEGIOAL INSTRUMENTS USED IN VETERINARY PRACTICE. 
 
 Explanation.— Fig. 1, Hobbles for casting; 2, Probang, for the removal of obstruction 
 within the oesophagus; 3, Thumb lancet; 4, Artery forceps; 5, Gum scarificator; 6, Tube used 
 for obstruction in the teats; 7, Castrating knife; 8, Beak -pointed scalpel; 9, Curved scissors 
 10, Suture-needles; 11, Female catheter ; 12, Parturient slip-noose; 13, Parturient laver ; 14, Em- 
 bryotomy forceps, or clasp-honks; 15, Embryotomy knife ; 16, Mouth-gag; 17, Trocar; 18, Canula 
 or cover of tho trocar; 19, 20, Trocar and canula for puncturing the chest; 21, 22, 23, Views of 
 the several parts of tho tracheotomy tube. 
 
SECTION IX. 
 
 SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 
 
 Of Surgical Operations and the various Restraints it is sometimes ne- 
 cessary TO PLACE THE HORSE UNDER FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE — CASTING 
 
 Slinging — Castration — French Method of Castration — Castration by 
 Ligature — Lithotomy — Tracheotomy — (Esophagotomy — Neurotomy — Mode 
 of Performing Neurotomy — Periosteotomy — Division of the Flexor Ten- 
 dons — Amputations — Amputation of the Penis — Amputation of the Tail — 
 Nicking — Firing — Blistering— Ammoniacal Blister— Rowelling — Setons — 
 Abstraction of Blood, or Bleeding — Division of the Temporal Artery — 
 Bleeding by the Palate — Bleeding by the Toe — Phlebotomy — Bleeding 
 by the Jugular Vein. 
 
 Of Surgical, Operations and the various restraints it 
 is sometimes necessary to place the horse under for 
 their performance. 
 
 " ^XTHEN it is necessary to perform any painful operation on 
 " t so powerful an animal as the horse, it is of consequence 
 to subject him to a restraint equal to the occasion. Horses are 
 very dissimilar in their tempers, and bear pain very diiferently ; 
 but it is always prudent to prepare for the worst, and few impor- 
 tant operations should be attempted without casting. Humanity 
 should be the fundamental principle of every proceeding, and we 
 ought always to subject this noble animal to pain with reluctance; 
 but when circumstances absolutely call for it, we should joyfully 
 close our hearts to all necessary suffering. The resistance of the 
 horse is terrible, and it is but common prudence to guard against 
 the effects of it. The lesser restraints are various. Among them 
 may be first noticed the twitch. The twitch is a very necessary 
 instrument in a stable, though, when frequently and officiously 
 used, it may have the ill-effect of rendering some horses violent 
 to resist its application. In many instances blindfolding will do 
 
 (239) 
 
240 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 more than the twitch ; and some horses may be quieted, when the 
 pain is not excessive, by holding the ear in one hand, and rubbing 
 the point of the nose with the other. A soothing manner will 
 often engage the attention and prevent violence; but it is seldom 
 that either threats or punishment 'render an unruly horse more 
 calm. Inexperienced persons guard themselves only against the 
 hind legs ; but they should be aware that some horses strike ter- 
 ribly with their fore-feet. It is prudent, therefore, in all opera- 
 tions, to blindfold the animal, as, by this, he becomes particularly 
 intimidated, and if he strikes he can not aim. When one of the 
 fore extremities requires a very minute examination, it is prudent 
 to have the opposite leg held up (it may, in some cases, be tied) ; 
 and when one of the hinder feet is the object of attention, the fore 
 one of the same side should be held up, as, by this means, the ani- 
 mal is commonly prevented from striking. If this precaution be 
 not taken, still observe to keep one hand on the hock, while the 
 other is employed in what is necessary, by which means, if the 
 foot become elevated to kick, sufficient warning is given, and the 
 very action of the horse throws the operator away from the stroke. 
 Without the use of these arts, the practitioner will expose himself 
 to much risk. The trevis is the very utmost limit of restraint, 
 and is seldom used save by smiths, to shoe very violent and power- 
 ful horses. Whenever recourse is had to it, the greatest caution is 
 necessary to bed and bolster all the parts that are likely to come 
 in contact with the body. On the Continent we have seen horses 
 shod in this machine, and apparently put into it from no necessity 
 greater than to prevent the clothes of the smith from being dirtied. 
 Horses have been destroyed by the trevis, as well as by casting; 
 or their aversion to the restraint has been such, they have died 
 from the consequences of their own resistance. The side-line is 
 now very generally used, not only in minor operations, but also in 
 those more important. Many veterinarians do not use any other 
 restraint than this, in which they consider there is safety both to 
 the horse and to the operator. It is applicable to such horses as 
 are disposed to strike behind, and consists in placing a hobble-strap 
 around the pastern of one hind leg, and then carrying from a web 
 collar, passed over the head, the end of a rope through the D of the 
 hobble, and back again under the webbing round the neck. A 
 man is then set to pull at the free end of the rope, by which the 
 hinder leg is drawn forward without elevating it from the ground. 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 241 
 
 By this displacement of one leg the horse is effectually secured 
 from kicking with either. Occasionally it is thus applied : hobbles 
 are put on both hind legs, and the rope is passed through each of 
 the rings. According to this last method, the horse is actually 
 cast, as he must fall when the ropes are pulled. Take a long rope, 
 and tie a loop in the middle, which is to be of such a size as it may 
 serve for a collar ; pass the loop over the head, letting the knot rest 
 upon the withers ; then take the free ends, pass them through the 
 hobbles, and bring it under the loop. Let two men pull at the 
 ropes, and the hind legs will be drawn forward. 
 
 Casting. 
 
 The objections to this practice arise from the dangers incurred 
 by forcing the horse to the ground. Mr. Bracy Clark simplified 
 casting by inventing some patent hobbles, having a running chain 
 instead of rope, and which, by a shifting D, made the loosening of 
 all the hobbles, for the purpose of getting at a particular leg, 
 unnecessary. These were still further improved by Mr. Budd, so 
 as to render a release from all the hobbles at once practicable. 
 Hobble leathers and ropes should be kept supple and pliant with 
 oil, and ought to be always examined previous to using ; nor should 
 the D or ring of the strap be of any other metal than iron. Brass, 
 however thick, is brittle, and not to be depended on. To the D 
 ring, or ring of one pastern hobble, a chain of about four feet long 
 is attached ; to this a strong rope is well fastened, and, according to 
 the way the horse is to be thrown, this hobble is to be fixed on the 
 fore-foot of the contrary side. The rope is then passed from the 
 hobble on the fore-foot to the D of the hind foot of that side, then 
 to the other hind foot, and, lastly, through the D of the other fore- 
 foot. After this, much of the ease and safety of the throw depends 
 on bringing the legs as near together as possible. This should be 
 done by gradually moving them nearer to each other, without 
 alarming the horse, which will very much facilitate the business, 
 and is really of more moment than is generally imagined. A space 
 sufficiently large should be chosen for the purpose of casting, as 
 some horses struggle much, and throw themselves with great vio- 
 lence a considerable way to one side or the other; and they are 
 able to do this if the feet have not been brought near together pre- 
 vious to attempting the cast. The place should be also very well 
 16 
 
242 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 littered clown. The legs having been brought together, the assist- 
 ants must act in concert. One, particularly, should be at the head, 
 which must be carefully held throughout by means of a strong 
 snaffle-bridle ; another should be at the hind part, to direct the 
 fall, and to force the body of the horse to the side which is requi- 
 site. Pursuing these instructions, the animal may be at once rather 
 let down than thrown, by a dexterous and quick drawing of the 
 rope, the whole assistants acting in concert. The moment the 
 horse is down, the person at the head must throw himself upon 
 that member, and keep it secure ; for all the efforts of the animal 
 to disengage himself are begun by elevating the head and fore-parts. 
 The rope is tightened. The chain is fixed by inserting a hook 
 through one of the links, of sufficient size not to pass the hobbles. 
 When the operation is over, the screw which fastens the chain to 
 the hobble, first put upon one fore-leg, is withdrawn. The chain 
 then flies through the D's of the other hobbles, and all the legs 
 are free, save the fore-leg first alluded to ; the strap of this has to 
 be afterward unbuckled. There are also other apparatus used in 
 casting, as a strong leathern case to pass over the head, serving as 
 a blind when the animal is being thrown, and as a protection 
 against his rubbing the skin off his eyes when down. Then a sur- 
 cingle is also used. This is fastened round the horse's body, and 
 from the back hangs a broad strap and a rope. The strap is fast- 
 ened to the fore-leg of that side which it is desired should be 
 uppermost. The line is given to a man who stands on the oppo- 
 site side to the generality of the pullers. On the signal being 
 given, the men having hold of the hobble-rope pull the legs one 
 way, while he who has hold of the rope attached to the surcingle 
 pulls the back in a coutrary direction, and the horse is immedi- 
 ately cast. 
 
 Slinging. 
 
 This is a restraint which horses submit to with great impatience, 
 and not without much inconvenience, from the violent excoriations 
 occasioned by the friction and pressure of the bandaging around 
 his body. Graver evils are also brought about by the abdominal 
 pressure. Some horses stale and dung with difficulty when sus- 
 pended, and inflammation of the bowels has not unfrequently 
 come on during slinging. The slings are, however, forced on us 
 in some cases, as in fractured bones, the treatment of open joints, 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 243 
 
 and some other wounds where motion would be most unfavorable 
 to the curative treatment. Suspension may be partial or complete. 
 Suspension of any kind will require the application of pulleys and 
 ropes affixed to the beams, that the whole body of the horse may 
 be supported. A sling may be formed of a piece of strong sack- 
 ing, which is to pass under the belly, the two ends being fastened 
 firmly to pieces of wood, each of about three feet long, and which 
 are to reach a little higher than the horse's back. To the pieces 
 of wood cords and pulleys are to be firmly attached, by which 
 means the sacking can be lowered or raised at pleasure. To the 
 sacking, also, are to be sewn strong straps, both before and behind, 
 to prevent the horse sliding in either direction, without carrying 
 the sacking with him. Upon this so-formed cradle he is to recline. 
 If horses when they are fresh should be placed in this machine, 
 most of them would either injure themselves or break through all 
 restraint. However, by tying up their heads for three or four 
 nights their spirit is destroyed. The slings may then be applied 
 without the fear of resistance. It is the best method not to pull 
 the canvas firm up, but to leave about an inch between the horse's 
 belly and the cloth, so that the animal may stand free, or throw 
 his weight into the slings when he pleases. In this fashion a 
 horse may remain for months in the slings, and at the end of the 
 time display none of the wear and tear so feelingly described by 
 old authors. 
 
 Castration. 
 
 This practice is of very ancient origin, and is as extensive as 
 ancient. It is founded on the superior placidity of temper it gives. 
 The castrated horse no longer evinces the superiorities of his mas- 
 culine character, but approaches the softer form and mtlder char- 
 acter of the mare. Losing his ungovernable desires, he submits 
 to discipline and confinement without resistance ; and, if he be less 
 worthy of the painter's delineation and the poet's song, he is val- 
 uable to his possessor in a tenfold degree. In England, where 
 length in the arms and of the wide-spread angles of the limbs is 
 absolutely necessary in the horse to accomplish the rapid traveling 
 so much in vogue among us, the exchange of the lofty carriage 
 and high action of the stallion is absolutely necessary ; and when 
 we have added the lessened tendency of the gelding to some dis- 
 eases, as hernia, founder, cutaneous affections, etc., we may be 
 
244 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 content to leave the sexual type with the racer for his breed; 
 also Avith the dray-horse for his weight, and the fancy of his 
 owner. 
 
 Supposing it, therefore, eligible to castrate our horses, what is 
 the proper age for the operation ? What are the relative advan- 
 tages and disadvantages of the different methods of performing 
 it? The proper age to castrate the young horse must depend on 
 circumstances, as on his present appearance, his growth, and the 
 future purposes we intend him for, observing, generally, that the 
 more early it is done, the safer is the operation ; for, until these 
 organs begin to secrete, they are purely structural parts, and, as 
 such, are not so intimately connected with the sympathies of the 
 constitution. Some breeders of horses castrate at twelve months ; 
 others object to this period, because they think the animal has 
 not sufficiently recovered the check experienced from weaning 
 before this new shock to the system occurs. In the more common 
 sort of horses, used for agricultural purposes, it is probably indif- 
 ferent at what time the operation is performed, this consideration 
 being kept in view : that the earlier it is done, the lighter will the 
 horse be in his forehand ; and the longer it is protracted, the heav- 
 ier will be his crest, and the greater his weight before, which, in 
 heavy draught-work, is desirable. For carriage-horses it would 
 be less so, and the period of two years is not a bad one for their 
 castration. The better sort of saddle-horses should be well ex- 
 amined every three or four months, particularly at the ages of 
 twelve, eighteen, and twenty-four months, at either of which times, 
 according to circumstances or to fancy, provided the forehand be 
 sufficiently developed, it may be proceeded with. Waiting longer 
 may make the horse heavy ; but, if his neck appear too long and 
 thin, and his shoulders spare, he will assuredly be improved by 
 being allowed to remain entire for six or eight months later. 
 Many of the Yorkshire breeders never cut till two years, and 
 think their horses stronger and handsomer for it. Some wait 
 even longer ; but the fear in this case is, that the stallion form 
 will be too predominant, and a heavy crest and weighty forehand 
 be the consequence. Perhaps, also, the temper may suffer. Young 
 colts require little preparation, provided they are healthy and not 
 too full from high living. If so, they must be kept somewhat 
 short for a few days ; and, in all, the choice of a mild season and 
 moderate temperature is proper. 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 245 
 
 "When a full-grown horse is operated on, some further prepa- 
 ration is necessary. He should not be in a state of debility, and, 
 certainly, not in one of plethora. In the latter case, lower his diet ; 
 and it would be prudent to give him a purgative. It is also ad- 
 visable that it be done when no influenza or strangles rage, as we 
 have found the effects of castration render a horse very obnoxious 
 to any prevalent disease. The advanced spring season — previous, 
 however, to the flies becoming troublesome — is the proper time for 
 the performance of the operation upon all valuable horses ; and 
 be careful that it be not done until after the winter coat has been 
 shed, which will have a favorable effect on the future coating of 
 the horse, independent of the circumstance that at a period of 
 change the constitution is not favorable to unusual excitement. 
 
 Castration is performed in various ways, but in all it expresses 
 the removal of the testicles. There are methods of rendering' the 
 animal impotent without the actual destruction of these organs; 
 for if, by any other method, the secretion of the spermatic glands 
 is prevented, our end is answered. 
 
 Castration by cauterization is the method which has been prin- 
 cipally practiced among us; but this by no means proves it the 
 best. On the contrary, many of our most expert veterinarians 
 do not castrate by this method. Mr. Goodwin, and many other 
 practitioners of eminence, never castrate by cautery. 
 
 A preliminary observation should be made previously to casting, 
 to see that the horse is not suffering from a rupture. Such cases 
 have happened ; and as in our method we open a direct commu- 
 nication with the abdomen, when the horse rises it is not improb- 
 able that his bowels protrude until they trail on the ground. 
 Hernia, as a consequence of castration, may easily occur by the 
 uncovered operation ; for, as already observed, it makes the scrotal 
 sac and abdominal cavity one continuous opening. It is not to 
 be wondered at, therefore, if the violent struggles of the animal 
 should force a quantity of intestine through the rings into the 
 scrotal bag. Should we be called on to operate on a horse which 
 already had hernia, it is evident we ought not to proceed with it 
 unless the owner be apprised of the risk, and willing to abide by 
 it. In such cases, we would recommend that the method of Girard 
 be practiced ; that is, to inclose the tunica vaginalis within the 
 clams, (sufficiently tight to retain them, but not to produce death 
 in the part,) pushed high up against the abdominal ring, and then 
 
246 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 to remove the testicle, being very careful to avoid injuring any 
 portion of intestine in the operation. When a discovery is made 
 of the existence of hernia after an opening has been already made 
 for the common purpose of castration, should the operator con- 
 tinue his process, and castrate? We should say, By no means; 
 but, on the contrary, we would greatly prefer the method recom- 
 mended by Mr. Percivall : firmly to unite the lips of the external 
 wound by suture, allowing the testicle itself to assist in blocking 
 up the passage, with a hope, also, that the inflammation caused by 
 the incision might altogether stop up the scrotal communication 
 with the abdomen. But, in the appalling case of immense pro- 
 trusion of intestine, what is to be done? Mr. Coleman, in such 
 a case, proposes to make an opening near the umbilicus large 
 enough to introduce the hand, and thus draw in the bowels. Mr. 
 Percivall would prefer dilating the external ring. But the testicle 
 must be very firmly retained, and even permanently fixed against 
 the dilated ring, or the bowels would again descend. The intes- 
 tines probably would become inflated in any such case. 
 
 As unbroken young horses are the most usual subjects of this 
 operation, and as such often have not yet been bridled, if a colt 
 can not be enticed with oats, etc., he must be driven into a corner, 
 between two steady horses, where, if a halter can not be put on, at 
 least a running hempen noose can be got round his neck ; but which- 
 ever is used, it should be flat, or the struggles, which are often long. 
 and violent, may bruise the neck, and produce abscess or injury. 
 When his exertions have tired him, he may then be led to the 
 operating spot. Here his attention should be engaged while the 
 hobbles are put on, if possible ; if not, a long and strong cart-rope, 
 having its middle portion formed into a noose sufficiently large to 
 take in the head and neck, is to be slipped on, with the knotted 
 part applied to the counter or breast. The long pendent ends are 
 passed backward between the fore-legs; then carried round the 
 hind fetlocks, brought forward again on the outside, run under 
 the collar-rope ; a second time carried backward on the outer side 
 of all, and extended to the full length in a direct line behind the 
 animal. Thus fettered, Mr. Percivall says his liincl feet may be 
 drawn under him toward the elbows. It has been, however, often 
 found that, at the moment the rope touches the legs, the colt either 
 kicks and displaces the rope, or altogether displaces himself; but 
 his attention can generally be engaged by one fore-leg being held 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 247 
 
 up, or by having his ear or muzzle rubbed, or even by the twitch ; 
 if not, the rope may be carried actually round each fetlock, which 
 then acts like a hobble, and this rope may be gradually tight- 
 ened. This last, however, is a very questionable method, and the 
 others, therefore, ought to be long tried before it is resorted to. 
 In this way people have succeeded with very refractory colts ; but 
 it requires very able assistants, and, if possible, the man who has 
 been used to the individual colt should be present. In either way, 
 as soon as the rope is fixed, with a man at each end of it, behind 
 the colt, let themf-by a sudden and forcible effort in concert, ap- 
 proximate his hind legs to his fore, and thus throw him. Before 
 the colt is cast, however, it should be endeavored to ascertain that 
 he is free from strangles and hernia. 
 
 Being satisfied that no hernia exists on either side, proceed to 
 cast the colt, turning him, not directly on the left side, but prin- 
 cipally inclining that way ; and, if possible, let the croup be very 
 slightly elevated. It is usual to place him directly flat on the left 
 side, but the above is more convenient. Next, secure the near 
 hind leg with a piece of hempen tackle, having a running noose ; 
 or, in default of this not being at hand, make use of the flat part 
 of a hempen halter, which should, for safety, be put on before the 
 hobble of that leg is removed — as may be readily done, if the 
 hobbles having shifting or screw D's (as described in casting) are 
 made use of. Every requisite being at hand, the operator, having 
 his scalpel ready, should place himself behind the horse, as the 
 most convenient way to perform his manipulations; and, firmly 
 grasping the left testicle with his left hand, and drawing *it out so 
 as to render the scrotum tense, he should make an incision length- 
 ways, from the anterior to the posterior part of the bag. The 
 resistance of the cremaster muscle has to be overcome before the 
 testicle can be forced to the bottom of the scrotum, and this is the 
 more readily accomplished if the animal's attention be engaged. 
 The incision may be carried at once through the integuments, the 
 thin clartos expansion, and the vaginal coat of the testicles with 
 a sweep of the scalpel; but with one less dextrous at the opera- 
 tion, it will be more prudent to make the first incision through 
 the scrotum and dartos only, to the required extent, and then to 
 do the same by the vaginal coat, thus avoiding to wound the tes-* 
 tide, which would produce violent resistance, and give unneces- 
 sary pain. 
 
248 DADDS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 We, however, take this opportunity of noting that cases have 
 occurred when the tunica vaginalis was divided no testicle fol- 
 lowed, firm adhesions between this tunic and the tunica albuginea 
 having retained it fast. In such cases the scalpel must be em- 
 ployed to free the testicle, by dissecting it away from the vaginal 
 sac. When no such obstruction occurs, the testicle, if the opening 
 be sufficiently large, will slip out; but the operator must be pre- 
 pared, at the moment of so doing, to expect some violent struggles, 
 more particularly if he attempt to restrain the contractions of the 
 cremaster, and, by main force, to draw out the fjesticle. Prepara- 
 tory to this, therefore, the twitch should fye tightened; the attend- 
 ants, especially the man at the head, must be on the alert; and 
 the testicle itself, at the time of this violent retraction of the cre- 
 master, should be merely held, but not dragged in opposition to 
 the contraction. If the clams have been put on over the whole, 
 according to Mr. Percivall's method, they will assist in retaining 
 the retracting parts ; but they must not be used with too much 
 pressure. The resistance having subsided, the clams must now 
 be removed ; or, . if they have not been previously in use, they 
 must now be taken in hand, and, having been prepared by some 
 tow being wound around them, should be placed easily on the cord, 
 while time is found to free from the grip of the pincers the vas def- 
 erens, or spermatic tube, which is seen continued from the epididy- 
 mis. The Russians, Mr. Goodwin informs us, cut it through when 
 they operate. Humanity is much concerned in its removal from 
 pressure, because of the excess of pain felt when it is included. 
 
 It is necessary, before the final fixing of the clams, to deter- 
 mine on the part where the division of the cord is to take place. 
 To use Mr. Percivall's words, ' if it be left too long, it is apt to 
 hang out of the wound afterward, and retard the process of union.' 
 On the other hand, if it be cut very short, and the arteries hap- 
 pen to bleed afresh after it has been released from the clams, the 
 operator will find it no easy task to recover it. The natural 
 length of the cord, which will mainly depend on the degree of 
 the descent of the gland, will be our best guide in this particular. 
 The place of section determined on and marked, close the clams 
 sufficiently tight to retain firm hold of the cord, and to effectually 
 stop the circulation within it. There are now two modes of 
 making the division : the one is to sever it with a scalpel, and then 
 to sufficiently sear the end of it as to prevent a flow of blood ; the 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 249 
 
 other, and in some respects the preferable method, is to employ a 
 blunt-edged iron, which is to divide by little crucial sawings, so 
 that, when the cord is separated, it shall not present a uniform 
 surface, but ragged edges, which will perfectly close the mouths 
 of the vessels. This done, loosen the clams sufficiently to observe 
 whether there be any flow of blood. Gently wipe the end of the 
 cord, also, with the finger, as sometimes an accidental small plug 
 gets within the vessel; this had better be removed at the time. 
 Retain a hold on the clams a few minutes longer; and, while 
 loosening them gradually, observe to have an iron in readiness 
 again to touch the end of the cord, if any blood makes its appear- 
 ance. Satisfied on this point, sponge the parts with cold water. 
 No sort of external application is necessary, still less any resin 
 seared on the end of the cord, which can only irritate, and will 
 never adhere. 
 
 On the after-treatment much difference of opinion has existed, 
 and even yet exists. The powerful evidence of accumulated facts 
 has now convinced us of the necessity and propriety of some mo- 
 tion for the newly castrated horse, as a preventive of local con- 
 gestion. Such practice is common in most countries, and seems 
 salutary in all. Hurtrel d'Arboval, thus impressed, recommends 
 the horse, immediately after the operation, to be led out to walk 
 for an hour ; and it is a general plan in France to walk such horses 
 in hand an hour night and morning. Mr. Goodwin, in proof of its 
 not being hurtful, informs us that whole studs of horses, brought 
 to St. Petersburg to be operated on, are immediately traveled 
 back a certain portion of the distance, night and morning, until 
 they arrive at home. We have, therefore, no hesitation in recom- 
 mending a moderate degree of motion in preference to absolute 
 rest. 
 
 The French method of castration is advocated by Mr. Goodwin, 
 and it is sufficient that it receives his recommendation to entitle 
 it to attention. It is rendered the more so, as he observes, on 
 the method in general use among us, 'that the operation per- 
 formed by the actual cautery always induces, more or less, symp- 
 toms that often become alarming, and that it can not be performed 
 on the adult without incurring more swelling and severer conse- 
 quences than attend other methods of operation. If I ever use 
 the actual cautery, it is for the sake of expedition, and then only 
 on a yearling or a two-year old ; but I am resolved never to em- 
 
250 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 ploy it again on an adult.' These observations, as emanating from 
 such a source, must be deemed important. 
 
 Mr. Goodwin then offers the description of the French method 
 of operating, from Hurtrel d'Arboval : ' Castration by means of 
 the clams is the method in general use, if not the only one now 
 employed. It is the most ancient, since it was recommended by 
 Hieroclius among the Greeks. It is performed in two ways, the 
 testicle being covered or uncovered. In the former, the exterior 
 of the scrotum, formed by the skin and dartos muscle, is cut 
 through, and the testicle is brought out by dissecting away the 
 laminated tissue, the gland being covered by the tunica vaginalis. 
 The clam is then placed above the epididymis, outside the external 
 peritoneal covering of the cord. In the uncovered operation, the 
 incision is made through the servus capsule of the testicle. The 
 tunica vaginalis being divided, the testicle presents itself, and the 
 clam is placed well above the epididymis, on the cord. The ope- 
 ration, performed in either way, requires us to provide ourselves 
 with a scalpel, a pair of clams, a pair of long pincers, made pur- 
 posely to bring the ends of the clams together, and some waxed 
 string. The clams may be formed of different kinds of wood, but 
 the alder is considered the best, and generally made use of. To 
 make a clam, we procure a branch of old and dry alder, whose 
 diameter should be about an inch, and whose length should be 
 from five to six inches; of course, the dimensions must, at all 
 times, be proportioned to the size of the cord we have to operate 
 on. At the distance of half an inch from each end, a small nick, 
 sufficiently deep to hold the string, must be made, and then the 
 wood should be sawed through the middle lengthways. Each 
 divided surface should be planed, so as to facilitate the opening 
 of the clams, either when about to place them on or take them 
 off. The pith of the wood is then to be taken out, and the hollow 
 should be filled with corrosive sublimate and flour, mixed with 
 sufficient water to form it into a paste. Some persons are not in 
 the habit of using any caustic whatever ; then, of course, scooping 
 out of the inside of the clam is not necessary. Notwithstanding, 
 the caustic, inasmuch as it produces a speedier dissolution of the 
 parts, must be useful, and ought not to be neglected.' The addi- 
 tion of the caustic, however, Mr. Goodwin objects to, with great 
 reason, remarking that, unless it be a very strong one, and there- 
 fore dangerous to employ, it can not be of any use to parts com- 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 251 
 
 pressed and deprived of circulation and life. He further informs 
 us that he has operated in six cases in succession with the same 
 effect, without any escharotic matter whatever. An experimental 
 case of Mr. PercivalPs terminated fatally. By the use of caustic 
 the cord was " greatly inflamed, as high as the ring, and which, 
 unquestionably, produced the unfortunate result. 
 
 1 The covered operation,' continues Mr. Goodwin, ' is the one 
 that I am about to advocate, and which differs only insomuch that 
 the scrotum and dartos muscle must be cautiously cut through, 
 without dividing the tunica vaginalis. It was Monsieur Berger 
 who was accidentally at my house when I was about to castrate a 
 horse, and who, on my saying that I should probably do it with 
 the cautery, expressed his surprise that I should perform the oper- 
 ation in any other way than on the plan generally approved of 
 in France. Being a stranger to it, he kindly consented to preside 
 at the operation, and, after seeing him perform on the near tes- 
 ticle, I did the same on the right, but, of course, not with the same 
 facility. After opening the scrotum, and dissecting through the 
 dartos, which is very readily done by passing the knife lightly over 
 its fibers, the testicle and its covering, the tunica vaginalis, must 
 be taken in the right hand, while the left should be -employed in 
 pushing back the scrotum from its attachments ; and, having your 
 assistant ready, as before, Avith the clam, it must be placed well 
 above the epididymis, and greater pressure is, of course, necessary, 
 as the vaginal covering is included in the clam.' 
 
 Mr. Goodwin further observes that in Russia he has seen hun- 
 dreds of horses operated on, even after the human fashion, with 
 safety ; and, he remarks, it certainly produces less pain, the animal 
 loses less flesh and condition, and is sooner recovered than when 
 operated on by the actual cautery. 
 
 Castration by ligature is a painful, barbarous, and very danger- 
 ous practice, and consists in inclosing the testicles and scrotum 
 within ligatures, until mortification occurs, and they drop off. It 
 is practiced by some breeders on their young colts, but it is always 
 hazardous and disgracefully cruel. The substance of the testicle, 
 in some countries, is also broken down, either by rubbing or other- 
 wise by pressure between two hard bodies.* This is practiced in 
 Algiers, instead of excision, and tetanus is a frequent consequence 
 of it. In Portugal they twist round the testicle, and thus stop the 
 circulation of the gland. Division of the vas deferens has been 
 
252 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 performed, it is said, with success, on many animals, and is pro- 
 posed as a safe and less painful process than the emasculation of 
 the horse. It consists in a longitudinal section through the scro- 
 tum, dartos, and vaginal sheath, so as to expose the cord, from 
 which the vas deferens is to be separated and severed from the 
 artery and vein. There is a certain consent of parts, by which 
 the sympathy of an organ remains after its functional offices are 
 apparently destroyed. There can be little doubt but the nervous 
 excitement would continue, the vein and artery remaining entire. 
 There are certain nice conditions of the organ necessary for prop- 
 agation. Thus, the horse who retains his testicles within his abdo- 
 men, possesses all the roguish qualities of him with one perfectly 
 evolved ; he is lustful, and can cover, but is seldom fruitful. 
 
 Of the morbid consequences of castration we have little to say. 
 By early evacuations, green food, a loose box, a cool air, moderate 
 clothing, but, particularly, by walking exercise, swellings of the 
 parts may be prevented ; if not, bleed and foment. Should sup- 
 puration follow, and sinuses form, treat as directed under those 
 heads ; and if tetanic symptoms start up, refer to that article. 
 There has been lately practiced in India a novel mode of castra- 
 tion, which is said to be the invention of a Boer, settled at the 
 Cape of Good Hope. The cord is exposed in the usual manner. 
 From the cord the artery is singled out. This vessel is scraped 
 through with a coarse-edged, blunt knife, when the other constitu- 
 tents of the cord are cut away, and the operation is finished. This 
 method is much praised by those who have adopted it, and is* said 
 to be always attended with success. 
 
 Lithotomy. 
 
 Hurtrel d'Arboval's account of the progress of lithotomy in vet- 
 erinary practice commences in 1774; the second case was success- 
 fully operated on in 1794; and at later periods other veterinary 
 surgeons have also performed it. In monodactyles there are two 
 methods of operating for the stone — one through the rectum, the 
 mother through the bladder. The first, which consists in laying 
 open the bladder by a longitudinal incision made through the 
 parietes of the part of the rectum adherent to it, by means of a 
 straight bistoury, is easily practiced, but in its consequences is 
 dangerous in the extreme ; in fact, it is an operation never to be 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 253 
 
 adopted but in a case where the magnitude of the stone precludes 
 its extraction through the neck of the bladder. In all other cases, 
 lithotomy by the urethra is to be pursued. For its performance 
 are required a straight probe-pointed bistoury, a whalebone fluted 
 staff, and a pair of forceps, curved at the extremities. The ani- 
 mal should, if practicable, be maintained in the erect posture. 
 The tail plaited and carried round on the right quarter, the opera- 
 tor feels for the end of the staff introduced up the urethra, and 
 makes an incision directly upon it, from above downward, an inch 
 and a half or two inches in length. Next, he introduces the sound, 
 and passes it onward into the bladder. Now, placing the back of 
 the bistoury within the groove of the sound, by gliding the knife 
 forward, the pelvic portion of the urethra, and also the neck of the 
 bladder, becomes slit open — the latter in two places, in consequence 
 of a second cut being made in withdrawing the bistoury. The 
 opening made being considered of sufficient dimensions, the oper- 
 ator introduces the forceps into the bladder, and seizes the calculus, 
 one hand being up the rectum, to aid him in so doing. The for- 
 ceps, clasping the stone, are now to be withdrawn, but with gen- 
 tleness, and with a vacillating sort of movement of the hand 
 from side to side, in order more easily to surmount any difficulties 
 in the passage, and the more effectually to avoid confusion or 
 laceration. M. Girard tells us 'that the cut through the pelvic 
 portion of the urethra ought always to be made obliquely to one 
 side. The operator should hold his bistoury in such a direction 
 that its cutting edge be turned toward the angle of the thigh. By 
 this procedure we shall gain easier access to the bladder, and not 
 only avoid wounding the rectum, but also the artery of the bulb, 
 as well as the bulb itself, and suspensory ligaments of the penis. 
 The parts cut through in the operation are, 1st, the fine thin 
 skin of the perineum, smooth externally, and marked with a 
 raphe ; densely cellular internally ; 2d, adhering to the tissue, the 
 fascial covering, derived from the fascia superficialis abdominis, 
 which has here become fibrous, it forms the common envelope to 
 the parts underneath, and is closely connected with the corpus 
 musculosum urethrse ; 3d, the corpus musculosum urethra?, that 
 penniform band of fleshy fibers which springs by two branches 
 from the ischiatic tuberosities embracing the sphincter ani, and 
 concealing the arteries of the bulb, whence they unite, and pro- 
 ceed to envelop the urethra ; 4th, the corpus spongiosum urethrse, 
 
254 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the part immediately covered by the muscular envelope, and which 
 here is bulbous (it is more particularly worthy our remark, from 
 two arteries penetrating the bulb, which come from without the 
 pelvis, ascending obliquely outward to reach the part) ; 5th, the 
 suspensory ligaments of the penis, pursuing the course of, and ad- 
 hering to, the tendinous union of the erectores. An attention to 
 the relative position of these parts will demonstrate the advantages 
 of the lateral oblique incision over one made directly along the 
 raphe. By pursuing the latter, we necessarily cut through the 
 suspensory ligaments and into the bulb, wounding thereby the 
 arteries ; whereas, by the former, all this danger is avoided, besides 
 that it renders the operation more simple and facile. 
 
 Tracheotomy. 
 
 Cases occur when this operation is required, as in strangles, 
 when the tumors threaten suffocation, or when any substance has 
 remained unswallowed in the oesophagus, the pressure of which 
 obstructs respiration. In a distressing case of gunpowder burst- 
 ing immediately under a horse's nose, the effects of which tumefied 
 his mouth and nostrils, so as to prevent free inspiration, the ani- 
 mal owed his life entirely to our excising a portion from the 
 tracheal rings, about ten inches below the angle of the throat. 
 The operation is a very simple one, and may consist either in a 
 longitudinal section made through two or three of the rings, or a 
 portion, occupying about an inch round, may be excised from the 
 anterior cartilaginous substance. The proper mode, when it can 
 be done, however, is to make a circular opening with a very nar- 
 row knife, removing a portion of two cartilages, or taking a semi- 
 circular piece from each ; and this last, although it is seldom 
 performed, is by far the best method. The integuments should 
 be first divided in the exact center of the neck, three or four inches 
 below the obstruction; then the skin and tissues should be suffi- 
 ciently separated to allow a tube adapted to the size of the trachea 
 to be introduced, the tube having an acute turn and a rim, which 
 must be furnished with holes for the adaptation of tapes, to secure 
 it around the neck. There are several instruments of this sort in 
 use, of which that adopted by the French, or the one invented 
 by Mr. Gowing, of Camden Town, is to be preferred. The oper- 
 ation has been also performed in cases of roaring, under an idea 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 255 
 
 of dividing the stricture which impeded respiration ; but, unless 
 the exact situation of this were discovered, it would be but an ex- 
 perimental attempt. 
 
 CESOPHAGOTOMY. 
 
 It was long thought that a wound in the oesophagus must be 
 necessarily fatal, but we have now sufficient proofs to the contrary 
 on record, so that Ave are not deterred from cutting into the oesopha- 
 geal tube when it is necessary ; but it is an operation requiring 
 skill and anatomical knowledge, and its future results are some- 
 times very serious. The cases that call for oesophagotomy are the 
 lodgment' of accidental substances within the tube. An apple 
 once so lodged was removed by incision by a veterinary surgeon 
 at Windsor. Carrots, parsnips, beets, etc., are liable to produce 
 such obstruction when not sliced. Too large a medicinal mass, 
 also, has lodged there ; and a voracious eater has, by attempting 
 to swallow too large a quantity of not salivated bran or chaff, pro- 
 duced an obstruction, which pressed on the trachea and threatened 
 suffocation. In all cases of obstruction of this kind, we will sup- 
 pose that a probang, well oiled, has been previously attempted to 
 be passed, and has completely failed. The probang for the horse, 
 however, differs materially from that used for the cow. It is 
 formed after the fashion of the one adopted by the human prac- 
 titioner, consisting of a pliable piece of whalebone, having a sponge 
 tied to one end. The operation being determined on, may be 
 practiced standing. If the swelling be large, no fear need be en- 
 tertained about cutting important organs, as the enlargement will 
 push them on one side. Cut down, therefore, directly upon the 
 center of the impacted substance. If the horse be cast, which is 
 quite unnecessary, have him, of course, thrown with his left side 
 uppermost. It will also be necessary to command a good light. 
 The part of the neck chosen for the opening must, of course, be 
 governed by the obstructing mass. A section should be made 
 through the integuments and cellular tissue beneath them, right 
 into the oesophagus, if possible, with one cut, and into the center 
 of the pipe. If this be not done at once, and it requires some 
 dexterity so as to effect it, mind to make all future incisions in a 
 line. with the first opening, as it is important that the cellular tis- 
 sue should be little interfered with. The oesophagus, fairly cut 
 into the impactment, should jump forth. Should it not do so, do 
 
256 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 not manipulate, or attempt to force it out, but enlarge the opening, 
 and the substance will come through when that is long enough • 
 but no fingering could compel its exit while the opening is too 
 small. The end gained for which the incision was made in the 
 oesophagus, the wound may be then closed by the interrupted su- 
 tures, each holding a small piece of tow above the orifice, and 
 having their ends hanging out of the external opening, which 
 should also be brought together by sutures. The after-treatment 
 should be to interdict all dry food ; the animal ought to subsist 
 on very thick gruel for three, four, or five days. If the condition 
 appears to suffer much, allow malt mashes, and when so doing 
 watch the wound ; and if the matters taken in are seen to ooze out, 
 wash them away frequently with warm water, to prevent lodg- 
 ment, which might encourage sinuses to form ; and after each 
 washing, syringe with some very mild stimulant, as a very weak 
 solution of sulphate of zinc (white vitriol), etc. 
 
 Neurotomy (Division of the Sentient Nerves of 
 the Foot). 
 
 Neurotomy has now stood the test of very extensive application. 
 Our writers offer innumerable proofs of its restoring almost useless 
 animals to a state of much utility ; and if there are chances that 
 it may occasion such injury as to hasten the end of some horses, 
 it is usually in such as the disease would have done the same for 
 at no distant period. Having stated thus much in its favor, it 
 must not be supposed that we recommend it as an unqualified 
 benefit, even where it succeeds best. No neurotomized horse ever 
 after goes with the same freedom, nor with equal safety, as he did 
 before the operation was performed. Indifference to the nature 
 of the ground gone over is said to have fractured legs ; it is quite 
 common to batter the feet to pieces; and, although horses have 
 hunted afterward, and hackneys have carried their riders long 
 distances, yet it is more calculated to prove beneficial to carriage 
 than to saddle-horses. This we believe to be a just statement of 
 its merits; but there are benefits which it offers to the animal of 
 a more extensive and constitutional kind. Those gained by the 
 bodily system generally have been, in some cases, very marked. 
 Thus, an aged and crippled stallion, from the irritation constantly 
 kept up, became so emaciated as to be unable to fecundate ; but, 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 257 
 
 being relieved from a constant state of suffering by neurotomy, 
 improved in health and condition, and was again used to cover. 
 It happened, also, that a mare, similarly circumstanced, ceased to 
 feel oestrum ; but after neurotomy it again returned, and she re- 
 sumed her character of a brood-mare. It appears to act with 
 most certainty when a portion of the irritated nerve is excised. 
 One case has actually occurred where the tetanus, occasioned by 
 a wound in the foot, was arrested and removed by neurotomy. 
 It also promises much in the painful state of some cankers, where 
 the irritation has rendered the application of dressings almost im- 
 possible. Here, by depriving the foot of sensibility, we deprive 
 the horse of that which is injurious to him. The sore' itself is 
 often amended by it; but in every instance the dressings can be 
 effectively applied, and the healthy processes can not be at all 
 suspended. 
 
 With respect to whether the lower or upper incision ought to 
 have the preference, the decision should be guided by the circum- 
 stances, as regards the intensity and the seat of the disease. The 
 operation commonly leaves, for a considerable time, some enlarge- 
 ment around the spot, the effects of the adhesive matter interposed 
 between the severed portions of the nerve, and which can be rem- 
 edied by no application of bandages. This bulging remains so 
 long as life continues ; and, however cunningly the incision be 
 concealed, this can be felt with ease, and tells the truth ever after 
 the operation has been performed. Such a circumstance has, how- 
 ever, led some practitioners, when it has been wished to make the 
 upper section, and yet to avoid the chance of detection, to operate 
 on the metacarpal nerve on the outside, and on the pastern or 
 plantar nerve on the inside. 
 
 Mode of performing (he operation. — The situation of the section 
 through the skin being determined on, a guide to which may be 
 gained from the perforatus tendon, and having firmly secured the 
 leg to be first operated on, cut the hair from the part. This being 
 done, and the exact course of the artery being ascertained by its 
 pulsation, make a section close to the edge of the flexor tendon. 
 Let the cut be near, but rather behind, the artery, if below the fet- 
 lock joint. The cellular substance being cleared away will bring 
 the vessels into view, and the nerve will be readily distinguished 
 from them by its whiteness. Elevating it from the vessels and 
 its membranous attachments, by means of a crooked needle, armed 
 17 
 
258 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 with thread, pass a bistoury under it, as near to the upper angle 
 of the section as possible. The violent spasm the division of the 
 nerve produces may be somewhat lessened by pressing the nerve 
 between the finger and the thumb, when an opportunity may be 
 taken, either with the scalpel or scissors, of dividing it ; then, 
 taking hold of the lowermost portion between a pair of forceps, 
 excise about three-fourths of an inch of its trunk. Having fin- 
 ished, if both feet are affected, proceed to operate on the contrary 
 side of the other leg ; after which turn the horse, and repeat the 
 operations on the like parts of each leg as they come in succession. 
 The integuments may be now drawn neatly together, and secured 
 by a twisted suture, the whole being properly covered by a light 
 compress. Tie up the head for a day or two, after which put on 
 a cradle. Keep the horse very quiet and low; give mashes, to 
 open the bowels ; but Ave should avoid physicking, from the fear 
 that griping might occur, which would make him restless, or prob- 
 ably require exercise. 
 
 Periosteotomy. 
 
 This operation consists in having the horse thrown upon his 
 side, and the leg to be operated upon released from the hobble, 
 and extended upon a sack, filled with refuse hay or straw. This 
 is done by means of a piece of webbing passed round the hoof, and 
 the end given to a man to hold, who pulls rather violently at the 
 member. The operator then kneels down and feels for the exos- 
 tosis he intends to perform periosteotomy upon. This may be a 
 splint or a node, and commonly exists upon the metacarpal portion 
 of the fore-limb. The operator having found the excrescence, snips 
 just below it with a pair of rowelling scissors. He then takes a 
 blunt seton-needle and drives it through the cellular tissue, and 
 immediately over the enlargement. Next, another slit in the 
 skin, above the exostosis, is made with the rowelling scissors, and 
 through this last opening the point of the seton-needle is forced 
 and then withdrawn. Into the free space thus made a curved 
 knife is introduced. The point of this knife is blunt, and the 
 blade curves upward, the cutting part being below. Some per- 
 sons use a very diminutive blade, but the editor prefers a rather 
 large instrument, as being more under the command of the hand. 
 Having introduced this knife, he turns the cutting edge downward, 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 259 
 
 and with it incises the enlargement, sending the blade right through 
 the periosteum, and also through the substance of the exostosis, if 
 it be not too solid for the knife to penetrate. This latter fact is 
 only to be ascertained by actual experience, and no opinion formed 
 after an external examination can be of any value, such being much 
 more the guess of a pretender than the judgment of a surgeon. 
 The age of the animal may be some guide, but even this it is 
 better not to depend upon too entirely. It is true that young 
 horses freely cast forth exostoses, which aged animals mostly 
 absorb; but this rule, though very general, has exceptions, and 
 by no means is to be absolutely depended upon. 
 
 The enlargement being cut through, next take a seton-needle, 
 armed with a tape, and draw it through the channel already made. 
 Tie a knot at either end of the tape, large enough to prevent its 
 being pulled through the opening at either end, and the business 
 is over. The affair is very simple, and the horse may be at once 
 let up. It is, however, in some cases, and only in some, of so much 
 benefit that the horse, being thrown l dead lame/ gets up and trots 
 oif quite sound. However, ere you adopt the operation, apprise 
 the owner of the risk incurred, and that it is by no means a cer- 
 tain cure. Leave the choice with him, but be sure and tell him 
 the opening made for the entrance and exit of the seton com- 
 monly leave a blemish behind them ; and where the seton trav- 
 eled, often there remains a thickening, which it may require months 
 to obliterate. 
 
 The after part of the treatment consists in merely having the 
 seton daily moved to and fro, though some persons apply an active 
 blister all over the parts immediately in the neighborhood of the 
 seton, under the idea that the vesicatory renders the operation of 
 greater efficacy, which, however, is very questionable. When pe- 
 riosteotomy acts at all, it mostly does so at once ; and when its 
 benefits are not immediate, it is better to withdraw the seton, to 
 prevent after-blemish, rather than hazard further and useless treat- 
 ment by the application of a stimulant to skin already deprived 
 of any connection with the deeper-seated structures. 
 
 Division of the Flexor Tendon. 
 
 There are so many accidents and diseases that may produce 
 contraction of the flexor tendons, that we only wonder we do not 
 
260 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 more often meet with them, which we should certainly do, but 
 that the attendants, despairing of being able to afford relief, ad- . 
 vise their destruction. The operation consists in making a longi- 
 tudinal incision, of about three inches in length, along the inner 
 lateral edge of the tendon, dissecting each portion from its cellular 
 attachments, so as to expose the nerve, artery, and tendons. This 
 opening will allow the perforans to be freed from the perforatus, * 
 when a division should be made by a scalpel applied to its surface. 
 It is evident that this should take place below any thickening, or 
 adhesions, which may have permanently connected the tendon with 
 the neighboring parts. Any lesser, attachments will be broken 
 through, by forcing back the foot to the just position. By Mr. 
 Dick this was done ' by placing his knee against the front or pro- 
 jecting part of the pastern, at the same time laying hold of the 
 foot with one hand and the upper part of the leg with the other, 
 and using considerable force ; and this appears to be necessary, in 
 order to break any adhesions that may have formed.' The limb 
 should now be placed in a poultice ; and if any fear of future con- 
 traction should arise during the cure, lengthen the toe of the shoe 
 proper to the foot operated on. Some slow exercise, after the 
 first week, may be allowed, but previously to that the horse should 
 be confined to a stall, during which the bowels must be kept open 
 with mashes. 
 
 Amputations. 
 
 These have been hitherto confined principally to the tail, the 
 ears, and other parts of minor importance in the animal frame ; 
 but veterinary surgery now takes a wider field, and the extremi- 
 ties are amputated with a certainty of making horned cattle still 
 serviceable for the purpose of yielding milk ; and, Avithout doubt, 
 the same might be done with the brood-mare or stallion, particu- 
 larly in fractures of the fore extremities. 
 
 Professor Dick, of the Edinburgh Veterinary College, furnishes 
 a case, sent to him by one of his pupils, to the following effect : 
 ' I performed amputation upon a cow on the 7th of July. After 
 having properly secured the animal, and applied a torniquet above 
 the carpus, I made a circular incision through the integuments 
 round the leg, a little below the carpus; and, having separated 
 the skin so as to allow of its being pushed up a little, I cut through 
 the sinews, and lastly sawed off the stump. The parts are now 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 261 
 
 completely whole, although she has been going at grass all the 
 time, and, now that she has got the advantage of a cork stump, 
 makes a wonderful shift for herself, and yields a good supply of 
 milk to her owner.' 
 
 Mr. Dick also notices another case of amputation of the fore-leg 
 of a two-year old heifer ; and of a third, where the hind leg was 
 removed above the tarsus. Such operations have occasionally oc- 
 curred from time immemorial, with a few enterprising characters. 
 We have heard of them, but they were mostly regarded as mere 
 matters of curiosity or wonder, and, therefore, were not imitated. 
 We shall, however, probably, erelong have them more common, 
 in cows, at least ; for, occurring below the carpus and tarsus, they 
 are as easily performed as nicking or docking; and there is no 
 doubt but, were a hollow padded stump applied, such low opera- 
 tions might be prudent in many cases. Fractures, with great 
 comminution of bone, considerable ravages of disease within the 
 foot, or extensive gangrene, are the cases which might call for am- 
 putation. 
 
 Of the method of amputation little need be added to the above. 
 The principal practical points are, the fixing of a torniquet of 
 sufficient force, which should be padded to make its principal 
 pressure on the leading arterial trunks, while its general circumfer- 
 ence will act on the smaller vessels. A ring should be cut lightly 
 below the intended place of operation, only through the integu- 
 ments, which, when separated from their cellular adhesions for 
 about six inches, should be turned back; and a circular incision 
 may then be made through the muscles, etc., taking up by liga- 
 ture such vessels, both venous and arterial, as display a disposition 
 for much hemorrhage. The section thus made, free the bone from 
 the soft parts by the scalpel, where the adherences are very inti- 
 mate, and, having, by means of a crucial bandage, retracted the 
 soft parts altogether above the bone, saw it through. Finally, 
 effectually secure the principal vessels, when, bringing the soft 
 parts and skin over the bone, retain them there by proper ban- 
 daging, which suffer to remain without disturbance until the third 
 or fourth day. 
 
 Amputation of the Penis. — Amputation of the penis is not un- 
 known among us. It has been performed several times, and it is 
 found that no canula is necessary to keep open the urethra, the force 
 of the urinary flow breaking down any incipient cicatrization of its 
 
262 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 orifice. The sheath is first forced back, and the penis brought 
 forward to its greatest possible extent. Whatever portion it is 
 intended to remove is now cut through, by means of an ampu- 
 tating knife, when the remainder is retracted within the sheath, 
 and little hemorrhage has afterward occurred, except at the time 
 of passing the urine ; but there appears'to have been no alarming 
 quantity of blood lost. 
 
 Amputation of the Tail, or Docking. — We are most happy to 
 state this filthy and unnecessary operation is now discarded. It 
 never consisted of more than the cutting off a portion of the 
 stump with brute force, and the cruel application afterward of a 
 hot iron to the small artery of the tail. 
 
 Nicking. 
 
 We should be grateful that this barbarous and dangerous pro- 
 cess is no longer numbered among the necessary operations. It is 
 so beset with accidents, which no skill or prudence can prevent, 
 that no one who has a free will ought to mutilate a horse by 
 nicking. 
 
 Firing. 
 
 The practice of firing was not always confined to quadrupeds. 
 On the contrary, it probably was first used on man ; and to this 
 day, in many countries, it is a very popular remedy among human 
 surgeons. In India it is applied over the abdomen for the cure 
 of scirrhosity of the liver. 
 
 Firing, in veterinary practice, has, by Mr. Coleman's pupils, 
 been justified as only men will justify a favorite operation, the 
 virtues of which have been impressed upon their minds by an elo- 
 quent teacher. When Coleman was the chief of the veterinary 
 profession, firing, under his rule, was used for any and every 
 occasion. It was ridiculously supposed to act as a permanent 
 bandage, as if a few strokes with a heated iron could destroy the 
 elastic property inherent in the skin. It was the favorite styptic 
 of these practitioners, and was applied to arteries (as of the tail) 
 as though it possessed within itself some medicinal virtue. It 
 was used to promote absorption, as in callus; and was likewise 
 resorted to for checking absorption, as in ulceration. It was called 
 into action to promote granulation, in broken knees ; and was also a 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 263 
 
 favorite agent to check granulations, when they were too luxuriant. 
 In short, there was no folly which a hot iron did not cover. It 
 has now, happily, fallen into disuse. Most modern practitioners 
 will now confess that their chief reason for exercising the iron is 
 to satisfy the proprietor, not to benefit the animal. After such 
 an acknowledgment, who would submit to have his patient ser- 
 vant's skin scored and burnt with red-hot metal ? 
 
 The mode of cauterization differs according to circumstances. 
 As a general rule, it ought, of course, to be applied in the direc- 
 tion of the hair, by which the blemish is lessened ; but this rule 
 can not be arbitrarily followed, although it ought to do away with 
 all the false pride of displaying the taste in the figures scored upon 
 a prostrate beast. The Veterinary College recommends that the 
 limbs be always fired in perpendicular lines ; others advocate all 
 manner of fanciful marks. Some cast the horse ; many surgeons 
 perform standing. The irons used are of various shapes and di- 
 mensions. Some recommend the firing, of all things, to be very 
 light ; others persist there is no virtue in hot iron unless it burns 
 very deep. The operation consists in having irons of some sub- 
 stance made red-hot, and then drawing them mechanically along, 
 or twisting them about upon the skin. The figures are various ; 
 so is the depth of the incision. Both must be decided by the taste, 
 judgment, or heartlessness of the operator. 
 
 Blistering. 
 
 This is an operation of very great utility, and is, perhaps, com- 
 pared with its benefits and importance, the safest that is performed. 
 When a vesicatory becomes absorbed through the pores of the 
 skin, it inflames the sensible cutis underneath, the consequence of 
 which is, an infusion of serum through the part, which, in the 
 human subject, elevates the cuticle into a bladder equal to the sur- 
 face inflamed, but in the horse, from the greater tenacity of the 
 cuticular connections, it becomes separated in the form of small 
 distinct vesicles only. If the irritating cause be quickly removed, 
 the serum may be reabsorbed, and the surface restored by a slight 
 effort of adhesive inflammation. If the irritant act in a still 
 minor degree, it simply irritates the vessels of the cutis to an in- 
 filtration of fluid through the sensible pores, but produces no 
 desquamation of cuticle. Such has been called a sweating blister. 
 
264 DADDS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 But when, by continued irritation, the cutis is exposed, suppura- 
 tion succeeds, and the part is fully blistered. 
 
 The salutary action of blisters is exerted in several ways — in 
 promoting absorption, in combating deep-seated inflammations, 
 and in aiding others. As a stimulus to the absorbents, they act 
 beneficially in the removal of injurious deposits, as the coagula 
 remaining after inflammatory lesions ; but it is to be remarked 
 that when any existing deposit is of long continuance, or is osse- 
 ous, it requires that the action of the vesicatory be kept up. 
 Mercurial blisters have been thought to have a superior influence 
 in accelerating absorption. Mercurials, rubbed in some weeks or 
 days previously to blistering, are certainly great assistants, and 
 should always be employed in the treatment of obstinate osseous 
 or ligamentary enlargements. Blisters are very important aids in 
 inflammatory affections, as counter-irritants, derived from a law 
 in the animal economy, that two inflammations seldom exist in 
 the vicinity of each other ; therefore, when such an affection has 
 taken place in any part, and we wish to remove it, we attempt to 
 raise an artificial inflammation in the neighborhood by means of 
 blisters, which, if persevered in, destroy, or at least lessen, the 
 original one. Occasionally, also, we blister the immediate inflamed 
 part, with an intention to hasten the suppurative process by in- 
 creasing the activity of the vessels, as in deep-seated abscesses, and 
 also in those which attack glandular parts. We therefore employ 
 blisters to hasten the maturation of the tumors in strangles. 
 When the flagging powers vascillate between resolution and sup- 
 puration, as they often do in the phlegmonous inflammations of 
 glandular or of deep-seated parts, blisters may either hasten the 
 resolution, or they may add their influence to the attempted sup- 
 puration, and thus bring it to maturity. But we carefully avoid, 
 in other cases, applying a vesicant to a part immediately in a state 
 of active inflammation. Particularly we should avoid what is too 
 often done, that of blistering over the tendons, ligaments, and ar- 
 ticulatory surfaces of a tumid limb, laboring under a congested 
 state of the parts from excess of vascular action. Here we should 
 do great injury were we to blister, by causing a greater deposit 
 of lymph, and by hastening its organization into an injurious bond 
 of union between the inflamed parts. 
 
 The vesicatory, or blister, for general use in veterinary medi- 
 cine, as a simple stimulant, should be principally composed of 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 265 
 
 Spanish flies. Cheaper substitutes are used, but they irritate vio- 
 lently. In extensive inflammatory affections, they are, on this 
 account, perfectly inadmissible ; and wherever a case requires any 
 thing more, it will be noted. The mode of blistering with the 
 Spanish fly is sufficiently known. The hair should be cut or shorn 
 as close as possible from around the part; the blistering matter 
 should then be well rubbed in for ten or fifteen minutes. If the 
 pasterns and fetlocks are the parts to be blistered, previous to rub- 
 bing in the ointment, smear some lard, tallow, or melted suet over 
 the heels, and within the hollow at the back of the small pastern. 
 This will often prevent some troublesome sores forming, from the 
 blistering ointment falling on these sensitive parts. While a blis- 
 ter is acting, the litter should be removed from under the feet, or 
 it will tickle the legs and irritate ; but, above all, the head ought 
 to be most carefully secured, for two days and nights, to oppose 
 lying down, more especially to prevent the horse biting the blis- 
 tered part. On the third evening he may be permitted to repose ; 
 but a prevention should even then be continued, by means of what 
 is called a cradle. This apparatus may be bought at every turn- 
 ing shop, or may be made of eight or ten pieces of round wood, 
 an inch and a half in diameter, and two feet long. These are 
 strung at each end on a rope, and fastened around the neck. 
 When it is intended to blister repeatedly, the effects of the first 
 should have subsided before the second is applied, the scurf and 
 scabs also be cleared away, and the part well washed with soap 
 and water. In all cases, the third or fourth day after the applica- 
 tion the part should be thoroughly painted over, by means of a 
 long-haired brush (such as are in use with pastry-cooks to glaze 
 their crusts), with lead liniment, which should be repeated every 
 day. And when it is proposed to turn a horse out, it should never 
 be done until the whole blistered surface be quite healed ; other- 
 wise dirt, flies, etc., may prove hurtful. 
 
 It remains to observe that, instead of repeated active blistering, 
 it is, in some cases, preferable to keep up a continual slight irrita- 
 tion on the original blister by means of stimulants, as iodine oint- 
 ment, mild blistering applications, etc. Caution is, however, 
 necessary, to avoid forming an eschar, and thereby a permanent 
 blemish ; but when a blemish is not of consequence, this plan will 
 be found often more efficacious than firing, as in splints, spavins, 
 etc. Some practitioners blister mildly one day, and on the next 
 
266 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 wash off the blistering matter, thereby saving loss of hair ; but 
 there is more of apparent than real good in this plan. If a blis- 
 ter be necessary, it requires all its activity. 
 
 Ammoniacal blister. — Spanish flies are only efficacious when the 
 animal can afford to wait their action, which is rather slow. In 
 most of the acute diseases, the horse would perish before the blis- 
 ter began to rise, wherefore resort has been had to boiling water 
 and red-hot iron. The action of these last coarse and brutal 
 measures was alone controlled by the violence of the internal in- 
 flammation, and, if the practitioner was mistaken in his estimate 
 of the immediate danger, extensive and lasting blemish was the 
 consequence. We have in the liquor ammonia an agent quite as 
 formidable as Boiling water or heated iron, but it is rather longer 
 in displaying its force ; wherefore, it allows time for watching its 
 action, and of checking it the instant it has sufficiently blistered 
 the skin. It is true the liquor ammonia upon the skin can not be 
 removed, neither need it be counteracted. Ammonia is like steam, 
 only powerful when confined. The ordinary soap liniment, if 
 covered over, would, because of the ammonia it contains, produce 
 a lasting blemish ; but every veterinary surgeon knows how very 
 harmless a preparation that is when simply rubbed upon the sur- 
 face. So, when we desire the active effects of liquor ammonia, we 
 double a blanket or rug four or five times and hold it over the 
 liquid. It takes from ten to twenty minutes to raise a blister, and 
 it consequently can, from time to time, be observed ; and when its 
 action has reached the wished-for point, all we have to do, effectu- 
 ally to stop it, is to take away the rug or blanket. That removed, 
 the free surface and the heat of the body occasions the ammoniacal 
 vapor to be dispersed, and the animal is safe. 
 
 Rowelling. 
 
 Rowels acts as foreign substances within the body. They cause 
 irritation and suppuration, whereby more deep-seated inflamma- 
 tions are supposed to be removed. They are, however, often very 
 convenient, because they stand as sign-boards to show the proprie- 
 tor that something has been done. The common mode of making 
 a rowel is after the following manner: A slit is first made by 
 means of the rowel scissors, on any part of the integuments, held 
 between the finger and thumb. "With the handle of the scissors 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 267 
 
 separate from its cellular connections a circle of two or three inches 
 in diameter, into which introduce something to prevent the reunion 
 of the skin. A piece of circular leather, tolerably stiff, with a cen- 
 tral hole, is a very common substance used, but is objected to by 
 some on account of the difficulty of changing it without injuring 
 the skin. Tow, as more pliant, is frequently introduced into this 
 cavity. If the rowel runs freely, it should be dressed every day, 
 by changing the plug, if of tow, and by cleansing it, if of leather. 
 No rowel should go undressed beyond the second day, for the com- 
 fort of the horse. They are very favorite applications with far- 
 riers, and frequently abused by being employed indiscriminately, 
 but are falling into disuse, setons having almost superseded them. 
 Setons, in their action, resemble a very mild form of rowel, but 
 are more convenient in their application. There is hardly a part 
 of the body where a seton may not be conveniently placed. They 
 have been put around the eye ; they have also been entered at the 
 withers, and brought out between the humerus and the sternum, 
 so extensive or so diminutive can they be made. In sinuous ulcers 
 of the withers and of the neck they may be placed ; through the 
 heels, in foot diseases, they have been inserted. In cavernous 
 sores, they are entered at the sifperior part, and are brought out at 
 an inferior, so as to form a depending orifice. The formation of a 
 seton is very simple. A skein of thread, or a piece of tape, of a 
 convenient size, may be used. At the one end place a large knot ; 
 arm the eye of a corresponding-sized seton-needle with the free end 
 of the tape ; introduce this into any proposed part, and, bringing 
 it out at some other, either make a second knot, or tie the two ends 
 of the tape together ; which last method of fastening is, however, 
 often objected to, from the danger of its catching in something and 
 being torn out, to the disfigurement of the horse. When a seton 
 is placed in a sinuous track, for the purpose of inflaming, it is 
 moved twice a day, frequently, and moistened each time with 
 some stimulant, as oil of turpentine, tincture of aloes and of ben- 
 jamin. All setons require daily cleaning and moving. When 
 they are required to act more quickly, the tape is infused in tere- 
 binthinate of cantharides, or small pieces of black hellebore are 
 sewn within it. An old material, composed of woollen, flax, or 
 cotton and hair, is also used instead of tape. Setons, however, 
 are of small service in acute cases. They are chiefly in use for 
 disturbances of a chronic description. 
 
268 dadd's veterinary medicine and surgery. 
 
 Abstraction of Blood, or Bleeding (Arteriotomy.) 
 
 Blood is abstracted by opening the conducting vessels, arterial 
 and venous. When taken from arteries, the process is called 
 arteriotomy; when by the latter, phlebotomy. Some bleedings 
 include both these operations, as general scarifications of the soft 
 parts, bleeding at the toe point, divisions of the vessels of the cor- 
 nea, etc. Blood-letting is called local when it is practiced on or 
 very near the affected part; and it is supposed to act more immedi- 
 ately than general bleeding because it produces more effect with the 
 loss of less blood. Local bleeding is, therefore, usually practiced 
 on the minor branches of the arteries and veins, as on the tem- 
 poral artery, the plate vein, the vena saphena, etc. Leeches are 
 a means of local bleeding not often used by us in veterinary prac- 
 tice ; but there is no reason whatever why they should not be em- 
 ployed. When applied to the eye, and occasionally to other parts, 
 also, they adhere readily, abstracting blood rapidly, and, there- 
 fore, might be valuable aids in violent local inflammation. Cup- 
 ping is also practiced, in France and other parts of the Continent, 
 with very large glasses, and it is there supposed to act remedially 
 in many local inflammations. By general bleeding we under- 
 stand the depletion of the system at large, and this we practice in 
 extensive inflammations. 
 
 Division of the temporal artery. — The proper spot for either its 
 puncture or division is directly where the vessel leaves the parotid 
 gland, to curve upward and forward around the jaw, a little be- 
 low its condyle. When it is punctured, it usually affords much 
 blood ; and in such case, enough having been obtained, divide the 
 trunk, when, the receding portions becoming pressed by the in- 
 teguments, and lessening by their own contractility, the hemor- 
 rhage is stopped. It should be punctured by a lancet; a fleam 
 may fix itself in the bone. Its division can be readily made, also, 
 either by a lancet or scalpel. 
 
 Bleeding by the palate is also a species of arterio-phlebotomy, 
 and is a very favorite spot for abstracting blood with most igno- 
 rant persons, who vehemently recommend it in spasmodic colic or 
 gripes, and in megrims. In such cases, however, a want of knowl- 
 edge of the anatomy of the parts has occasioned a serious hemor- 
 rhage to occur ; it may prove a fatal one if the artery proper to the 
 part be divided incompletely. The palatine artery and nerve run 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 269 
 
 near each other, on each side of the roof of the mouth, so as to 
 divide the inner surface of the hard palate into three nearly equal 
 portions. No other than a direct division of the vein should ever 
 be made; therefore, when bleeding is determined on at this place, 
 do it by plunging a lancet or even a penknife in a direct line 
 across the rugse, one inch within the mouth, exactly between the 
 middle and second nippers. There these vessels form a curve, 
 which curve will be divided, and will then yield three or four 
 pints of blood. If the instrument enter too much on one side, as 
 about the middle of the second nipper, then a partial and longi- 
 tudinal division of the artery may be made, and an alarming hem- 
 orrhage may follow. In this case, the section must be enlarged 
 and deepened inwardly — that is, away from the teeth — which com- 
 pletely severs the vessel, and its retraction will stop the hem- 
 orrhage. A moderate or slight flow of blood from the palate may 
 be obtained by light scarifications of the rugee. But all bleedings 
 here, except under circumstances of the most urgent necessity, had 
 better be avoided. 
 
 Bleeding by the toe is also arterio-phlebotomy. By no means 
 cut out a portion of the sole at the point of the frog, which fre- 
 quently occasions abscess; but, with a very fine drawing-knife, 
 cut down exactly in the line of union between the crust and the 
 sole ; then, by puncturing the part with a lancet, a vast flow of 
 blood may be obtained, the benefits of which, in some cases, are 
 very marked, particularly in acute founder. If the blood should 
 not flow with sufficient freedom, place the foot in warm water. 
 The bleeding finished, cover the puncture with some tow and a 
 little tar, and lightly tack on the shoe. There are, however, other 
 methods of bleeding from the toe. Mr. Maver uses a drawing- 
 knife with a long curve, so that one sweep of the blade may cut a 
 piece out of the foot. This appears to us bad practice, as it leaves 
 Nature a space to fill up, instead of a simple incised wound to 
 heal. Others take away none of the horn, but merely make a slit 
 through the outer covering on to the vascular portion of the foot. 
 The flap of horn they hold up, so long as they desire blood, by the 
 insertion of a piece of wood ; and when they have obtained blood 
 enough, they take out the wood, so as to let the horny flap down. 
 This last method, of all others, appears to us the easiest and the 
 best. 
 
 Sometimes the plantar vein is opened as a substitute. Scarifi- 
 
270 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 cations are, also, occasionally practiced, which, of course, divide 
 both venous and arterial branches. In France extensive scarifi- 
 cations used to be made into indurations before the suppurative 
 process had commenced, which, in some cases, prevented that 
 from going on, and the remedial wounds made were healed by 
 adhesive inflammation, or by healthy granulation. The same 
 method has also been occasionally practiced here, but it is not 
 now often attempted. 
 
 Phlebotomy, or the puncture of a venous branch, is the most 
 usual mode of drawing blood in veterinary practice, and may be 
 employed on any point of the body ; but some vessels are much 
 more frequently opened than others, and most of all the jugular 
 vein. 
 
 Bleeding by the thigh vein. — The saphena is a prominent vein, 
 continued from the inner part of the hock, and may be opened by 
 the fleam, but with much greater safety and propriety by a lancet. 
 The opposite leg being held up, the operator, placing himself in 
 front of the thigh, and steadying himself and the horse by placing 
 one hand on the hock, may fix the vein with the little finger of the 
 other, while the lancet, held between the thumb and fore-finger, 
 punctures it. This vein should never be opened save upon abso- 
 lute necessity, as it is often troublesome to pin up. A horse has 
 been cast for the trivial matter of stopping the hemorrhage. 
 
 Bleeding from the plate vein. — This vein is frequently opened to 
 abstract blood after injuries of the fore extremities. 
 
 The superficial brachial vein is a continuation of the superficial 
 division of the metacarpal veins, and in the passage upward receives 
 more than one branch. Its principal trunk ascends along the inner 
 side of the radius. It may also be well to remark that, when taking 
 blood from the superficial veins of the arm or fore-arm, if any diffi- 
 culty is experienced in obtaining a sufficient flow, the lifting up of 
 the other leg, by throwing the muscles of the punctured one into 
 action, will force the blood from the inner to the outer set, and an 
 increased quantity may be obtained. The plate vein, or external 
 thoracic, is often opened, as it emerges from behind the arm, and 
 is pinned up without any difficulty. 
 
 Bleeding by the jugular vein. — The situation of this important 
 vessel is well known, but its internal connections are not so fa- 
 miliar, though such knowledge is essential to the uniform safety of 
 the operation. The horse has only external jugular veins, a right 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 271 
 
 and a left one. As each emerges from the chest, it is found deep- 
 seated, and approaching the trachea. It then passes forward, in 
 company with the external carotid artery. Toward the middle 
 of the neck it becomes more superficial, and is now distinctly 
 seen progressing rather above and without the carotid artery and 
 trachea, or windpipe. The carotid, therefore, in the future course 
 of the jugular, is situated a little below and more deep-seated than 
 the vein. The jugular is also separated from the carotid by a 
 slight muscular band, derived from the levator humeri. Its fur- 
 ther track is marked in the hollow formed by the inferior edge of 
 the levator humeri, where it is covered by the panniculus carnosus 
 and integuments only, when, having nearly reached the jaw, it 
 makes its well-known division into two portions. Bleeding by 
 the jugular is usually practiced with a lancet or with a fleam. The 
 proper spot for the puncture may be found anywhere between two 
 inches and six from the division of the vein. This latitude is here 
 mentioned, because it is prudent to avoid puncturing directly over 
 a former bleeding-place, known by the scar and enlargement. It 
 should also be avoided where a little knot in the course of the 
 vein will sometimes denote the existence of one of the venous 
 valves. But in all ordinary cases, where these hindrances do not 
 appear, operate at two or three inches from the division of the 
 vein, which will be sufficiently evident when it is pressed on below 
 the place punctured. Avoid operating low down in the neck, as 
 there the vessel is deeper-seated, and near to important parts. 
 
 First moisten the hair and smooth it down ; then, steadying 
 and enlarging the vessel with one hand, with the other plunge the 
 point of the lancet into the integuments, so as just to puncture 
 them and the vein ; then, by a slight turn of the wrist, carry the 
 instrument obliquely forward to finish the cut. For opening the 
 smaller veins, the lancet should always be used. In all but the 
 practiced hand the fleam is the safest for bleeding from the jugu- 
 lar. It is always prudent to have the eye of the horse covered. 
 Unless the eye be covered, the horse will be likely to flinch at the 
 moment of the stroke, and the puncture may be made in any place 
 but where we wish. The hair being first wetted and smoothed, 
 and the fleam being retained in the left hand, the unemployed 
 fingers pressing on the vein so as to fix and swell the vessel, let 
 the point rest exactly in the middle of the swelling. Strike the 
 fleam sufficiently hard to penetrate the skin and vein. A blood- 
 
272 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 stick is preferable for the purpose of striking the fleam. There is 
 a vibration between two hard bodies when they meet, which, in 
 this instance, is favorable to a quick and moderate puncture of the 
 vein. After the vein has been opened, moderate pressure with the 
 edge of the can which catches the blood is sufficient to keep up 
 the flow. It may also be encouraged by putting a finger within 
 the horse's mouth. The requisite quantity of blood being drawn, 
 remove the can. The remaining process of securing the vessel 
 is of equal importance. The sides of the orifice are first to be 
 brought in opposition, without pinching them, and without draw- 
 ing them from the vein. The same cautions should also be ob- 
 served when the pin is introduced. Let it be small, with an 
 irregular point, and, when inserted, wrap around it a few hairs 
 or a little tow. 
 
 Common, however, as this operation is, and qualified as every 
 one thinks himself to perform it, yet there are very serious acci- 
 dents which do arise occasionally? It has occurred that the carotid 
 artery has become penetrated. When the puncture has been made 
 through the vein^ the accident is known immediately by the forci- 
 ble and pulsatory gush of florid arterial and dark venous blood 
 together. In one instance of this kind, which occurred to a French 
 practitioner, he immediately thrust his finger into the opening 
 through the vein, and thus plugged up the artery, intending to 
 wait for assistance. In this state he remained, we believe, an 
 hour or more, when, removing his finger, to his surprise, he found 
 the hemorrhage had ceased, and did not again return. In another 
 case, where an English practitioner accidentally opened the carotid, 
 he placed a compress on the orifice, and had relays of men to hold 
 it there for forty-eight hours, when it was found the bleeding had 
 stopped. 
 
 The admission of air is also another serious accident that now 
 and then attends bleeding. It sometimes happens from the sudden 
 removal of the fingers or blood-can, or whatever was used to dis- 
 tend the vessel by obstructing the return of the blood. This, being 
 suddenly taken away, allows the escape of the blood toward the 
 heart, and occasions a momentary vacuum, the air being heard to 
 rush with a gurgling noise into the vein through the orifice; it 
 then mixes with the blood, and occasions, in some instances, almost 
 immediate death. The animal begins to tremble ; he next staggers, 
 and finally falls in a state of convulsion. If the quantity of air 
 
SURGICAL OPERATIONS. 
 
 273 
 
 taken in has been considerable, death ensues. The remedy must, 
 therefore, be instantaneous, and consists in again opening the ori- 
 fice, or making a new one, to gain an immediate renewed flow of 
 blood, which will, in most cases, renovate the horse, who has been 
 found afterward to be tormented with an intolerable itching." * 
 
 * Blaine's "Outlines; 
 
 18 
 
SECTION" X. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 
 
 Itch and Mange — Lice on Animals — Grease and Scratches — Surfeit — Drop- 
 sical Limbs — Scarletin a — Ringworm — Prurigo — Pole-evil — Fistulous 
 Withers — AVarts on the Skin — Purpura Hemorrhagica — Out of condi- 
 tion — Hide-bound— Herpes. 
 
 Itch and Mange. 
 
 ITCH, mange, and scabies are essentially local affections of the 
 skin, and are occasioned by the presence of parasites known 
 as " sarcoptes-equi." The eruption ensuing on the skin of a horse, 
 
 when subject to this affection, is very- 
 similar to the appearance of itch in man, 
 and probably is just as tormenting to 
 the animal as in the case of his master. 
 Numerous cases are recorded of trans- 
 mission of itch from horse to man, and, 
 when so acquired, it is impossible to dis- 
 tinguish it from the human itch. Some 
 persons suffer severely when attending 
 mangy horses, but a clean person or clean 
 horse are not apt to take the disease. It 
 is well known that a healthy and clean 
 horse may stand for weeks near a mangy 
 one without taking the disease, showing, 
 very conclusively, that the best preventive measures are those 
 which promote health and cleanliness. As the English groom 
 says, " plenty of elbow-grease, by means of brush and curry-comb, 
 on the skin of the horse ; regular daily exercise, pure air in the 
 stable, and a sufficiency of good digestible food are sovereign 
 remedies against itch and mange." This, we presume, is all the 
 (274) 
 
 ACARUS, OR RAIlCnPTES-F.QTII, THE 
 ITCH PARASITE (.MAGNIFIED). 
 
1 .CEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 275 
 
 reader wants to know with reference to the cause of itch and 
 mange. 
 
 Symptoms. — When a horse is affected with this malady, in either 
 of the forms here named, the owner's attention will be aroused 
 by the animal rubbing himself, whenever he can get a fair ehance 
 to do so; and, should the limbs or heels be affected, he will rub 
 the-«fore-legs one against the other, and, at night, will constantly 
 strike the floor with his hind extremities. The hair looks un- 
 thrifty, has lost its gloss, and does not lay smooth on the body. 
 It falls off in patches, and an eruption is observed similar to the 
 appearance of itch on man, yet not so distinctly recognized. A 
 few pimples, scabs, and a slight reddening of the parts is all that 
 may, perhaps, be seen. The skin of some horses, however, is 
 more vascular and more delicately organized than others. In the 
 latter case the disease is more marked, creates greater irritation, 
 and the nervous system suffers more from sympathetic irritability 
 than in the case of an animal having a coarse and comparatively 
 insensible "hide." In addition to these symptoms, the affected 
 animal will be observed to be more or less fractious and unman- 
 ageable. 
 
 Treatment. — The disease being of a local character, requires 
 topical (local) remedies, and the best medicine is that which most 
 quickly destroys the life of the itch parasite. It has been found 
 that preparations of creosote kill the parasite in a few seconds, 
 and Gerlach recommends the following preparation : 
 
 No. 28. Creosote 2| oz. 
 
 Spirits of wine 15 oz. 
 
 Water 40 oz. 
 
 Previous to the application of this, the same authority advises 
 that the horse be smeared all over the body with soft soap, wash- 
 ing it off some time afterward with warm water, and having the 
 animal well brushed; or a wash may be afterward used, consist- 
 ing of one part of caustic potass to fifty parts of water ; or, lastly, 
 greasing the animal with linseed oil, train oil, etc., and, one or 
 two days afterward, washing with soap and water or potash ley ; 
 then apply the preparation of creosote. 
 
 The cheapest, and probably the safest, plan of treatment, and 
 that which has proved most successful in the practice of the author, 
 is as follows : 
 
276 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 No. 29. Unslaked lime 1 lb. 
 
 Flour of sulphur 2 lbs. 
 
 Water 12 pts. 
 
 Put these ingredients in a stone jar, set it on the stove, or in 
 a regular water-bath, until it boils. During the interval, the 
 mixture must be constantly stirred, both in view of insuring a 
 complete mixture, and of keeping the lime and sulphur from- de- 
 positing in the bottom of the jar ; for, should this occur, the jar 
 will crack. The mixture must be stirred with a wooden spatula 
 or glass rod. Keep the mixture boiling for about ten or fifteen 
 minutes ; then set it aside for twelve hours, at the end of which 
 time pour off the clear liquor, bottle tightly, and cork the bottles. 
 These should be put away in a dark closet, as the mixture soon 
 decomposes when exposed to the sun's rays. This remedy will 
 cure the itch on horses and cattle. It is, also, a sure cure when 
 used on man. It is not adapted to the cure of the malady in 
 sheep, as the sulphur is supposed to be injurious to wool. The 
 only objection to its use is, that it has a very unpleasant odor — 
 smells like sulphureted hydrogen. Before applying this mixture, 
 the animal should be thoroughly washed with warm water and 
 common brown soap; then wipe the animal dry, and apply the 
 sulphur mixture, by means of a sponge. One application, if 
 properly applied, will usually suffice to kill the parasites. Should 
 it fail in the first instance, a reapplication will do no harm, as 
 the preparation is perfectly inocuous. 
 
 Scabies is to be treated in the same manner; in fact, all diseases 
 of the skin, supposed to be dependent on the presence of parasites, 
 are to be treated after this fashion. Gerlach, of the Royal Ve- 
 terinary School of Berlin, has made a series of experiments with 
 various remedies for the destruction of the itch parasite, and the 
 following table shows the result of his labors : 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 
 
 277 
 
 1.20. 
 ..24. 
 l."24. 
 
 Creosote, pure , 
 
 Creosote, 1 part") 
 Spirit, 10 parts V 
 Water, 30 parts J 
 Creosote 1 part \ 
 Water, 80 parts J 
 
 Creosote With fat j 1 "f 
 
 ( 1 
 Creosote with oil j j^g 
 
 Iodine, tincture of, pure 
 
 Iodine, tincture of, with water, 1.4. 
 Iodide of potassium with water,. 1.2. 
 Iodide of potassium with water, 1.4 
 Caustic potash, 1 part ; 24 do. 
 Caustic potash, 1 part "1 
 Water, 10 parts I 
 
 Tar, 2 " | 
 
 Hartshorn oil, 2 " J 
 Caustic potash, 1 part 
 Water, 16 parts 
 
 Tar, 2 " 
 
 Hartshorn oil, 2 " 
 
 Sulphuret of f with watei - , 1.10 
 
 potassium \ with oil, 1.10 
 
 Chloride of lime with water, 1.30 
 
 Hartshorn oil, pure 
 
 Hartshorn oil, with water, 1.10 
 
 Oil of turpentine 
 
 Barbadoes tar 
 
 Tar (Pix liquida) 
 
 ("pure 
 
 Photogen ■{ (1.5 
 
 (with oil < 
 
 U-io 
 
 Concentrated vinegar, pure 
 
 Concentrated vinegar, with water 1.1 
 
 Acetic acid with water, 1.1 
 
 Concentrated sulphuric acid J 1.24 
 
 with water { 1.48 
 
 Decoction of tobacco 
 
 (1.5.. 
 J, 1.10. 
 (.1.50 . 
 
 Tessier's arsenical bath. 
 
 Mathieu's arsenical bath., 
 
 Over-saturated solution of arsenic in 
 water 1.6 
 
 Green soap.. 
 
 Liquor ammonia 
 
 Solution of corrosive sublimate, 10 \ 
 grains, one ounce j 
 
 Infusions of henbane, belladonna, f 
 and Persian insect powder, 1.16 j 
 
 Decoction of black and white helle- ) 
 bore, 1.16 / 
 
 Infusion of digatalis, 1.16 , 
 
 Walz's ley, containing caustic pot- ) 
 ash, hartshorn oil, and tar J 
 
 Dead in 
 Hours. Minutes. 
 
 2-5 
 4-10 
 
 2-3 
 
 
 12-16 
 
 6-36 
 24-36 
 6-48 
 
 74T72 
 
 2-2^ 
 
 3K-7 
 
 5^-9 
 
 1-2 
 
 4-6 
 
 9 
 
 20-26 
 
 2-2M 
 
 1M 
 
 7-12 
 
 15-30 
 
 15-30 
 3-4 
 30 
 5-9 
 5-9 
 8-13 
 7 
 
 1-1% 
 
 2-3% 
 
 2 
 
 7-8 
 32-35 
 10-20 
 
 15-16 
 
 15-45 
 
 Observations. 
 
 Mathieu. 
 
 J Were living 7 hours after 
 \ immersion. 
 
 C Mathieu. 
 
 J White arsenic, 1 part. 
 ] Sulphate of iron, 10 parts. 
 [ Water, 100 parts. 
 
 {Mathieu. 
 White arsenic, 1 part. 
 Alum, 10 parts. 
 Water, 100 parts. 
 Hertwig. 
 
 f A dilute solution does 
 t not kill. 
 
 Hertwig. 
 Hertwig. 
 
278 dadd's veterinary medicine and surgery. 
 
 The Skin Diseases of Domestic Animals. 
 
 A celebrated writer on the diseases of the skin of domesticated 
 animals, thus discourses on the subject: 
 
 " Few topics have engaged the attention of the successful breeder 
 of our improved domesticated animals more than skin diseases pro- 
 duced by insects, in consequence of the manner in which both the 
 breeding and feeding qualities of stock are affected by them. This 
 arises from the little progress scientific inquiry has experimentally 
 made in the physiology of these tiny parasites by means of the 
 microscope, and the consequent paucity of reliable scientific works 
 on the subject. Hitherto half the conclusions of our veterinary 
 surgeons relative to their natural history have been drawn from the 
 traditionary philosophy of our forefathers, and not from actual ex- 
 amination, either with the eye of the modern physiologist or mor- 
 bid anatomist; while our entomologists have had too much to do 
 to overtake the branches of zoological science, to fill their cabinets 
 with specimens of the class in question — a class far more varied 
 than the kingdom itself, every different race of animals being not 
 only infested with a different brood of insects (mites), but almost 
 every organic substance, animal and vegetable. 
 
 A very superficial, acquaintance with these facts must convince 
 the reader of the importance of the lecture on this subject, de- 
 livered by Professor Simonds, before the council of the Royal 
 Agricultural Society of England, accompanied with drawings, 
 exhibited on the wall, and specimens under his microscope. The 
 former, drawn to a greatly magnified scale, illustrated, in a very 
 conspicuous manner, the different stages of vitality, from the ovum 
 to the insect, in all the vigor of matured life. But to us, and 
 several other members who examined them, the latter appeared 
 the most interesting, as nothing can exceed the fidelity with which 
 the microscope exemplifies Nature, though all but invisible to the 
 naked eye, confirming, in the most satisfactory manner, the sound- 
 ness of the conclusions at which the Professor arrived, differing, 
 as they did, in many respects, from those hitherto drawn, .both by 
 veterinary surgeons and entomologists. 
 
 Referring to the report of Mr. Simonds' first lecture, the task 
 which devolves upon us is to apply it to the daily practice of the 
 farmer, so as to profit by its deductions. These were principally 
 confined, it will be seen, to scabies and setrus in sheep and other 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 279 
 
 animals, with a few observations on the dog-flea (pulex canis). 
 Scabies is a pestiferous disease, whether it affects the horse, the 
 ox, the sheep, swine, or poultry, inflicting a loss not easily esti- 
 mated ; hence the maxim of every intelligent farmer is, to avoid. 
 With him "prevention is better than cure," and, therefore, his 
 grand desideratum is to guard against contagion. Sheep are, per- 
 haps, more subject to it than any of the other animals, arising as 
 much from the nature of their skins and coats as from the fecun- 
 dity of the acarus ovis, and the greater vicissitudes of the weather 
 to which they (the sheep) are exposed. " Certain parts of the body 
 are more liable to be affected than others ; and so is an unhealthy 
 skin than a healthy one. Indeed, it has been said that an unheal- 
 thy skin will itself produce scabies (?), but this conclusion does 
 not appear to be well founded ; for a disease dependent upon the 
 presence of living parasites can never arise spontaneously, but 
 must be effected by contagion, either by means of their eggs, or 
 the insect in some other stage of its existence. 
 
 Now, from what has just been said, it will appear obvious that 
 cleanliness, a healthy skin and state of the body, and a separation 
 from foul animals and ground, are the means necessary to avoid 
 contagion. The truth of this will, perhaps, be better understood 
 if we first review the important distinctions which Mr. Simonds 
 makes between the habits of the acarus scabiei of the human body 
 and the acari of our domestic animals, the former burrowing in 
 the skin, but the latter living on its surface, clinging to the skin, 
 hair, or wool with their trumpet-shaped, vesicular-cushioned feet, 
 to prevent their being thrown off by the animal when shaking or 
 nibbling itself. Hitherto distinctions of this kind have been over- 
 looked, writers generally concluding that the acari of quadrupeds 
 burrowed in the skin like those of man, thus proving the little 
 use which had been made of the microscope in examining the 
 former, as it shows them to be incapable of living in the skin, 
 from the configuration of their bodies. Indeed, to have made 
 similar acari for naked skins as for those covered with hair, wool, 
 or feathers would have been an oversight on the part of Nature ; 
 while the fact that the acarus scabiei will not live on the horse, 
 nor acarus equi on man, or acarus ovis on the ox, or acarus bovis 
 on the sheep, and so on, proves that greater differences than the 
 mere configuration of the animal structure exist, all pointing to 
 the above means as necessary, in every case, to avoid so great a 
 
280 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 pest — one which appears to form an integral part of that curse 
 inflicted on the whole creation by the fall of man. 
 
 The importance of cleanliness, and its concomitant health, to 
 prevent contagion, may be further illustrated. We have just seen 
 above that an acarus, although a loathsome pest, is yet very nice 
 in its taste, and particular about a nidus in which to deposit and 
 hatch its eggs. It enjoys the highest degree of prosperity on the 
 unhealthy skin, multiplying there fastest; so that if it creeps 
 from it to the opposite — the sleek, healthy one of the horse or ox, 
 or dry wool of the sheep — it feels itself from home, and, before it 
 even reaches the skin, may be bruised or shaken oif. If, however, 
 it creeps upon the unhealthy animal with its staring coat, it soon 
 reaches the skin, and commences its direful work, every thing 
 there being congenial to his happiness; hence the incredible 
 speed at which it propagates its species, until it either consumes 
 its victim alive, or is arrested at its fatal work by the timely 
 unguent of the veterinary surgeon. 
 
 Again : when a dirty animal shakes itself, as it invariably does 
 after rubbing itself against any thing, less or more scurf, dan- 
 druff, and dust is thrown into the atmosphere, and carried to a 
 distance by high wind. Now, under such circumstances, when 
 affected with scabies, it is manifest that the smallest of these puny 
 insects, as well as their eggs, will be blown from one pasture to 
 another; that the latter will lodge in the dirty staring coat of 
 the unhealthy animal, when they will be blown off that of the 
 clean sleek one, or be brushed off before they reach the skin, or 
 any nidus capable of hatching them. In this manner we can 
 trace contagion from one animal to another, and thus account, in 
 harmony with entomological science, for what has hitherto been 
 termed spontaneous cases of scabies in some of our domesticated 
 animals, while others have escaped the disease, though all herd- 
 ing together in one field. "We can also account for the fact why 
 the disease is more liable to break out among sheep than horses 
 and cattle, without coming in contact with strange flocks, because 
 the coats of the latter are more likely to be impregnated with 
 eggs than those of the former, while they afford a better nidus for 
 hatching them. 
 
 With regard to health, it has even been said that the blood of 
 scabbed animals is diseased ; nay, that the blood of all animals is 
 loaded, more or less, with the eggs of acari, and that they are 
 
DISEASES OF THE SK^IN AND SUB-TISSUES. 281 
 
 hatched under certain cutaneous affections, thus accounting for 
 spontaneous cases differently from the atmospheric distribution of 
 eggs. Hence the reason why sulphur and mercury are taken, 
 internally as well as externally, to get rid of the disease. But 
 this sanguiferous doctrine of distribution is more difficult to re- 
 concile with entomological science than the atmospheric one. 
 
 Contagion by direct contact of clean animals with diseased, or 
 where the former enter foul ground, will be difficult to avoid so 
 long as the commerce of live farm stock is conducted as at present ; 
 for diseased animals will be sent to market, although contrary to 
 the spirit of the law, thus not only communicating the disease to 
 all they come in contact with, but also infecting the market-place. 
 According to the experiments made by Mr. Simonds, acari left 
 upon a post, hurdle, or hedge by a scabbed beast will survive 
 for fourteen days, and at the end of that time lay hold of any 
 animal coming in contact with it, and thus communicate the dis- 
 ease ; consequently our weekly and fortnightly markets are little 
 better, during the warm months of summer, than nests for pro- 
 pagating malignant parasites. It would be well, then, if very 
 stringent statutes were enacted, confiscating all diseased animals 
 offered for sale, and that microscopical examinations were enforced 
 in all suspicious cases, so as to guarantee its healthy operation. 
 It will thus be seen that the means for preventing contagion may 
 be summed up in two words — improved management. 
 
 At a very early period in our history, acarus scabiei was much 
 more common among our forefathers than among their posterity 
 of the present day. The change which has taken place is obvi- 
 ously attributable to progress in dietetics, clothing, and medicine; 
 and among our domesticated animals it is no more than reasona- 
 ble to conclude that similar causes will produce similar effects. 
 In point of fact, improved management has already greatly re- 
 duced the prevalence of scabies among both our herds and flocks, 
 thus holding out every encouragement to persevere in obtaining 
 further progress. There is, perhaps, no branch of husbandry 
 where greater advances can be made than in cattle-cookery, house- 
 hold accommodation, including grooming, etc., and medicine ; and 
 when we contemplate how much cutaneous diseases are dependent 
 on management in each of these three respects, it were difficult to 
 estimate what influence further improvements in them may have 
 on the disease in question." 
 
282 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Lice on Horses. 
 
 Lice, in a majority of cases, may be attributed to want of clean- 
 liness ; for they are rarely if ever seen on the body of an animal 
 with clean skin. Brush and curry-comb, and clean stables, are, 
 therefore, the preventives. 
 
 A short time ago I had occasion to visit a stable, located in 
 Waukegan, 111. There I saw a horse almost perfectly hairless, ex- 
 cept the mane and tail. I asked the owner what occasioned the 
 depilation of the hair. He informed me that the horse's body was 
 completely infested with lice ; that he had tried all sorts of rem- 
 edies without success, and, at last, thought he would try kerosene 
 oil, and, accordingly, rubbed the body all over with it, using about 
 two quarts. He said " it killed all the lice, but came very near 
 killing the horse. It made him perfectly crazy ; his limbs became 
 swollen to the proportions of a young elephant, and the hair all 
 fell off." 
 
 The remedy I have found most efficacious is composed of 
 
 No. 30. Crude cod-liver oil 1 pint. 
 
 Pulverized lobelia 2 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 This should be thoroughly rubbed all over the body by means 
 of a stiff brush; at the expiration of four hours, carefully wash 
 the horse all over with soft soap and warm water. It may be 
 necessary to make a second and even a third application, on suc- 
 cessive days, ere the parasites are all killed. The parasites can be 
 seen with the naked eye ; therefore the owner of the horse must 
 be the judge as regards the number of applications needed. 
 
 At a meeting of a Farmer's Club, "Lice" formed the subject 
 for discussion. Dr. J. R. Smith explained that lice, as well as 
 all similar insects, breathe through holes in the body. Thesfe 
 holes are minute spiral es, constantly kept open by an elastic ring, 
 and surrounded by a fringe of extremely delicate hair, which pre- 
 vents the intrusion of any solid particles. To kill the insect it 
 is only necessary to close these breathing-holes, and this is done 
 by smearing them with any kind of grease or oil. You may 
 catch a caterpillar and examine him with a magnifying glass, and 
 you will find these spirulcs arranged in two rows, one on each 
 side ; then, if you take a moth or butterfly, you will find the 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 283 
 
 breathing-holes in the body corresponding with those in the body 
 of the caterpillar from which it was produced — the same body, in 
 fact, remaining after the wings are developed. If you dip a feather 
 in oil, and smear the two spirules nearest the tail, the lower por- 
 tion of the body will be paralyzed so far as these holes. Proceed- 
 ing upward, you may paralyze the whole body until you come to 
 the last two, which are situated just below the jaws. So long as 
 these remain open, the insect will continue to breathe, but if these 
 are now closed, he dies immediately. To exterminate lice upon 
 any animal, it is only necessary to cover the animal completely 
 with grease or oil. The simplest and cheapest oil is best — lard, 
 fish oil, or any other that is at hand. "When the lice have not 
 become so numerous as to produce the disease known as pityriasis, 
 or mange, this application, undoubtedly, is the best that can be 
 used. In addition to being effective, it is perfectly harmless. 
 Stock-breeders should always recollect that prevention shows wis- 
 dom, and saves annoyance and expense ; and, by neatness, cleanli- 
 ness and comfort, the health of the animal will be insured, and the 
 animals will not become infested with the troublesome parasites. 
 Poultry lice affecting horses. — Horses, when located near a hen- 
 roost, are apt to be infested with poultry lice. The remedy is the 
 same as in the case of the common louse. 
 
 Diseases of the Heels (Geease, or Scratches). 
 
 In olden times grease, or scratches, and cracked heels, were not 
 only very prevalent but very formidable affections. Before 
 veterinary surgeons were employed in the British Army, many 
 thousands of valuable horses were condemned as useless for active 
 service in consequence of the prevalence of that loathsome affec- 
 tion known as inveterate grease ; but now, in consequence of the 
 presence of veterinary surgeons, and the consequent improved 
 system of management in camp and stable, grease is almost un- 
 known. Most veterinary writers contend that grease almost 
 always arises from improper management of the horse, yet I have 
 seen it occur in horses that were well cared for and properly 
 treated. The truth is, some horses are predisposed to affections 
 of the skin of the heels and the sebaceous glands of the same; 
 and, although cleanliness and good management may stave off an 
 attack for a long while, yet when the system abounds in morbific 
 
284 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 matter, the same is very apt to gravitate toward the heels, (they 
 being most remote from the center of circulation,) inducing in- 
 flammation of the skin of the heels, distension of the sebaceous 
 glands, and a stinking and unhealthy deposit on the surface, and 
 a purulent discharge through ulcerated cracks. This constitutes 
 grease. 
 
 Cause. — It is contended by Mr. Blain and others that grease 
 has local weakness for a cause. As fluids press, not in proportion 
 to their diameter, but to the height of their column, the venous 
 blood must find some difficulty to its ascent. Debility is, there- 
 fore, more felt in the distended vessels remote from the influence 
 of the heart, under which circumstance the effects productive of 
 grease necessarily ensue. Some horses are constantly the sub- 
 jects of swelled legs, and, if the heels happen to be accidentally 
 abraded, the latter often operates as the exciting cause of a very 
 formidable affection of the heels. Associated with swelled legs is 
 a scurfiness of the skin beneath the fetlock. These conditions, 
 together with the fact that the animal is of the lymphatic temper- 
 ament (gray color), are sure indications that predisposition to 
 maladies of the above character are present. Having such horses 
 under our care, the chief object should be to ward off an attack, by 
 dietetic and hygienic measures. Too much washing of the heels, 
 without drying them by rubbing, is just about as bad as if the 
 filth was allowed to remain. The practice chills the part by a pro- 
 cess of slow evaporation, and the result is local congestion, etc. 
 
 I now propose to illustrate, for the benefit of the reader, 
 the treatment of grease or scratches. I was requested to see 
 a gray gelding, the property of the Transfer Company of St. 
 Louis. On arrival, I examined the animal, and found him to be 
 a large, flabbily-organized creature, having a large amount of 
 loose tissue under the skin. I found that there was a bad odor 
 arising from some ulcerations and exudations about the heels and 
 sides of the same. Intermediate of the ulcers were dry, horny 
 scabs ; the hair about the parts pointed straight out ; the heel was 
 excessively tender, quite vascular, and blood escaped from its 
 vessels. The moment a hand was placed upon the locality, the 
 animal would catch up the limb and appear to suffer much pain. 
 
 Treatment. — In the first place, I had the parts well cleansed 
 with soap and water ; then, after wiping them dry, they were wet- 
 ted, three times daily, with a portion of the following solution: 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 285 
 
 No. 31. Nitrate of potass (saltpeter) 2 oz. 
 
 Water 1 pt. 
 
 Glycerine 4 oz. 
 
 Every time the solution was applied, the parts were dusted with 
 pulverized charcoal. This charcoal, completely covering the 
 abraded parts, and being a good antiseptic, had an excellent effect 
 in excluding atmospheric air, and in correcting feted odor. I 
 administered, as an alterative, to correct the morbid habit, 
 
 No. 32. Iodide of potass 20 gr. 
 
 Sulphur 4 dr. 
 
 Powdered sassafras bark 2 dr. 
 
 Gentian <■ 1 dr. 
 
 These were mixed in food, and the same quantity was given 
 during a period of four days, and the dressings were also contin- 
 ued. On the fifth day the animal had very much improved, stood 
 fair on the foot, and seemed to suffer but very little pain. The 
 limb was somewhat swollen, partly from want of use, and other- 
 wise from slight effusion into the cellular tissue. I discontinued 
 the medicine, and ordered the following mixture, to be applied 
 twice daily: 
 
 No. 33. 
 
 Pyroligneous acid ) , , 
 
 Coal oil j equal parts. 
 
 After each application the oharcoal was reapplied. 
 
 The following case serves to illustrate that the virus of grease 
 can be transmitted from horse to man : 
 
 Transmission of the Virus of Grease from the Horse to Man. — 
 Drs. Maunoury and Pichot have published an interesting series 
 of experiments, tending to prove the identity of grease and cow- 
 pox. This doctrine, which was always maintained by Jenner, 
 has received confirmation from the observations of Loy, Godine, 
 and others. The following is a summary of the facts, related by 
 Drs. Maunoury and Pichot : 
 
 " Francis Barthelemy B , aged twenty-eight, of lymphatic 
 
 temperament, a farrier, presented himself to Dr. Pichot on the 
 5th of March, 1856. He had not been vaccinated. On the backs 
 of his hands, which were red and swollen, were several confluent 
 opaline pustules, depressed in their center, and having all the 
 appearance of vaccine pustules of the eight or ninth day. The 
 inflammation with which the pustules were surrounded had ap- 
 
286 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 peared on the second; the pustules themselves preceded the in- 
 flammation some days. This man had not been in contact with 
 any cow, but on the 11th of February he had shod a horse suffer- 
 ing from grease. There existed, at the time, numerous cracks 
 about the hands. The disease from which the horse was suffering 
 was certified by a qualified veterinarian. Various inoculations 
 were practiced with the liquid taken from the pustules presented 
 
 by B , with the effect of reproducing the same disease. The 
 
 most perfect set of experiments were made by M. Maunoury, who 
 transmitted the virus through four sets of cases. The following 
 are the results of his observations : 
 
 1. That virus obtained from the hands of the farrier B , 
 
 and inoculated on the arm of an infant, produced a full pustule, 
 having all the character of a vaccine pustule — form, evolution, 
 termination. 
 
 2. That lymph taken from this pustule, and inoculated on the 
 arm of three persons, had produced identical pustules, which are 
 truly vaccine. 
 
 3. That the transmission of the virus by successive generations 
 has not diminished the intensity of the force of the poison. One 
 of the set of cases presented large pustules, depressed in the center, 
 and filled with matter • each pustule served for several inocu- 
 lations and the charging of several sets of glasses. 
 
 4. That from these facts it is evident that the virus taken from 
 the pustules of the farrier was identical with the vaccine." * 
 
 Surfeit. 
 
 The term surfeit is used to designate an eruptive affection of 
 the skin, which usually makes its appearance very suddenly. 
 There is nothing dangerous about it, and it sometimes disappears, 
 in the course of a few hours, without any medical treatment. . It 
 usually appears in warm weather, and especially among horses 
 that are in a state of plethora, from the use of a large quantity 
 of meal, or what is known as cut feed. 
 
 Symptoms. — A horse may be taken out of the stable apparently 
 in perfect health, except that he is fat, and, after being driven a 
 
 *Generales de Medecine, April, 1857, pp. 365, 398, from the British and For- 
 eign Medical Chiurgical Review. 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 287 
 
 short distance, he is brought back with his neck and sides covered 
 with blotches or elevations. On pressing them with the fingers 
 they crepitate, showing that they are gaseous elevations or disten- 
 sions, originating in the cellular tissue beneath the skin, from the 
 spontaneous generation of gas. The gas probably arises from fer- 
 mentation of the food, and instead of accumulating in the intes- 
 tines, finds its way to the surface of the body. 
 
 Treatment. — Dissolve two ounces of hyposulphite of soda in one 
 pint of warm water, and drench the animal with the same. Then 
 sponge the body with a portion of the following surfeit lotion : 
 
 No. 34. Aqua ammonia 2 oz. 
 
 Animal glycerine 1 oz. 
 
 Water 1 quart. 
 
 If taken in time, the affection will disappear in a few hours. The 
 patient should be kept on bran-mashes, well salted, for a few days ; 
 or a couple of weeks' run at grass, if the season permits, will be 
 of great service. 
 
 Dropsical Limbs (Swelled Legs). 
 
 It is a very serious annoyance to the owner of a valuable horse 
 to find that, after the animal has been standing in the stable for 
 only a period of twelve hours, his hind limbs have wonderfully 
 increased in size ; and equally mortifying is it to see some animals 
 with their limbs continually tumefied, and without any other ap- 
 parent sign of disease. 
 
 Dropsy of the limbs generally proceeds from congestion. The 
 serum, or more fluid part of the blood, transudes through the walls 
 of the blood-vessels, and accumulates in the cellular tissue, under 
 the skin. But dropsy takes place not only in consequence of 
 venous congestion, but accompanies very many forms of disease, 
 such as scarletina, influenza, farcy ; and the cure of such diseases 
 also accomplishes the cure of' dropsy. 
 
 Causes. — The cause of that form of dropsical limbs which 
 seems to occur without any other visible disease is now the sub- 
 ject for consideration. When a horse's limbs swell persistently, 
 after a few hours' rest, and disappears under exercise, we may 
 infer that there exists a dropsical diathesis in his system ; that, by 
 virtue of his constitution, he is predisposed; and such cases are 
 designated as chronic local dropsy. 
 
288 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Treatment. — The remedies are hand-rubbing, exercise, and stim- 
 ulating liniment. The best liniment for local dropsy of this char- 
 acter is as follows : 
 
 No. 35. Fluid extract of wormwood 4 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of ginger 3 oz. 
 
 Spirits of camphor 1 pint. 
 
 Rub the region of tumefaction with a portion of this liniment 
 every night. 
 
 When swelling of the limbs do not assume a periodical char- 
 acter, and suspicion of predisposition can not be entertained, then, 
 in addition to the application of the liniment, give the animal, 
 morning and evening, one ounce of the fluid extract of buchu. 
 
 Scarlatina. 
 
 Scarlet fever, or scarletina, as it occurs among horses in the 
 United States, is a febrile disease of a very prostrating character ; 
 yet it is not considered by the author a contagious malady. It 
 has only lately, however, been recognized in this country as a dis- 
 tinct equine disease, and, being of rather rare occurrence, we know 
 but little about it. The cases that have come under the author's 
 treatment were unattended by ulceration of the throat, and this 
 may account for the non-contagion; for, in the human subject, 
 when ulceration of the throat takes place, the case becomes ma- 
 lignant. 
 
 Watson says : " The malignant sore throat may be caught 
 from a patient who has mild scarlet fever ; and mild scarlet fever 
 may, in like manner, be contracted from one who- is suffering 
 under the malignant sore throat. The two forms graduate insen- 
 sibly, in different cases, toward each other ; and it would be im- 
 possible, even if it were desirable, to draw any strict line of 
 separation between them. Many would say, and probably with 
 truth, that the difference was this : in the one form, the poison of 
 the disorder is seeking its vent, principally, by the throat; in the 
 other, by the skin." It appears, therefore, that in the human 
 subject the disease is capable of being communicated at any stage. 
 
 The cases that have come under the author's notice since he first 
 recognized the malady have all been of a mild form; that is to 
 say, non-malignant. The limbs, sheath, and pectoral regions were 
 excessively dropsical ; the skin was the seat of rash or minute ele- 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 289 
 
 vations, and scarlet spots or patches were always present on the 
 visible surfaces of the mouth and nostrils ; yet the patients always 
 drank and ate mashes freely, which they could not have done so 
 readily had their throats been sore and ulcerated. 
 
 The author would intimate, however, that, should the disease 
 ever become malignant in the horse, it may also become, as in the 
 human subject, contagious and infectious. Perhaps the reason 
 why it has not attained a malignant type in this country is, be- 
 cause it is of recent origin ; whereas, among the members of the 
 human family, scarlatina has been known to exist for several 
 hundred years, and may have acquired intensity and malignancy 
 with age. In anticipation of such an event, the author recom- 
 mends that scarlet-fever patients be separated from other inmates 
 of the stable. 
 
 The following case is from the author's note-book, and may 
 serve to instruct the reader on the theory and practice of the 
 malady : A short time ago, a bay gelding, aged about nine years, 
 was admitted into the Chicago Infirmary. On examination, the 
 following symptoms were observed: 
 
 Symptoms. — The hair about the neck and fore and hind limbs 
 was elevated in blotches, with corresponding elevations on the 
 skin beneath ; the membranes within the cavities of the nostrils 
 had scarlet spots, variable in size ; all the limbs were more or less 
 swollen ; the breath was hot and fetid ; the animal was unsteady 
 in his gait, apparently very weak; had great thirst, yet little ap- 
 petite. The elevations on the surface of the body, and the scarlet 
 spots on the nasal membrane, constituted the diagnostic symptoms 
 of scarlet fever. 
 
 Treatment. — During the first three days, I drenched the animal 
 with three ounces of liquor acetate of ammonia, in an equal quan- 
 tity of cold water. The elevations on the surface of the body 
 were sponged once a day with a lotion composed of two ounces 
 of aqua ammonia and one quart of rain-water. A sloppy bran-, 
 mash was occasionally furnished, of which the patient partook 
 freely. This tended to keep the bowels loose, and moderate the 
 febrile symptoms. On the fourth day all the limbs became very 
 much swollen, from dropsical effusions, which feature of the case 
 is very apt to present itself. I now changed the treatment — 
 omitted the lotion bathing, and gave, night and morning, two- 
 ounce doses of compound fluid extract of buchu and juniper ber- 
 19 
 
290 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 ries. A slight discharge of glairy mucus now commenced running 
 from both nostrils ; the scarlet spots had become more diffused, and 
 of a brighter tint ; the appetite had returned, and a few oats and 
 a small quantity of hay were occasionally allowed, which were 
 eaten. The limbs were hand-rubbed often, and the body was 
 clothed with warm blankets. This treatment was followed up for 
 a period of five days, at the end of which time he had improved 
 very much, yet the limbs were considerably swollen. 
 
 On the tenth day I commenced to give four ounces of fluid ex- 
 tract of resin-weed per day, with an occasional dose of fluid extract 
 of golden seal, under which treatment he convalesced very rapidly, 
 so that on the sixteenth day all medicine was discontinued. I now 
 turned the animal into a small inclosure, where he seemed to take 
 pleasure in rolling and exercising himself, which had the effect 
 of reducing the dropsical swelling of the limbs, and on the fourth 
 of December the patient was sent home — not exactly to go to work, 
 but to receive care and attention until he had recovered from the 
 effects of the disease, and had gained his ordinary strength. 
 
 It is very difficult to say to what extent scarlet fever among 
 horses prevails in the United States ; for very little, if any thing, 
 has ever appeared in print of American origin, except that which 
 has appeared from the pen of the author of this work. On the 
 other side of the water, however, the disease is of frequent oc- 
 currence, and is well understood. The first account of it published 
 in England was from the pen of Mr. Percivall, in the year 1843, 
 who says that " the existence of scarlet fever has received such 
 confirmation from other quarters as to leave no doubt in my mind 
 that, rare as the malady acknowledgedly is, and hitherto unde- 
 scribcd as it has remained, it will one day find a place in our es- 
 tablished veterinary nosology." 
 
 Since the above date, Surgeon Haycock and several other 
 writers have noticed the disease, treated it, and minutely described 
 its symptoms. They all agree that when the disease does make 
 its appearance, it is usually the sequel of epidemic catarrh, or in- 
 fluenza ; and this was probably the case regarding the patient the 
 subject of this paper, for the owner informed me that the animal 
 had previously shown symptoms of distemper. 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 291 
 
 Ringworm. 
 
 This disease usually makes its appearance on the shoulders and 
 sides of the horse, in the form of circular patches, attended by 
 scurfiness and loss of hair. Small vesicular eruptions can also be 
 detected, by means of a magnifying glass. It is usually sponta- 
 neous in its origin, but probably is generated by filth. 
 
 Treatment. — In view of treating the disease successfully, the 
 body should be well cleansed with soap and water, and afterward 
 rubbed dry ; then apply daily, by means of a sponge, a portion of 
 the following : 
 
 No. 36. Powdered sulphate of iron 4 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of bloodroot 2 oz. 
 
 Rain-water 1 quart. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Give, as an alterative, half an ounce of the fluid extract of man- 
 drake, in half a pint of water, night and morning. 
 
 When the disease has been neglected, the parts are apt to ul- 
 cerate ; in that event, the following preparation is recommended : 
 
 No. 37. Pyroligneous acid 6 oz. 
 
 Linseed oil 5 oz. 
 
 Spirits of camphor 2 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Dress the ulcerations twice daily. 
 
 A liberal supply of cut grass, sliced potatoes, or carrots should 
 be allowed, if they can be obtained. Particular attention should 
 be paid to the matter of keeping the skin clean. The treatment 
 must be continued until all vestiges of the disease have disappeared, 
 or it may break out again. 
 
 Prurigo. 
 
 This is a disease of the skin, accompanied by a terribly annoy- 
 ing itching sensation. The torment experienced by animals suf- 
 fering under this form of malady is scarcely describable. They 
 often rub and abrade the skin until blood appears on the surface, 
 and they are rendered perfectly miserable. There are said to be 
 various forms of prurigo, but they do not differ in kind, only in 
 degree. Heat aggravates the malady ; therefore horses located in 
 a warm and unventilated stable are apt to suffer most. And the 
 
292 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 same remarks apply to many other forms of disease, which shows 
 how important it is that stables should be properly ventilated. 
 
 Symptoms. — The skin in those parts where the affection is lo- 
 cated shows on its surface small elevations, known as papulae ; but 
 they are difficult to discover in some horses, as they are of the same 
 tint as the skin. After awhile the rubbing tears away the summits 
 of the papulae, and a secretion exudes which soon forms very minute 
 scabs'. 
 
 During the past four years the disease has prevailed very exten- 
 sively among army horses, and it usually proved very obstinate, 
 from the fact that very few of the army farriers understood its 
 true nature ; neither were they acquainted with the modus operandi 
 of treatment. The authorities contend that prurigo is not a con- 
 tagious aifection, like itch and mange, and, therefore, it may be 
 classed as a local aifection, brought on by inattention to cleanliness. 
 In order to prevent it, the author advises a free use of the brush 
 and curry-comb. 
 
 Treatment. — The best mode of treatment is as follows. Sponge 
 the affected parts thoroughly with the following lotion : 
 
 No. 38. Powdered borax 4 oz. 
 
 Rain-water 2 quarts. 
 
 After using the above quantity, at one or two dressings, then 
 rub the affected regions dry, and lubricate the same with a por- 
 tion of the following : 
 
 No. 39. Kerosene oil 4 oz. 
 
 Pyroligneous acid 12 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 It is usually good policy to put the patient under a course of 
 alterative treatment; therefore the author recommends that he 
 have, daily, thirty grains of iodide of potass, dissolved in four 
 ounces of water, to be given in the form of drench, every day, un- 
 til the disease has disappeared. 
 
 Poll-evil 
 
 The name of this disease originated in England, in consequence 
 of it being more prevalent in that country than in some others ; 
 hence, was a great evil, and occurring about the nape of the neck 
 or region of the poll, it was called " poll-evil." Much of the poll- 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 293 
 
 evil occurring in former years was unnecessary, and occurred in 
 consequence of neglect, injuries, "and abuse. The disease first 
 makes its appearance in the form of a local tumor, of an inflam- 
 matory character. Soon it runs into the suppurative stage; pus 
 or matter is secreted, and we then have a common abscess, which 
 may result in fistula of the poll. 
 
 Causes — The disease may arise from blows and bruises. Horses 
 when located in low-roofed stables are apt to strike the poll against 
 the ceiling, or a beam, or the upper part of the doorway, and fre- 
 quent repetition of the act either ends in induration (hardening) 
 or poll-abscess. Some grooms are in the habit of occasionally 
 jerking the animal's head by means of the halter, and some horses 
 are very restless in the stall, and are often seen to jerk their heads 
 upward, forgetting that they have any halter around their necks, 
 until they feel the pain which they themselves inflicted. The in- 
 jury, slight as it may be, often remains undiscovered or unattended 
 to until considerable tumefaction or even suppuration has set in. 
 The case may then become protracted, and exhaust the patience 
 of all concerned. Excessive friction on the nape of the neck from 
 bridle or halter, or pressure from either one of these causes, pro- 
 duces poll-evil ; and the halter, by being fastened too tightly, is a 
 fertile cause in producing this affection. Dirt and filth are oper- 
 ative, also, in producing this malady. It is well known that the 
 poll is a part which very seldom makes the acquaintance of the 
 brush or curry-comb, yet it is the locality of considerable dust and 
 scurf; and sometimes, owing to accumulations of the same, a cu- 
 taneous eruption arises, and the itching sensation consequent causes 
 the horse to fret and rub whenever he can get a chance. The evil 
 goes on, until what was at first superficial now becomes deep- 
 seated. The bungling and cruel manner of sometimes forcing a 
 small collar on a large horse often does mischief, and lays the 
 foundation for poll-evil. Some persons are in the habit of bracing 
 the horse's head downward with the martingale, so as to bring the 
 lips and chest in close proximity, yet forget that the strain comes 
 on the poll and bruises the soft parts. 
 
 Treatment. — Should the tumor be discovered in its early stage, 
 before matter has formed, the parts should be bathed often with a 
 portion of vinegar and water, equal parts ; or else a cold-water 
 dressing or pad may be applied, which should be reapplied as fast 
 as it becomes dry. Half an ounce of powdered chlorate of potass 
 
294 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 should be given night and morning. This may be dissolved in 
 half a bucket of water, which the horse will drink. In the course 
 of a couple of days, the practitioner will be able to determine 
 whether or not the tumor is likely to suppurate; if so, it will 
 have increased in size, and have a soft fluctuating feel. 
 
 Just as soon as matter can be detected, the abscess must be 
 punctured at its base, by means of a thumb lancet. It will not 
 do to allow the matter to accumulate ; for, if so, it will burrow 
 and spread in various directions, making a very extensive and for- 
 midable abscess. It would be necessary to make a free opening 
 into the abscess large enough to admit a man's finger, and if, in 
 the course of a day or two, the opening should partly close or con- 
 tract, it must be dilated with a knife. So soon as the abscess is 
 laid open, all the matter must be squeezed out, which process must 
 be accomplished by the use of sponge and hot water. We then,, 
 in view of removing every particle of matter, carefully inject the 
 cavity with a quantity of pyroligneous acid and water, equal parts. 
 A glass syringe is best, as the acid has a bad eiFect on a metal one. 
 
 It will be necessary to sponge the cavity once daily for several 
 days, or until matter ceases to form. In the mean time the ani- 
 mal must be put under treatment, for it is very rare that this dis- 
 ease can be cured by local treatment alone. My usual custom is 
 to give the patient thirty grains of the iodide of potass, twice 
 daily, in half a bucket of water. The animal will not refuse to 
 drink it. Should he be weak and emaciated, tonics and stimu- 
 lants are indicated. Half an ounce of powdered golden seal and 
 the same quantity of ginger, given with a small quantity of water, 
 as a drench, daily, will answer the purpose. Sometimes it is ad- 
 visable to put a pad of cotton cloth, or a large wad of oakum on 
 the poll, in view of keeping the skin and sub-tissues in contact, by 
 which means they more readily unite. The pad may be secured 
 to the part by passing a cotton roller, five inches wide and three 
 yards in length, around the neck. At the poll the bandage is to 
 be further secured, by tying a lock of the hair of the forehead with 
 a lock of the hair of the mane. This precaution prevents the 
 bandage from slipping backward. The bandage should be re- 
 moved and readjusted every day, and the parts are to be cleansed 
 and syringed, in the manner just alluded to, as long as necessary. 
 After the lapse of a few days, should the secretion of matter de- 
 crease, then the chances are in favor of a cure. 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 295 
 
 Cases, however, will sometimes occur which set at defiance all 
 our skill. In such we find that either the ligamentary, tendinous, 
 or fleshy parts, or perhaps the bones, are involved, and it often 
 happens that fistulas or pipes run in various directions. Such 
 cases require the services of a surgeon, who will dissect out the 
 fistulous pipes, and remove all the diseased portions of the flesh 
 and bone. The after-treatment is then the same as we have just 
 indicated. 
 
 Fistulous Witheks. 
 
 This disease resembles poll-evil, and, in a majority of cases, 
 owes its origin to the same exciting causes; namely, external 
 bruises, or injury inflicted by a bad-fitting collar or saddle. The 
 treatment is the same as that recommended for the cure of poll- 
 evil. 
 
 Wakts on the Skin. 
 
 Warts are of two kinds. One of these makes its appearance 
 upon, and consists in part of an increased development of, the 
 outer scurf or scarfskin ; the other kind is contained under, and, 
 while it elevates, does not grow from the scarfskin. As it fre- 
 quently becomes desirable to remove these growths, and to coun- 
 teract that condition of skin on which their reproduction depends, 
 we shall briefly describe them. The most common kind of wart, 
 and that called the true angleberry, is the first of the two to which 
 we have alluded. It has always a hard, horny sort of investment 
 externally. This is formed of scales of scarfskin matted together 
 in great quantities, and prolonged from the true skin, to which 
 they are attached. As this outer covering increases in growth, it 
 dries and splits up into shreds or fibers, which generally become 
 more or less pointed at their free ends. Many of these shreds 
 may grow from one common stock or pedicle, called the " neck." 
 In other cases there is no well-defined neck, and a large surface 
 will be covered with a coarse, rough, and horny crop of warts, all, 
 as it were, united where they originated from the skin. 
 
 Cause. — Warts are always produced from what may be consid- 
 ered as greatly-developed knots, or papilla?, within the true skin. 
 Blood, in greater quantities than natural, is sent to these, and the 
 papilla? continuing to grow, forms perceptible tumors, which are 
 somewhat sensitive, painful if exposed to friction, and form or 
 
296 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 throw off the scaly covering which eventually forms the main part 
 of warts. We see many instances of warts on the human hands 
 and other parts of the body, and always find that the dry, horny 
 part grows from the skin somewhat thickened and increased in 
 vascularity. So great, indeed, is the quantity of blood which 
 some warts receive, that they bleed much more profusely than 
 other portions of skin when wounded. 
 
 The other kind of wart to which we alluded does not cause any 
 external roughness or scaly appearance. It is formed within the 
 outer skin, and commonly appears as a circumscribed round tu- 
 mor. On being examined by the hand, it is felt to be contained 
 in a sack or pouch, within which it is easily moveable. It is 
 almost insensible, and consists of a quantity of white fibrous and 
 sometimes grisly substance, which does not possess blood-vessels 
 in its interior. We often meet with this kind of encysted wart 
 near -the outer organs of generation in the horse or mare. The 
 horny wart which we first noticed is common in horses, cattle, 
 and dogs. The encysted wart is comparatively rare in cattle; it 
 is more common in dogs, but is most frequently found in horses. 
 
 Treatment. — In treating warts with a view to remove them, and 
 prevent their reproduction, it becomes necessary to destroy, in a 
 measure, the surface from which they sprout. When an angle- 
 berry has-a " neck," this should be cut off flat and close with the 
 skin, and the raw surface thus made should be touched occasion- 
 ally and freely with caustic or a heated iron. If the neck be so 
 large as to endanger much bleeding if divided at once, a ligature 
 of thin, strong string may be tied round it very tightly, in order 
 to cut <sff its supply of blood. The ligature should be applied 
 frequently — daily, if convenient. Where a large surface is cov- 
 ered by warts which do not possess any definite necks, their horny 
 parts should be cropped or cut closely down to the true skin, with 
 scissors or other convenient instrument, and the surface thus ex- 
 posed should then be touched with a hot iron, or rubbed with 
 caustic potass. Such application is to be continued till the horn 
 ceases to grow. Encysted warts are removed by cutting the skin 
 of the sack and squeezing them out. The exposed cavity should 
 be dressed daily with digestive ointment. 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 297 
 
 Purpura Hemorrhagica. 
 
 A disease not unfrequently makes its appearance among horses 
 termed purpura hemorrhagica, known in human practice as the 
 " purples." It consists of congestion (extravasation) blood of and 
 effusion of serum (water) into the cellular tissue. The disease 
 probably owes its origin to a depraved condition of the blood. 
 
 Symptoms. — On making an examination of the affected animal, 
 we find that the cellular tissue, in various parts of the body, is 
 distended with serum and blood. Local swelling will appear in 
 various parts of the body, more particularly about the face, lips, 
 and limbs. The disease also affects internal parts. Blood is 
 sometimes passed with the urine and feces ; respiration is embar- 
 rassed ; the heart palpitates, and abnormal cerebral symptoms set 
 in. In the human subject the disease is considered strictly as a 
 hemorrhage. Small round spots appear on various parts of the 
 body and legs, of a dull crimson or purple color. Pressure upon 
 them does not efface the color, nor render it fainter, as it does that 
 of common inflammatory spots of the skin. There is scarcely any 
 prominence of the purple stigmata ; but they are sometimes inter- 
 mixed with livid blotches, with appearances exactly resembling 
 bruises, and they undergo, before they disappear, the same changes 
 in color which attends the disappearance of a bruise. In fact, the 
 anatomical condition of a bruise is exactly the same, with the dif- 
 fused condition as in purpura. In each case the color is the result 
 of echymosis (effusion of blood beneath the skin). 
 
 In the human subject, also, the disease is not confined to the 
 skin. Watson informs us that " the spots are not confined to the 
 skin, nor to the subcutaneous tissues, but are found, occasionally, 
 upon all the internal surfaces also, and within the substance of 
 the several viscera (internal organs of the body). I have seen 
 these purple spots in the mucous surface of the mouth, throat, 
 stomach, and intestines; in the pleura and pericardium; in the 
 chest; in the peritoneal investment of the abdominal organs; in 
 the substance of the muscles, and even upon the membranes of 
 the brain and in the sheaths of the large nerves, and I have known 
 them to be accompanied with large extravasations of blood in most 
 of the vital organs of the body." 
 
 The same appearances have been observed in equine autopsies, 
 which accounts for the immobility and deranged condition of all 
 
298 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the functions. Sometimes the throat is so badly affected that 
 tracheotomy has to be resorted to. Now and then the tongue be- 
 comes livid and swollen, so that the animal can not partake of 
 food. In such cases the tongue may be freely swabbed with warm 
 vinegar, until its volume is reduced. 
 
 Treatment. — So soon as the disease is discovered, the animal 
 should be put under the following treatment : 
 
 No. 40. Fluid extract of bloodroot 2 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of buchu 4 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of ginger 3 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Give one ounce of this mixture night and morning, in about a 
 gill of water. Should there appear to be any trouble with the 
 throat, lubricate it, twice daily, with a portion of the following: 
 
 No. 41. Olive oil 4 oz. 
 
 Camphor 1 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 In preparing the above, it is best to pulverize the camphor, 
 when it will dissolve more readily in the oil. A lotion must now 
 be prepared, with which the whole surface of the body should be 
 sponged daily. 
 
 No. 42. Spirits of ammonia 3 oz. 
 
 Spirits of camphor 2 oz. 
 
 Pulverized rock salt 6 oz. 
 
 Rain-water 2 pints 
 
 Dissolve the salt in the water, allowing the impurities to settle ; 
 then add the clear liquor to the camphor and ammonia, previously 
 mixed. 
 
 It occasionally happens that the skin, in various parts of the 
 body, cracks, and portions slough off. Should there be any appear- 
 ance of the kind, discontinue the above lotion and substitute the 
 following : 
 
 No. 43. Pyroligneous acid ) , , 
 
 Olive oil j equal parts. 
 
 Every time the patient is watered, (say about three times per 
 day,) half an ounce of hyposulphite of soda should be dissolved 
 in the pail. Vegetables, also, are indicated, if they are to be had. 
 I should give tomatoes, sliced carrots, potatoes, and green grass. 
 Bleeding, purging, and all kinds of poisonous and sedative medi- 
 cines are inadmissible. 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 299 
 
 , Out of Condition (Hide-bound). 
 
 Either from derangement of the digestive function, or in con- 
 sequence of the animal being fed on poor provender or worked 
 beyond his strength, debility and emaciation ensue. A horse out 
 of condition usually loses flesh; the hair loses its glossy appear- 
 ance ; the skin becomes unhealthy and scurfy, and he can not per- 
 form his ordinary labor without apparent fatigue. 
 
 Treatment. — The best remedy, if the season permits, is a run at 
 grass, taking care to give a good feed of oats every night ; other- 
 wise the grass will not improve his condition. In the stable the 
 treatment is as follows : Give the animal one ounce of the fluid 
 extract of camomile flowers every morning, before feeding, and 
 at night mix one ounce of powdered poplar bark with the oats. 
 This, together with good food and rest, will complete the cure. 
 
 Heepes. 
 
 Herpes is a disease of the skin, manifesting itself in the form 
 of vesicles, which contain a small quantity of aqueous fluid effused 
 beneath the true skin. Sometimes they are thinly scattered over 
 the surface, and sometimes collected into clusters. The vesicles 
 appear in irregular succession. They terminate, also, in various 
 ways : by the reabsorption of the fluid, and, in bad cases, falling 
 off of the hair, and peeling of the skin, in some places. In the 
 human subject the malady is considered transient and non-con- 
 tagious, consisting of red patches, of irregular form and variable 
 size, upon each of which stands a crop of vesicles. 
 
 Treatment. — I have been very successful in the treatment of this 
 malady by using the following lotion : 
 
 No. 44. Glycerine 2 oz. 
 
 Tannin 2 dr. 
 
 Rain-water 4 oz. 
 
 Apply once or twice daily, by means of a soft sponge. 
 
 In the horse the affection sometimes assumes an epizootic form. 
 In that event it can be communicated to man, as the following 
 cases will show : 
 
 " At the commencement of 1849, Count Fa verges invited Pro- 
 fessor Papa to the valley of Borne, in Savoy, to see a disease 
 affecting animals, and which even spread to men. Every facility 
 
300 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 was offered by Government to Professor Papa, and many persons 
 having affected animals were requested to permit their inspection, 
 and, indeed, threatened with a fine if they did not. Papa saw 
 about three hundred horses and mules affected. The disease ap- 
 peared in circular patches of furfuraceous scales, with grayish- 
 white scabs. These patches had usually well-defined margins, 
 about the size of a dollar or five-shilling piece. Usually they 
 were isolated, but at other times they were confluent, or running 
 together in groups. The head, neck, withers, shoulders, and loins 
 were the parts chiefly affected. More rarely the upper portion of 
 the extremities, and never on the lower part of the limbs, chest, 
 or belly. The malady commences with a violent itching, and an 
 eruption in small circumscribed points, about the size of a lentil, 
 is witnessed. The scabs form, with the exudation drying and 
 entangling cuticle and hairs. In the vicinity of the first, other 
 eruptive spots appeared, which, widening, became confluent and 
 run into one another, especially where the skin is folded and ani- 
 mals have a chance of rubbing themselves. A scab forms on the 
 sore surface, and the surface beneath it is red and tumefied, but in 
 a little time desquamation occurs. A very careful microscopical 
 examination failed to indicate the existence of any acari. 
 
 The disease is contagious, and Papa says all those who come 
 more or less in contact with herpetic horses or mules, and espe- 
 cially the conductors of the same, were covered on the arms, legs, 
 chest, and face with pruriginous eruptions, limited and circum- 
 scribed, sometimes isolated, occasionally confluent, in the form 
 of red patches covered with papulae and vesicles, which become 
 incrusted with brownish-yellow scabs, beneath which purulent 
 deposits formed. In consequence of the violent pruritis 'attending 
 this disease, it was believed to be scabies or itch by the people^ 
 and, though in many houses individuals were affected, they were 
 ashamed to confess it, and it was with great difficulty that Papa 
 collected information on the subject; but, having gained confidence 
 on the latter, the people more freely related their cases to him. 
 The first to be affected were those intrusted with dressing the dis- 
 eased animals. The parts first attacked were the articular regions, 
 about the forearm, arm, face, and rarely the lower limbs. 
 
 Papa describes one of many cases of direct contagion. It oc- 
 curred in a lad of sixteen, who had jumped on the bare back of an 
 affected horse, to take it to a watering-place. Two days afterward, 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSUES. 301 
 
 on the inside of the thighs and legs, from the pubis to the calf of 
 the leg, there was extreme pruritis. The skin became of reddish- 
 brown color, and vesicles, full of yellowish lymph, formed, which 
 gave way to vesicular patches or scabs, rough to the touch, first 
 isolated, and afterward confluent. 
 
 The transmission occurred from horse to horse, horse to man, 
 and from man to man ; in fact, persons who never touched an af- 
 fected horse were infected from individuals they came in contact 
 with. A soldier, having arrived in perfect health from his regi- 
 ment, slept with his brother, who suffered from the disease, and 
 became affected. The wives of carters not only took the disease, 
 but communicated it to their sucking infants. 
 
 Papa visited the district at a season when the fetid hellebore was 
 growing abundantly. He caused some to be gathered, and obtained 
 decoctions of the roots. With this he mixed equal parts of water, 
 and distributed the lotion in different parts, to be applied to men 
 and animals that were affected. Without any internal treatment, 
 this application had the best effect. He tried tobacco decoction, 
 but not with a similar amount of success. Papa regards the dis- 
 ease as the herpes tonsurans, which has been spoken of by many 
 veterinarians as common in the live animals." * 
 
 * Edinburg Veterinary Review. 
 
SECTION XL 
 
 ON BREEDING, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE, SAME 
 
 Breeding — The Principles of Breeding — In-and-in Breeding — Permanent 
 Varieties — Animals become Parents too Early — Objections to In-and- 
 in Breeding Answered — The Advantage of In-and-in Breeding — The 
 Importance of Studying Anatomy and Physiology. 
 
 Breeding. 
 
 THE choice of a sire and dam is a point of the utmost conse- 
 quence in breeding horses (or indeed any other animal), as 
 the offspring will be found, in almost every instance, to inherit 
 the qualities of its parents. Peculiarity of form and constitution 
 is inherent, and descends from generation to generation ; hence 
 the necessary attention to those niceties which breeders are often 
 apt to forget. Nor is it sufficient that one of the parents be good 
 and the other indifferent ; for the perfection of the sire may be 
 lost through the deficiencies of the mare, and vice versti. 
 
 In the selection of a stallion many things should be observed. 
 There should be general uniformity and compactness in every 
 part. The height should depend on the occupation the foal is 
 destined to fill. The legs should be particularly examined, and 
 disease should pervade no part of the system. Fat, heavy horses, 
 with thick legs, and coarse, unseemly heads, should always be 
 avoided. Horses should be free from specks on the eye — partial 
 or total blindness. Temper is an essential point, for vice is some- 
 times hereditary. Stallions that cover too many mares in a sea- 
 son, in the latter period produce weak offspring. 
 
 As regards the mare, it is well known that the dam contributes 
 
 more to the integrity of the offspring than the sire. It is essential 
 
 that she be in full possession of her natural strength and powers. 
 
 The vigor of the constitution determines much in favor of the 
 
 (302) 
 
BREEDING, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAME. 303 
 
 foal. It is a great error to suppose that a mare that has once 
 been good, and capable of great exertion, should, when old, and 
 no longer fitted for work, produce offspring equally efficient as 
 when in her prime. The foal will certainly inherit some of the 
 weakness of the present nature and broken-down constitution. 
 Mares should never be put to the stallion until they have arrived 
 at maturity, which takes place about the fifth year. Mares are 
 bred from earlier, but it is a bad practice, for strength and beauty 
 are absent; and thus not only is the dam rendered inefficient 
 sooner than in one that is allowed to come to maturity, but the 
 foal can never be expected to be either healthy or strong in con- 
 stitution. The period of going with foal is eleven months. After 
 the sixth month, great care and gentleness should be exercised to- 
 ward them. Moderate exercise is essential. Hard work in har- 
 ness, over bad roads, is likely to produce abortion, and mares that 
 have once aborted are very liable (if the same causes are in ope- 
 ration) to a recurrence of the same. 
 
 The proper time for copulation is when there is a discharge of 
 a whitish fluid from the vagina. She neighs frequently, and ex- 
 hibits great desire for the horse. When she has conceived she 
 shows no further desire, and the discharge from the vagina stops. 
 Some writers recommend that the mare be put to the stallion early 
 after foaling. This is bad policy, for the simple reason that the 
 dam, if she become impregnated, has to nourish both the foal and 
 the embryo. This is excessively weakening, and tells on either 
 dam, foetus, or foal. 
 
 Disproportionate copulations are also objectionable, as, for ex- 
 ample, putting a large horse to a small mare. When improve- 
 ment in size is the object, it should be attempted by regular 
 gradations. This is the best method of securing size and beauty, 
 as well as strength. The best mode of preserving the breed and 
 making improvements is, to make selections of the best on both 
 sides. Much judgment and circumspection is necessary, at all 
 times, in crossing the breed, and many errors arise in consequence 
 of a want of knowledge on this subject. 
 
 When the period of foaling draws nigh, the mare should be 
 separated from her companions. Having foaled, she should be 
 turned into a pasture, if possible ; otherwise, into a loose box 
 inclosure, or empty barn. The foal may be weaned at the age 
 of six months, more or less, as circumstances seem to require. A 
 
304 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 weak foal should run with its mother for a longer period than 
 one that shows signs of vigorous health. Should the foal die at 
 the period of parturition, humanity would seem to suggest that 
 the mare be excused from duty for a week or two, by which time 
 she will have recovered from the effects of parturition. 
 
 The Principles of Breeding. 
 
 It is a law of Nature that peculiarities of form, size, color, etc., 
 shall be transmitted by parents to offspring, (" like begets like,") 
 although, under certain circumstances, a modification of this law 
 is to be expected. If, for example, we liberate an animal from 
 domestication and its influences, which are known to operate very 
 markedly on animal organizations and habits, the creature thus lib- 
 erated loses its acquirements, and, in successive generations, grad- 
 ually returns to the original type. This is a modification of the 
 above law, and, supposing our pecuniary interests are the object of 
 the experiment, it will be an improvement in the wrong direction. 
 
 On the other hand, take a wild animal ; bring him under the 
 influences^of domestication, and he gradually loses all his distinc- 
 tive characteristics of size, form, and instinct, and, in popular 
 language, becomes a new creature, improved or not, as the case 
 may be, under the direction of his lord and master; so that the 
 inferior orders of creation are really the creatures of circumstances. 
 These changes are the result of man's experience or non-expe- 
 rience. These are general propositions which "precede beauty 
 and symmetry." 
 
 Beauty and Symmetry. — If we examine into the methods pur- 
 sued by some of the most successful raisers of live stock, we shall 
 see that they paid particular attention to the selection of well- 
 formed, beautiful animals. They very naturally supposed that ex- 
 ternal conformation was transmissible; that if they happened to 
 obtain a good calf or foal from inferior, diseased, or malformed 
 parents, it was purely accidental, and out of the ordinary course 
 of Nature. In selecting beautiful animals, they naturally excluded 
 those of narrow chest, which peculiarity is indicative of predispo- 
 sition to pulmonary affections and founder (the latter term signi- 
 fying a worthless or ruined condition, which, in the eye of the 
 law, renders them actually unsound), because they have that about 
 them which may impair their future usefulness. Hence, for more 
 
BREEDING, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAME. 305 
 
 reasons than one, such are unfit for breeding purposes, unless, 
 however, the morbid phenomena be neutralized by blood, in one 
 of the parents, of a superior order, free from taint, as it appears in 
 the other. 
 
 In my adventures in search of the beautiful, I should pass by 
 all animals having any peculiarity of conformation, general or 
 local, which experience teaches me are sure to reappear, either 
 directly or indirectly, in future progeny. This appears to be the 
 proper course to pursue ; yet many, otherwise intelligent men will 
 invest their money in the purchase of defective animals, merely 
 because they can be bought cheap, when every body knows, or 
 ought to know, that cheap animals, like cheap watches, cost more, 
 in the end, for repairs, etc., than a commodity of more real value. 
 The same rule applies to horses. Some men, if they happen to 
 be in possession of a broken-down mare, unable, from faults, de- 
 fects, old age, and disease, to perform ordinary horse duties, com- 
 mence a speculation in a different enterprise. The reproductive 
 organs must be exercised. Just at this time some cent-and-dollar 
 calculating jockey advertises and exhibits a well-fed, prancing steed, 
 bearing a popular name ; but his whole carcass is redolent of faults 
 and defects, which the owner is not expected to know any thing 
 about, and if he does, it is not for his interest to point them out. 
 The price of copulation is dirt cheap, and the foolish speculator 
 expects to obtain a smart colt, that will eventually command a 
 high price. But, alas for such milk-and-water calculations! the 
 expected specimen of equine animality inherits and exhibits its 
 parental infirmities and deformities, and ultimately becomes a 
 living monument of the folly of its owner. 
 
 There is no beauty in the faults and defects which must neces- 
 sarily occur through the sexual congress of faulty and defective 
 animals ; neither can there be grace in the motions of an overfed 
 or ill-conditioned animal. Beauty, symmetry, grace, and sound- 
 ness are defunct in the ill-conditioned creature, or otherwise de- 
 fective one — a mere apology for the handiwork of Nature. The 
 muscular system of a horse or cow may, in some regions of the 
 body, be well-developed; but should their limbs be unnaturally 
 curved, or any part of their system be out of proportion to the 
 other parts of the body, then beauty has never seated itself on 
 their thrones. Yet we can improve the appearance of such ani- 
 mals by artificial means and costly adornments. This artificial 
 20 
 
306 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 kind of beauty is what most men seek after, and, at a high price, 
 to their sorrow, obtain it; whereas the real beauty of form and 
 endowments, which practical husbandmen really require, must 
 originate unartificially in the living citadel — must be the work 
 of Nature and not of art. 
 
 It is a fact, well known to many men, that animals of faultless 
 form, having symmetrical proportions, are exempt from many 
 diseases which are the heritage of faulty and inferior animals, and 
 insurance companies take advantage of this knowledge, and insure 
 the former at less rates than the latter. As an illustration of the 
 above, I may be permitted to remark that the " Arabian Courser," 
 English " blood horse," American " Black Hawk," and pure 
 " Devon " cow — all remarkable for good points, beauty, and en- 
 durance — are exempt from many of the common and unnecessary 
 diseases and abortions. Beauty and symmetrical proportions con- 
 tribute to health, because there is a certain degree of relationship 
 between external and internal organs and functions. For exam- 
 ple, a fine exterior, good depth of chest, well-proportioned muscles, 
 and graceful limbs are generally coexistent with good " wind and 
 bottom," and the subjects, of course, possess active respiratory 
 organs, a finely-balanced circulation, and a digestive apparatus 
 that can digest every article in the shape of fodder. In selecting 
 the beautiful, we therefore obtain material for perpetuating health, 
 long life, and valuable offspring. 
 
 One of Blakewell's great secrets was, " Breed from the beau- 
 tiful." I allude to him because he was the most successful 
 "breeder" that England ever boasted of. At the onset he paid 
 great attention to "beauty of form." Having developed a fine 
 exterior, he engrafted on it the useful. He was well aware that 
 beauty and utility were not always combined, but, being in pos- 
 session of the former, he could produce the latter to " order;" and 
 he accomplished his object in the following manner. He required 
 cows that would yield a large quantity of milk ; consequently he 
 selected those whose dams had long been celebrated for their ex- 
 cellent milking qualities, and from among such he chose the very 
 best female of the family, and united her with a beautiful male. 
 Having, in the production of offspring through the above union, 
 accomplished his object, he then paid less attention to beauty, and 
 more to the milking qualities, so as to render the latter permanent 
 in the breed. Still, in all his experiments he rejected uncouth, 
 
BREEDING, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAME. 307 
 
 unthrifty, and defective animals. I am aware, however, that the 
 evils of domestication are operative, to a certain extent, on all 
 animals. Still, I contend that the " well-bred " animal can resist 
 the insidious encroachments of disease, and survive longer under 
 its depressing influence than "ill-favored" creatures. Illustra- 
 tions are not wanting to prove the correctness of Blakewell's 
 theory; therefore, I advise the reader to follow the example' of 
 one who has been styled the " Napoleon of breeders." 
 
 In-and-in Breeding. 
 
 We now inquire, What is breeding in-and-in ? I answer, It 
 implies consanguinity — breeding from animals of the same blood, 
 or propagating in a close degree of relationship. Some persons 
 have an idea that this system is pernicious, and leads to degen- 
 eracy and premature decay ; but that is a matter of argument, and, 
 as I shall attempt to prove, depends on the skill of the " breeder," 
 and his ability to make wise selections. The human race — the 
 sons and daughters of Adam and Eve — afford a stupendous illus- 
 tration of the practicability of in-and-in breeding. The millions 
 terrestrial all originated (so the Good Book informs us) from our 
 common parents, and, consequently, we are all " blood " relations ; 
 and this fact goes to show that in-and-in breeding is in accord- 
 ance with the laws of physiology, and does not conflict with the 
 intentions of " Him who doeth all things well." It is a part of 
 the great scheme of creation, a physiological law, the problem of 
 life, to solve which God has endowed us with reason, " God-like 
 reason," the exercise of which puts us in possession of the fruit 
 of the " tree of knowledge." The non-exercise of the same fur- 
 nishes us with forbidden fruit. 
 
 Ill-assorted marriages — consumption mating with consumption, 
 and scrofula with scrofula — seeks at the altar an introduction to 
 an early grave. The same is true of animals. Bad selections 
 thwart the intentions of the Creator, mar his handiwork, and if a 
 friendly epizootic sweeps them from the face of the earth, it is 
 more of a blessing than a curse. From the great human family 
 I select a branch to illustrate this principle, and I choose to refer 
 to the Jews. So long as they are so in faith and practice — mar- 
 rying their own kindred — they are a living illustration of the 
 above principle. Have they degenerated? No. The distinctive 
 
308 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 characteristics of the race are just as remarkable as they ever 
 were. The vicious and defective find an early grave, but the 
 " race " remains pure. 
 
 Now, as regards horses and cows, the same is true ; they all had 
 a common origin. The different varieties that now exist are the 
 work of time, circumstances, and the art of man. The famous 
 horses mentioned by Mahomet, in the "Koran," resulted from 
 in-and-in breeding. They have existed and multiplied for three 
 thousand years without the slightest intermixture of foreign blood, 
 and, from the time of Solomon up to the present day, their pedi- 
 gree has been watched and chronicled with great care, so that no 
 doubt exists as regards their consanguinity. Their fine form, 
 splendid action, endurance, spirit, speed, and docility can only be 
 retained by preserving the race pure, and this is an argument in 
 favor of in-and-in breeding. 
 
 No breed can be preserved pure unless the in-and-in system be 
 pursued. Take the Suffolk pig, for example. So long as we put 
 Suffolk to Suffolk we get " pure " Suffolk, and, if proper selections 
 have been made, good Suffolks are the result ; but deviate from 
 direct lineage, and the breed degenerates, for better or worse, as 
 the case may be, and they lose their permanency of type, and cease 
 to become pure bloods. 
 
 ' From the brave descend the brave. 
 
 The Suffolks in this country are notorious for a cutaneous disease 
 simulating scrofula, and many suppose that this arises in conse- 
 quence of the in-and-in system of breeding ; but this I think is 
 an error. It results from the evils of domestication, and our 
 want of knowledge in making proper selections. There often is 
 one or more animals in a litter incapacitated, by fault, defect, or 
 debility, to perpetuate the stamina and remarkable points of the 
 breed ; these are to be rejected. If we fail to do so, the next gen- 
 eration, or the next to that, furnish more convincing proof of error, 
 which I contend exists in making "bad" selections, and not in 
 the above system. 
 
 Turn for a moment to the history of the French Merino, and 
 we shall find that Victor Gilbert — a name familiar to Ameri- 
 ca's most successful sheep raisers — practiced no other than the in- 
 and-in system of breeding. A lot of Merinos were sent, in 1786, 
 by the Queen of Spain, to the King of France. The latter, in 
 
BREEDING, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAME. 309 
 
 order to benefit the agricultural community, sent half of them to 
 Rambouillet, and the other half to Croissy. The climate hap- 
 pened to suit them, and they were considered superior to the ex- 
 isting breeds in France. In the year 1800, Victor Gilbeet 
 bought at Croissy a four year old ram and eight ewes. He bred 
 from those animals during a period of ten years, occasionally, how- 
 ever, " renewing the stock," as he termed it, by purchasing annu- 
 ally from two to four sheep. In 1821 he purchased some of the 
 Rambouillet stock, and asserts that, " from a union of the same, 
 he obtained great advantages." Now, the reader will perceive 
 that there was an alliance of blood. The two flocks were of the 
 same lineal descent, belonged to the same " family," and of course 
 the system of breeding was on the in-and-in principle. 
 
 Now, as regards French Merinos obtained from the above 
 source, and imported into this country, we have only to refer the 
 reader to Taintor, of Hartford ; DeForrest, of New York ; 
 Sanford, of Vermont; Parker and Howard, of Ohio, and 
 many others, who are ready and willing, we presume, to testify as 
 regards the prosperity of the above breed in this country, the result 
 of in-and-in breeding. S. W. Jewett, of Vermont, has pur- 
 chased, up to the present time, over three hundred bucks and 
 ewes, the offspring of the Croissy and Rambouillet breed, and this 
 is proof positive of the correctness of our theory. 
 
 Now, as regards the advantages of in-and-in breeding, what are 
 they? When Victor Gilbert purchased the first ram, he car- 
 ried but 9 pounds of wool ; he finally realized 24 pounds from the 
 rams, and from the ewes 18 pounds, a tangible illustration of the 
 advantages. A very fine French Merino, originating from the 
 above source, was very recently exhibited at a sheep-shearing in 
 Wisconsin ; the animal weighed 325 pounds, and carried 40 pounds 
 of wool. Now, the originals, as I have already shown, carried 
 but 9 pounds ; so that the standard, as regards a particular quality, 
 has been raised, and that is what we understand by " improve- 
 ment." 
 
 Mr. V. Barford, of England, has demonstrated the propriety 
 of in-and-in breeding. He is a man, however, of superior judg- 
 ment, and he culls and casts out from his flocks and herds all ani- 
 mals showing the least predisposition to any defect. A writer in 
 the " Mark Lane Express " considers Mr. Valentine Barford 
 " one of the most successful in-and-in breeders of sheep in the king- 
 
310 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 dom; for he has bred from the pure Blakewell blood for sixty- 
 five years, without the aid of any other sort or kind, and bred 
 from his own flock for upward of fifty years, maintaining size, 
 weight, and constitution. I have known Mr. Barford's flock for 
 upward of half a century, and. they appear as strong in their 
 stamina as when I first saw them. Mr. Barford does not use a 
 ram unless he has a wide loin, a large breast and collar, and very 
 wide between the forelegs, all of which points denote a hale con- 
 stitution. Although in-and-in breeding has beat thousands to a 
 stand, Mr. Barford still shines in it." 
 
 Therefore I contend that great advantages are derived from pre- 
 serving the breed pure and in making proper selections. I have 
 been very much pleased in perusing some remarks made by Sajst- 
 ford Howard, and published in the " New England Farmer ;" 
 and, as they happen to have a direct bearing on our subject, I 
 here give them : 
 
 " What is breeding in-and-in ? While some apply the term 
 only to animals distantly related, he conceived the only true idea 
 of the matter to be that it applied to creatures of the same blood. 
 The consequences of breeding in-and-in, he believed, might be 
 either good or bad, and depended wholly on the skill of the 
 breeder. As proof that breeding in-and-in was not contrary to 
 Nature, he referred to birds, the buffalo, etc., in a wild state. It 
 is known that they breed in-and-in constantly, and yet no deterio- 
 ration takes place. He had known geese to be propagated in this 
 way for forty years, and not the slightest depreciation in size, 
 quality, or feather was visible in them. Still cases could be cited 
 where breeding in-and-in had produced bad results, yet these 
 might be attributed to imperfections in the parent stock. It is 
 only necessary to select perfect specimens." 
 
 Having now attempted to show that in-and-in breeding is in 
 accordance with Nature, and that the birth of inferior and defect- 
 ive animals, under this rule, resulted from the breeder's ignorance 
 or neglect in making proper selections, I shall next introduce some 
 remarks of a general character. 
 
 Permanent Varieties. — In-and-in breeding should be practiced 
 in view of some specific object; namely, perpetuating species capa- 
 ble of constantly and permanently transmitting characteristic pecu- 
 liarities, such as may be observed in any particular permanent 
 variety. As an illustration of the same, we offer the French 
 
BREEDING, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAME. 311 
 
 Merino sheep, Black Hawk horse, and Devon bull. These are 
 permanent varieties, the type of each having been established by 
 a long course of in-and-in breeding. We are told, however, that 
 many of the imported French Merinos (so called) have produced 
 offspring scarcely worth the trouble of raising — far inferior to our 
 common native stock. The principal reason is, many sub-races 
 of Merinos, existing in France and elsewhere, are the result of 
 cross-breeding. They are nothing less than mongrels, destitute 
 of that permanency of type indicative of pure blood. But there 
 are other causes for the deterioration complained of, which will be 
 noticed hereafter. 
 
 By preserving the race pure through a certain period, we thus 
 obtain the requisite permanency of type, which can then be trans- 
 mitted indefinitely. Let us see, now, if we understand what is 
 meant by a permanent variety, and inquire if such do really trans- 
 mit their permanent peculiarities. A permanent variety (Black 
 Hawk breed, or Devon cow, for example), are animals whose pe- 
 culiarities were not coeval with the tribe, but have arisen, or been 
 engrafted on the same, subsequent to the advent of their existence ; 
 and, therefore, what some may term distinct species are, in reality, 
 nothing more than permanent varieties. The Shetland pony, 
 therefore, is a permanent variety. Circumstances have made him 
 just what he is. He, being an inhabitant of a stormy, tempestu- 
 ous region, comparatively destitute of shelter and artificial food, is 
 left, in many instances, like the cattle of Norway, (whose diminu- 
 tive size is notorious,) to seek such food as the county affords ; and, 
 owing to their being secluded from other horses, frequent inter- 
 course among themselves have rendered their small and peculiar 
 forms permanent in the race ; and, with unerring precision, " like 
 begets like." 
 
 The permanent varieties that now exist among the cattle of the 
 British Isles is due to local circumstances and the art of man. 
 Most of the fine breeds now owned by English husbandmen are 
 named after the location in which they are said to originate. 
 These are permanent varieties, yet the most of them (in fact all, 
 except importations) are descendants of the "Wild or White 
 Forest breed." Hence the Highland breed, dispersed over the 
 mountains of North Britain ; the Alderney, of the Norman Isles ; 
 and the Devon, from the Bristol Channel, etc., are all permanent 
 varieties, originally of the White Forest breed. Yorkshire is 
 
312 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 celebrated for the production of a permanent variety of horses 
 known as " Clevelands." They are an ancient and unmixed race. 
 Their bodies have peculiar markings, and if a foal should be born 
 without them, the owner would give orders for its immediate 
 destruction. I presume it is now understood what is meant by 
 permanent variety. 
 
 Animals become Paeents too eaely. 
 
 Victor Gilbert never allowed ewes to have lambs until they 
 had passed their third year, and the bucks were never used until 
 they had arrived at full maturity. He, as well as many other 
 sagacious stock-raisers that I might name, are probably conver- 
 sant with the fact that, during the period of growth and develop- 
 ment up to maturity, the reproductive organs are dormant, while, 
 at the same time, the nutritive function was wholly engaged in 
 elaborating chyle and blood for the development of bone, muscle, 
 and nerve; and that by calling into requisition the reproductive 
 or generative organs before the animal had attained full growth, 
 must necessarily divert the elements of matter intended for nutri- 
 tion from their legitimate channel, and direct them to the repro- 
 ductive organs. This is precisely what takes place. A too early 
 use of the purely animal functions induces weakness and stunted 
 growth. 
 
 The author remembers that, in his school-boy days, it was cus- 
 tomary, so soon as a boy had accumulated a few pence, to invest 
 the same in a rabbit (a favorite animal at that period) ; conse- 
 quently we had a community of juvenile rabbit-raisers; and from 
 the results of past experience, as observed by the older boys, a rule 
 was adopted among us that the doe should not be put to the buck 
 until she had attained full maturity. The reason assigned for this 
 rule was, " Early breeding prevented the doe from growing." The 
 facts were evident ; still we knew not the why nor wherefore, but 
 acted on the spur of experience. Physiologists have assigned the 
 above as the true cause, and have, in their writings, pointed out 
 the woeful results which often follow a too early use of the purely 
 animal functions and organs. I seriously urge farmers to give 
 this subject that attention which it evidently demands. By so 
 doing they will prevent many of the unnecessary abortions which 
 are almost constantly occurring. Among the higher orders of 
 
BREEDING, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAME. 313 
 
 creation the same law holds good. In fact, there can be no devi- 
 ation from it without incurring the hazard of paying the penalty. 
 
 Heifers should never be put to the bull until they have attained 
 the age of three or four years. At tnis period they are in their 
 prime. If they happen to have acquired too much fat, their daily 
 allowance must be reduced. 
 
 Human growth, according to the best authority, ceases between 
 the ages of twenty and twenty-five. In very warm regions, how- 
 ever, where development and decay are universally allowed to be 
 more rapid, the inhabitants come to maturity much earlier. A 
 superior class of human beings can only be produced by selections 
 and exclusions similar to those so successfully employed in rear- 
 ing the inferior orders. We may rejoice in a Fulton, Franklin, 
 or Webster occasionally, (by mere accident,) the parents of such 
 being absolutely ignorant of the first principles of physiology; 
 but, in the breeder's language, such are in possession of the " pre- 
 requisites." In the first place, they had not entered the marriage 
 relationship prior to the age of reason. The parents, if we mis- 
 take not, were full-grown men and women, not boys nor girls. 
 They possibly possessed a sound mind and healthy constitution, 
 free from hereditary defect of mind and body, which stunted 
 growth, aided by artificial modes of life, are almost sure to entail. 
 Until within a few years, a wise and salutary law was in oper- 
 ation in the British Isles which interdicted marriage until the 
 candidates had arrived at the age of twenty-one. That law has 
 been set aside, and, consequently, the mass of the population of 
 the present day will not bear comparison with that of the past. 
 
 One safeguard, therefore, against stunted growth and ill-health 
 is to avoid a too early use of the reproductive function. And here- 
 in we are not safe unless proper selections have been made, and 
 faulty animals or persons rejected. I am persuaded that if hus- 
 bandmen of these United States could all view this important 
 matter in its right light, a very decided improvement would soon 
 be the result. The subject will, however, eventually command 
 the attention of all. 
 
 Many persons urge that the offspring of blood relatives are 
 weak, nervous, deficient in intellect, complete idiots, etc., and 
 that further intercourse in the same direction only makes bad 
 worse. These are facts which can not be controverted, yet the 
 weakness, nervousness, etc., does not occur from the relationship 
 
314 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 which exists between the parties, but is the result of their defec- 
 tive constitutions. Many of the cousin-marriages are entered into 
 without the least regard to the rational theory of selection and 
 rejection. The question is one of interest, not of utility. These 
 blood connections are consummated merely to retain property in 
 families, and to satisfy the caprices of doting parents, superannu- 
 ated uncles, and disappointed maiden aunts ; and thus many an 
 idiotic or emaciated sprig of aristocracy unites his destinies with a 
 fashionable cousin the very counterpart of himself, both inherit- 
 ing family defects of precisely similar character. Should they be 
 blessed (cursed, rather) with offspring, may we not expect a min- 
 iature of the originals? " Without due attention to avoiding dis- 
 ease, it will increase in the progeny." 
 
 Among the human species, therefore, where the objects are of 
 such immense importance to present and future generations, the 
 principles of selection and rejection are entirely overlooked. We 
 pay more attention to the principles of breeding in cattle than we 
 do to those applicable also to their lord and master. Hence the 
 faults and defects alluded to are not the result of close affinities, 
 but result from our indifference or ignorance of the laws of life. 
 
 Objections to In-and-in Breeding Answered. 
 
 The two preceding paragraphs are brief answers to the objec- 
 tions against the sexual congress of blood-relations ; yet, as other 
 evidence than my own, and of a more general character, may be 
 demanded by the reader, I have thought it best to introduce other 
 testimony. The following quotations are from the pen of P. S. 
 Humbrickson, of Ohio, published as a " Prize Essay : " 
 
 "Many object to what has been termed in-and-in breeding. 
 Indeed, with most of those who do so, their objections assume 
 the form of a very strong prejudice. This is attributable to a 
 certain confusion in their minds, by which reasons, wherein there 
 is no proper connection, are made, with the aid of imagination, tQ 
 assume a form of mutual dependence and coherence in support of 
 their theory. In the human family, marriages within the Levitical 
 degree, or, as they are also called, incestuous marriages, are for- 
 bidden. But the prohibition rests exclusively upon moral, and 
 not at all upon natural or physical reasons ; yet the direct phys- 
 ical calamities are imagined to pursue the infringement of that law. 
 
BREEDING, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAME. 315 
 
 Now, it would seem that where the moral reasons in favor of an 
 enactment are sufficient not only to justify but to demand it, no 
 more should be required. And this is in accordance with the 
 soundest rules of philosophizing. Moreover, if no such moral 
 reason existed, the authority of the Lawgiver, in the case of the 
 divine law, is a sufficient foundation and warrant for it ; and the 
 human law is bound by and but follows the divine. Shall we, 
 then, take the step beyond, and apply to the inferior animal the 
 rule that was intended for rational, accountable man ? We know 
 that, if left to his own observation and experience, and being him- 
 self the judge, the objector must avouch the fact that, in the state 
 of Nature, there is no restraint, and that such connections are and 
 must be continually taking place. 
 
 The Advantages of In-and-in Breeding. 
 
 " And if there are advantages arising from the having placed in 
 the line of the direct ancestry, near and remote, of our flocks, a 
 great number of approved individuals, both male and female, as 
 has been seen, it follows that there must be far greater advantages 
 arising from the having the same one individual (if he be of marked 
 superiority) placed in that line the greatest possible number of 
 times. This is done by in-and-in breeding, and is the object of it. 
 Now, it is easier to find this one unsurpassed individual than to 
 find many ; for in the many there will, most certainly, be one to 
 be preferred to all the rest. Then, under the operation or the 
 principle of atavism, the chances that the resemblance of such un- 
 equaled ancestor will be obtained must be in the ratio of the 
 number of times that he occurs in the ascending lines ; hence 
 greater uniformity and greater excellence in all the progeny. 
 An apt illustration of this is found in the frequent occurrence of 
 the Godolphin Arabian, in the pedigrees of all our best blooded 
 horses, carried back to him as their founder." 
 
 In conclusion, the author offers the following, in view not only 
 of benefiting the horse, but his owner also. 
 
 The Importance of Studying Anatomy and Physiology. 
 
 There is an aphorism which is said to have emanated from a 
 Divine source, and it appeals to the intelligence of this enlightened 
 
316 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 and progressive generation with peculiar force. It is, "Know 
 thyself." To understand our moral, intellectual, and physical 
 natures and tendencies should be the business of every one. The 
 cultivation of, and proper direction given to, the former, bring us 
 within the halo of health, purity, and peace. A knowledge of the 
 physical or physiological laws of life, and in practicing fidelity to 
 what they teach, places us on the high road to health and long life. 
 Anatomical and physiological acquirements are needed by every 
 one, in order that we may know ourselves, and thus be able to 
 preserve our wondrous mechanism, "the harp of a thousand 
 strings," in its normal condition; for without health we can not 
 enjoy life, nor answer the purposes for which we were created. 
 
 We have the testimony of learned men, and our own reflective 
 minds confirm the facts, that an alarming number of premature 
 deaths, and an untold amount of physical infirmities, are the result 
 of either our ignorance of, or indifference to, the uncompromising 
 laws of Nature. The rational being, free from hereditary taint, 
 of mental or physical deformities, comes into the world with all 
 that is essential to his future life and happiness. He has within 
 his organization a radiant volume of intellectuality, organized, 
 compiled, and bound by the Divine hand, the first glimmer of 
 which reveals something adapted to present and future wants and 
 necessities. The intellectual spark, once ignited, is capable of an 
 endless increase. We can add ray to ray, power on power, until 
 the God-like man acquires the mental greatness of a Webster, or 
 the mechanical skill and distinction of a Fulton. We do not 
 expect that all can become Websters and Fultons, because we do 
 not all practice that invariable perseverance and stern energy 
 characteristic of giant intellect and mechanical skill. We are not 
 all willing to toil, mentally or physically, with that perseverance 
 and industry so necessary to success ; and if we were willing, after 
 having attained maturity or manhood, our minds and bodies being 
 trained and molded for station and circumstances, are then not so 
 well adapted, as in youth, for increase and power. Still, at this 
 period of life, we are not destitute of the means of self-culture. 
 
 We are living illustrations of progressive mental capacities 
 which often transpire in men past the meridian of life, who, 
 before that period, never considered themselves favored in this 
 line. How unfortunate it is, therefore, that the generality of 
 mankind should be so indifferent about the science of life, and be 
 
BREEDING, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAME. 317 
 
 so slow in making it the basis of rational action in warding off 
 disease, and in promoting the integrity of their existence ! The 
 reason is, our education is incomplete. We are all that Nature 
 intended in elementary ability, and only deficient in its use. 
 The means are anatomical and physiological studies ; the time is 
 in youth, when the mind is pliant, capable of receiving permanent 
 impressions. The place for the engrafting of the same is in our 
 common schools and at the fireside, the mother and the teacher 
 wielding a common scepter of instruction. 
 
 Some people do not realize that our organizations are the result 
 of the most positive laws of Nature, and that our ailments are the 
 result of our own ignorance or folly. The mass of mankind are 
 not aware that our physical systems are capable of improvement 
 analagous to the mental. No; they generally think and act on 
 the false and ruinous proposition that our diseases, aches, and 
 pains are so woven into the filamentary mechanism of the living 
 citadel as to be beyond the power of either art or science to eradi- 
 cate — a proposition that should never, for a moment, be enter- 
 tained ; for, if we live right up to the laws of life, we are then 
 within the impregnable ramparts of physiology, where our ac- 
 quired and fashionable maladies can not obtain. 
 
 Within the bulwarks of physiology certain conditions are im- 
 posed upon us, and we must observe them. For example, we 
 require a pure atmosphere, at all times, to vitalize the blood, and 
 thus deprive it of tliose defiling elements acquired by venous blood, 
 and which would otherwise operate, as they often do, in our 
 crowded assemblies and unventilated sleeping-rooms, as the germs 
 to excite unnecessary disease. Next, the body should be kept erect, 
 so that the muscles and organs may acquire and maintain natural 
 action. We require vigorous daily exercise of all the muscles of 
 voluntary motion ; freedom from all compression by dress ; apparel 
 that shall afford needed protection ; a quantity of food and drink, 
 at intervals, that shall furnish materials for the wants of our sys- 
 tems, and that control of feeling which enlightened reason and 
 virtue demand. Our time should be distributed into daily periods 
 of labor, rest, and amusement ; and, above all, we must bear in 
 mind that infirmity wedded to infirmity is a sin against our na- 
 ture — a wanton violation of the law of Nature and of our existence, 
 to which a fearful penalty is appended, even unto the " third and 
 fourth generations." 
 
318 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 The faithful observance of the physiological laws of Nature re- 
 sult in health and strength, and promote longevity. Such is the 
 fruit which the tree of knowledge beareth. The non-observance 
 of these laws of life places us on a par with the poor idiot, when 
 sporting with the implements of self-destruction, and furnishes to 
 us the forbidden fruit. Health depends entirely on the use which 
 we make of the various organs and functions of the body. Health, 
 never comes to us or our live stock by virtue of good lu'ck. None 
 are healthy by special Providence or Divine favor. Neither can 
 health be found in the popular nostrums of the day on the proceeds 
 of which quacks grow fat and wealthy, and patients often be- 
 come poverty-stricken, and finally sink into the arms of Death, in 
 blissful ignorance of what brought them there. Much of what is 
 here written is equally true regarding horses and cattle. Many of 
 their diseases spring from the same causes which are operative on 
 the human subject; hence, knowledge of the above description is 
 what all interested should seek after. 
 
SECTION XII. 
 
 LAMENESS FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 
 
 Curbs — Elbow Tumor — Capped Hock — Varix, or Bog Spavin — Atrophy, or 
 Wasting of Muscles — Thorough-pin — Navicular Disease, or Lameness — 
 Pleuro-dtnia — Acute Rheumatism — Chronic Rheumatism — Ring-bone — 
 Splint — Spavin — Osteo Porosis — Curvature of the Spine — Hoof-bound — 
 Laminitis — Sandcrack — Quarter Crack — Navicular Thritis — Stifle Out 
 — Contraction of the Hoof — Bowed Legs — Corns — Lameness. 
 
 Curbs. 
 
 CURB consists of sprain of the posterior ligament of the hock, 
 known as the calcaneo-cuboid ligament. It is thus named 
 in consequence of being inserted into the oscalcis and cuboid bones. 
 The tumefaction is usually confined to the skin and subcellular 
 tissue. At first the part is hot and painful, and the animal is 
 lame — does not* flex the hock in a natural manner ; yet, when 
 standing still, the horse keeps the lower part of the limb flexed, 
 so as to relieve the overstrained tendon. The liability or predis- 
 position to the disease lurks in breed. Such horses are observed 
 to have ill-shaped hocks. Such have been denominated "cow- 
 hocks." The parts are not symmetrical. There is an obvious 
 disproportion between the width of the parts above and below the 
 hock, which gives it an angular appearance ; and the more angu- 
 larity there is, the more liability is there to sprain, because there 
 is too much tension on the calcaneo-cuboid ligament. 
 
 Causes. — The exciting causes of curb are sprain, occurring in 
 the act of backing a heavy load, or in leaping ; in short the per- 
 formance of any feat that violently calls into play the flexor 
 muscles and tendons of the hind extremities ; hence stallions with 
 faulty hocks, when used for procreation, are very apt to become 
 
 the subject of curb. 
 
 (319) 
 
320 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Explanation. 
 
 1 1. Curbs, or enlargement in the region of the back or posterior part of the hock, an affec- 
 tion known to veterinarians as sprain of the calcaneocuboid ligament. 
 
 2. Elbow tumor, or enlargement at the point of the elbow. The point of the elbow corres- 
 ponds to the olecranon of man. 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 321 
 
 Treatment. — So soon as the injury is discovered, the part should 
 be fomented often with either an infusion of hops or poppy- 
 heads. It is best to apply the infusion cold, and by means of a 
 sponge, the animal being kept at rest during the acute stage. 
 Sometimes, in view of relieving the tension of the sprained liga- 
 ment, it is customary to tack on a high-heeled shoe. This may 
 or may not be necessary, and depends on the severity of the case. 
 After having modified the inflammatory action, the high-heeled 
 shoe may be dispensed with. Then, in order to get rid of the 
 chronic enlargement, the part must be daily anointed, for a short 
 time, with a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 45. Powdered iodine 1 dr. 
 
 Simple ointment .7 dr. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 After a short time, the animal may be put to light work, still 
 making an occasional application of the iodine ointment. 
 
 Should the parts about the hock degenerate into a hard callous, 
 friction with cod-liver oil may be employed. Should this fail to 
 have the desired effect, then make a few applications of the acetate 
 of cantharides, prepared as follows : 
 
 No. 46. Acetic acid (fluid) 1 oz. 
 
 Water 5 oz. 
 
 Powdered cantharides 1 dr. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Elbow Tumor. 
 
 Elbow tumor (see cut on preceding page, fig. 2,) is usually re- 
 cognized as "capped elbow/' It sometimes grows to an enor- 
 mous size, and not only becomes unsightly, but seriously interferes 
 with the action of the elbow and its articulation. At first, the 
 part is hot, inflamed, and tender. Soon effusion takes place; 
 then the part is soft and fluctuating ; next, albumen is deposited, 
 and this, finally, is metamorphosed into fibrine, at which stage the 
 tumor is large and dense ; the walls of the skin are also very much 
 thickened ; in fact, when dissecting out the tumor, it appears that 
 the skin is in a state of hypertrophy, or morbid growth. How- 
 ever, there is usually a central orifice in the tumor which seems 
 to indicate that the first trouble originated in a bursal sac, from 
 external injury, either by the calking of the shoe or- the toe of the 
 21 " 
 
322 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 hind foot; or it may arise from a bruise inflicted in the act of 
 lying down on a hard floor. 
 
 Treatment. — In the early stage, and when there is nothing but 
 fluid in the sac, an opening should be made into the lower part of 
 it, by means of a thumb lancet. After the fluid has been evacu- 
 ated, by pressure, inject into it an astringent, composed of pyrolig- 
 neous acid and water, equal parts; and rub the exterior of the 
 tumor, twice daily, with a small quantity of cod-liver oil. The 
 cod-liver-oil will act as a glandular stimulant, and thus aid in the 
 absorption of the tumor. A seton, inserted through the tumor, 
 sometimes has a very good effect ; but if the tumor be large and 
 unsightly, the services of a surgeon will be required for its removal, 
 by means of the scalpel. 
 
 Capped Hock. 
 
 Capped hock consists of tumefaction, or enlargement at the 
 point of the hock. Occurring, as it does, at a very prominent 
 and exposed part of the limb, it is almost sure to attract notice ; 
 hence is not only an eye-sore, but a serious defect, and, if accom- 
 panied by lameness, the animal may be pronounced unsound, 
 during the period of lameness. The tumor is the result of enlarge- 
 ment of a synovial sac which lies between the bone and the tendon 
 gastrocnemii. This sac contains synovia, and it is furnished for 
 the purpose of lubricating the parts for the prevention of friction. 
 The skin, also, becomes thickened, or, rather, is in a state of hy- 
 pertrophy (morbid growth), which add largely to the size of the 
 tumor. 
 
 Causes. — Capped hock is generally produced by a blow or 
 bruise. It is almost always occasioned by the whiffle-tree coming 
 in contact with the parts. The animal may, however, injure the 
 parts in the act of kicking. The parts may also be bruised in the 
 act of lying down or rising in the stall. Therefore, not knowing 
 any other cause for capped hock, we may safely infer that it is the 
 result of external injury. 
 
 Treatment. — In the early or inflammatory stage, refrigerating 
 lotions are indicated. Take of 
 
 No. 47. Sal ammonia 1 oz. 
 
 Nitrate of potass 1 oz. 
 
 . Water 1 pint. 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 323 
 
 Sponge the part quite often, for a day or two, until the heat and 
 attendant pain subsides ; after which the affection will run on to 
 the chronic stage, and perhaps acquire magnitude ; then the treat- 
 ment must be altered. The object now is to excite absorption. 
 In that view, I recommend the following : 
 
 No. 48. Powdered iodide of potass 2 dr. 
 
 Yellow basilicon 1-| oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Apply a portion of this ointment to the enlargement, morning 
 and evening. 
 
 Varix (known as Bog Spavin). 
 
 Varix, or " bog spavin," consists of an enlargement on the in- 
 side of the hock, corresponding to a disease of the same character 
 in the human subject known as varicose veins. It very rarely 
 produces lameness, and most writers contend that it is nothing 
 more than an eye-sore. Be this as it may, it is a defect, and, in 
 the eye of the law, constitutes unsoundness, simply from the fact 
 that soundness consists in perfection of function and structure, and, 
 also, because sound horses do not have defects of this character. 
 The enlargement does not generally impair the usefulness of the 
 animal for ordinary work ; yet sometimes, in consequence of over- 
 work or sprain, the tumor acquires magnitude. 
 
 It is always dangerous to attempt to remove varix, or to punc- 
 ture it ; and the only proper method of treatment, in view of lim- 
 iting its growth, for it can not be cured, is to bathe it often with 
 the following astringent lotion : 
 
 No. 49. Fluid extract of witch-hazel 2 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of bayberry bark 4 oz. 
 
 Proof spirit 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Bog spavin is an indication of weak and faulty hocks, unless it 
 can be shown that the animal has been made to labor too early in 
 life, or has performed excessive work beyond his capacity. Then 
 the affection can be accounted for, and may not owe its origin to 
 either fault or defect. 
 
324 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Atrophy, or Wasting of Muscles in the Region op 
 the Shoulder-blade, (known as Sweeny.) 
 
 Atrophy signifies wasting of muscles, in which diseased parts 
 become notably smaller than those of the natural, without other 
 alteration in texture. The author has had several opportunities 
 of examining horses that have died in consequence of disease or 
 old age, who, during life, were the subjects of what is known as 
 sweeny, and found that the muscles of the shoulder had quite a 
 pale appearance, somewhat resembling those of a calf which had 
 been bled to death. A condensation or wasting of muscular fiber 
 was very apparent; the cellular membrane under the skin had 
 almost disappeared, merely by condensation and contraction of the 
 skin over the region of the parts, which contraction occurs in con- 
 sequence of shrinkage of the muscles beneath the skin. 
 
 A FOUNDERED OE DEAD LAME HORSE. (See p. 336.) 
 
 Causes. — As regards the cause of atrophy, it is a well-known 
 fact that inaction of a muscle produces a notable decrease in size. 
 The muscles of laboring men decrease in size whenever, from 
 choice or necessity, the individual leads a sedentary life. A limb 
 kept at rest for any length of time undergoes more or less atrophy 
 (wasting). In some cases, the foot diseases, so common, are of 
 that character as to cause the subjects much pain in progression ; 
 
LAMENESS, FROM NARIOUS CAUSES. # 325 
 
 and, in order to relieve the feet, the horse spares the muscles, which, 
 for want of free and full action, leads to diminished nutrition and 
 wasting (atrophy). Some of the readers of this work must have 
 noticed the fact of the shrinking of the muscles of the haunch in 
 case of disease or severe lameness of one of the hind feet. This 
 shrinkage often occurs, as in the case of the shoulder, from want 
 of natural action and full play of the muscles concerned. We 
 have ample proof that wasting is the result of want of action, in 
 the fact that when a horse becomes the subject of a painful disease 
 in the hind foot, he neither advances nor rotates the limb any 
 more than he can possibly help, but holds the foot up, sometimes 
 points it. On examination, the atrophy, or wasting, is confined to 
 the muscles which perform these two actions ; and in the case of 
 pain or lameness in one of the fore-feet, the same faulty action is 
 observable, and the same class of muscles (whose action is almost 
 identical with that of the hind parts) are the ones affected. 
 
 The author deems it of great importance that husbandmen 
 should fully understand this subject; for it will enable them to 
 perceive that, while inflating horses' shoulders with a quill, or 
 practicing any other absurd treatment in the vicinity of the wasted 
 or sweenied shoulder, they are overlooking the real malady (in 
 the foot), and at best are only treating symptoms. On careful 
 examination, however, should it appear that the patient is free 
 from any disorder of the foot or feet, and, on the other hand, it is 
 clearly evident that myositis or myalgia (muscular pain) exists, 
 then the treatment must be directed to the affected parts. The 
 facts in either case can only be determined by a competent practi- 
 tioner. 
 
 The author has often noticed that when horses have been over- 
 driven or overworked, they become stiff and lame in those parts 
 of the body most susceptible to the ordinary influences. For 
 example, one horse may perform a long journey, with a weighty 
 man on his back, and the next day show symptoms of lameness 
 in the lumbar region. His back is arched ; the limbs are brought 
 under the center of the body, and every movement indicates that 
 the animal suffers tormenting pains, which are located in the mus- 
 cles of the back. This is myositis, or inflammation of the muscular 
 fiber. Sometimes, however, the malady constitutes myalgia (mus- 
 cular pain and spasm), unaccompanied by inflammatory action. 
 Another horse may be put to a similar kind of work, and, in a 
 
326 DABD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 few hours afterward, be found stiff and lame. But the symptoms 
 are not the same as those just recorded. The pathology is proba- 
 bly identical ; it is the same disease, only it has a different locality. 
 It is myositis of the pectoral muscles, involving, also, the muscles 
 of the shoulder-blades. And the intelligent owner of the afflicted 
 animal will notice that the fore extremities are unnaturally ad- 
 vanced ; the foreparts of the body are unnaturally hot and tender ; 
 the fore-feet are feverish, and the hoofs are hotter still. The ad- 
 vanced position of the fore extremities and shoulders gives a very 
 marked hollowness to the forepart of the chest, and many men, 
 on seeing such a case, would declare that the animal was chest- 
 foundered, this being the name which is sometimes given to such 
 a condition ; but it is really owing to myalgia (muscular pain and 
 stiffness). 
 
 It is well-known that all muscles are subject to inflammatory 
 action and muscular pain from work disproportionate to their 
 strength. For example, let any man undertake to saw wood, 
 practice with heavy dumb-bells, or ride on a horse — feats that he 
 has never been accustomed to — and, whether the labor be excessive 
 or not, the individual will shortly complain of more or less mus- 
 cular pain ; and if he be a weak man, the more excessive will be 
 that pain. Now, the muscles of the horse, being just as suscepti- 
 ble to pain as those of man, are just as easily operated on through 
 the well-known exciting causes. 
 
 Symptoms. — In the case of a horse, when the work has been ex- 
 cessive, and of a character to bring the muscles of the shoulders, 
 their tendons and coverings, into a state of over-exertion, it will 
 often be found that some of the muscular fibers in the region of the 
 shoulder are fractured, small blood-vessels are ruptured, and other 
 pathological changes take place. This is followed by inflammation 
 (myositis). Suppose, therefore, a horse shows symptoms of myo- 
 sitis after excessive work, and, in the course of a few days, it is 
 noticed that the muscles of his shoulders are wasting away, and 
 continue to waste, so that all persons who examine the animal 
 pronounce him sweenied, we may then infer that the wasting 
 (sweeny) is not symptomatic, but is the result of myositis. 
 
 Treatment. — The principal treatment is rest ; afterward diminish 
 the work, and, by proper diet and tonics, increase the power to do 
 it. The muscular parts affected should be bathed, morning and 
 evening, with a portion of the following : 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 327 
 
 No. 50. Fluid extract of wormwood ) t, o' „ 
 
 „, . , , , „ . y each A oz. 
 
 lluid extract of poppies j 
 
 Proof spirits 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Should the feet prove to be very hot and feverish, frequent 
 bathing with cold water, or a cold infusion of hops, will have a 
 very good effect. In the mean time give the animal two drachms 
 of fluid extract of gelseminum, once or twice per day, until the 
 feverish symptoms subside. Then, when the case passes into the 
 chronic stage (sweeny), the shoulders and wasted parts are to be 
 well rubbed, often, with a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 51. Fluid extract of ginger 4 oz. 
 
 Gum camphor 1 oz. 
 
 Olive oil \ pint. 
 
 Pulverize the gum ; add it to the oil, in which it will soon dis- 
 solve ; then mix with it the ginger, and the preparation is fit for 
 use. 
 
 Should the muscles of the shoulder waste, in consequence of 
 chronic disease or altered structure about the hoof or within it, 
 such as ring-bone, ossification of the lateral cartilages, etc., then a 
 strong counter-irritant must be applied, for a week or so, around 
 the coronet. At the same time we should treat the shoulder as 
 above. A good counter-irritant for the coronet may be thus pre- 
 pared : 
 
 No. 52. Cod-liver oil } , 
 
 xr ., \ equal parts. 
 
 Kerosene oil j u r 
 
 Mix. 
 
 The great trouble in chronic cases of this character is, that it 
 usually takes a long time to free the animal from lameness, and to 
 restore the muscles of the shoulder to their original size ; and, after 
 all we can do, it may be necessary to let the animal have a run at 
 grass. It will be advisable, in all chronic oases, unless the horse 
 be very lame, to insure regular exercise, which will tend to develop 
 the shrunken muscles. 
 
 The best way to prevent sweeny is to keep the horse in good 
 condition by a rational use of his muscular powers, being careful 
 not to overtax them, and by giving proper attention to his feet, 
 both in the stable and at the blacksmith's shop. 
 
328 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Thorough-pin. 
 
 The seat of thorough-pin is between the popliteous (fig. 2) and 
 the point of the hock, near where the tendon is severed, as shown 
 in the accompanying engraving. The disease is called thorough- 
 pin, simply because the fluid contained in the bursal sac can be 
 squeezed from one side to the other. 
 
 VIEW Or SOME OF THE DEEP-SEATED MUSCLES IN THE REGION OF THE HOCK AND STIFLE. 
 
 Explanation. — 1, Popliteous ; 2, Flexor pedis accessorius ; 3, Flexor metatarsi magnus ; 
 4, The tendon, common both to the flexor metatarsi and extensor pedis; 5. The groove 
 in which the extensor plays. 
 
 Symptoms. — The disease is similar to bog spavin and wind-galls ; 
 namely, enlargement of a synovial sac. It seldom if ever lames 
 a horse, yet, when large, is apt to interfere with the free action of 
 the joint. 
 
 In former years it was customary to open thorough-pins by 
 means of a lancet, in view of evacuating the fluid ; but many fatal 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 329 
 
 cases having occurred, the practice is now discontinued. Among 
 the many fatal cases recorded I select the following, which has 
 been recorded in the " Veterinarian," by W. A. Wheatley, V. S. : 
 
 " The subject was a five-year old cart-horse, the property of the 
 South-eastern Railway Company, admitted on the 1st of Septem- 
 ber, 1855, with an immense thorough-pin on the off hock. The 
 animal being then in a very high condition, a support shoe was 
 placed on the foot of the diseased limb, and the frequent applica- 
 tion of cold water to the diseased parts resorted to, the diet being 
 restricted to mashes. 
 
 October 6. — The horse was considered in a fit state for the op- 
 eration. Accordingly, I had the animal secured by a side line, and 
 first punctured the enlargement with the exploring-needle, in four 
 different places; but, as the imprisoned fluid did not escape so 
 readily as I expected, I determined upon opening the part with 
 the lancet, which being done, the fluid escaped to the amount of a 
 small tea-cupful. It was of a thin consistence, and of a pale straw 
 color. I then applied bandages dipped in cold water, and kept 
 the hock constantly wet. 
 
 October 7. — The swelling had very slightly returned. I gave 
 some aperient medicine, and continued the bandages with cold 
 water, and applied a suitable truss to the hock. 
 
 I need not give a report of the case from day to day. Suffice 
 it to say that the cold water and the truss were continued in use, 
 and the animal never manifested the least inconvenience from the 
 operation. 
 
 November 21. — He was considered cured, not the least appear- 
 ance of the enlargement being left. 
 
 November 29. — On this day the horse was attacked with abdom- 
 inal obstruction, and, despite all our remedial measures, consisting 
 of active purgatives, as solution of aloes, calomel, oleum lini et 
 crotoni, with the frequent use of medicated enemata, counter- 
 irritants, etc., he continued to grow worse till the 1st of December, 
 when death took place. This was the fourth attack of this kind 
 that the animal had experienced while under treatment for the dis- 
 eased hock." 
 
 The danger to be apprehended in cases where an opening is 
 made by the lancet arises from the liability to synovitis, (inflamma- 
 tion of the synovial membrane,) which reacts sympathetically on 
 the system, producing derangement of some of the organs or func- 
 
330 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 tions of the body. Therefore I consider it injudicious to lay open 
 a synovial capsule in any part of the body. 
 
 Treatment. — The safest method of treatment is to puncture the 
 sac, by means of small needles. After having evacuated the fluid 
 through the sieve-like needle-holes, the part is to be smeared with 
 ointment of iodine — one drachm of iodine to seven drachms of 
 simple ointment. Then apply a spring truss, so constructed as to 
 press on both sides of the hock. By this means the internal parts 
 of the sac are kept in contact, and they finally unite. Thus the 
 enlargement is obliterated. If, at any time during the treatment, 
 the parts become hot or tender, discontinue the ointment, and sub- 
 stitute a pad on each extremity of the truss, which are to be kept 
 constantly wet with cold water until the inflammatory action dis- 
 appears. 
 
 Navicular Lameness, 
 
 Navicular lameness is of very frequent occurrence among horses. 
 It usually depends upon strain or injury of the tendon, known as 
 perforans, just where it passes over the navicular bone. Some- 
 times the navicular bone becomes diseased, ulcerates, and finally 
 becomes fractured ; at other times the bone becomes the seat of 
 incrustations, or roughing, and thus irritates the flexor tendon. 
 Such affections always cause pain and lameness. Horses with nar- 
 row heels, or those laboring under contraction at the quarters and 
 heels, suffer much pain in the posterior or navicular region, in con- 
 sequence of hoof pressure on the sensitive parts of the foot. 
 
 A disease known as navicular thritis (inflammation of the parts 
 in the navicular region) often prevails. This is an inflammatory 
 affection, very painful, and much resembles laminitis) fever in the 
 foot). 
 
 Symptoms. — Pointing of the affected foot; the animal, while 
 standing, throws the affected foot forward, by which means the 
 weight of the forepart of the body is transferred to the other limb ; 
 the animal has a short, tripping gait, and steps cautiously; the 
 muscles of the shoulder waste ; the spine of the shoulder-blade be- 
 comes quite prominent ; and this condition of the muscles is often 
 called sweeny. We usually find, also, that the heels are pinched 
 in, and the walls are thin and weak. The liability to navicular 
 lameness is very great in horses with narrow chests, upright pas- 
 terns, and outturned toes. Other defects in the loins exist. Hence 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 331 
 
 it is supposed that a predisposition to this affection may lurk in 
 the breed ; in fact, it is known that a tendency to it exists in the 
 progeny of certain horses. It is related that the progeny of 
 " Young Musician," a thorough-bred horse, all showed a tendency 
 to navicular disease. 
 
 Treatment. — We first ascertain whether the difficulty is of an 
 acute or chronic character. Should it have made its appearance 
 very suddenly, and the part feels hot and painful, then we class 
 it as the acute stage. Should the trouble, however, be of long 
 standing, it will be in the chronic stage. In the acute stage, cold 
 water bandages must be applied to the region of the fetlock, which 
 should be kept wet with water, to which may be added a little 
 vinegar, merely to acidulate the former; the patient should be 
 kept at rest, and fed on a light diet. In the chronic stage, coun- 
 ter-irritants are indicated, yet organic disease may be the result; 
 in that event, the horse has always a sort of groggy walk, and is 
 never sound. 
 
 Neurotomy has been practiced in view of treating this affection, 
 but I can not perceive how such an operation can benefit a horse 
 having an organic difficulty. Neurotomy merely destroys, for a 
 short time, the sensibility of certain parts of the foot ; but so soon 
 as the divided nerve reunites, sensibility is again restored. There 
 may, however, occur some form of lameness which might be bene- 
 fited by neurotomy, but I think the same thing might be achieved 
 by counter-irritation, and without the use of the knife. The coun- 
 ter-irritant I have found most useful is as follows : 
 
 No. 53. Cod-liver oil 2 oz. 
 
 Kerosene 3 oz. 
 
 Cantharides # 1 dr. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Apply a portion of the above to the navicular region, between 
 the heels and fetlock, on the back part, once or twice daily, until 
 the part is well blistered, which will take place at the end of a 
 week. The more thorough the blistering, the more chance is there 
 of doing good. No after-dressing need be applied, unless the 
 parts become very sore; in that event, I should lubricate with 
 olive oil. 
 
 It will be necessary, in chronic cases, to secure the services of 
 a good blacksmith, so that the animal may have a shoe affixed 
 properly adapted to the necessities of the case. If any signs of 
 
332 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 contraction exist, the heels are to be opened, and the walls at the 
 quarters must be rasped thin, so as to remove the lateral pressure 
 on the sensitive parts. 
 
 It may be necessary, in the event of the patient not being bene- 
 fited by the above treatment, to reapply the counter-irritant ; this 
 matter is left discretionary with those who take the case in hand. 
 In the treatment of such cases, the r owner of the afflicted animal 
 must be prepared to exercise due patience, for the day of recovery 
 may be far distant; often it is a mere question of time, and not 
 one of skill. 
 
 Pleurodynia (Painful affection of the Pleura and 
 
 Muscles of the Chest). 
 
 Pleurodynia (in human practice) signifies pain in the side, from 
 a rheumatic affection of the pleura. In horses the malady not 
 only affects the pleura, but also the intercostal muscles. It is a 
 very painful malady, and some persons are in the habit of calling 
 it "founder." Pleurodynia, however, differs in its origin from 
 founder, inasmuch as the latter may arise from various causes, 
 whereas pleurodynia is almost always the result of an excessive 
 use of the muscular powers, or when the animal has been sub- 
 jected to long-continued and very severe exertion. 
 
 Symptoms. — It will be noticed that the animal moves in a very 
 stiff manner ; steps short and quite slow — he appears about used 
 up, as the saying is ; the back is arched, and the skin is over the 
 service of the body, and is not only hot but very tender ; on mak- 
 ing pressure over the regions of the sides of the chest, symptoms 
 of pnin will be elicited, showing conclusively that the intercostal 
 muscles between the ribs and pleura, or lining membrane of the 
 cavity of the chest, are involved; the respirations are short and 
 jerking, and the number of pulsations range from forty to sixty 
 per minute. Both fore-feet are usually advanced, and, on apply- 
 ing a hand to them, it will be found that they are unusually hot, 
 and that they are inflamed ; the appetite is not good ; the urine 
 is high-colored, and the bowels constipated. Such are the most 
 observable and common symptoms of this painful malady. It is 
 something like rheumatism in its pathology, and often migrates 
 to the brain, or its investing membranes. When this happens 
 there remains but little hope for the patient. 
 
LAMENESS FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 333 
 
 Treatment. — In view of illustrating the treatment, I introduce 
 
 the following case : The animal had been hired of Mr. P , of 
 
 Chicago, by a person who appeared to have but very little respect 
 or compassion for horse-flesh ; for on the return of the animal to 
 the stable, he showed unmistakable evidences of shameful abuse. 
 He was completely jaded, and could scarcely stand on his feet. 
 He received proper care and attention during the night, and next 
 morning I visited him. On making a careful examination, I 
 found most of the above symptoms present. It seemed, however, 
 that his feet were more affected than other parts of the body, and 
 it was impossible to get him to move. I had his feet bathed 
 constantly with cold water, and his joints, back, and sides were 
 rubbed with a liniment composed of equal parts of cod-liver oil 
 and spirits of camphor. The medicine administered was one 
 ounce of powdered niter, night and morning, for three days. The 
 pulse had decreased to thirty-six per minute, and the respirations 
 were more tranquil; so I discontinued the niter, and commenced 
 an alterative plan of treatment, by giving one ounce of fluid ex- 
 tract of stillingia, night and morning, at the same time continuing 
 the local applications until they were no longer needed. One 
 ounce of fluid extract of buchu was occasionally given, in view 
 of exciting the kidneys to action, and this is all the medicine the 
 patient received until convalescence was established, when he was 
 placed under tonic treatment. The tonic used was one ounce and 
 a half of fluid extract of golden seal, daily. The treatment occu- 
 pied a period of two weeks, during which time the animal stood 
 but little on his limbs, seldom rising except to partake of food, 
 which consisted of bran and water, a few oats, and small quan- 
 tities of hay. So soon as the patient had regained some strength, 
 he was led to pasture, where he soon got well. It appears that 
 in the treatment of a disease of this character, light diet, a few 
 simple medicines, and good nursing are all that are indicated. 
 
 Acute Rheumatism. 
 
 The faithful servant of man, the horse, does not enjoy im- 
 munity from this distressing disease. The same causes which 
 operate on the system of man to develop a disease of this char- 
 acter are, with unerring certainty, operative on the inferior 
 creature. Rheumatism is mostly confined to the fibrous tex- 
 
334 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 tures, or faschia of muscles, and the inter-articular cartilages of 
 the joints, and, finally, the articulating surfaces of the bones be- 
 come involved. The disease is always characterized by great 
 pain, and sometimes swelling in the re- 
 gion of joint. It is accompanied by a 
 quick and wiry pulse, and by other symp- 
 toms, denominated febrile. It occurs 
 among men and horses at all seasons 
 of the year, yet at the period of sud- 
 den transitions from heat to cold it is 
 most prevalent. Animals when heated 
 by exercise, and then suffered to "cool 
 off," without ordinary care, are very apt 
 to become the subjects of this malady, so 
 that prevention, to a certain extent, is 
 within our power, and, in the exercise 
 of preventive measures, we may, in com- 
 mon parlance, "stave off," for a time, 
 this disease, although it may be latent in 
 the system as an hereditary affection. 
 ™dleg ND0NS Mr. F. Dun, who is good authority on 
 the subject, says : 
 "Rheumatism is neither so common, nor are its symptoms so 
 well marked, in horses as in cattle. When, however, it does occur 
 in the horse, it manifests the same well-known appearances which 
 characterize it in all animals. It affects the fibrous tissues of 
 joints, the coverings of muscles, tendons, valves about the heart, 
 and larger vessels, and manifests a peculiar tendency to shift from 
 one part of the body to another, often affecting, in succession, all 
 the larger joints — at one time chiefly in the neck, at another, in 
 the back and loins, while, in many of its more acute attacks, it 
 appears to involve almost every portion of fibrous and fibro-serous 
 tissues throughout the body. In all its varied types it exhibits a 
 full, strong, hard, and unyielding pulse, caused by the inflamma- 
 tion involving the serous and fibro-serous tissues of the heart and 
 circulating vessels. During its existence, various excrementitious 
 matters accumulate in the blood, and the fibrinous constituents 
 of the same exceed their normal proportions, as indicated by the 
 production of the buffy coat on the blood. In severe or badly- 
 treated cases, the inflammation is very apt to be transformed from 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 335 
 
 the joints and muscles to the heart, and its investing membranes, 
 and it is the danger of this change in the seat of the disease that 
 renders rheumatism so formidable, and often so fatal. It always 
 leaves the parts affected so altered as to be extremely predisposed 
 to subsequent attacks, and it is more than probable that this altered 
 condition is reproduced in the progenies of rheumatic subjects, and 
 constitutes in them the inherent tendency to the disease. 
 
 Horses sometimes suffer from rheumatic inflammation in the 
 fibrous sheathing envelopes of the muscles of the neck, constitut- 
 ing what is popularly known as the chords. When thus affected, 
 the animal is very stiff, remains as much as possible in one posi- 
 tion, and is unwilling to bend his neck either one way or the other, 
 or to elevate or depress his head. There is always more or less 
 fever, with a strong, full pulse. Sometimes, as in lumbago, in the 
 human subject, it affects the muscles of the back and loins, caus- 
 ing stiffness, tenderness, and pain, which are especially evinced on 
 moving or turning the animal. These rheumatic affections are 
 very readily produced in predisposed subjects by exposure to rain 
 and cold, especially when accompanied by overheating or exhaus- 
 tion. M 
 
 Rheumatism sometimes occurs in horses as a prominent symp- 
 tom of that epizootic affection which usually receives the much- 
 abused title of influenza. In such cases the rheumatism is of a 
 somewhat more subacute or chronic character than common, and 
 is accompanied by that low, debilitating fever so often the con- 
 comitant of epizootic maladies. It usually affects all parts of the 
 body susceptible of the rheumatic inflammation, is attended par- 
 ticularly by those symptoms which indicate disease of the heart 
 and pericardium, as an intermittent pulse, etc., and often termi- 
 nates fatally by effusions into the pleura or pericardium, thus 
 causing death by arresting the motions of the heart." 
 
 Treatment. — In the treatment of rheumatism simulating an in- 
 flammatory type, our first object is to produce a sedative effect on 
 the heart and its vessels of circulation. With this object in view, 
 we administer one or two drachms of fluid extract of gelseminum 
 every four hours, until the pulse becomes softer. In the mean time 
 a few doses of nitrate of potass* should be given in the water 
 
 * Nitrate of Potassa. — In a case of synovial rheumatism this remedy was 
 given by a Boston physician, in a single dose of one ounce, dissolved in a pint 
 
336 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 •which the animal drinks, at the rate of one ounce per day, divided 
 into doses in proportion to the number of times the patient is 
 watered. So soon as the animal evinces signs of improvement, 
 the above treatment is to be discontinued ; then give six drachms 
 per day of fluid extract of prince's pine. The joints which seem 
 to be aifected are to be bathed occasionally with camphorated 
 vinegar, in the proportion of one ounce of camphor to eight ounces 
 (fluid) of vinegar: 
 
 Chronic Eheumatism 
 
 Chronic rheumatism is usually the sequel of the acute kind. It 
 is generally obstinate and lingering, and prone to recur. Unlike 
 the acute kind, pain is alleviated by counter-irritation and exer- 
 cise ; and when the patient gets warmed up, as the saying is, he 
 either forgets his pains or becomes relieved. Bathing with warm 
 vinegar has a good effect in the treatment of this disease, but I 
 have found the following liniment useful in almost all the cases 
 that have come under my care : 
 
 No. 54. Oil of cedar 2 oz. 
 
 SiSphuric ether 1 oz. 
 
 Proof spirit 1 pint. 
 
 First, mix together the oil of cedar and sulphuric ether ; then 
 add the proof spirit, and, after shaking it awhile, it is fit for use. 
 Give the animal one fluid drachm of the fluid extract of colchi- 
 cum-root, night and morning, for three days ; after which give, 
 daily, twenty-five grains of the iodide of potass, dissolved in half 
 a gill of water. Should the animal show any signs of debility or 
 loss of flesh, tonics, stimulants, and nutritious diet are indicated. 
 
 and a half of barley-water. This was followed by one grain of opium. In fif- 
 teen hours the pulse was found reduced, and the pain absolutely gone ; and in a 
 few days the tongue was clean, and the swelling entirely abated. The remedy 
 caused neither emesis nor catharsis, but passed off by the kidneys. In another 
 case of acute synovial attack, following chronic rheumatism, the same dose was 
 prescribed without any good effect, causing active catharsis. Again, half an 
 ounce of nitrate of potassa, largely diluted, was given every two to four hours, 
 until the patient took three ounces in eighteen hours, with two doses of opium 
 of one grain each, with entire relief to the pain and fever. When the potash 
 was reduced to drachm doses, nausea and vomiting followed, which were relieved 
 by vesication with aqua ammonia, the blister being sprinkled with half a grain 
 of morphine. The patient recovered. Another physician had used the remedy 
 to the extent of half an ounce in twenty-four hours, for three successive days. 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 337 
 
 The authorities teach us, and my own experience has confirmed 
 the fact, that iodide of potass is a valuable agent in the treatment 
 of chronic rheumatism. It is most sure to act beneficially when 
 the periosteum (fibrous covering of the bones) is affected. There 
 is no doubt that chronic rheumatism often cripples the joints by 
 producing disease of the bones in the region of their articulations. 
 This makes a poor horse dead lame, and renders him almost useless. 
 When the bones become ulcerated or carious there remains but little 
 hope of cure. 
 
 King-bone. 
 
 Ring-bone is a form of disease the pathology of which is similar 
 to that of spavin and splent. It is located just above the coronet 
 or crown of the hoof. The enlargement is called exostosis (a mor- 
 bid enlargement of bone), and when the large pastern becomes 
 united to the smaller one, the case is called anchylosis (permanent 
 rigidity of the joint). 
 
 The term ring-bone is far behind the times as regards our pres- 
 ent knowledge of nosology (the doctrine of the names of diseases) ; 
 yet, to the unprofessional, it is suggestive, and, therefore, we are 
 compelled to retain a name which all can interpret. It signifies 
 a complete or partial eminence around pastern bones. The ring 
 is formed by incrustations, or osseous deposits in the pastern, or 
 involving the joint, as the case may be ; yet, in order to make out 
 a pure case of ring-bone, that comes strictly within the meaning 
 of the term as horsemen interpret it, there must exist a complete 
 ridge of bone around the anterior part, extending from side to side. 
 A pure case of ring-bone generally originates on the surface of the 
 bone, on or beneath the periosteum. Commencing at the lower 
 margin of pastern and upper part of the coronet bone, the disease 
 spreads, involving both capsular ligament and joint. The remote 
 cause of ring-bone lies in hereditary idiosyncrasies, transmitted 
 through the sexual congress. The disease itself is sometimes di- 
 rectly transmitted. I once bought an un weaned colt, and brought 
 it up by hand. A short time after purchase, I observed enlarge- 
 ments on the hind pasterns. He ultimately turned out to be a 
 ring-boned animal, and had stiff joints. I found out afterward 
 that the mother had large ring-bones on both hind pasterns. The 
 disease was, therefore, congenital. 
 
 Mr. Percivall, whose opinion on such matters is unquestion- 
 22 
 
338 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 able, says that his attention to the hereditary origin of ring-bone 
 was first aroused from a remark made by an extensive dealer in 
 horses, in reply to a question put to him, How it happened that 
 but few ringbones were met with, compared to the number that 
 attracted notice in times past ? The reply was, " Because no 
 breeder of horses nowadays will send a mare to a horse having 
 ring-bone." A very good example for American horsemen to fol- 
 low, for the disease is very prevalent in some parts of this country. 
 A vast number of our best as well as inferior horses are the sub- 
 jects of this infirmity. The disease lurks in breed, after the fash- 
 ion of scrofula and consumption in the human subject. When 
 both parents are affected, the disease in the offspring is doubly 
 severe. 
 
 The author just quoted remarks that " a coarse or half-breed, 
 fleshy or bony-legged horse, with short and upright pasterns, is 
 the ordinary subject of this disease ; and there exists satisfactory 
 reasons why we should expect him to be so. The pastern and 
 coffin bones constitute the nethermost of the column of bones 
 composing the limbs, and being so, they receive the entire weight 
 and force transmitted from above. The pastern, being long and 
 oblique in position, receives the superincumbent weight on such an 
 indirect line that, bending toward the ground with the fetlock, 
 nothing like jar nor concussion follows. The very reverse of this, 
 however, happens every time the foot of a limb, having a short, 
 upright pastern, comes to the ground. In such, instead of the 
 weight descending obliquely upon the sessamoids, and the fetlock 
 bending therewith, it descends directly, or nearly so, upon the 
 pasterns, making this bone entirely dependent on the bone beneath 
 it for counteracting concussion ; and should any thing occur to 
 diminish this, or to throw more weight on the bones beneath than 
 they can counteract, jar of the whole apparatus ensues ; and an 
 effort of Nature to strengthen the parts, by investing them with 
 callous and ossification, is likely to be the ultimate result ; for we 
 would view ring-bone, disease though it must assuredly be called, 
 a recourse of Nature to strengthen weak parts, the bones being 
 unequal to the exertions or efforts required of them." 
 Another quotation may possibly interest the reader : 
 " Ring-bone is an exostosis (a growth of bone from bone) situated 
 around the coronet, mostly near the pastern joint, at other times 
 just above it; and not unfrequently the joint becomes anchylosed, 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 339 
 
 owing to the spread of ossification; that is, the coffin bone and 
 pastern bone become united together by bony growth. Ring- 
 bones are the result of hereditary predisposition, structural organi- 
 zation, and accident. As to hereditary predisposition, there is no 
 doubt but that some sires, the subjects of spavin, ring-bone, and 
 other forms of exostosis, father foals which often, sooner or later, 
 themselves become victims of the same disease. The same law 
 applies to dams. Breeders of horses are fully aware of this fact, 
 and are, therefore, more careful than formerly in the selection of 
 parents for the purposes of breeding from. As to form, many 
 living cases which now exist prove the truth of the statement that 
 low-bred, coarse-limbed horses, with short, upright pasterns, are 
 frequently subjects of ring-bone. Why such should be the case 
 with animals with upright pasterns is easily explained, as follows : 
 The pastern bones in a well-formed limb ought to form an oblique 
 angle with the cannon-bone (metacarpus) placed above them ; 
 whereas, if the pastern is upright, the column of bones from the 
 elbow-joint to the foot is, necessarily, placed in one and the same 
 straight line, causing, at every step made by the animal during 
 progression, a severe concussive shock to be produced on the whole 
 column of bones, but more especially on the pastern bones, owing 
 to the superincumbent weight of the bones above them. Thus one 
 or more of the pastern-bones become injured and inflamed, and, 
 finally, as a consequence, exostosis ensues, the coronet becomes in- 
 volved, and the disease denominated ring-bone is set up." 
 
 Mr. Percivall quotes from Gibson : " When a well-formed, 
 high-bred horse happens to have a ring-bone, we may conclude it 
 to proceed from some accident rather than from any natural fault. 
 The disease may also be produced by a blow to the part, and from 
 the efforts made to increase speed, when concussion causes injury, 
 inflammation, and consequent exostosis to the bones of the pastern. 
 As to treatment, we should recommend the proprietors of young 
 horses, subject to ring-bones, to place their horses in a state of 
 nature, by removing the shoes from their feet, and by turning out 
 to grass. If this, after a fair trial, fail, then the treatment for 
 spavin and other exostosis must be resorted to, such as blistering 
 the affected part and keeping the animal on a low diet. No dis- 
 ease is more troublesome to treat, or more demands the strict at- 
 tention of a skillful veterinarian." 
 
 Causes. — The exciting causes of ring-bone are ligamentary 
 
340 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 sprains, brought about by overwork, extraordinary feats of strength 
 in drawing heavy loads, etc. In short, either sprain, injury, blow, 
 or bruise may act as the pathological spark to bring about the 
 disease. 
 
 Eegarding the treatment of ring-bone, it would be interesting, 
 and perhaps amusing, to call attention to some of the heroic 
 methods of combating this malady ; but the animal has nerves of 
 sensibility, and is as keenly alive to pain as one of us ; therefore 
 it is not really pleasant to dwell on the atrocities which are not 
 unfrequently practiced . on this noble animal. A very common 
 error exists in the minds of some people that ring-bone is fed by 
 a bladder at the posterior part of the pastern, which has about as 
 much to do in the production of the disease as the author of this 
 work. This error would not amount to much, however, only it 
 has led to the infliction of a cruel operation, without the least 
 advantage ; namely, the cutting out of the bladder. Now, this so- 
 called bladder is, in reality, a bursal sac, the use of which is to 
 secrete synovia, to be used for the purpose of guarding against 
 friction ; therefore, the extraction of it must be disadvantageous to 
 the parts. 
 
 It seems that ring-bone is not enough torment for the poor brute 
 to suffer, but he must, in addition, submit to a species of cruelty 
 unheard of'in the annals of human medicine. Such treatment is 
 wrong, and every man who loves a horse should set his face against 
 it, and use every effort for the purpose of putting a step to the 
 practice of all barbarity in the treatment of domestic animals. 
 
 Treatment. — The question to decide, when we underta Ke to treat 
 a case of this character is, whether the disease is in the acute or 
 chronic stage. Experience teaches us that nearly all diseases may 
 be divided into two classes : First, the acute, or thosf which come 
 on suddenly, attended by pain and fever, or, rather, '.ebrile symp- 
 toms ; for there are no primary fevers in the horse. Equine fevers 
 are always called into existence, or accompany a pathological con- 
 dition which frequently existed, and the fever is i 1 exact ratio to 
 the intensity of the disease. Cure the disease and the fever ceases. 
 Acute diseases also tend to termination within a short period of 
 time, or else run into the chronic stage. Secondly, the chronio 
 stage. Chronic diseases are those of slow progress, and exceed in 
 duration the ordinary existence of the acute class. They may 
 arise in consequence of acute disorders, or be developed originally, 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 341 
 
 in the form which they long afterward preserve. For the most 
 part, chronic disease and lameness are not marked by any violent 
 symptoms, nor are they accompanied with much pain, if the horse 
 be kept at rest. 
 
 Suppose the disease to have first made its appearance, the parts 
 will be hot and painful ; but the idea of curing ring-bone — that 
 is, restoring the parts to their normal condition — is really absurd ; 
 for, when once the bones are anchylosed, the joint never can per- 
 form its natural function again. The new growths (exostosis), 
 and the changes of structure that occur within and about the. 
 region of disease, are a part of Nature's own handiwork, in view 
 of strengthening a weak bone or joint. Our object in the treat- 
 ment, therefore, is merely to aid Nature. Excuse the animal from 
 work, and apply sedative lotions (cold-water dressings) so long as 
 the acute stage lasts ; then, when the case passes into the chronic 
 stage, apply counter-irritants for a week or two, and, finally, turn 
 the patient out to grass. The following will be found an effective 
 sedative lotion : 
 
 No. 55. Spirits of camphor 2 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of wormwood 1 oz. 
 
 Vinegar 5 oz. 
 
 To be applied twice daily. 
 
 The following is an excellent counter-irritant for ring-bone in 
 its chronic stage : 
 
 No. 56. Cod-liver oil 
 Kerosene . . . 
 
 I equal parts. 
 
 Apply once or twice daily, until a crop of pustules appear ; then 
 omit the application, and reapply it at the expiration of two or 
 three intermitting periods. 
 
 The remedies used by veterinary surgeons generally, are oil of 
 cantharides, acetate of cantharides, blistering ointment, ointment 
 of biniodide of mercury, and, lastly, the actual cautery, or heated 
 iron. I have tried all except the latter, which savors too much 
 of barbarity, and I never found any thing to equal the preparation 
 here recommended — namely, cod-liver oil and kerosene. 
 
 NAVICUL ARTHRITIS (NAVICULAR DISEASE). 
 
 Navicularthritis is an acute disease, supposed to be confined to 
 the navicular region, or joint, which is in the posterior part of the 
 
342 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 foot. The navicular bone (sometimes called the shuttle-bone) is 
 so placed as to strengthen the union between the lower pastern 
 and the coffin bone, and to enable the flexor tendon, which passes 
 over it, in order to be inserted into the bottom of the coffin bone, 
 to act with more advantage. There is a good deal of weight 
 thrown on the navicular bone, and from the navicular bone to 
 the tendon, and there is a great deal of motion or play between 
 them in the bending and extension of the pasterns. It is very 
 easy, therefore, to conceive that from sudden concussion, or from 
 rapid and unrestrained motion, the delicate membrane which covers 
 the bone, or the cartilage of the bone, may become diseased. The 
 bone sometimes becomes ulcerated and fractured, so that it renders 
 the horse almost perpetually lame. 
 
 Symptoms. — The principal symptom of this affection is pointing 
 of the foot. If the horse be watched, when standing still in the 
 stable or on the street, it will be noticed that the affected limb is 
 advanced or pointed in such a manner as to relieve the navicular 
 bone of any pressure from the flexor tendon, and this occurs in 
 the chronic stage as well as in the acute. It will be observed, 
 also, that the animal, when traveling, takes short steps, goes on 
 the toe, and tries to favor the heel, or posterior parts, as much as 
 possible. The favoring of the heel tends to destroy the function 
 of expansibility of the hoof, and contraction of the same is the 
 result. 
 
 Treatment. — Should the disease be discovered early, that is, in 
 the acute stage, the foot should be placed in a boot lined with a 
 sponge. The latter is to be kept constantly wet with a portion 
 of vinegar and water, equal parts. This may be continued for a 
 period of twenty-four hours, at the end of which time bathe the 
 coronet and heels with tincture of arnica. Light diet and perfect 
 quiet, as in every other variety of inflammatory disease, are always 
 necessary. 
 
 In old chronic cases we resort to counter-irritation, through re- 
 peated applications of the acetate of cantharides. Should there be 
 any appearance of contraction, the heels of the hoof must be well 
 opened, and the walls of the hoof, near the heels, must be rasped 
 thin, so as not only to favor the expansibility of the foot, but also 
 with a view to relieve the navicular region of any undue pres- 
 sure. 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 343 
 
 Stifle Out (Dislocation or Luxation of the Stifle 
 
 Bone). 
 
 The patella of the horse, or stifle bone, as it is familiarly known, 
 corresponds to the knee-pan of man, and answers the same pur- 
 pose ; that is, to facilitate motion, and protect the two extremities 
 of the bones which compose the stifle-joint. It is retained in situ 
 at the anterior part of the inferior extremity of the thigh bone and 
 superior extremity of the tibia. 
 
 An accident of this character is generally accompanied with con- 
 siderable pain and uneasiness ; but the most notable symptom is, 
 the bone is thrown off its pulley-like articulatory surface, and thus 
 the recti and vasti muscles (the latter being direct extensors of the 
 leg or thigh, and the action of the former being similar) are, for 
 the time being, paralyzed ; that is to say, their action is suspended. 
 If they act at all, it is under great disadvantage, and at the expense 
 of their muscular integrity. The liability to luxation of the stifle 
 bone (patella) is not so great as some persons would have us be- 
 lieve. The bone is secured in its position by a number of strong 
 ligaments — has a complete articulatory joint of its own, whose 
 capsular ligaments have strong attachments to surround them. The 
 muscles, tensor vaginae, rectus, vasti faschia, panniculus carnosus, 
 subcellular substance and integument, all operate favorably against 
 the chances of luxation. The accident, however, does sometimes 
 occur — not, perhaps, from any disarrangement of the mechanical 
 order of the parts by violence, such as might be operative in dis- 
 location of the thigh or arm bones, but often from spasm, cramp, 
 etc., of certain muscles in the immediate vicinity of the parts. 
 
 " I think his stifle is out," is a very common complaint made 
 by horse-owners when a horse becomes lame, and the " neighbors " 
 can not discover the exact location of the same. They hastily 
 conclude, if the lameness is in the hind extremity, that the " stifle 
 is out" (luxated). Here is a case in point. I received a message 
 some time ago, to visit a horse said to have " his stifle out." On 
 making examination of the foot on the lame side, I found it much 
 hotter than its fellow on the opposite side. The owner, at the 
 moment, remarked that there was " no trouble in the foot." He, 
 however, was mistaken ; for I found that a nail had entered the 
 posterior part of the cleft of the frog, which I extracted, and this 
 was the sole cause of lameness. I might relate a number of mis- 
 
344 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 takes of this kind, all going to show how very apt people are to 
 be deceived regarding the seat of lameness in horses. In short, 
 judging from my own experience, and the testimony offered by 
 other professional men, it may be confidently asserted that luxation 
 of the patella is quite a rare accident. These remarks are intended 
 for the instruction of the non-professional reader. Persons con- 
 versant with the anatomy of the horse are not expected to make 
 such a mistake as the one just alluded to ; hence they do not stand 
 in need of the author's advice. 
 
 Method of reducing dislocation of the patella. — The means of re- 
 duction are very simple. The patella will be found on the lower 
 and outer condyle of the thigh bone. With one hand let the 
 operator grasp the leg, just below the hock, and raise it from the 
 ground in an upward and forward direction; the other hand em- 
 braces the stifle bone, and by a simultaneous action of pressing the 
 latter inward, and the bones that compose the joint backward, the 
 reduction is soon effected. The bone, in returning to its natural 
 situation, emits a sound such as usually follows that of a dislocated 
 bone just at the moment when slipping into the socket. A recent 
 dislocation, when reduced, needs no after-treatment, except the 
 occasional application of an astringent and a couple of days' rest ; 
 but, should the bone have remained unreduced for many hours, we 
 may infer that the muscles and ligaments have been stretched or 
 distended too long in one direction, and that, on reduction, the 
 fibers of the muscles concerned may not immediately contract; 
 hence the bone is apt to slip oif its articulatory surface again. To 
 guard against this mishap, a man must be stationed beside the 
 horse. He must keep his hand on the bone, and by pressure, 
 when the horse moves, retain it in its proper place. At the same 
 time, the part is to be bathed with some astringent. An infusion 
 of white-oak bark will answer ; or, failing to obtain this article, 
 apply alum-water, in the proportion of two ounces of alum to one 
 quart of water. 
 
 Contraction of the Hoof. 
 
 Contraction of the hoof is so easily recognized by persons accus- 
 tomed to handle horses, that very little needs to be written on that 
 subject. A contracted foot " speaks for itself," as the saying is. 
 The heels are approximated too closely, and this mars the beauty 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 345 
 
 and form of the foot. Contraction is almost always, in its first 
 stage, accompanied by lameness. Faulty shoeing is said to have 
 considerable to do in the production of contracted feet ; yet there 
 are plenty of horses, having strong, thick, walled hoofs, very wide 
 at the heels, often shod in the worst possible manner, and their 
 heels never contract. It is certain, therefore, that a predisposition 
 to contraction lurks in some breeds of horses, which is shown by 
 their having weak quarters and a thin, shelly hoof. A contracted 
 hoof, which is very thin at the heels, may not occasion lameness, 
 because it is more elastic than the thick, walled hoof, and gives to 
 the lateral pressure of the foot when it comes to the ground. 
 
 Perctvall contends that "shoeing must be regarded as the 
 main cause, indirect though it be, of contraction ; and to the modifi- 
 cation or correction of it must we look for the prophylactic. Shoe- 
 ing, as it respects horses, has been said to be 'a necessary evil/ 
 Without shoes, upon our artificial roads, we can not make use of 
 horses ; and no shoes have been found to answer save such as are 
 hard and inflexible or metallic, and as are fixed to the hoofs with 
 nails. Here, therefore, we find ourselves in an awkward dilemma. 
 "We can not do without horseshoes ; and from the moment we nail 
 them to the hoofs, the feet begin to undergo more or less alteration 
 in form, and, in too many instances, to experience harm from their 
 application. The art of shoeing has given rise to a wonderful deal 
 of difference of opinion and controversy, some thinking one shape 
 of shoe answered best, some another ; while some prefer one mode 
 of nailing it upon the hoof, others a different one. As far as my 
 own experience has served as a guide to me through this labyrinth 
 of opinion, I have ever found that method of shoeing the prefera- 
 ble one which approached the nearest to Nature, or, in other words, 
 which interfered the least with the economy of the foot. If we 
 cpuld do without them, horseshoes would, undoubtedly, be best 
 abolished altogether • but, since this is impracticable, let us adopt 
 such shoes and modes of attaching them to the hoofs as are found 
 to work the least mischief to the feet. On this principle it is that 
 a half shoe is to be preferred to a whole shoe, and for the same 
 reason it is that tips, of all the horseshoes that were ever invented, 
 are the best; that is, the least objectionable. If those in the pro- 
 fession would come forward and inform us of their experience 
 (if they have had any) of tip-shoeing, I believe it would uni- 
 formly be found that, whatever objection might be urged against 
 
346 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the use of tips, no one would deny their tendency the least to 
 interfere with the operations of the foot. If there be any horse- 
 shoe calculated to prevent contraction, and navicularthritis as 
 well, I feel no hesitation myself in pronouncing that horseshoe to 
 be the tip. In saying so much, I am fully aware that tip-shoeing 
 can not be introduced into general practice for reason of the roads 
 horses have to travel and work upon, and of the numbers of horses 
 having hoofs of too weak and brittle a fiber to stand work without 
 chipping and breaking and wearing too rapidly away. On horses, 
 however, whose hoofs are strong and hard enough, and whose 
 work is light enough to admit of their wearing tips for any length 
 of time, or in situations where the roads or parts of the country 
 they have to do their work upon enable them to wear tips con- 
 stantly, no wholly-shod horses' feet will ever bear a comparison 
 with theirs. 
 
 Pressure to the frog. — Coleman's favorite prophylactic against 
 contraction (considering shoeing to be an indispensable evil) must 
 certainly be regarded as next in importance, as a preventive, to 
 getting quit of the shoe itself, or of part of it. The frog being 
 a body which in action operates in the expansion of the hoof, the 
 removal of it, or even the impairment of it, must, necessarily, give 
 facility to contraction. It therefore behooves us, in ordinary shoe- 
 ing, to look well to the preservation of the integrity of this im- 
 portant part of the foot. 
 
 The cutting away of the bars in shoeing, through robbing the 
 hoof of a couple of stays operating against the closure of its heels, 
 conduces to its contraction. Nature gave the bars as a sort of 
 buttress against either heel of the hoof, to oppose its drawing in- 
 ward, while the frog, placed between the heels, is operating in 
 forcing them asunder ; consequently, if the bars be removed, the 
 expansive or counteractive powers of the hoof lose an agent they 
 can, in many cases, ill afford to be deprived of. 
 
 The contracting effects of heat and drought on the hoof may be 
 guarded against by keeping the horse's stall free from ferment- 
 able litter, while the atmosphere of the stable is maintained cool 
 and unpolluted. The practice, also, of stopping horses' feet (or, 
 what I believe to be better, of wearing swabs in the stable) will 
 likewise tend to guard against the contracting effects of these 
 agents. We now come to the 
 
 Treatment of contracted feet. — The first thing to determine, when- 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 347 
 
 ever a case of contraction is submitted to us for treatment, will be 
 whether it be one of the pure or mixed description. If the former, 
 the horse not therefore lame, and his feet be submitted to our in- 
 spection simply from the apprehension of his becoming lame, and 
 the contraction be on this account desired to be removed, the simple 
 and best means of doing so will be to substitute tips for the horse's 
 ordinary shoes, and to order that he stand with his contracted feet 
 in cold water (or, what is better, in a bed of clay) for a couple of 
 hours, once or twice a day, he being allowed to lie down, as usual, 
 at night. By such a simple plan of treatment as this will his hoofs, 
 giving sufficiency of time for Nature to carry out her operations, 
 become restored to their pristine condition." 
 
 The author's method of treating contraction is, to soften the 
 hoof by soaking it often in warm water ; then open the heels by 
 means of the drawing-knife ; rasp the quarters of the hoof; then 
 pare the foot, but do not touch the bars nor frog ; then put on a 
 light shoe, and use the animal, daily, at light work. It will be 
 proper, also, to anoint the hoof, frog, and sole occasionally with 
 a portion of fish oil and spirits of turpentine, equal parts. This 
 will soon soften the hoof, and render it elastic. 
 
 Hoop-bound. 
 
 This term is usually applied to hoofs that appear to be dry, 
 brittle, unyielding, and having the appearance of more or less 
 contraction at the heels. The hoof, under such circumstances, 
 " pinches the foot," as the saying is, or, rather, embraces the soft 
 tissues too closely. The consequence is, pain, fever, lameness, and 
 perhaps, finally, organic disease of the foot. The condition of the 
 foot termed hoof-bound usually occurs in horses laboring under 
 some predisposition to the same ; that is to say, they have faulty 
 feet, which fault may be either functional or structural, and thus 
 the foot may be affected accordingly whenever the ordinary causes 
 of disease are in operation. 
 
 Causes. — The ordinary or exciting causes of diseases of the feet 
 are said to be faulty shoeing; allowing horses to stand on plank 
 floors, or in any situation which is likely to pervert the function 
 of the foot; sometimes the feet are very much neglected, and 
 scarcely, if ever, make the acquaintance of sponge and water, and 
 it is very certain that uncleanliness has a bad effect upon the feet, 
 
348 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 as it is known to have on other parts of the body. " No prince 
 ever died of the plague," shows that the ablutions daily practiced 
 by persons of refinement, occupying an exalted position in society, 
 operate as a preventive against even a mortal malady. Yet, not- 
 withstanding all this, it is proper for us to remark that some horses 
 are occasionally the subjects of foot maladies, notwithstanding the 
 very best system of shoeing is practiced on them ; and others, that 
 never stood on a plank floor or inclined plane, are in the same pre- 
 dicament; so, also, are some that have their feet washed often. 
 This goes to show that if animals under the very best care and 
 management get hoof-bound, or contracted feet, it is due to a pre- 
 disposition which they have either inherited or acquired, and, as 
 the old saying is, they would not enjoy bodily health unless they 
 were hoof-bound. 
 
 It is very evident that many diseases of the feet are traceable 
 to bad shoeing. Some persons seem to suppose that the, foot of a 
 horse is as insensible as stone; and, when we see the blacksmith 
 wrenching off shoes by main force, often fracturing the hoof or 
 breaking off a portion of the bars, frog, and sole, with as little 
 care as a man would rough-trim a log, and afterward applying a 
 red-hot shoe to the thinned sole, we might be led to infer that the 
 foot is really insensible. The Hon. Marshall, P. Wilder thus 
 denounces such bad practice : 
 
 " I know of no greater evidence of inhumanity to that noble 
 animal the horse, than the almost universal custom of paring down 
 the foot and burning on the shoe. It has ever, to my mind, been 
 among the barbarisms of the age, which I trust will be no longer 
 countenanced by civilized society ; and I sympathize with the 
 efforts of every one engaged in correcting such dangerous prac- 
 tices." 
 
 The practice, also, of using a pair of pinchers on the feet, in 
 view of discovering some real or supposed lameness, is equally 
 barbarous, and often results in bruises of the sole, and should, 
 therefore, be discountenanced. 
 
 Treatment. — The blacksmith should so prepare the foot and fit 
 the shoe that the frog may be brought in contact with the ground . 
 over which the horse travels. This not only prevents undue con- 
 cussion, which would otherwise occur, but tends, also, to expand 
 the heels, and preserve the natural tread and function of the foot. 
 Having prepared the foot in a proper manner, we then, if the sea- 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 349 
 
 son of the year permits, apply cold water to the hoofs, often and 
 freely. At night the feet are to be wiped perfectly dry, and, by 
 means of a sponge, a portion of the following mixture must be 
 rubbed on : Kerosene oil and honey,- equal parts ; or neats-foot 
 oil and turpentine, equal parts. Notwithstanding the very best 
 treatment, the restoration of the foot to comparative or natural 
 soundness will be a work of time, and sometimes, in bad cases, or 
 one of long standing, an impossibility ; yet the above treatment is 
 the best we are acquainted with. Some persons prefer to use 
 moistened clay, cow-dung, etc., but they are of no value, only in 
 consequence of the moisture they contain, and clean water is far 
 preferable. 
 
 The Mechanism of the Hoof. — A brief exposition of the mechan- 
 ism of the hoof may possibly interest the reader. The external 
 covering of the foot may be divided into four parts ; namely, the 
 wall, bars, sole, and frog. The external portion, or wall, serves to 
 defend the sensitive tissues within. The wall, or hoof, is composed 
 of small filaments, or hollow tubes, consolidated in such a manner 
 as to preserve their canals distinct. These canals constitute the ex- 
 crementitious outlets of the hoof, from which morbid materials find 
 an outlet, and in these canals are found the vessels by which horn 
 is secreted or produced. The small vessels arising from the vas- 
 cular and nervous tissues of the foot proper enter, also, into these 
 canals. The bars are a continuation of the external portion just 
 described. They form an angle at the heels, which terminates to- 
 ward the toe. They thus serve to give strength and durability to 
 the hoof, and also to prevent contraction at the heels. When 
 these bars are cut away or demolished by means of the butteris, 
 then the foot often goes to "rack and ruin." The sole is much 
 more elastic than the crust, and is a medium of the sensitive fac- 
 ulty, through which, together with its powers of electricity, the 
 percussion of the foot against the ground is regulated. The frog 
 is much more elastic than either of the parts just described. Any 
 unnecessary paring of the same is a monstrous evil. 
 
 On the internal portion of the above-named parts we find a 
 beautiful set of leaves (laminae), resembling those found in the 
 under surface of a mushroom. Their number is said to be five 
 hundred. These articulate with a like number given off" from the 
 sensitive tissues of the foot proper, each laminae having two sides 
 and an edge, from a series of articulations, numbering three thou- 
 
350 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 sand. The whole surface of these articulations measures four 
 square feet ; hence, the horse having four feet, his body rests on 
 sixteen square feet of surface, all contained within his hoofs. 
 
 The reader will probably realize that a knowledge of the anat- 
 omy and physiology of the foot is absolutely necessary, in order 
 to practice, with any degree of success, the art of shoeing. How 
 is this knowledge to be obtained? Can it be furnished at the 
 forge, in the blacksmith shop ? Can such a complicated piece of 
 mechanism be thoroughly understood by the craftsmen of the 
 forge, who have never made the subject one of scientific inquiry? 
 
 Let it not be understood that I am in a fault-finding mood. 
 The fact is, the husbandmen of this country have failed to put 
 their shoulders to the wheel for the purpose of establishing and 
 endowing veterinary schools in this country, and if blacksmiths 
 and " vets " do not understand the anatomy of horses feet, the for- 
 mer, who have vast interests at stake, must come in for a share of 
 the blame. On the other hand, we are disposed to be charitable 
 toward blacksmiths ; and, taking into consideration the unyielding 
 nature of our paved streets, and the rough ground over which 
 some poor animals are forced to travel, the wonder is, that their 
 feet are not oftener diseased. 
 
 Laminitis, or Acute Disease of the Laminjs of 
 the Foot. 
 
 Laminitis, or fever in the feet, is an acute affection, confined to 
 the sensitive tissues within the hoof. It is one of the most pain- 
 ful maladies to which the horse is subject. 
 
 Symptoms. — It manifests itself, very frequently, after a long 
 drive or race. The horse may be put into the stable at night all 
 right. In the morning he is observed to be all in a heap, as the 
 saying is — his flesh quivering, pulse very active, respirations quick 
 and jerking ; the flanks are tucked up, the back is roached, and the 
 fore-feet are sent forward, so that the animal treads on his heels ; 
 and, when compelled to move, he endeavors to throw the weight 
 of his body on the hind legs. He is thirsty and feverish, but has 
 no appetite. All appearances about him indicate that he suffers 
 great pain. AYhen a hand is placed upon the fore-feet, they feel 
 unnaturally hot. Such are the most prominent symptoms of 
 laminitis, or fever in the feet. 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 
 
 351 
 
 Treatment. — The principal objects to be accomplished are, to 
 keep the feet cool by frequent sponging with cold water ; next, the 
 bowels must be kept loose my means of bran-mashes, or, if neces- 
 sary, a dose of Glauber salts — dose, twelve ounces, dissolved in a 
 pint of warm water, to which add half a gill of syrup — and an 
 occasional enema of soap-suds, and also a few doses of fluid extract 
 of gelseminum, say two drachms night and morning. This is the 
 kind of treatment that the author has found most successful dur- 
 ing a long period of practice. 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 EXTREMITY OF ONE OF THE FORE LIMBS. 
 
 Explanation. — a, The region of the coronet; 6, The sensitive laminse; c, The point of the 
 toe ; d, The quarters ; e. The heel ; /, The sole ; g, The solar border. 
 
 Many who treat such diseases are apt to do too much. Youatt, 
 and several other writers, recommend repeated bleedings, blisters, 
 and purges, and even tell us to bleed in the chronic stage. This 
 is all wrong, and such outrageous treatment is almost sure to end 
 in suppuration, founder, or ruin. (See article on Inflammation.) 
 The patient must be kept at rest, and, if he should lie down, must 
 not be disturbed. I never remove the shoes, because the patient 
 is in so much pain that he can not stand on the frog or sole, and 
 the shoes are a protection to the frog. 
 
352 dadd's veterinary medicine and surgery. 
 
 Sand-crack. 
 
 " The name of sand-crack seems of questionable application. It 
 is, evidently, a compound of the word sand and crack, as though 
 it denoted a crack with sand in it, or a crack occurring in a sandy 
 country, or in a dry, sandy season, which several derivations have 
 been ascribed to the term. May not the word sand admit of res- 
 olution into its primitive signification, and mean in this, as in 
 other instances, a sundered crack? A sand-crack may be defined 
 to be a longitudinal division in the fibers of the wall of the hoof, 
 amounting to a flaw simply, or else to a cleft or fissure through 
 the substance of the horn. 
 
 The direction of the crack is slanting, from above downward, 
 and from behind forward, following the course of the fibers of the 
 hoof. A sand-crack in the side of the wall slants more than one 
 in front, owing to the greater obliquity of the course of the horny 
 fibers, as we proceed from the toe to the heel of the foot. 
 
 There are two kinds of sand-crack, quarter sand-crack and toe 
 sand-crack, the former occurring in the fore, the latter in the hind 
 foot. At least this is generally the case. It is rare to find the 
 reverse, though there are occasions on which we meet with sand- 
 crack in the toe of the fore-foot and the quarter of the hind foot. 
 It is possible for cracks to occur in other parts of the hoof; but 
 in these two situations it is that veritable sand-crack occurs, and 
 there are here, as we shall find hereafter, special causes for their 
 production, Let us first consider 
 
 Quarter Crack. 
 
 The situation of this crack is the slanting line of the wall of 
 the hoof, directly opposed to the extremity of the wing of the 
 coffin bone ; and it is oftener found in the inner than in the outer 
 quarter, added to which the hoof in which sand-crack occurs is 
 always a contracted one, quarter sand-crack, no more than toe 
 sand-crack, never happening in a hoof disposed to obliquity and 
 flatness. The same description of foot which is predisposed to 
 contraction is, for the same reasons, predisposed to sand-crack. 
 There is an obvious connection between contraction and quarter 
 sand-crack. The light, near-the-ground stepping horse, with 
 strong, narrow, upright hoofs, will be equally likely, under cer- 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 353 
 
 tain conditions, to have the heels of his fore hoofs becoming con- 
 tracted, and exhibiting quarter sand-cracks. Hot stables conduce 
 to this, but, more still, hot climates. Hurtrel d'Arboval informs 
 us that at the time the French army was in Egypt, their horses 
 were continually having sand-cracks; and he adds that long 
 voyages on board of ship are, on some occasions, attended with 
 like results. 
 
 The proximate cause of quarter sand-crack is, then, contraction. 
 The horn, from dryness, or other cause, rendered cracky and 
 fragile, breaks at the quarter of the wall, from being at that 
 part bent across the edge of the ala of the coffin bone, during the 
 curving in of the heel, the result of contraction ; and this oftenest 
 happens to the inner quarter, from its being the thinner and 
 weaker one, as well as from being the one which is the first and 
 most disposed to contract — not that sand-crack is the necessary 
 consequence of contraction, but that contraction becomes a neces- 
 sary precursor to sand-crack. If this were not the explanation 
 of the case, sand-crack would be as likely to occur in any part of 
 the wall as at the quarter, and on the outer as often as on the 
 inner side of the wall. This likewise accounts for the compara- 
 tive unfrequency of quarter sand-crack at the present day among 
 our nag and cavalry horses, since that which has tended to dimin- 
 ish the frequency of contraction has had the same eifect in regard 
 to the occurrence of sand-crack. Greater attention to shoeing, 
 and increased care about the condition of the hoof itself, has, no 
 doubt, had a very beneficial effect in the prevention both of con- 
 traction and sand-crack. 
 
 The origin of sand-crack is usually sudden, both in the fore 
 and hind feet, though in the former case, from its situation in the 
 inner quarter, a part not exposed to transient view, it is possible 
 for a crack to exist for some time, unless lameness happens to 
 arise from it without being discovered. The crack first takes place 
 through the superior or coronary border of the hoof, that being 
 composed of newly-formed horn, and, consequently, thin and 
 fragile. Quickly it extends downward, through the thickest part 
 of the wall, stopping, as it does in some instances, at least for a 
 time, half way down, and afterward reaching nearly or quite to 
 the bottom. 
 
 Sand-crack is either penetrant or non-penetrant. It is usually 
 penetrant, by which we mean the crack extends completely through 
 23 
 
354 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the thickness of the hoof, and produces lesion of the sensitive parts 
 underneath the horn, giving rise to some little hemorrhage in the 
 first instance, and subsequently to more or less inflammation — 
 occasionally, even to suppuration, depending, of course, on the 
 extent and nature and duration of the lesion, as well as on any 
 treatment, or aggravation from non-treatment, it may have re- 
 ceived since being occasioned. When the crack does not extend 
 through the substance of the wall — which it sometimes does not 
 at first, though it may do so afterward — it may be said to be non- 
 penetrant; and this, when it happens, seems to be referable to 
 a sort of natural fusion there certainly exists between the solid 
 horn, as it descends from its secreting gland, (the coronet,) and 
 the horny laminas (new matter), which become glued to it in its 
 course downward. It is in this uniting horny medium that seedy 
 toe commences and progresses. 
 
 Lameness is the usual accompaniment of penetrant sand-crack, 
 but not the invariable one. When penetrant it is said to arise 
 from the sensitive laminae getting pinched between the sides of 
 the crack. However this may be, inflammation following the 
 lesion has certainly its share in causing pain during action. In 
 general, the lameness does not amount to much, nor is it of long 
 duration, provided the sand-crack receive proper and timely at- 
 tention ; but if the crack is not heeded, action of the foot will much 
 aggravate the malady, and end in lameness increased so much as 
 to forbid further use being made of the animal. 
 
 Toe Sand-crack. 
 
 Occurring in the hind foot, as this crack almost invariably 
 does, occupying a different situation in the hoof, and arising alto- 
 gether from a different cause, toe sand-crack may be regarded as 
 almost a distinct affection. 
 
 The subject of it is not the light horse, but the heavy one — the 
 cart and wagon-horse, the dray-horse, the latter especially ; and 
 in particular, I believe, in paved cities, they are the sufferers from 
 this disease. I say ' sufferers/ because it is only those veterinary 
 surgeons whose practice lies among horses of this description that 
 have any conception of the amount of pain and irritation with 
 which sand-crack — simple as it may seem to those who are in the 
 habit of meeting quarter crack only — is found to be accompanied. 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 355 
 
 The cause of toe sand-crack is violence. Shoeing, also, may 
 have something to do in its production. The horses who are the 
 subjects of it are those employed in laborious and straining draft. 
 The toe of the hind foot is the grand fulcrum through which the 
 hind limbs, the propellers of the body, exert their power ; and it 
 is in some violent and forcible effort that the hind hoof, strained 
 as it is to its uttermost, and in particular at the toe, splits, com- 
 monly first at the coronet, the same as in the fore-foot, where the 
 horn, but newly-formed, is then unresisting, the crack subse- 
 quently extending gradually down the wall, even as far as the 
 point of the toe. Digging the tip of the toe into the ground, or 
 stamping it hard down upon the pavement, and especially when 
 this stress upon the forepart of the wall is at all times promoted 
 by high caulkings to the shoe, must certainly, one would think, 
 be the main producer of toe sand-crack — an opinion still further 
 favored by the observation which has been made of shaft-horses 
 in drays being more subject to the accident than trace-horses. 
 Still, however, for all this, it behooves me to say that, with the 
 best judges of such matters, the point is one not yet set free from 
 doubt and difference of thinking. Short and upright pasterns, 
 with clubby prominent hoofs, indicate a predisposition to toe sand- 
 crack, the disease being in no instances seen in flat, shelvy, ob- 
 lique hoofs. It is said sand-crack may originate in tread. Un- 
 doubtedly any lesion of the coronary body, sufficient to injure or 
 destroy its secretory apparatus, may occasion imperfect or morbid 
 formation of horn, or loss of horn altogether ; but I do not believe 
 this to be a very common cause of sand-crack. 
 
 The consequences of sand-crack in the hind hoof are, as I have 
 before hinted, apt to be of a much more serious nature than any 
 usually arising from a quarter sand-crack. Whether the crack 
 extend to the bottom of the wall or not, being uniformly of the 
 penetrant description, lameness, to greater or less degree, is the 
 invariable result. And when the fissure does reach down to the 
 toe, the wall opens and exposes the laininse, probably the whole 
 way from the coronet downward, the consequence of which is in- 
 flammation and suppuration of those parts, and sometimes even 
 mortification and sloughing of them ; and not of them alone, but 
 of the bone to which they are attached as well, which not unfre- 
 quently runs into a state of caries, ending in defalcation of sub- 
 stance, to be filled up by the effusion of callus, which usually 
 
356 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 terminates in exostosis, coated with some tissue very imperfectly 
 representing the original laminated structure. 
 
 Mr. Braby, the intelligent veterinary surgeon to Messrs. Bar- 
 clay and Perkins' establishment, to whom I am indebted for much 
 of the information I possess on this part of my subject, has had 
 many cases of this description, one of which, of extraordinary char- 
 acter, I shall relate here. One of his dray horses had suffered long 
 and severely from toe sand-crack in one hind foot, but, at length, 
 had recovered, and returned to work. Some time afterward, how- 
 ever, during the season of influenza, he was attacked with a vio- 
 lent laryngitis, which increased to a degree to call for the operation 
 of tracheotomy, to save him from suifocation. Notwithstanding 
 this temporary salvation, however, the patient, in the end, suc- 
 cumbed to the disease. His post-mortem examination became 
 doubly attractive, owing to the circumstance of the long-standing, 
 and obstinate sand-crack he had suffered from heretofore, and tho 
 result in this latter respect proved extremely interesting. The 
 coffin bone, along its front, occupying the line of the surface be- 
 tween the coronal process and the toe, exhibited a channel or loss 
 of substance half an inch in breadth, and fully the same in depth, 
 thereby robbing it of a quarter of an inch of its solid diameter. 
 This, of course, left the bone considerably weakened, the result of 
 which subsequently was, transverse fracture in two places, the 
 fractures commencing upon the articulatory surface, whence they 
 extended directly crosswise through the middle of its body, so as 
 to become apparent upon its concave surface underneath. In 
 addition to this, growing from the laminated interior of the wall 
 of the hoof, opposite to the middle or deepest part of the channel 
 in the coffin bone, was a projection of hard, horny, callous sub- 
 stance, having a covering of imperfectly-formed horny laminae. 
 At the time this horse was suffering in the greatest degree from 
 this extraordinary product of sand-crack, constitutional irritation 
 ran so high as even to create alarm for the animal's life. The 
 treatment of sand-crack, whether it be in the quarter or in the toe, 
 will have to be conducted upon principles applicable to both forms 
 of the disease, though one must be regarded as of much more con- 
 sequence than the other. The treatment of quarter sand-crack, 
 generally speaking, is but comparatively a simple affair ; indeed, 
 so lightly is it looked upon by horsemen in general, that we should 
 run some risk of their displeasure, and our own reputation as 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 357 
 
 well, were we to talk about laying a horse up for so trifling an 
 accident. Nay, some horses, with non-penetrant sand-cracks, or 
 with sand-cracks that have been penetrant, but have become horned 
 over, showing little or no lameness, continue to work on without 
 evincing any pain or inconvenience from them. Whether a horse 
 be lame or not, however, should he have a sand-crack, and we be 
 consulted about it, it becomes our duty to arrest the extension of 
 the crack so long as it be but partial ; and, besides that, to take 
 measures for the cure or permanent removal of the crack. The 
 owner of the horse should be given to understand that no flaw or 
 crack in the hoof can, by possibility, unite the same as a wound 
 in a vital part does, but must, as the saying is, grow down ; that 
 is, must be replaced by new horn, and be itself, by degrees, re- 
 newed, as it continues to come under the operation of the drawing- 
 knife every time the horse is fresh shod ; so that, in fact, the cure, 
 or obliteration of the crack, is necessarily a work of some months, 
 though the lameness may be cured in as many hours or days. 
 
 Paring out the crack, the shoe being taken oif the foot, is the 
 first thing to be done. The cutting cautiously away of its rugged 
 edges, and the scooping out, with a light hand, (probably with 
 the back of the drawing-knife,) of its cavity, will enable us to 
 examine into the condition of it. Should there be no lesion or 
 exposure of the laminae detectable, nothing further will be needed 
 from the drawing-knife than the cleaning out of the crack. 
 
 Firing the crack is the next operation. Cross-firing will be 
 advisable below or above, or in both situations, according to cir- 
 cumstances. So long as the crack has not reached to the bottom 
 of the wall, it will be requisite, with an ordinary firing-iron, at a 
 red heat, to burn a deep but short fissure, or ' mark/ across its 
 lower extremity; and whether a similar operation be required 
 across the superior termination of the crack, must depend upon 
 its extension or not through the horn at the coronet. If there be 
 any interval of sound horn between the hair and the crack, of 
 sufficient breadth and substance to bear firing, a very slight burn 
 may do good. In all cases it is the practice to finish the firing 
 with running the sharp edge of the iron down the crack ; and this 
 certainly proves beneficial in destroying any tendency there may 
 be (supposing the laminae to have become denuded) to abnormal 
 action, as well to stimulate any vascular parts exposed to issue 
 horny matter to cover in the bottom of the crack. 
 
358 DADDS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Binding up the crack is a good practice after firing. With a 
 wax-end of sufficient length (such as shoemakers use) bind round 
 the wall of the hoof, so that any tar or pitch-plaster it may be 
 deemed advisable to place in or upon the crack may be maintained 
 there; at the same time the hoof itself is, by the tight binding, 
 restricted in any tendency it may have to expand, and thereby 
 open wider the crack. 
 
 A bar-shoe is the preferable one for a sancl-cracked foot. By 
 it, the bearing being taken off that part of the wall which is oppo- 
 site to the crack, the pressure and jar, so continually splitting 
 afresh the new-formed horn over the crack at the coronet, is put 
 a stop to, the formation of an undivided coronary horny band be- 
 ing the commencement of the radical cure of the sand-crack. As 
 I said before, horn being an inorganic substance, no union what- 
 ever can take place in the crack itself. Permanent cure can be 
 effected only through obliteration by the growing out or down of 
 the crack. This, I repeat, is the reason why a sand-crack occupies 
 so long a time in its removal ; though, by way of compensation, a 
 horse is not kept out of work while cure is being effected ; for, 
 after the crack has been bound up, and the hoof shod with a bar- 
 shoe, it is quite surprising to find how soundly and firmly the 
 animal sometimes steps upon the foot of which he had but now 
 been so lame. 
 
 The treatment adopted by the late Mr. Read, V. S., of Cred- 
 iton, carries the same object into execution, through a different 
 method of procedure. This, as detailed in the volume of the 
 'Veterinarian' for 1848, consists in simply isolating the fissure 
 within the segment of a circle, by means of an ordinary firing- 
 iron. The best plan is to operate with the heel of the iron, be- 
 ginning at the coronet with either extremity of the segment, and 
 bringing the iron to a finish at the center. The iron should be at 
 a strong red heat, and be carried through the horny crust until it 
 touches lightly the sensible laminae, and so throughout the entire 
 semicircle. As you recede from the coronet, so, in proportion, 
 you will require to deepen the fissure in the crust. The iron 
 ought to be applied every week or ten days. The first effect de- 
 sirable to be produced is a bulging of the crust around the coronet 
 within the segment, and when once this is fairly established, the 
 cure may be said to be effected, it being seldom necessary to apply 
 the cautery afterward. The old method of making a line with 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 359 
 
 the iron across the fissure can not prevent the opening and closure 
 of the fissure during the action of the foot; whereas, isolating the 
 fissure (or part of it) within the segment of a circle completely 
 effects the object. No tar-cord or strapping, or alteration of the 
 shoe, is required to limit the motion of the crust, all motion being 
 suspended within the segment, and especially after bulging has 
 commenced. 
 
 The objects of treatment, after what has been stated, will clearly 
 appear to be, first, to place the hoof in such a condition as shall 
 not render it liable to crack again; second, to remove that state 
 of it which, in the first instance, disposed it to crack, if it were 
 not of itself the immediate cause of cracking. The way in which 
 the first object is effected has been already shown, and when this 
 has become accomplished, past all risk of return, we may set about 
 to bring into effect the second. A bar-shoe, from its taking the 
 bearing off the quarters and placing it upon the frog, will, in a 
 measure, give facility to what we now are desirous of preventing ; 
 namely, the expansion of the heels of the foot ; but a tip (pro- 
 viding it can be worn, which it frequently may, with great ad- 
 vantage, after a bar-shoe) will bring about greater reform still — 
 will, in fact, by persistence in its use, bring about, in time, that 
 improved form of hoof* which will be no more liable to quarter 
 sand-crack. 
 
 The treatment of toe sand-crack is, in some respects, a different 
 affair from that of quarter sand-crack. This disease is not only 
 different in its relative situation as regards other parts of the foot, 
 but it arises, as we have seen, from a totally different causation. 
 When once it has occurred, it becomes, compared with the other, 
 a serious affair. The horse is lame, too lame to continue his work, 
 probably, and we have a penetrant crack to deal with, extending 
 all, or nearly all, the way from the coronet to the toe, discharging 
 blood, or, perhaps, matter of some ichorous, offensive description, 
 plainly calling upon us for, not binding up, etc., as in the former 
 case, but for opening, cleansing, and dressing the same. The shoe 
 being taken off, let the crack be pared out, and freed "from all 
 horny rags and asperities, and laid completely open to view, so 
 that the bottom can be inspected and dressed with whatever may 
 be deemed requisite. In fact, when once the fissure is dilated into 
 a clean and open channel by the drawing-knife, warm baths or 
 poultices, or dressings of any kind, as may become necessary, are 
 
360 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 now applicable, the case being in this stage no more than one of 
 dilated sinus in the foot, similar to what might, in another situa- 
 tion, be called quittor. As with the quarter sand-crack, the cure 
 will, of course, be tedious in its duration, since we know that all 
 complete repair can only come from the coronet. The sensitive 
 laminae having the power of secreting horny lamina?, may, as in 
 the quarter crack, issue a sort of horny covering-in of the bottom 
 of the fissure ; but fissure or cleft will ever remain so long as an 
 integral formation of horn does not grow down from the source of 
 secretion. 
 
 Whenever the horse is in a condition for work, a bar-shoe, so 
 made that at the toe the sides of the shoe remain unjoined together, 
 an interval being left of sufficient width to receive the crack in 
 front of the hoof, is, perhaps, the best. Binding the hoof up with 
 circles of wax-end, as in the case of quarter sand-crack, with some 
 plaster or dressing underneath it, will also now become advisable. 
 It will restrict the spreading inclination of the hoof, as well as 
 keep dirt and wet out of the crack. Repetition of this, and the 
 continuance of the bar-shoe, will be required so long as there ap- 
 pears any risk of an extension or renewal of the crack.' " * 
 
 The diseases of the hoof here alluded to are very apt to occur in 
 horses whose walls of the hoof are thin and brittle. They are, to 
 a certain extent, non-elastic, and, therefore, do not ward oif the 
 necessary amount of concussion when the animal is traveling over 
 hard roads. At the same time there is always a liability to incip- 
 ient and permanent contraction in such hoof. More especially is 
 this the case when the foot is mutilated by paring or cutting away 
 the bars (the main stages or supports which prevent the heels 
 approximating). These are the kind of feet on which the but- 
 teris-knife and rasp should be used with great caution ; for, being 
 naturally weak, and perhaps congenitally defective in the function 
 of secreting horn, and the necessary amount of moisture to keep 
 the part pliant, any unnecessary tinkering with such tools is inad- 
 missible. Such hoofs lack moisture; therefore they should be 
 well soaked, night and morning, in warm water ; afterward wiped 
 dry, and then smeared with a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 57. Neats-foot oil 8 oz. 
 
 Kerosene 4 oz. 
 
 Lamp-black 1 table-spoonful. 
 
 * London " Veterinarian." 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 361 
 
 Mix well, and apply twice daily, by means of a common varnish- 
 brush. 
 
 Very many diseases of the feet, which are of daily occurrence, 
 might be prevented by proper attention to the feet. " No foot, no 
 horse ;" hence the feet need to be kept as free from filth as other 
 parts of the body. I think that a great majority of English 
 grooms pay as much, if not more, attention to horses feet than to 
 other parts of the body, and thus many forms of foot lameness are 
 avoided. 
 
 Curvature and Disease of the Spine. 
 
 The annexed engraving, represents a case of curvature of the 
 spine in a downward direction, known in stable language as hol- 
 low back. It usually, when it makes its appearance, occurs in 
 aged horses, and probably arises from putting too much weight 
 on the animal's back. 
 
 fit $w r l ^^^ \Sm 
 
 1 Mite 1 IVV / ■ 
 
 lBlit$V ' \ i 1 - ill iIm 
 
 6ECTI0N OF THE SPINE. 
 
 It will be observed that two of the superior spinous processes 
 of the vertebrse are united (anchylosed), and ossific deposits are 
 thrown out on the surfaces of the spine. On the lower part, be- 
 neath the diseased spine, a cleft is seen, showing that there is an 
 incomplete dislocation, and the capsular ligament was probably 
 dislocated or torn. 
 
 It may be interesting to the reader to know, if he does not 
 already, that the bones, like other parts of the body, are composed 
 of arteries, veins, absorbent vessels, nerves, and a cellular texture. * 
 They are endowed with vitality, are nourished, grow, waste, and 
 are repaired, and undergo various mutations, according to the age 
 of the animal ; and they are subject to disease analagous to the 
 
362 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 soft parts. To the phosphate of lime, which is, more or less, dis- 
 tributed in their texture, they owe their solidity ; and perhaps it 
 is to the same earthy substance that the difference in their vital 
 properties, and in their diseases from those of the rest of the body, 
 is to be referred. In fact, this particular organization and inferior 
 vitality of the bones are generally supposed to account for the 
 small number, peculiar character, and general slow progress of 
 their diseases. 
 
 Treatment. — So soon as a horse shows any symptom of undue 
 curvature of the spine, he must not be used under the saddle ; but, 
 provided he can work, he may be used lightly in a buggy. If 
 unfit for work, the owner knows what is best to do with him. I 
 should give an animal afflicted with this disease a wine-glassful of 
 cod-liver oil, two or three times per week, and one table-spoonful 
 of flour of bone, every night, in the food. If this article can not 
 be procured, substitute for it phosphate of lime. 
 
 Osteo Porosis (known as Big Head and Big Jaw). 
 
 The terms big head and big jaw*are used by husbandmen and 
 others in Ohio, and, indeed, throughout the Great West and South, 
 to designate a disease of the bony structure of the horse — a disease 
 about which very little of a reliable character has ever been said 
 or written; yet the subject is one of great importance to the peo- 
 ple of this country, for the simple reason that the evil is one of 
 alarming proportions; and should the disease multiply in a ratio 
 equal to that of the past few years, it will be a terrible blow to the 
 laudable and hitherto profitable enterprise of raising colts in sec- 
 tions where this disease prevails. 
 
 We do not wish to create any unnecessary alarm, but urge the 
 husbandmen of the South and South-west to give this subject 
 their earnest consideration ; for the disease probably has an hered- 
 itary origin — is " inbred "#— and that, as the saying is, " constitutes 
 the root of the evil." The disease having been pronounced incur- 
 able, our only hopes of success in putting a stop to its propaga- 
 tion and development is, to adopt preventive measures, by reject- 
 ing, as breeders, all animals (sire and dam) that show the least 
 predisposition to or for this affection. 
 
 Let the reader understand that the disease itself is incurable in 
 so far as the enlargement, dilatation, and softening of the jaw- 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 363 
 
 bones are concerned ; yet, like spavin, ring-bone, and various other 
 diseases, it is accompanied, in certain stages, by pain and lameness, 
 and our services as physicians are only secured in view of remov- 
 ing this pain and lameness, so that the animal may be enabled to 
 perform the ordinary equine duties. This is what some persons 
 please to term a cure, whereas it almost always happens that some 
 alteration in the structure of the parts remains, which actually 
 renders the horse unsound, because he has' that about him which 
 may, from overwork or other exciting causes, impair his useful- 
 ness. 
 
 THE PATELLA, OR STIFLE BONE. 
 
 This cut shows the appearance of disease on articulatory surfaces when the animal is the 
 subject of Osteo Porosis, or Big Head. 
 
 As regards the "alarming" features of big head or big jaw, we 
 would inform the reader that almost every lame horse examined 
 by us, during a period of six months, in Ohio, had either one or 
 the other jaw enlarged. In some cases one angle of the lower jaw 
 was the seat of thickening and enlargement, but among the majority 
 both angles were affected. These remarks do not apply to other 
 obvious or accidental lamenesses which are constantly occurring. 
 
 A short time ago we visited, in company with a practicing vet- 
 erinarian whose attention had never been called to this affection, 
 three horses, the subjects of lameness, which was said to be occa- 
 sioned by eating Hungarian grass. To the astonishment of the 
 parties concerned, we demonstrated that they were all the subjects 
 of enlargements of the lower jaws. From the history of the cases, 
 
364 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 and tlie character of the lameness, it was very evident that it was 
 of an inter-articular character, and this is a peculiar feature of this 
 affection. Then, again, the reader must bear in mind that the jaws 
 of animals do not dilate nor enlarge suddenly, nor make their ap- 
 pearance all at once, like a meteor in the regions of space. The 
 affection is insidious, progresses in an almost imperceptible manner, 
 and usually escapes the notice of those who daily have charge of and 
 handle the animal, as the following case, which is selected from 
 among others, will serve to illustrate : 
 
 A few years ago a gentleman purchased what then appeared as 
 a fine family horse — a sorrel gelding, aged five years. About the 
 beginning of March, one year after the purchase, in attempting to 
 walk the animal from one stable to another, but a short distance 
 off, he became suddenly lame in one of the hind limbs, low down, 
 toward the foot, and it was found almost impossible to urge him 
 forward. Finally, assistance was procured, and the animal had, 
 literally, to be carried into a stable. Our services having been 
 secured, we visited the sufferer, and found him standing on three 
 legs, the near hind one being placed resting on the toe. The parts 
 around the coronet were hot, and the patient was very unwilling 
 to have the parts handled. He seemed to suffer much pain, was 
 breathing hurriedly, and the pulsations were quick and wiry. The 
 near approach of any person seemed to terrify the animal, and he 
 actually trembled, from fear and pain, when urged to move. On 
 making an examination of the jaws, we found that both angles 
 of the lower jaw were enlarged to about two inches in thickness. 
 This explained the nature of the sudden and otherwise mysterious 
 lameness. The articulating surfaces of various bones, and the 
 bones themselves, had become diseased, as is often the case in 
 big jaw. The owner assured us that the horse had never before 
 been lame, and he was very much surprised to find the lower jaw 
 enlarged. 
 
 Here the reader will perceive that the animal had been in the 
 owner's possession one year; had performed ordinary duty, yet 
 was the subject of a gradual enlargement of the jaw and a consti- 
 tutional disease, which probably existed, yet in a slight degree, at 
 the time of purchase. Hence we contend that the disease, in its 
 early stages, is of a hidden or insidious character, and requires some 
 tact and knowledge of the subject in order to detect it. 
 
 Nature of the disease. — Big head and big jaw are but one form 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 
 
 365 
 
 of disease, only located in different parts. "When the upper jaw 
 becomes the seat of affection, an enlargement of the facial bones 
 will be observed, and the examiner's attention will be attracted by 
 the unnatural appearance of the face. As the disease progresses, 
 
 ARTICULATING SURFACE OP THE THIGH BONE. 
 
 Explanation— 1 1 1, Articulating surface of the lower or inferior part of the thigh bone occur- 
 ring in the disease known as Osteo Porosis, or Big Head. 
 
 the face looks more like that of an elephant than a horse ; and now, 
 the disease being incurable, the subject should mercifully be put 
 out of his misery. The enlargement of the lower jaw is discov- 
 ered by manipulation. On removing the skin from the sides of 
 the face of such a subject, and dissecting the muscles and perios- 
 teum (covering of bone), the bones appear to have undergone a 
 softening process, and particles can be separated by means of the 
 finger-nails. At the same time, if a transverse section of any of 
 the shaft-bones be made, they will be found to have undergone 
 structural changes. For example, they will not only appear soft- 
 ened, but honey-combed, and many of the laminae and cartilagi- 
 nous braces will have been decomposed or dissolved, so that the 
 bone looks like fibrous net-work. In most cases, the vacuities 
 
366 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 and canals are filled with material resembling soft cheese, which 
 is probably fatty matter. This occasionally degenerates into pus. 
 
 Dr. Gordon forwarded me, some time ago, the head of a horse 
 who had long been the subject of this malady. The transverse 
 diameter of the bones of both upper and lower jaw was very much 
 enlarged ; the periosteum was very highly organized with blood- 
 vessels; the bones were softened and elastic, and could be easily 
 cut with a knife. On submitting them to the acid test, earthy 
 matter was found in excess, and, by burning them, it was found 
 that they contained very little animal matter ; hence we were led 
 to infer that the disease was one of mal-nutrition. The articular 
 surfaces of various bones, and sometimes all the bones of the body, 
 are often ulcerated and studded with incrustations. This explains 
 the why and wherefore of the sudden and tormenting pains which 
 animals suffer, and goes to show how little of benefit can be ex- 
 pected from the ordinary treatment, which is principally directed 
 to the enlarged jaws. 
 
 On removing these diseased cartilages from the articulating 
 surfaces of the bones, the .latter are found to be affected — in fact, 
 ulcerated. In some cases the ligaments and tendons are separated 
 by decomposition, or necrosis of bone, and the animal " breaks 
 down," as the saying is. 
 
 The subjects of this disease sometimes show lameness in the 
 vertebral region, and in that of the head of the thigh bone. In 
 such cases, we may safely infer that the lameness is of an articular 
 character, and the interticular cartilages, as well as the surfaces of 
 the bones, are incrustated and ulcerated. In this condition, the 
 animal is liable to become useless, or " break down " at any mo- 
 ment. The following case will illustrate what is meant by break- 
 ing down : 
 
 We were requested, a short time ago, by Prof. Muzzy, to ex- 
 amine an aged gray gelding, the subject of lameness in the hind 
 feet. Examination revealed considerable heat, tenderness, and 
 tumefaction around both the hind coronets, and both angles of the 
 lower jaw were much enlarged in their transverse diameters. We 
 advised the owner to let the animal have a run at grass. Accord- 
 ingly he was sent into the country about thirty miles, which was 
 too long a journey for him. A few days afterward, Prof. Muzzy 
 received a letter that the horse's strings (tendons) became loose, 
 and he broke down and traveled on his fetlocks, and was then 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 367 
 
 dead. "We infer that necrosis took place, and the extensor ten- 
 dons lost their attachment, which accounted for his breaking down. 
 
 Prof. Varnell lately consulted Dr. Harley, of London, in 
 reference to this formidable malady, which is said to have" been 
 almost unknown in England until November, 1859, when several 
 cases occurred among some horses the property of Mr. Champion 
 Calcot, near Reading. Three of this gentleman's animals had 
 died, a fourth was not expected to live many days, and two others 
 were laboring under the same disease, in a less acute form. The 
 most singular feature of the disease, as it appeared on the prem- 
 ises of Mr. Calcot, was, that it did not appear to owe its origin 
 to any perceivable cause, and it was not known to be prevalent in 
 any other part of England. Still, our opinion is that it does 
 exist in that country, only, not being suspected, is not sought for. 
 It prevails very extensively among horses brought to Ohio, and 
 hundreds of horses have been purchased for the American Gov- 
 ernment having more or less enlargement of the lower jaw, yet 
 we do not believe that either seller or purchaser suspected the 
 same. This arises from a lack of knowledge on the subject, and 
 the same remarks, as far as our ignorance of the subject is con- 
 cerned, may apply to England. 
 
 In answer to questions put to Mr. Calcot on the subject of man- 
 agement, etc., he contends that the affected animals had plenty 
 of exercise. There were no chemical factories or works in the 
 vicinity. One horse affected was purchased at a distance; the 
 rest had been bred on his farm. The sires and dams all appeared 
 free from the disease, and they were not all got by the same sire. 
 The food consisted of good grass, hay, pollard, oatmeal, and roots. 
 Other horses were on the farm, fed in the same manner as the 
 affected ones, yet they had no symptoms of the disease. (Perhaps 
 they will show symptoms when the jaws shall be examined. They 
 may have the disease, yet not be lame nor apparently ailing.) 
 Mr. Calcot never saw a case of the kind before. 
 
 From the above testimony, we may infer that the causes of this 
 affection are not yet discovered in England ; but our impression 
 is that overfeeding has a good deal to do in the production of 
 the malady. It appears to me that this disease, as I have already 
 stated, is one of malnutrition, or defective nourishment; hence 
 may be considered as a scorbutic affection, like that affecting the 
 human subject, which is known to be the result of faulty nutri- 
 
368 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 tion, and which often results in division of bony parts which 
 were once immovable (the epiphysis of the pelvis, for example) ; 
 also in the separation of cartilages from the ribs, and the shaft 
 bones softened and ruined by caries (ulceration or death of bones). 
 Big head and big jaw are terms sufficiently explicit in ordinary 
 conversation ; but, in view of scientific inquiry, it is necessary to 
 employ terms indicative of the pathology of the disease. We can 
 not expect, however, to select any one name that shall apply to 
 all the pathological conditions during the rise, progress, and ter- 
 mination of this peculiar malady. The condition of the bones 
 is a state of enlargement, (porousness and softening ;) hence the 
 name osteo porosis. 
 
 Causes. — We have already informed the reader that the disease 
 may have an hereditary origin ; otherwise, we can not account for 
 its universal prevalence. In certain localities, under the ordinary 
 modes of feeding and general management, we grant that at first 
 the disease might have had an accidental or spontaneous origin, 
 and finally become permanent and transmissible. For example, 
 glanders and farcy afford illustrations of a spontaneous disease 
 becoming contagious and transmissible. There must have been a 
 time when neither of the two latter diseases existed; hence, when 
 the first subject became glandered, he could not have taken it by 
 infection or by contagion, but it must have had a spontaneous 
 origin, and, finally, became permanent. We do not pretend to 
 urge that the active disease itself is transmissible ; yet, in certain 
 cases, a predisposition is transferred to the progeny. This may 
 be called the predisposing cause ; the ordinary exciting causes are 
 those which disturb and derange the digestive function. The 
 digestive or nutritive function is deranged, both by excessive and 
 defective functional labors, or by the animal existing on food that 
 does not contain the necessary amount of nitrogenous or muscle- 
 making matter. This is the case when Indian corn is used as 
 food for a great length of time. It is hard to digest, is deficient 
 in nitrogen, and almost always over-distends the stomach; for, 
 when submitted to the action of heat and the gastric fluids, it 
 increases in bulk to about five or six times its original capacity. 
 I have noticed that where much whole corn is fed, as in Ohio and 
 Indiana, the disease is most prevalent. Associated with the pre- 
 disposing causes are others — for example, hard usage, sore abuse, 
 and bad stable management. 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 369 
 
 This disease is rarely ever heard of in England, probably from 
 the fact that the food of horses is rich in phosphates and nitrogen, 
 while corn contains more of starchy matter, which, instead of fur- 
 nishing material for the preparation of muscular or animal matter, 
 merely furnishes that which is consumed in process of respiration. 
 
 Treatment. — The ordinary treatment, as practiced by some per- 
 sons, is to bore into the jaw-bone, and inject the same with some 
 corrosive poison. Others expose the jaw-bone, and saw out a 
 section of the same. Some persons blister, or apply preparations 
 of iodine. Such treatment, I think, only tends to create unneces- 
 sary irritation and pain, and can not possibly be of any benefit ; 
 for I contend that the disease is not local, but constitutional, and 
 the reader will probably, after perusing this dissertation, come to 
 the same conclusion. The disease has extensive ramifications in 
 various parts of the bony fabric, and, therefore, the local treatment 
 must fail in curing the malady. Cases may arise which require 
 surgical operations, and if so, I have no objections to oifer. I 
 have often been told that horses, after having all sorts of barbar- 
 ities practiced on them, have recovered. This, so far as the treat- 
 ment is concerned, is in accordance with the spirit of the old 
 error, " He got well after taking my medicine ; therefore, in con- 
 sequence of taking it." This is assuming a falsehood for a fact, 
 and then giving fanciful reasons for it. 
 
 In view both of prevention and cure of this organic disease of 
 the bones and their articulations, more is to be accomplished by 
 regimen than by medicine. The animal should always be pro- 
 vided with wholesome diet, and whenever green vegetables can be 
 obtained, they should be fed liberally, or, what is much better, 
 provided the season permits, allow the animal to roam in a pasture. 
 Whenever I have a case of this kind under treatment, I furnish 
 apples, beets, carrots, cabbage, or any other kind of vegetable that 
 I can procure. I find that such articles are usually devoured with 
 good relish. The object in feeding green food is to combat the 
 scorbutic diathesis which usually exists. The patient should also 
 be allowed from five to seven quarts of oats per day. 
 
 When a horse with an enlargement of the lower or upper jaw 
 is suddenly attacked with acute lameness, he should be placed in 
 a wide stall, and the parts where the lameness appears to be lo- 
 cated, as well as the jaws, should be diligently rubbed, twice daily, 
 with a portion of the following : 
 24 
 
370 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 No. 58. Spirits of camphor 6 oz. 
 
 Cod-liver oil 4 oz. 
 
 Oil of cedar 2 oz. 
 
 Diluted acetic acid 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Then procure the following : 
 
 No. 59. Chlorate of potass 2 oz. 
 
 Powdered ginger 4 oz. 
 
 Gentian 3 oz. 
 
 Podophyllum 2 oz. 
 
 Poplar hark 6 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Dose, one ounce night and morning, to be incorporated in the 
 food. 
 
 This treatment usually palliates the lameness. Should it not 
 do so, the owner must be patient, and give Nature time to restore 
 the animal to comparative usefulness. Flour of bone or phosphate 
 of lime may be given, at the rate of a couple of ounces per day. 
 Such agents are always indicated in the treatment of the above 
 malady. 
 
 Spavin. 
 
 Spavin consists of an exostosis of the hock, commonly located 
 on the inner side, whereby bones before moveable become cemented 
 and fixed together, and which is often productive of ulceration of 
 the articular surfaces of one or more of the joints of the hock. 
 Sometimes, however, spavin makes its appearance on the anterior 
 or front part of the hock, and sometimes there is no enlargement 
 to be discovered. Such cases, unaccompanied by enlargement, are 
 called inter-articular spavin. 
 
 Symptoms. — "The symptoms of spavin," says Mr. Percivall, 
 " are, in general, plain, simple, and unequivocal. The horse mani- 
 fests lameness in one of his hind limbs, and, on examination, a 
 circumscribed spheroid tumor, of the magnitude of half a walnut 
 or more, is evident enough both to the sight and feel of the man 
 practiced in such matters. Lameness, however, the effect of spavin, 
 may be present without any detectable tumor. 
 
 My own observation has led me to note two kinds of lameness 
 in spavin — one, the effect either of the ordinary subacute or chronic 
 inflammation, or of partial anchylosis of the parts, is but compar- 
 atively slight, and consists, for the most part, in stiffness on motion, 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 
 
 371 
 
 or in defective flexible power of the hock -joint ; the other, the effect 
 of acute inflammation of the spavined parts, or else of ulceration 
 of the joints, consists in a sort of spasmodic catching up of the 
 spavined limb the moment the heel of the foot comes down upon 
 the ground, something after the manner of string-halt. Stiffness 
 may not unfrequently be observed even in the horse's side move- 
 
 SPAVINED IN OFF HIND LEG— RINGBONE IN ALL THE PASTERNS. 
 
 ment in his stall. "With such characteristic lameness as this, and 
 with spavin present as well, evidently hot and tender to pressure, 
 there can exist no doubt about the case. Where, however, the 
 lameness is but slight, although a spavin is present, yet, from the 
 absence of any heat or tenderness in the swelling, as well as from 
 its duration, many doubts arise as to the cause of the lameness. 
 In such a case as this, we should take advantage of the well- 
 known fact of the fluctuating or evanescent character of spavin 
 lameness, to which end it is advisable to have the horse under 
 examination hard ridden or driven, or otherwise exercised, until 
 he be in a profuse sweat, and afterward kept standing tied up in 
 a stall, until he be cold and stiff in his joints, and then trotted 
 out again. A knowing vender of a spavined "horse would take 
 care to ' warm ' him by a good ride or drive before he took him 
 to show to the presumed purchaser; and then, while under ex- 
 
372 DADDS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 animation, by dint of whip and spur, and management in the 
 bridle-hand, he might pass his merchandise off to an unwary 
 buyer as sound. Indeed, so much is sweating work, or exercise 
 approaching thereto, apt to prove a foil to showing lameness, 
 that one is almost inclined to say no horse ought to be examined 
 under such circumstances ; certainly no horse suspected of spavin. 
 The time, of all others, that a spavined horse will be apt to man- 
 ifest his lameness will be the day following after a hard day's 
 work ; and when he makes his first egress from the stable in the 
 morning is the critical period for examination. Horses that go 
 limpingly lame from spavin, lame at all times, and lamer still 
 when they work, often experience pain in the seat of disease to a 
 degree which, in the language of Solleysell, causes them ' to pine 
 away, especially about the flanks.' They have probably been 
 blistered and fired, perhaps setoned ; have had their hocks fright- 
 fully scarred, and yet are lame to that degree that they are unable 
 to do more than gingerly put the toe of the foot of the spavined 
 limb to the ground, and so painfully hobble along ; and, although 
 they may still maintain their appetite, yet they are low in condi- 
 tion, tucked up in their flanks — evidently, in short, ( pining away/ 
 
 Such pitiable subjects, it is true, may be kept at work. The 
 little, however, they can do, when put to any thing requiring 
 strength of action or pull, together with the wretched condition 
 they are generally in, is a fact so well known to coach and omni- 
 bus proprietors, and horse-keepers in general, that at the horse 
 auctions such animals fetch little or nothing. Even for agricul- 
 tural work such laborers as these prove of but little worth. Now 
 and then, however, it happens that the spavined horse, although 
 treatment has failed to render him sound, continues, in respect to 
 his disease, in that state in which he appears to suffer no local 
 pain at all while at rest, and but little while at work, and so is 
 able to do a considerable amount of some kinds of labor, lasting 
 in it perhaps for years. Still, such a horse is more likely than 
 another to receive injuries, to experience aggravation or relapse 
 of disease in his already diseased hock; and, under such return 
 or augmentation of ailment, unless great care be taken, and fre- 
 quently with all the care we can take, may and will fail altogether. 
 
 Spavins exist which occasion no lameness. How this comes to 
 pass will appear when the time arrives to consider the reasons why 
 spavins in general cause lameness, and, on occasions, very great 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 373 
 
 pain as well, which can not be done before we come to treat of the 
 pathology of spavin. It is sufficient for our purpose here that we 
 note and establish the fact that lameness is not a necessary conse- 
 quence of spavin. Nothing is more common than to meet with 
 horses, colts even, who have what the dealers call ' knots' in their 
 spavin places ; and the time was when such ' knots ' (which have 
 always been regarded as spavins) were certificated as constituting 
 unsoundness. 
 
 Lameness arising from spavin is sometimes present without the 
 outward appearance of spavin. This is a form of disease better 
 known to veterinary surgeons in general, I believe, under the de- 
 nomination of occult hock lameness. My own attention to the 
 subject was first drawn so long ago as in the year 1815, though 
 then I was quite in the dark as to the nature of the case. On 
 my return from Belgium, after the battle of Waterloo, I had in 
 my possession a bay blood mare, who was lame in one of her hind 
 legs (I forget which), but whose lameness was of that nature that 
 no external sign whatever was apparent to account for it. The 
 limb had been searched over and over again, by myself and some 
 other veterinary surgeons, and the mare had been trotted and 
 walked, circled and paced, and put to all other known trials and 
 tests, without the examinations ending in any thing like concur- 
 rent opinions respecting either the seat or the nature of her lame- 
 ness. The mare returned home, marching with the troops, led 
 by a man on horseback — for, notwithstanding her lameness, she 
 walked very well — and, as soon as she arrived at head-quarters 
 (Woolwich), I showed her to my father, at the time senior veteri- 
 nary surgeon of the Ordnance Department. He examined her, 
 and without hesitation pronounced her 'lame in the hock/ and 
 she was treated accordingly ; and the result was, at no great dis- 
 tance of time, her complete restoration to soundness. 
 
 It is true, so far as the case above related goes, that the only 
 proof that the mare's lameness was in the hock, was her restor- 
 ation to soundness after the application of remedies to that joint. 
 There is, however, tr be said, in addition, to induce us to believe 
 that it was so, that, of all the joints of the hind limb, no one is so 
 frequently or so likely to be deranged as the hock; and, conse- 
 quently, from this fact alone, is a prima facie case made out. 
 Moreover, we have, to assist us in our diagnosis, the stiff or im- 
 perfect flexion of the hock-joint in action, and the wearing away 
 
374 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 of the toe of the shoe, showing that the heel is rarely or but very 
 gingerly put to the ground; also the circumstance, often observ- 
 able by the groom, of the animal resting the lame (hind) limb in 
 the stable ; on occasions, perhaps, knackling over upon it, and so 
 bearing the weight upon the toe alone. And it has happened 
 before now that, while doubt was impending as to the locality 
 and nature of the lameness, a spavin has made its appearance, and 
 dissipated all further conjecture; and with this development of 
 the spavin, the lameness, so far from being augmented, is not 
 unlikely to become better. This is an observation made so long 
 ago as the time of Solleysell. This admirable observer, in one 
 part of his chapter on spavins, says : 'At their first piercing, they, 
 generally speaking, make a horse halt, and afterward the swelling 
 growing bigger, the horse halteth no more with it.' " 
 
 I have noticed that spavined horses are usually the subjects of 
 ill-shaped hocks; hence this peculiarity of conformation would 
 seem to indicate that such animals have a certain amount of pre- 
 disposition lurking in their systems. The ordinary exciting causes 
 are sprain or strain, and overwork. 
 
 Now, what will cure spavin? This question was propounded 
 to the author, some time ago, and the following answer was 
 elicited. The answer is as good to-day as when first written. 
 " What will cure spavin ?" I answer : Time, rest, and the appli- 
 cation of remedies adapted to the various stages of the disease. 
 The usual remedies, in the early stage, are rest, frequent use of the 
 shower-bath, and refrigerating lotions. In the chronic stage, and 
 when the disease has commenced on the articulating surfaces of 
 the hock-joint, or an ossific bony enlargement has made its ap- 
 pearance, then we resort to counter-irritation, by using some one 
 of the preparations of cantharides or iodine. " What will cure 
 spavin ?" is a tough question for a medical man to solve ; for, if 
 he has been properly educated, he knows well enough that bone 
 spavin, like hip-joint disease in the human subject, is, to all in- 
 tents and purposes, incurable — I mean in so far as the physiology 
 and pathology of the parts are concerned. Soft tissues, once 
 having been changed into bone, never can be remetamorphosed 
 into the original condition so as to possess their inherent qualities 
 of elasticity (contraction and expansion). At the same time we 
 are all horsemen enough to understand what the term "cure" 
 means when applied to the disease known as spavin. It signifies 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 375 
 
 freedom from sensibility and lameness, and a partial disappear- 
 ance of the enlargement, or " eye-sore." As the reader may like 
 to refer to the opinion of some well-known author, as well as 
 what I here advance, I select a quotation on the treatment of bone 
 spavin from the pen of Mr. Blaine : 
 
 " This disease does not differ from splint, except that it is much 
 oftener a cause of serious lameness. Occurring, however, as it 
 commonly does, in older horses, it also proves more obstinate, and 
 the treatment required, therefore, should be more active. Among 
 the old farriers, who, like some of the moderns, thought nothing 
 too strong for a horse, violent mechanical operations were resorted 
 to, as the mallet and chisel to chip it off, boring the exostosis with 
 a gimlet, punching it with a hot iron, or applying caustics. The 
 first removing it mechanically, and the three latter methods de- 
 stroying its vitality, promoted its exfoliation. As might be ex- 
 pected, for one case which succeeded (and in some it certainly did 
 succeed) in many it increased the lameness, or ended in anchy- 
 losis and sometimes death. It is not improbable that instruments 
 may yet be devised which will operate on these bony enlargements 
 without risk, though the chances are fewer in the hock, from its 
 connection with capsular and bursal ligaments, than in any other 
 parts. 
 
 Treatment. — The treatment pursued by veterinarians of the 
 present day varies somewhat. Those bordering on the old school 
 still rub with some violence, and then stimulate them with oil 
 origanum, oil terebinth, etc. Those of a later day blister and fire. 
 At the Veterinary College setons are used, by ripping up the in- 
 tegument and pushing a needle around, with tape through it, so 
 that the seton within the skin exactly opposes itself to the spavin. 
 If the skin is tender or tumefied, it is more proper to make an 
 opening above and below the exostosis, and to push a blunt seton- 
 needle or eyed probe from one opening to the other, armed with 
 a tape smeared with mild blistering ointment, or common turpen- 
 tine. In this way, report says, the College practice has proved 
 very successful. Blistering we have, however, found, when re- 
 peated over and over, commonly prove equal to all the benefit 
 these obstinate cases can receive; for, when the bone deposit is 
 fully formed, it is in vain to expect its entire absorption. Even 
 its partial absorption is frustrated. The removal of acute lame- 
 ness is generally the only benefit which can be anticipated. Our 
 
376 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 principal hope lies in preventing the increase of the bony deposit, 
 and likewise in removing that inflammation which is the existing 
 cause of much of the pain, stiffness, and tumefaction in the sur- 
 rounding ligaments. Our hopes of success must also greatly de- 
 pend on the time the evil has existed. When it is early attended 
 to — that is, before the bony deposit has gained its full solidity — 
 stimulants act more favorably, and lessen it more materially. It 
 remains to add that, when repeated blistering fails, the .firing-iron 
 generally concludes the business, but commonly answers no further 
 purpose than being a publication of the animal's infirmity, and a 
 warning to practitioners as regards the previous treatment." 
 
 The remedies and means used by the author of this work for 
 the treatment of spavin are the same as recommended for ring- 
 bone. (See article on King-bone.) 
 
 ♦ Fracture of the Pelvis. 
 
 My attention having lately been called to two cases of fractured 
 pelvis, I am led to make the following remarks for the benefit of 
 those who feel an interest in matters pertaining to veterinary sci- 
 ence. The accident of fracture of the pelvis is of very common 
 occurrence, and I think that many such cases might be prevented 
 by the exercise of a little judgment on the part of horse-owners. 
 For example, the great majority of cases with which I am ac- 
 quainted have occurred in the stable, after the animals have been 
 put up for the night " all well," as the owners have informed me, 
 and to them the matter seemetl very mysterious and unaccounta- 
 ble. But I think that the mystery can easily be explained. 
 
 If a horse is put up for the night all well and free from lame- 
 ness, and in the morning is lame, and it is observed that the hip 
 is knuckled down, as the saying is, (fracture of the pelvis,) or, in 
 other words, he is " hip-shot," the evidence then seems conclusive 
 that the accident occurred within the stable. Then the question 
 arises, How did it occur ? We all ought to know that the stalls 
 in our city stables are too narrow ; many of them do not exceed 
 four feet in breadth. Now, let a large horse throw himself vio- 
 lently down, as, they often do when tired or in pain, and he is 
 very apt to strike the point of the hip against one side of the sta- 
 ble. The point of the hip being but imperfectly protected from 
 external or lateral injury, except by the common integument, the 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 377 
 
 jar or concussion thus received often occasions fracture. I know 
 that this is the case ; for, on making examination of some of these 
 fractures, I found the skin over the region of the point of the hip 
 bruised and abraded. Then, again, horses frequently get cast at 
 night, and are the subjects of colic, or other aches or pains. They 
 struggle violently, get imprisoned, as it were, in their narrow 
 apartments, and, when released by assistance, fracture of the pelvis 
 is often discovered. 
 
 This is not all. Sometimes sufficient bedding is not furnished 
 to protect the animal from the effects of hurriedly reclining, or 
 slipping down, on a hard plank floor, and the result is often the 
 same as that just alluded to. Then, in view of prevention, these 
 facts suggest the propriety of having wider stalls, and a liberal 
 supply of shavings or sawdust for bedding ; that is, when straw 
 can not be obtained ; yet I think that when sawdust can be ob- 
 tained, it is the most wholesome and economical bedding for 
 horses. Taking a pathological view of the matter, I have to in- 
 form the reader that a great proportion of these fractures occur 
 among horses well advanced in years ; and it may be that their 
 bones, in some cases, are brittle and very easily fractured, as is 
 the case with some aged members of the human family, whose 
 thigh bones have been easily fractured by a slight fall, or jumping 
 out of bed in a hurry, many such cases being on record. 
 
 The horse is occasionally subject to a disease of the bones known 
 as fatty degeneration, which is said to be partly occasioned by an 
 exclusive Indian corn diet. In such cases the vacuities in some 
 of the bones are filled with oily matter, are light, and easily frac- 
 tured. He is also subject to a disease known as rickets, which 
 may depend either on hereditary predisposition or imperfect nu- 
 trition. The bones are defective in early constituents, and, con- 
 sequently, give way under the weight which they ought otherwise 
 to sustain. The remedy is, a nutritive diet, partly composed of 
 oats, and occasional doses of phosphate of lime. 
 
 Horses very frequently fracture the pelvis by falling in harness, 
 but for this I know of no remedy except careful driving; yet 
 sometimes, in spite of due care, they must fall when traveling on 
 slippery pavements, and when improperly shod. 
 
 Treatment. — As regards the treatment of fracture of the pelvis 
 I have but little to offer. It is all contained in the words rest 
 and counter-irritation (seton or blister), yet requires time for 
 
378 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Nature to unite the bones after her well-known fashion. If the 
 horse is a valuable one, and the fracture slight, he should be 
 placed in slings. The hair may then be shaved off the region of 
 fracture to the extent of one foot in diameter; then smear on, 
 while warm, a strengthening plaster, composed of pitch, resin, 
 and beeswax. But should the fracture be of a very grave char- 
 acter — the bones broken in several places, the animal down and 
 in great agony — then the sooner he is put out of his misery the 
 better. 
 
 Splent, or Splint. 
 
 Splent, or splint, makes its appearance on the inner and lower 
 part of the knee-joint. It consists of a bony tumor (exostosis), 
 and, finally, the small bone known as the metacarpus purvus 
 becomes united to the cannon or shank bone. This constitutes 
 anchylosis, so that the disease is of the same nature as ring-bone. 
 Splent sometimes appears on the outside of the leg ; but the dis- 
 ease is oftener found on the inside, from the fact that it is nearer 
 the center of the weight of the body than the outer, and receives 
 the greatest amount of concussion. The inner bone is said to 
 receive nearly the whole weight transmitted to the small bone of 
 the knee. A splent on the inside is often the result of a blow 
 inflicted with the opposite foot, which bruises the soft parts and 
 periosteum, and, finally, the bones become affected. Faulty shoe- 
 ing has also a direct agency in the production of splent. For 
 example: if one caulk of the shoe be higher than the other, or 
 should the foot be pared more on one side than the other, the 
 effect will be to throw the limb into a false position, which may 
 result in ligamentary lameness and splent. Splent, however, ap- 
 pears sometimes without any assignable cause. On dissecting the 
 limbs of aged horses, we frequently find the splent bones firmly 
 united to the shank. The following is the opinion of Prof. Cole- 
 man in regard to splent: 
 
 " ' A splent once is a splent always.' The two bones being once 
 united by ossific matter, this connection, whatever we may do or 
 apply, will never be altered. It used to be the custom to remove 
 the splent with a hammer and chisel, but the production of a 
 large blemish, from the destruction of skin, was the consequence 
 of this barbarous method. Another practice, as ancient and bar- 
 barous as the former, was the application of corrosive sublimate, 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 
 
 379 
 
 A PERFECT FORE-LEG. 
 
 Situation of 
 the Splint. 
 
 Windfall & method 
 round the leg. 
 
 Ring-bone 
 firing it. 
 
 Situation of the 
 & method of firing. 
 
 Situation of Blood Spavin, 
 
 Situation of the Bone Spavin 
 firing the same. 
 
 Thorough-pin 
 
 & method of 
 
 BOTTOM OF THE HOOF. 
 
380 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 or other strong caustic, so as to occasion a slough. In this case, 
 too, the remedy was as bad as the disease ; the horse was disfigured 
 for life. Better and more recent treatment than this was either 
 firing or blistering. The objection to the former, however, was 
 the marks it produced; and to the latter, in common with the 
 former, that though the lameness was removed, it very frequently 
 returned with the resumption of labor. 
 
 The more modern, successful, and scientific treatment of splents 
 consists in the operation of periosteotomy, or division of the peri- 
 osteum, which covers the bone. 
 
 Professor Sewell has introduced, within the few past years, an 
 excellent mode of performing the operation. The horse is cast, 
 the leg properly straightened and secured, and then a small open- 
 ing is made just below the splent sufficient to introduce a long, 
 narrow, convex, probe-pointed knife, the edge of which is on the 
 convex side. The knife is then passed up under the skin, and by 
 drawing it backward and forward on the splent, pressing firmly 
 at the same time, the periosteum is completely divided. A small 
 opening is then made through the skin above the splent, and a 
 narrow seton passed from one orifice to the other, after which a 
 bandage is placed on the leg, and the horse released. The seton 
 should be moved and dressed daily with digestive ointment, and 
 at the expiration of a week removed, and the wound permitted to 
 heal. I have found the operation succeed whenever I have adopted 
 it. In the very numerous cases that occur of splents being unat- 
 tended with lameness, it is ' better to let well alone ;' but when 
 the lameness is slight, and the horse can not be spared from work 
 more than a few days, it is well to apply a mild blistering appli- 
 cation, such as the tincture of cantharides, about a tea-spoonful of 
 which will be sufficient for one application, which may be repeated 
 according to the action it produces and the benefit it occasions." 
 
 Treatment. — Our practice in this country is to treat splent on 
 ' the same general principles that obtain in spavin and ring-bone — 
 namely, in the" acute stage, when the accident of striking has 
 happened, we apply sedatives and refrigerents, and in the chronic 
 stage, counter-irritants and absorbents. For the treatment of the 
 acute stage, a selection from the following articles may be made : 
 Arnica, infusion of hops or poppies, cold water, or equal parts of 
 vinegar and water. In the chronic stage, and in view of lessen- 
 ing the tumefaction, I recommend the following : 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 381 
 
 No. 60. Powdered iodide of potass. 2 dr. 
 
 Simple Cerate 1 oz. 
 
 Cod-liver oil \ oz. 
 
 Rub these ingredients together in a mortar, and when thor- 
 oughly mixed it is fit for use. A daily application of this oint- 
 ment for a short time will suffice. There are many cases of splent 
 that do not occasion the least lameness • therefore they had better 
 be let alone. 
 
 Bowed Legs or Sprung Knees. 
 
 The following case will illustrate the method of cure for sprung 
 knees. The subject of this operation had met with an accident, 
 which resulted in "bowed limb," and had so progressed within 
 the period of a few months as to render the limb the most de- 
 formed one I ever saw ; for when the toe touched the ground, the 
 heel was elevated about four inches. At the same time, the infe- 
 rior extremity of the cannon overlapped the large pastern some- 
 thing like three-quarters of an inch. Such a deviation from the 
 perpendicular line would, as a matter of course, bring a tremendous 
 strain on the extensor tendons in front and the suspensory liga- 
 ment, and this appeared to be the case ; for the tendons and liga- 
 ment were rigid as a bowstring. 
 
 The horse was cast on the off side, and, after securing the limbs, 
 the near fore one was released from the hobble and held by assist- 
 ants. A puncture in the outer lateral region of the flexor tendons 
 was made through the integument. A convex, probe-pointed 
 bistoury was then introduced, and, by a gentle sawing movement, 
 the flexors perforatus and perforans were divided. On straight- 
 ening the limb, which was done without the least difficulty, the 
 edges of the tendons had separated almost two inches. These 
 would, of course, after awhile, become reunited by granulation and 
 interstitial deposits. Thus tendons would, finally, gain in length 
 something less than two inches, which would render the leg al- 
 most straight again. The puncture through the skin being small, 
 a single suture sufficed to close the orifice. This being accom- 
 plished, a cold-water bandage was neatly applied, and then the 
 patient was permitted to rise. He walked to the stable tolerably 
 well, yet still had a slight " knuckling over " at the fetlock. This 
 was probably owing to the distended or lax state of the capsular 
 ligament and extensor tendon. A shoe was now applied to the 
 
382 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 foot, having a straight piece of iron, eight inches in length, welded 
 on to the ground surface of the toe of the shoe. The object in 
 applying this contrivance was to prevent flexion, to keep the di- 
 vided ends of the tendon apart, and to guard against direct union 
 of the same. The operation finally proved successful. 
 
 The following case occurred in the practice of Professor Brachet, 
 as given in the " Veterinary Record : " 
 
 " This most extraordinary case was observed in September, 1856, 
 three months after the inundation of the Rhone, on a farm near 
 this river. The subject of the disease was a filly, three months 
 old. She was born perfectly straight on her legs, but about fifteen 
 days after birth the fore-limbs became bent, and the deformity 
 increased so rapidly that when Brachet saw the animal it moved 
 on its knees. It was with great difficulty that, by efforts to extend 
 the limb, the acute angle formed at the knee could at all be 
 widened, and such an experiment gave great pain to the animal. 
 The dam being taken out of the stable, Brachet was astonished 
 to see the filly walking after her on her knees, almost as fast as if 
 progressing naturally. On the front of the knee the skin was hard 
 and callous, the tendons behind it were rigid and immovable, and 
 Brachet decided on performing tenotomy. The animal was cast 
 and the near fore-leg operated upon. An incision was made, about 
 an inch in length, at the back of the arm, in a line with the upper 
 part of the carpus ; the tendon of the flexor metacarpi externus 
 was first cut, then one of the medius, and, lastly, that of the inter- 
 nal flexor of the metacarpus, when the limb straightened. A 
 splint was placed in front of the leg. Eight days afterward the 
 off" limb was operated upon ; fifteen days later the splints were 
 removed, and, in the course of a month, the filly stood well, but in 
 moving carried her fore-legs forward in a piece. Flexion at the 
 knee could not be effected, but the young animal improved rapidly ; 
 the limbs became strong, and though slightly bowed, their action 
 was perfect. Brachet believes the deformity arose from rheuma- 
 tism, induced by the damp on the occasion of the overflowing of 
 the river near the farm." 
 
 The following is Mr. Percivall's method of performing te- 
 notomy for sprung knees : 
 
 " The operation of tenotomy, though a formidable one for the 
 patient, is not a difficult one for the operator. The object is sec- 
 tion of the flexor tendons, the effect of which, as we have seen, is to 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 383 
 
 let down the heel of the foot, not the fetlock, to the ground. The 
 flexor tendons support the pastern and foot-joints principally, the 
 fetlock -joint having the additional strong support of the suspen- 
 sory ligament, which it still retains after the tendons have been 
 cut through. This accounts for the heel of the foot, without the 
 fetlock, being let down by the operation of tenotomy. 
 
 Having cast the horse, and so secured the limb to be operated 
 On that there is not much chance of any interruption being occa- 
 sioned through its motion, I recommend that a longitudinal in- 
 cision, three or four inches in length, be made through the skin, 
 along the back of the leg, down upon the middle portion of the 
 flexor perforatus tendon. This incision freely and boldly made at 
 once, the operator will be able to stretch the mouth of the wound 
 he has made round to the inner side of the leg, in which stretched 
 position the skin is to be held by an assistant, while the operator 
 introduces the fore-finger of his left hand, to push back the blood- 
 vessels and nerve (which run along the inner borders of the ten- 
 dons) against the suspensory ligament, so that they be safe out of 
 the way, while with the right hand he insinuates his bistoury 
 between them and the flexor tendons. Opposing now the cutting 
 edge of the bistoury to the tendons themselves, he commences 
 incising them by a steady but firm and strong sawing movement, 
 until both be completely divided. I say he is to hold the bistoury 
 (which ought to be a stout one) firmly, and to use it with some 
 force, since such is the dense and tough texture of these tendons 
 that they are not cut completely through without some determi- 
 nation. Complete division being made of them, the heel of the 
 foot may not (in all probability will not) come down without 
 some extension of the leg ; and this must be made, not by such 
 violence as Mr. Goodenough found himself compelled to use, still 
 with such force as will, if possible, make the limb straight, by 
 stretching or even tearing through adhesions of moderate stand- 
 ing, so far as this can be effected without the risk of rupturing 
 ligament or fracturing bone. The giving way of adhesions, in 
 such cases, is frequently attended with a sort of snap or jerk, de- 
 notive of their being overcome, and by this the end is known to 
 be answered, such adhesions and impediments to extension being 
 commonly situate about or in the vicinity of the fetlock-joint. 
 The usual and most effective mode of accomplishing the extension 
 is, to place the knee against the front of the fetlock, and, grasping 
 
384 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the back of the foot with one hand, and the upper end of the leg 
 with the other, to use such steady and moderate force as will ac- 
 complish the object without doing harm thereby. This done, the 
 divided ends of the tendons recede from each other, leaving a gap 
 between them of one or two inches, or even more, dependent upon 
 circumstances." 
 
 Corns. 
 
 What is known as corns, occurring in horses, is very different 
 from that affection in the human subject, which bears the same 
 name. In the horse the affection is caused by bruise of the sole, 
 and consists of extravasation of blood. On making an examina- 
 tion in the angle between the bars and quarters, the horn of the 
 sole will appear red. This may not be seen, however, until the 
 blacksmith has pared away a flake or two of the sole. 
 
 Treatment. — Neglected corns are very apt to end in suppuration 
 (formation of matter within the hoof). This matter sometimes 
 burrows in an upward direction, and breaks out at the top of the 
 hoof. It then forms what is known as a quittor, the remedy for 
 which is to make a small opening into the sole, and thus allow 
 the matter to escape in a downward direction. After making the 
 orifice in the sole, it should be dressed with a paste composed of 
 equal parts of sugar and brown soap. As a dressing for common 
 corn, without suppuration, I recommend equal parts of tar and 
 olive oil. This I conceive to be one of the best dressings ever 
 used for corns. 
 
 Many corns are produced by suffering the shoe to remain on too 
 long. It thus becomes imbedded in the heel of the foot ; the ex- 
 ternal crust then grows down on the outside of the shoe, and the 
 bearing is thrown in the angular portion of the sole. In unusually 
 troublesome cases of corns, recourse should be had to the bar-shoe. 
 
 Youatt says : " Mr. Spooner, of Southampton, very properly 
 states that the corns occasionally fester, and the purulent matter 
 which is secreted, having no dependent orifice, ascends, torturing 
 the animal to a dreadful extent, and breaks out at the coronet. 
 These cases are. very troublesome. Sinuses are formed, and the 
 evil may end in quittor. A large and free dependent orifice must 
 then be made, and a poultice applied, to which should succeed a 
 solution of sulphate of zinc, with the application of the compound 
 tar ointment. 
 
LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 385 
 
 The cause of corn is a most important subject of inquiry, and 
 which a careful examination of the foot and the shoe will easily 
 discover. The cause being ascertained, the effect may, to a great 
 extent, be afterward removed. Turning out to grass, after the 
 horn is a little grown, first with the bar-shoe and afterward with 
 the shoe fettered on one side, or with tips, will often be service- 
 able. A horse that has once had corns to any considerable extent 
 should, at every shoeing, have the seat of corn well pared out, and 
 the butter of antimony applied. The seated shoe should be used, 
 with a web sufficiently thick to cover the place of corn, and extend- 
 ing as far back as it can be made to do without injury to the frog. 
 
 Low, weak heels should be rarely touched with the knife, or 
 any thing more be done to them than lightly to rasp them, in 
 order to give them a level surface. The inner heel should be 
 particularly spared. Corns are seldom found in the hind feet, 
 because the heels are stronger, and the feet are not exposed to so 
 much concussion ; and when they are found there, they are rarely 
 or never productive of lameness. There is nothing perhaps in 
 which the improvement in the veterinary art has relieved the 
 horse from so much suffering as shoeing. Where corns now exist 
 of any consequence, they are a disgrace to the smith, the groom, 
 and even to the owner." 
 
 Lameness. 
 
 We have already considered the nature and treatment of vari- 
 ous forms of lameness, occurring in consequence of strain or sprain 
 of different parts of the body ; also that attending rheumatism and 
 diseases of the feet. It only remains to offer a few remarks on 
 some special forms of lameness. Lameness occurs in one of two 
 forms. We either find it in the acute stage, when, from injury 
 or other causes, it comes on suddenly ; or else in the chronic stage, 
 that form whieh has existed for some time. Therefore, there being 
 only two forms of lameness, there are only two indications to fulfill, 
 namely : in the acute stage, we endeavor to lessen the activity in 
 the circulation, heat, and pain of the parts by rest and cold-water 
 bathing ; and when pain exists, we mitigate it by bathing the af- 
 fected parts with cold infusion of hops or poppy-heads. When 
 the affection assumes a chronic type, we apply stimulants and 
 counter-irritants. The following is the best remedy in use : 
 25 
 
386 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 No. 61. Aqua ammonia 3i? oz. 
 
 Spirits of camphor 3 oz. 
 
 Salt (bay or rock salt) 8 oz. 
 
 Water 2 pints. 
 
 Dissolve the salt in the water, with a few drops of aqua am- 
 monia ; allow the impurities to settle, and add the clear liquor to 
 the camphor and ammonia, the latter having been previously 
 mixed. A portion of this should be rubbed on the region of 
 lameness morning and evening. Sometimes the actual seat of 
 lameness may be somewhat obscure, yet we can generally find out 
 which limb it is in ; then, to make sure that we shall hit the mark, 
 the whole limb may be treated. Should counter-irritation be nec- 
 essary, strong liniments and blisters, such as are in general use, 
 are recommended. 
 
 re 
 
 This plate represents the fore extremity, cut off a little above the 
 condyles of the humerus, with the flexor metacarpi internus, 
 medius and the ulnaris accessorius muscles removed. 
 
 A, The origin of the ulnaris accessorius muscle. 
 
 B, The flexor, metacarpi internus. 
 
 C, The flexor metacarpi medius. 
 
 F, The radial nerve. 
 
 G, The radial artery. 
 Hi The radial vein. 
 
 I, The superior suspensory ligament, or band. 
 
 J, The tendon of the flexor metacarpi internus muscle. 
 
 K, The cut edge of the posterior annular ligament turned back. 
 
 L, The inferior suspensory band. 
 
 M, Oblique branch of nerve crossing the perforatus tendon. 
 
 N, The perforatus tendon. 
 
 O, The perforans tendon. 
 
 P, The inner metacarpal nerve. 
 
 Q, Metacarpal artery. 
 
 R, Suspensory ligament. 
 
 S, The metacarpal vein. 
 
 T, One of the lumbrici muscles. 
 
 U, Cut edge of the thin, dense membrane which invests the perforatua 
 from a little above the front of the fetlock downward. 
 
 V, The perforatus tendon. 
 
 W, A portion of the tendon lined internally with synovial membrane, 
 removed, to expose the perforans as it passes through the bi- 
 furcation of the perforatus. 
 
SECTION XIII. 
 
 HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 
 
 Prolapsus Ani — Hemorrhoids, or Piles — Pricking and Nicking Horses Tails 
 — Docking Horses — Anemia — The Use and Abuse of the Curry-comb — 
 Horses and Cattle should have a supply of Pure Water — Galled Back 
 — The Heart — The quantity of Blood contained in a Horse's Body — 
 Rapidity of the Circulation — The transfusion of Blood — Management 
 of the Horses put in the Stable — Strangles. 
 
 Prolapsus Ani (Falling of the Fundament or Rectum). 
 
 PROLAPSUS ANI, or protrusion of the rectum, is a calamity 
 much to be dreaded. Fortunately it very rarely occurs, yet 
 when it does, a valuable horse is almost sure to be the subject; 
 hence it is a matter of importance that persons who own valu- 
 able horses should know something about the nature and treat- 
 ment of this mishap. The best authority on this subject is Mr. 
 Percivall, from whose works the following is quoted : 
 
 "It consists in inversion and prolapse of the mucous coat of 
 the rectum, either confined to the mucous membrane itself, or 
 otherwise involving more or less of the entire substance of the 
 intestine along with it. The aspect of the protrusion will mainly 
 depend on the nature and volume of the parts ejected, and upon 
 the time such evolution has been in existence. When recent, so 
 readily does tumefaction (swelling) of the parts follow their pro- 
 trusion, that this speedily opposes all attempts at return, should 
 the animal make any, though, in truth, his efforts in general have 
 the effect of straining more gut out, and through his straining, in 
 some cases, tearing the membrane, and thus augmenting instead 
 of diminishing the evolution as well. In this manner arises a 
 large (sometimes enormous) rotund, red, wrinkled redness of skin, 
 consisting of cylinders of mucous membrane, having an aperture 
 
 (387) 
 
388 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 closed through constriction in its centre, though, when open, issu- 
 ing a mucous and sanious matter, especially at such time as the 
 animal is straining afresh. The circumflex action of the sphincter 
 ani around the neck of the swelling, together with its distension 
 with gas, and the action of the air upon its surface, all add to its 
 increase of volume and change of color; while the straining, at the 
 same time, increases the difficulty of any effort the practitioner 
 may make toward effecting a return of the protruded gut. With 
 its augmentation of volume comes a deepening redness, turning, 
 through the constriction of the sphincter, to a darker, and even 
 purple hue, the membrane becoming, at the same time, inflated 
 and swollen, and gradually changing its color from red to yellow 
 and to brown, though still having a humid shining aspect, now 
 becoming glairy from albuminous secretion, which is not only 
 mucous, but at times purulent. 
 
 Causes. — These may be summed up in irritation, either direct 
 or sympathetic, of the mucous membrane lining the anus and 
 rectum. It is possible that prolonged constipation, from giving 
 rise to violent straining efforts at expulsion of dry and hardened 
 feces, might bring it on, or even the strains of parturition. The 
 action produced by excessive purgation may cause it, but more 
 especially irritation of a mechanical kind, arising from direct in- 
 jury to the membrane or rectum during the operation of raking 
 or manual exploration of the gut, or of clystering. It may prove 
 an accompaniment of an enteritic, colicky, or diarrheal condition 
 of bowel. It is possible it may ensue on nicking, though I never 
 knew it to follow that operation. Violent struggles of any kind, 
 as in such a case as is mentioned in the ' Veterinarian/ by Mr. J. 
 Brown, V. S., London, wherein the horse ' had forced out nearly 
 a foot of the rectum in struggling violently to release himself/ 
 while being cast. 
 
 Treatment. — The formidable, and indeed awful, aspect of this 
 disease is apt to operate in the mind of the owner of the animal 
 favorably for the veterinary surgeon, inasmuch as it gives rise to 
 his being called to the case sooner than he otherwise would have 
 been. Should the summons be an early one, at the time that 
 the protrusion is recent, and its volume nothing so very alarming, 
 judicious exercise of the taxis, if employed at the moment, may 
 succeed in the return of the gut. Distributing the fingers of both 
 hands over the wrinkled and swollen body of the protrusion, 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 389 
 
 steady, firm, and forcible pressure ought to be maintained against 
 it for such length of time as appears to afford any chance of suc- 
 cess, augmenting the force used whenever there be any remission 
 of the straining. Should the first efforts of this description fail, 
 the protruded mass may have its bulk lessened and constricted as 
 much as possible by local application of some sort, than which 
 none offers a better chance of succeeding than such as follows 
 from sudden and intense cold, though to a part so sensitive and 
 vascular the practice is not devoid of danger. Ice may be pow- 
 dered and inclosed in a linen bag, so as to form a sort of bolster, 
 that may be held or braced with firmness upon the tumefaction. 
 The contrary of such treatment as this, however, though the ob- 
 ject be the same, is generally preferred — namely, fomentation, 
 medicated or not, with scarification of the exposed membrane — 
 though in other cases astringent applications are employed, with 
 a view of causing contraction and diminution of the mass, such as 
 lime-water, decoction of oak bark, solution of alum, etc. ; and 
 while such proceedings are going on, it is advisable to have the 
 hind parts raised. Supposing we succeed in accomplishing the 
 reduction, the chances are in favor of the relapse of the prolapsus, 
 and these chances seem great in proportion to the facility with 
 which the return of the inverted gut has been effected. Indeed, 
 so constant and troublesome does the return in some of these cases 
 become, that it is necessary to contrive some sort of truss to op- 
 pose the descent, the same as is done for rupture in man. Mr. 
 Dycer's truss consisted of 'a new wet chamois leather, a breast- 
 plate, and a hip (human) truss.' Should constipation be thought 
 to operate against reduction, in addition to clysters, we may ex- 
 hibit cathartics and aloes in solution, and should there be plethora 
 and great irritability in the membrane of the rectum and anus, a 
 blood-letting will be advisable, while an opiate or belladonna clys- 
 ter will be advantageously administered, in order to allay all local 
 irritation as much as possible. 
 
 As a dernier and effective mode of procedure in prolapsus 
 ani, when the case proves either irreducible, or, after return, con- 
 tinually protrudes on any slight effort, such as coughing afresh, 
 we have recourse, with safety and certainty, to an operation con- 
 sisting in excision of more or less of the inverted membrane en- 
 veloping the protruding portion of the gut. This is an operation 
 of ancient date, though to Dupuytren is ascribed the credit of 
 
390 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 introducing it into human practice, and to the French veterinarians 
 that of transplanting the same into veterinary practice. For- 
 merly the actual cautery was the instrument employed for the 
 removal of the parts obstructing reduction ; but in our own day 
 this has been thrown aside for the scalpel, an instrument quite as 
 effective, while the simple act of cutting with a knife gives so 
 much less pain than cutting or dividing with the actual cautery. 
 In general, it is considered necessary to cast the horse for the ope- 
 ration; but Mr. Gregory, V. S., did not cast his patient, but 
 merely put on a side-line, and had one leg held up and the tail 
 kept" on one side ; and, most assuredly, the standing position of 
 the patient is one which, in such an operation, offers no mean 
 advantages to the operator, provided he can avail himself of it 
 without any personal danger. A great preservation against re- 
 fractoriness in an operation of the kind, at the moment when any 
 pain is felt, is a twitch, well put on, and well and timely turned. 
 The horse secured, with his tail turned out of the way, an incision, 
 forming a circle, is to be carried around the protruding mass, at 
 sufficient distance from the constricted part of the neck of the 
 protrusion to leave behind it such parts as are distended from 
 tumefaction or infiltration, whose removal will render the retrac- 
 tion of the gut an easy and natural effort. In making incision, 
 it may be advisable to take up and tie with a silk ligature any 
 vessel met with of size enough to issue a current of blood, though 
 sometimes no such precaution is required. In the case mentioned 
 by Mr. Gregory, not more than a quart of blood was lost. The 
 incision ought to be made of sufficient depth to penetrate com- 
 pletely through the substance of the mucous membrane, however 
 morbidly thickened that may be, without, however, running a 
 risk of wounding the muscular coat beneath it, the object being 
 to dissect the former away and strip it off the latter, so as to lessen' 
 the bulk of the mass to that degree that return becomes a volun- 
 tary and facile action of the animal himself. So soon, however, 
 as this denudation has been carried near to the inverted anus, 
 care must be taken not to dissect or otherwise injure the sphincter 
 of that part, lest we leave the horse with an imperfection in closing 
 an outlet of so important a function. A soft or mash diet should, 
 for a few weeks, succeed the operation, with abstinence from hay, 
 which, from its fibrous, prickly nature, must be particularly offen- 
 sive to the denuded gut. Occasional emollient clysters are also 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 391 
 
 recommendable, especially when there appears any pain or diffi- 
 culty in giving exit to the feces." 
 
 Hemorrhoids, or Piles in the Horse. 
 
 The following case of piles, occurring in the practice of Mr. 
 P. "Wals, V. S., is here introduced from the " Veternarian : " 
 
 "On the evening of March 13, 1851, I was summoned hastily 
 to attend a brown carriage-mare, belonging to an employer about 
 a mile distant from Norwich, which was reported to have some- 
 thing ' bloody' hanging out of her rectum. The coachman who 
 came said it had made its appearance two or three times during 
 the day after dunging, but had always returned again, until just 
 before he left home, when a portion of it was left out, and the 
 mare became very uneasy. On my arrival, I found, as reported, 
 the mare in pain, indicated by a peculiar switching or lashing of 
 the tail, and stamping of the hind feet; but she had not lain 
 down, although she made several attempts to do so. It first struck 
 me as a case of prolapsus ani, but, on examination, it proved to be 
 a true case of piles. The tumor protruding was about the size of 
 a duck's egg, presenting precisely the appearance of a pilous grape 
 in the human subject, only, of course, much larger. I had some 
 difficulty in returning it, in consequence of the powerful action 
 of the sphincter ani, which, no doubt, accounted for the pain ; but, 
 having accomplished it, the mare became easy, and continued so 
 for some little time. I thought it right, however, to have her 
 removed to my infirmary, as I anticipated a return of the tumor 
 when she again dunged, in which I was not deceived, since, on her 
 arrival at my stable, I found it out again. On making a more 
 minute examination, I discovered smaller tumors round and about 
 the larger one, the latter, however, being the only one that pro- 
 truded. The mare being naturally of an irritable temperament, 
 and consequently dunging more frequently than one less so would 
 have done, induced me to have a careful assistant remain up with 
 her during the night, for the purpose of returning the tumor 
 whenever it made its reappearance, which it invariably was said 
 to do after each evacuation, pain being constantly present at such 
 time. 
 
 Reflecting on the case next morning, and observing consider- 
 able mischief was being done by the necessary manipulation, I 
 
392 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 foresaw I should have a very troublesome case, unless I could hit 
 upon some plan of dilating the sphincter so as to allow of a return 
 of the tumor without so much handling of it. This I accom- 
 plished in the following manner : I had the mare placed in a nar- 
 row stall, the back part of which was well bedded with litter, so 
 that, in standing, her hind quarters were elevated six or eight 
 inches higher than the fore ones. I then procured a pair of glove- 
 sticks, such as glovers use for opening the fingers of gloves, and, 
 having dipped their ends in oil,-gently introduced them about an 
 inch or an inch and a half into the rectum, underneath the tumor, 
 letting it, in fact, rest upon them. In this way, by pressing the 
 handles, dilatation took place, and the tumor receded with little or 
 no difficulty. This treatment I persevered in for four days, in 
 conjunction with a constant application of cold water to the parts, 
 at the end of which time such great improvement had taken place 
 that the use of the sticks became no longer necessary. In four 
 days more the parts appeared to have become quite reinstated, 
 which, of course, rendered any further treatment unnecessary. I 
 gave no medicine, except a very mild aperient in the first instance, 
 but kept the bowels lax with bran, linseed, carrots, etc. The mare 
 being sold shortly afterward, I lost sight of her, and am unable to 
 say, in consequence, whether any return of the difficulty has taken 
 place, but I should think such an occurrence not improbable." 
 
 Pricking or Nicking Hoeses' Tails. 
 
 The English method of nicking horses is, instead of inserting a 
 knife and making a subcutaneous section of the muscles of the 
 tail, known as the depressors, to make three straight incisions at 
 equal distances right across the tail. By this method the muscles 
 of the tail are effectually or completely divided. The first incision 
 is usually made about two inches from the root of the tail, and 
 the other two at equal distances from the first, in a direction toward 
 the end of the tail. The tail is then kept perpendicular, in the 
 usual manner, by pulleys. It is said that by this method a more 
 graceful curvature of the tail is secured, which I believe is a fact, 
 yet the operation is any thing but pleasant to the horse. It is one 
 of the fashionable barbarisms of civilization. 
 
 The English method of nicking, although the most unsightly 
 and barbarous, is still the safest, as there is less liability to lock- 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 393 
 
 jaw. It is well-known that lock-jaw more frequently ensues 
 from a punctured wound than a clean cut or incision ; yet when 
 nicking or pricking, after the American fashion, (if care be taken 
 to make the orifice through the skin sufficiently large, so that pus, 
 afterward secreted, may escape,) I think there is no danger. The 
 danger arises from the imprisonment of pus by closure of the 
 orifice in the skin. In healthy subjects the orifice made through 
 the skin will often unite in the course of a few hours ; then, should 
 morbid matter accumulate within the substance of the tail, it bur- 
 rows, forms an abscess, or else becomes absorbed, producing lock- 
 jaw. Therefore, I would advise persons having pricked or nicked 
 horses under their care, to pay strict attention to such, and see 
 that the orifices are kept open, which may easily be done by oc- 
 casionally inserting the point of a penknife. The skin should be 
 the last to heal. The healing process must be perfected in the 
 interior first, and, lastly, the skin. Should fungus or "proud 
 flesh " appear, apply powdered bloodroot, burnt alum, or red pre- 
 cipitate. When an abscess forms at the base of the tail after 
 pricking, apply a poultice of flaxseed ; and when the tail is much 
 inflamed and swollen, it should be bathed frequently with the 
 following : 
 
 No. 62. Acetic acid 1 part. 
 
 Water » 7 parts. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 When horses are nicked in warm weather, the tail should be 
 moistened with tincture of aloes ; this will keep the flies off. 
 
 Persons who are not experts in the art of pricking are apt to 
 wound, and sometimes completely sever the coccygeal arteries, 
 thereby causing an unnecessary and dangerous hemorrhage. In 
 such cases, I should advise the operator to crowd into the orifice 
 a small piece of dry sponge. This will arrest the hemorrhage, 
 and, at the same time, keep the divided ends of the muscles apart, 
 so that they can not reunite ; hence it is not necessary to put the 
 tail into pulleys for some hours, or until bleeding has ceased. 
 When this is the case, the sponge may be removed by means of 
 a small pair of forceps. 
 
 The success in securing what is denominated a fashionable tail 
 depends altogether on the skill of the operator, who must make 
 a complete division of the muscles beneath the tail only, as their 
 action is to compress and depress that useful appendage; for, 
 
394 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 should the incision be made too high on the side of the tail, the 
 curvators may be partly or wholly severed. Then the tail will 
 ultimately diverge laterally, or, in stable language, it will be said 
 that "the horse does not carry his tail straight." To remedy 
 this, the curvator on the opposite side must be divided ; then the 
 tail has to be forcibly drawn and kept in an opposite direction 
 from the curved side, so as to prevent the muscle from reuniting. 
 In the course of a short time granulations are thrown out from 
 the surface of the divided ends of the muscle. It then acquires 
 length, and thus the tail becomes straight. 
 
 ANATOMY OF THE TAIL. 
 
 For the benefit of those who wish to practice the art of " nick- 
 ing or pricking " understandingly, I now propose to give a brief 
 exposition of the anatomy of the tail. 
 
 Bones of the Tail. — The bones of the tail, numbering fifteen, 
 sometimes sixteen, are situated at the back of the rump-bone, or 
 sacrum. They are not a continuation of the vertebral bones, but 
 are an appendage to the haunch bone. The bones entire are termed 
 coccyx (from the Greek, which signifies cuckoo, the bill of which 
 bird the appendage to the sacrum, or haunch-bone of man, is said 
 to represent) ; and, in order to prevent confusion in anatomical 
 terms, veterinary surgeons have applied the same name to the tail 
 bones of the horse. Hence, when the terms coccygis or coccygeal 
 are used, they have some relation to the tail. The bones are 
 roughened on their surfaces, and have depressions' and eminences 
 for the insertion of ligaments, tendons, and muscles. 
 
 Muscles of the Tail. — These muscles are divisible into four pairs. 
 They are most distinctly seen at the root of the tail, but, in their 
 course toward the end of the same, they become blended one with 
 another. 
 
 The first pair of coccygeal muscles are situated on the upper 
 part of the tail. They are attached to the sacrum and to the 
 bones of the tail. Their action is to raise or erect the tail. 
 
 The second pair are termed depressors coccyx, and are situated 
 at the under part of the tail. They are attached to the under- 
 neath part of the sacrum, and to the same locality on the bones 
 of the tail. They are antagonistic to the first pair, and their di- 
 rect action is to depress the tail. These are the muscles which 
 should be divided in the process of pricking or nicking. 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 395 
 
 The third pair are termed curvators coccyx. These muscles are 
 situated on the sides of the tail, between the first and second pairs. 
 They are attached to the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebra, ,and to 
 the sides or transverse processes of all the bones of the tail. Their 
 action is to curve or flex the tail toward the quarter and sides, and 
 the division of one of these muscles causes permanent flexure of 
 the tail in an opposite direction. Considering the tail as a means 
 of defense in switching oif flies, etc., these muscles are the principal 
 ones called into action. 
 
 The fourth pair are termed compressors coccyx. They are lo- 
 cated at the sides and root of the tail, and are inserted into the 
 back part of the hip bones' (ischium), and into the five first bones 
 of the tail. The action of these muscles is to maintain the tail 
 forcibly against the anus. In the mare, these muscles protect her 
 from ravishment. 
 
 The arteries of the Tail are termed coccygeal arteries. Those lo- 
 cated at the sides are called lateral coccygeal, and the one found 
 in the lower or inferior region is called inferior coccygeal. 
 
 Nerves of the Tail. — As with the muscles, so with the nerves. 
 There are four pairs of coccygeal nerves. They are not a con- 
 tinuation of the true spinal cord, but are given off from it. They 
 are distributed to the muscular filaments, to the skin, and at the 
 extremity of the tail. 
 
 Docking Horses. 
 
 All persons familiar with the old tactics of "jockeyism" and 
 the tricks of horse trade, will understand what is meant by the 
 above caption. It is a most cruel and barbarous outrage on one 
 of Nature's menials, and I feel inclined to indorse the sentiments 
 of the profound poet Tupper, when he says, " In that great day, 
 when crime is sentenced, cruel man shall not go uncondemned 
 because no complaining brute stands there accusing, for our Fa- 
 ther careth when a sparrow dies." 
 
 Horses should never be deprived of any part of that valuable 
 weapon of defense known as the tail. It is a part and parcel of 
 the organization of the horse, and to deprive him of what Nature 
 gave him, after the fashion of " doing all things well," is an out- 
 rage which should be considered beneath the dignity of a gentle- 
 man to perpetrate. Besides the cruelty which is acknowledged 
 
396 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 to be identified with the operation, there are other reasons, on the 
 grounds of physiology, why the tail should be left entire, espe- 
 cially in the case of a mare; but, as the reader is probably con- 
 versant with the facts in the case, I shall not enter into a discussion 
 of the same, but prefer to introduce the following paragraph; 
 written by a person who aims at reform : 
 
 " I am glad that the abominable practice of docking and nick- 
 ing horses is going out of fashion. It prevails in no country in 
 the world besides England and the United States. We got it 
 from the mother country, and the sooner we leave it off the bet- 
 ter. It is wonderful how any body but an ignorant, narrow- 
 minded blockhead of a jockey should ever have thought of it 
 being as offensive to good taste as it is a violation of every hu- 
 mane feeling. Has Nature done her work in such a bungling 
 manner in forming that paragon of animals, the horse, that a large 
 piece of bone should be chopped off with an ax to reduce him to 
 symmetry, or that beauty and grace can be obtained only by cut- 
 ting a pair of his large muscles ? ' The docking and nicking of 
 horses,' says an intelligent writer on farriery, ( is a shockingly cruel 
 practice, and ought to be abandoned by the whole race of mankind. 
 Every human being, possessed of feeling and a magnanimous 
 mind, must confess that it is cruel and entirely uncalled for; but 
 that creature called man attempts thus to mend the works of his 
 almighty, wise Creator, in doing which he often spoils and dis- 
 figures them. What is more beautiful than a fine horse, with an 
 elegant, long tail and a flowing mane waving in the sports of the 
 wind, and exhibiting itself in a perfect state of nature ? Besides, 
 our Creator has given them for defense as well as beauty.' The 
 same author relates an instance of a fine hunting horse, owned by 
 an Englishman, which would carry its rider over the highest five- 
 barred gate with ease ; but he thought that the horse did not carry 
 as good a tail as he wished; he therefore had him nicked, and 
 when the horse got well, he could scarcely carry over two bars. 
 ' Thus,' said he, ' I have spoiled a fine horse ; and no wonder, for 
 it weakened his loins.' Any man of common sense would give 
 ten per cent, more for a fine horse whose tail had never been 
 mutilated, than for one which had been under the hands of a 
 jockey." 
 
horse management, etc. 397 
 
 Anemia. 
 
 This signifies an impoverished state of the blood, usually oc- 
 casioned by want of nutritious food and exposure to inclement 
 weather. I was called, a short time ago, to see a yearling, said 
 to be ailing and unthrifty, and had been so for some time. 
 
 Symptoms. — The principal symptoms were as follows : The 
 head, face, and eyes were in a dropsical condition and much swol- 
 len ; underneath the heart, and along the lower part of the abdo- 
 men, dropsical swellings were also observed; the membranes of 
 the mouth and nose appeared pale, almost bloodless ; the pulse was 
 quite slow, and the action of the heart feeble; the respirations 
 were somewhat hurried, yet the lungs were not expanded to their 
 full capacity. I was informed that the urine was thick, and of a 
 cream-like color, and the feces hard and scanty. The muscular 
 Bystem was spare and wiry ; the ribs could be easily counted, and 
 the animal was unsteady on his legs. From such symptoms as 
 these the reader will perceive that the case was one of debility, 
 and from the fact that the animal had been confined to an innu- 
 tritious diet, or, rather, like a hen, had to scratch for a living. 
 It will also be inferred that the debility was the result of partial 
 starvation. 
 
 Treatment. — I gave the animal one drachm of sulphate of iron, 
 and three ounces of the fluid extract of resin weed per day, dur- 
 ing a period of ten days. At the same time, he was liberally fed 
 on oats and good timothy hay, under which treatment he rapidly 
 gained in health and strength, and soon recovered. 
 
 The Use and Abuse of the Curry-comb. 
 
 I do not advocate that the curry-comb shall be entirely dis- 
 pensed with ; for, in the first place, it is needed for the purpose of 
 removing scurf and dirt which has been removed from the ex- 
 ternal surface of the body by means of the brush, and, probably, 
 this was the intention of the man who first invented a curry- 
 comb; and, in the next place, the curry-comb may be needed to 
 scratch oif or remove mud that may have become dry and stiff on 
 the limbs of horses ; and for these reasons, if for no others, I sup- 
 pose we can not dispense with the curry-comb. There are some 
 parts where the curry-comb should not be used — for example, on 
 
398 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the inside of the thighs, flanks, chest, and face, where the skin is 
 not so thick, and more sensitive than some other regions of the 
 body. Some horses, especially those of a strongly-marked, nervous 
 temperament, have very sensitive skins, and can not even bear a 
 fly to light on their bodies without, evincing signs of pain and 
 irritation. On such the curry-comb should be used gently and 
 in a spirit of mercy. There are other horses, however, especially 
 those of the lymphatic temperament, and whose skins are less 
 sensitive, who can bear the action of the curry-comb without 
 much flinching, and it is the duty of a merciful man to consider 
 this matter when cleaning a horse. Thoroughbred horses, which 
 include a vast number of the sanguine temperament, have a very 
 active circulation over the whole surface of the body, and this 
 vast circulation, through the superficial vessels, argues a delicate 
 sense of touch. To them the curry-comb, unless used very gently, 
 is severe torture. 
 
 Horses and Cattle should have a Supply of 
 Pure Water. 
 
 Although few persons think it worth while to pay much atten- 
 tion to this department of husbandry, yet a little reflection will 
 convince any reasonable person of the value and importance of 
 furnishing animals with a constant supply of pure water. Pure, 
 cool water is said to be a God-send to a thirsty throat ; and as ani- 
 mals are apt to have thirsty throats, they should be permitted to 
 enjoy a luxury which costs but a trifle, and operates very favora- 
 bly in promoting their health. All classes of domestic animals 
 have as great an aversion to impure, filthy water as ourselves, and 
 the former will often turn away with disgust from the filthy stuff 
 called water which is often found in water-troughs on the road- 
 side, and within the precincts of the barn and in some pastures. 
 The common, stagnated pond-water, which many poor creatures 
 are compelled to imbibe, is often the exciting cause of disease, 
 especially in the Western States, where decayed vegetable matter 
 abounds. 
 
 Pure water will never injure an animal. I do not believe the 
 stories which are told about horses becoming foundered in conse- 
 quence of drinking pure water. In a majority of cases, Mr. Fast- 
 man is blameable. He has probably either overdriven or over- 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 399 
 
 worked the creature, or else has suffered it, when heated, to cool 
 off without the necessary care and attention which should always 
 be observed when animals are fatigued or perspiring freely. Hard 
 usage, willful neglect, and wanton cruelty are more likely to pro- 
 duce disease than the universal beverage, so acceptable to the palate 
 of a weary or thirsty horse. How often do we see a " let " horse 
 come into the stable all exhausted and used up, scarcely able to 
 advance one limb before another ! Examine into the facts, and we 
 shall find that the powers of the subject have perhaps been over- 
 taxed. He has been driven too far, or at too rapid a rate, for the 
 present state of his constitution to endure, and perhaps he has not 
 had sufficient nourishment to repair the waste incidental to the 
 living mechanism under the states of rapid and protracted labor. 
 Is not this enough to account for the used-up condition ? Is it 
 not more rational to suppose that abuse of the respiratory organs 
 and those of locomotion operates far more unfavorably on the 
 horse than water ? It is. But- Mr. Fastman must, if there be 
 any blame rightly belonging to him, try to shift the same from his 
 shoulders, and, therefore, he avails himself of a popular error — 
 "He drank too much water ;" yet the individual had no means of 
 ascertaining the precise quantity needed. 
 
 We might say, as regards some horses, whose labors are very 
 fatiguing, that they come from their work, and, as soon as unhar- 
 nessed, go to the trough, and imbibe from one to three buckets 
 without any bad effect. Some animals need more water than 
 others. The kind of work, the temperature of the atmosphere, 
 and the nature of the food, whether it be wet or dry, all tend to 
 diversify an animal's wants. The domesticated horse requires a 
 bountiful supply of good water. His body is composed of seventy- 
 five per cent, of the same, and he can no more exist without it 
 than he can without food. A cow or ox is probably the best judge 
 as regards its own wants as to the quantity of water needed. It 
 is not the quantity which a rational animal imbibes which does 
 harm, but it is the quality that demands our attention. 
 
 Thirsty people drink all the cold water they need. Then why 
 deprive a cow or horse of what they actually require ? Consider 
 the condition of the inhabitants of populous cities during the sum- 
 mer season. Thirst amounts almost to a disease, and, in view of 
 quenching it, the thirsty are continually imbibing water, rendered 
 cold, hot, sour, sweet, or alkaline, just as fancy dictates or as fashion 
 
400 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 prevails. Cold icings and other fixings are called into requisi- 
 tion to smother the fire of thirst which rages within. Every body 
 partakes freely — the young and the aged, the exhausted and vigor- 
 ous, the laborer wearied by a hard day's work, and the rich man 
 of no work — each and all are doing their best to see the bottom 
 of the pitcher, and to pitch their bodies into the watery element. 
 Yet, after all, how few persons complain of any bad effect from it. 
 
 Inquire into the history of some of the acute maladies that are 
 supposed to arise from water-drinking, and it will be found that 
 many of the sufferers have a peculiarity of constitution which ren- 
 ders them amenable to the laws of primogenital disease, which, 
 although latent under ordinary circumstances, can, by disturbing 
 the life forces, through neglect, cruelty, and overwork, be developed 
 at almost any time of life. 
 
 Animals should never be allowed to drink pond-water. They 
 should either have access to a running stream or a clean water- 
 trough. 
 
 Galled Back. 
 
 Galled back, or sore back, is usually occasioned by bad-fitting 
 saddle or harness. If that be the case, the shape of the same must 
 be altered so as to correspond to the shape of that portion of the 
 back which comes in contact with it. This can be done by pad- 
 ding the concavities with lamb's wool, and in chambering the con- 
 vexities so that there shall be no unequal pressure nor causes for 
 irritation. Yet, after all, it may be more economical to procure a 
 new article and a better fit ; and this may also be the most humane 
 policy. 
 
 Treatment. — So soon as an abrasion is discovered on the back, 
 the animal should be excused from duty for a few days. The 
 abraded part should be lubricated two or three times daily with 
 common tar and olive oil, equal parts, and this will soon restore 
 the parts to soundness. Should there be no abrasion, yet tume- 
 faction, heat, and tenderness, a cold-water pledget, renewed as 
 occasion seems to require, will improve the condition of the parts, 
 when recourse must be had to the tar and oil lotion. Sometimes, 
 in consequence of neglect, the integument becomes callous or indu- 
 rated. This condition was termed by ancient farriers " sit-fast." 
 The treatment for this consists in smearing the callous with the 
 following; : 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 401 
 
 No. 63. Iodide of potass 1 dr. 
 
 Simple ointment 6 dr. 
 
 Glycerine 2 dr. 
 
 Mix these ingredients well together, and they are then fit for 
 use. A few applications of this ointment will have the effect of 
 removing the callous, when a healthy surface will appear. 
 
 Some animals, owing to a peculiarity of constitution or of form, 
 will chafe in those parts which come in contact with the collar and 
 saddle, and no human foresight nor mechanical contrivance can 
 always succeed in preventing the same. For example, some horses 
 are humory, as the saying is — perhaps have a taint of scrofula 
 about them — and if they perform a hard day's labor in the warm 
 season of the year, notwithstanding they be harnessed in the best 
 possible manner, they will come home at night with either galled 
 shoulders or sore back. For such cases as these the harness-maker, 
 with all his skill and ingenuity, has no other remedy than that of 
 a palliative character. 
 
 The Heakt. . 
 
 The current of blood is said to be put in motion by a muscular 
 organ known as the heart, which is located within the thorax, or 
 chest. The blood is distributed to all the various ramifications 
 of the body by means of vessels called arteries, and it is returned 
 to the heart by the veins. The red color of the blood is due to 
 the presence of red corpuscles, which are always to be found in the 
 blood of the vertebrata. In some of the invertebrata the blood 
 is white, or resembles the color of chyle. 
 
 Ifode of Circulation. — The blood, having been propelled from 
 the left or posterior ventricle of the heart to all the various rami- 
 fications of the body, passes through the extreme vessels (capil- 
 lary) into the veins. These veins terminate in a vessel known as 
 vena cava, anterior and posterior, both of which sections termi- 
 nate in the right or anterior auricle. This auricle contracts, and 
 the venous blood thus finds its way into the right ventricle, where 
 the pulmonary arteries have their origin. By aid of the muscular 
 power of this ventricle, the blood is sent through the pulmonary 
 arteries to the lungs (aeration and oxygenation.) The color of 
 this blood is dark, almost black. It is highly carbonized, abounds 
 in morbific matter and the worn-out materials of the body, and 
 in this state is a non-supporter of vitality. In this condition, 
 26 
 
402 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 then, venous blood enters the pulmonary tissues. The arteriali- 
 zation of the blood which follows is a process more essential to 
 vital integrity than the assimilation of food ; for animals can live 
 a long time without food, but they can only exist a short time 
 unless the blood be oxygenized. 
 
 The pulmonary arteries branch off into minute ramifications on 
 the surface of the air-cells of the lungs, and where these minute 
 divisions terminate others commence, termed venous radicles, 
 which ultimately become large veins. By the pulmonary veins 
 the oxygenized blood is returned to the left auricle and ventricle 
 of the heart. This route of the blood from heart to lungs, and back 
 again from lungs to heart, is termed the lesser circulation. The 
 left ventricle delivers the blood into the great aorta, and thence 
 to every part of the body. This is called the greater circulation. 
 
 Difference between Veins and Arteries. — The veins differ from 
 arteries in- being less dense, having no muscular nor ligamentary 
 tunics like the arteries, and, therefore, offer but little resistance to 
 tight collars and tight-fitting harness and circingles, which are apt 
 to interfere with the return of blood to the heart. The incapacity 
 of veins returning blood to the heart in the same ratio in which it 
 is carried by the arteries, is proved from the fact that, the former 
 are twice as voluminous as the latter. The veins also differ in 
 their internal arrangement from the arteries, the former being 
 furnished, at proper distances, with valves, which guard against a 
 retrograde venous action. 
 
 The Quantity of Blood Contained in the Body 
 or a Horse. 
 
 Mr. Percivall, who is our chief authority on this subject, 
 contends that, for many reasons, the quantity of blood contained 
 in an animal body may be made matter of speculation, but can 
 not, for many reasons, be ascertained with any degree of precision ; 
 for, says he, " if we attempt to draw all the blood out of the body, 
 the animal sinks and dies long before its vessels are evacuated; 
 and as we possess no means of measuring what remains behind, 
 any calculation we may make from the quantity that has flowed 
 must necessarily turn out vague, if not altogether incorrect." He 
 contends, however, that the following experiment offers a datum, 
 or guide: 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 403 
 
 "The weight of an animal being ascertained to be seventy- 
 nine pounds, a puncture was made with a lancet into the jugular, 
 from which the blood flowed in a very free stream, and was col- 
 lected. The vein having ceased to bleed, the caroted artery of 
 the same side was divided, but no blood came from it. In a few 
 seconds afterward the animal was dead. The weight of the car- 
 cass was found to be seventy-three and one half pounds ; conse- 
 quently, the animal had sustained a loss of 5.12 pounds, precisely 
 the measure of the blood drawn. 
 
 It appears, therefore, from this experiment, that an animal will 
 lose one-fifteenth of its weight of blood ere it dies, although a less 
 quantity may so far debilitate the vital powers as to be, though 
 less suddenly, equally fatal. In the human subject, the quantity 
 of blood has been computed at about one-eighth part of the weight 
 of the body ; and as such an opinion has been broached from the 
 results of experiments on quadrupeds, we may fairly take that to 
 be about the proportion of it in the horse ; so that if we estimate 
 the weight of a common-sized horse at about 12 cwt., the whole 
 quantity of blood will amount to 84 quarts, or 168 pounds, of 
 which about 45 quarts, or 90 pounds, will flow from the jugular 
 vein prior to death, though the loss of a much smaller quantity 
 will sometimes deprive the animal of life." 
 
 The Eapidity of the Circulation. 
 
 In 1827, Hering,* a German physiologist, performed the ex- 
 periment of injecting into the jugular vein of a dog a harmless 
 substance, which could be easily recognized by its chemical reac- 
 tions, and noted the time which elapsed before it could be de- 
 tected in the vein of the opposite side. This gave the first correct 
 idea of the rapidity of the circulation ; for though the older phys- 
 iologists had studied the subject, their estimates were founded on 
 calculations which had no accurate basis, and gave very different 
 results. The experiment of Hering is often roughly performed 
 as a physiological demonstration, and we have thus had frequent 
 occasion, in a general way, to verify its accuracy. If, for ex- 
 ample, we expose both jugulars of a dog, inject into one a solution 
 of ferro-cyanide of potassium in water, and draw a specimen of 
 
 * Milne-Edwai-ds. 
 
404 . DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 blood from the other, with as little loss of time as possible, it will 
 be found that, in twenty or thirty seconds after the injection, the 
 salt has had time to pass from the jugular to the right side of the 
 heart, thence to the lungs and left side of the heart, and from 
 this, through the capillaries of the head and face, back to the 
 jugular on the opposite side. Its presence can be determined by 
 the distinct blue color produce,! on the addition of the perchlo- 
 ride of iron to the serum, if the specimen be allowed to stand, or 
 a clear extract of the blood be made by boiling with a little sul- 
 phate of soda and filtering, treating the colorless liquid thus ob- 
 tained with the salt of iron. The experiments of Hering were 
 evidently conducted with great care and accuracy. He drew 
 blood at intervals of five seconds after the commencement of the 
 injection, and thus, by repeated observations, ascertained pretty 
 nearly the rapidity of the circuit of blood in the animals on which 
 he experimented. Others have taken up these investigations, and 
 introduced some modifications in the manipulations. Vierordt 
 collected the blood as it flowed, in little vessels fixed on a disk 
 revolving at a known rate, which gave a little more exactness to 
 the observations; but the method is essentially the same as that 
 employed by Hering, and the results obtained by these two 
 observers nearly correspond. 
 
 Hering made observations on horses by increasing the fre- 
 quency of the pulse, on the one hand, physiologically, by exercise, 
 and, on the other hand, pathologically, by inducing inflammation. 
 He found, in the first instance, that in a horse, with the heart 
 beating at the rate of thirty-six per minute, with eight respira- 
 tory acts, ferro-cyanide of potassium injected into the jugular ap- 
 peared on the vessels on the opposite side, after an interval of 
 from twenty to twenty -five seconds. By exercise, the number of 
 pulsations was raised to one hundred per minute, and the rapidity 
 of the circulation was from fifteen to twenty seconds. The obser- 
 vations were made with an interval of twenty-four hours. The 
 same results were obtained in other experiments. 
 
 The Transfusion of Blood. 
 
 J. Farrell, V. S., has lately been experimenting in an inter- 
 esting department of veterinary science ; namely, the transfusion 
 of equine blood in diseases attended with low, vital action. Trans- 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 405 
 
 fusion signifies the transfer of blood from one living animal to 
 another, by means of a hollow tube inserted into the jugular veins 
 of each horse. His method was as follows : 
 
 " I commenced a series of experiments, so as to discover the 
 simplest, safest, and most effectual method of conveying blood 
 from one animal to another. I first tried the transfusion syringe, 
 which has been used by medical practitioners for this purpose ; 
 but, whether from want of skill in its use, or from some defect in 
 the instrument, (which had been recommended to me as one of the 
 best,) or from some other cause, I can not tell, but certain it is I 
 was in no case so successful with it as I was with a more simple 
 apparatus. I fancied that the blood lost much of its vitality by 
 being exposed to atmospheric action, and also by its being forced 
 and compressed within the cylinder of the instrument. These 
 .impressions as to the cause of failure induced me to undertake 
 several experiments, with a view to the construction of an instru- 
 ment which would fulfill the requisite indications ; namely, to allow 
 the blood to pass freely from the vein of the healthy into that of 
 the diseased subject, without coming in contact with the atmos- 
 phere, and without alteration of its temperature. I at length 
 adopted an exceedingly simple apparatus, which may be described 
 in a few words. It consists of an India-rubber tube, some two 
 and a half feet long, and three-eighths of an inch in diameter; 
 that is, about the caliber of the vein in the adult horse. To either 
 end of this is fitted a silver tube, curved somewhat like a syphon, 
 so that the end, which is slightly rounded at the point, might be 
 easily passed into the vein, both tubes being exactly alike. A nar- 
 row zinc or tin trough is required, to contain hot water, in which 
 two-thirds of the tube should be immersed during the time that 
 the blood is flowing. This completes the apparatus ; and, being 
 prepared, and the horses ready, held by assistants, the jugular 
 vein of the healthy horse from which the supply of is to be taken 
 may be opened, and into it one of the silver tubes carefully passed, 
 point upward, so as to receive the current of blood as it flows back 
 from the head — the operator holding the other end, and, having 
 previously opened the corresponding vein in the patient, he should 
 wait till the current is passing freely down the tube from the 
 healthy horse, and then bring it in contact with that which is now 
 flowing slowly from the patient. He should pass the end of the 
 tube carefully into the vein, point downward, by which means the 
 
406 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 possibility of any air getting into the tube is avoided. The quan- 
 tity to be transfused is readily ascertained by watching the expres- 
 sion of the eyes and noting the pulse carefully. So long as there 
 is no dilatation of the pupils, and so long as the heart's action is not 
 very much affected, the blood may be allowed to flow on uninter- 
 ruptedly ; but as soon as the pupils become dilated, it is necessary 
 to lessen the supply gradually, by compressing the tube with the 
 finger and thumb. If the dilatation disappear after a minute or 
 two, the blood may be again allowed to flow ; but if it increases, 
 further transfusion must be stopped, or, otherwise, injurious con- 
 sequences will result. 
 
 In the cases of two animals which I purchased for the purpose 
 of experiment, I purposely allowed the blood to flow after dilata- 
 tion of the pupil had manifested itself, in order that I might see 
 the result, and I found it to increase ; and in one of the cases, 
 after winking both eyes three or four times, in rapid succession, 
 the horse reared up and fell back. In the other case, I forced the 
 blood in from an India-rubber enema bottle. The pupils first 
 became still more dilated; the breathing very quick and difficult; 
 the eyes assumed a wild, agonized look, and the animal, with a 
 sudden bound, fell forward dead. I had my finger on the artery 
 during the entire time, and observed a great unsteadiness and flut- 
 tering of the pulse, which increased in frequency until the instant 
 before he fell. In the first of these cases, I did not force the blood 
 into the vein, but allowed it to flow until I perceived the injurious 
 effects upon the horse. He tottered and fell, but in a short time 
 recovered, and was walked back to his stable. He died in the 
 course of the night, and, on examining his head the next day, I 
 found considerable congestion of the brain. The tube used for 
 the experiments transferred about three quarts of blood in eight 
 minutes ; at least it might be so inferred, from the fact that when 
 used as a syphon, it passed three and a half quarts of water (and 
 a little less of oil) from one vessel to another in that time. 
 
 I think, however, that I am correct in saying that this disease 
 is by no means so likely to occur in horses as in human beings, and 
 is certainly not so formidable ; but, nevertheless, I am quite sure 
 that it may happen as a consequence of the operation, if the instru- 
 ment be not kept scrupulously clean, and also if great care be not 
 taken in its introduction in the vein. Having:, from these and 
 other experiments, not necessary to detail, determined on the mode 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 407 
 
 of operation most likely to be successful, I shall now proceed to 
 state the result of four cases in which I have operated, and which, 
 I think, I may look upon as having been followed with entire 
 success. In three of the cases the patients had been bled a short 
 time previous to my having seen them, and were so much weak- 
 ened that they could scarcely walk. In the fourth case, a drastic 
 purgative had been administered, causing superpurgation and great 
 prostration of strength. In each of the four cases, the condition 
 of the patient was so similar that the description I have already 
 given may answer for all. Having selected a healthy young horse 
 from which to obtain the blood to be transferred, I opened the 
 jugular vein in the patient and in the healthy subject; and hav- 
 ing inserted the tube, as before described, into the vein of the 
 healthy horse, I placed the India-rubber tube in the tin trough 
 containing hot water, to maintain the right temperature, and the 
 other curved tube into the descending portion of the vein in the 
 patient. As soon as the current from the healthy horse had com- 
 pletely expelled all atmospheric air, the instrument being thus 
 arranged, the blood flowed freely from the vein of one horse into 
 that of the other in an unbroken current. The average quantity 
 of blood transferred in each of these cases was about three quarts. 
 I observed no particular symptoms to follow from the transfusion, 
 until two quarts or more had passed from the healthy to the dis- 
 eased subject ; but as soon as about that quantity had flowed, there 
 appeared to be produced an amount of stimulation, indicated by an 
 increased action of the heart ; at the same time the pupils began to 
 dilate, and the countenance evinced an anxious expression. My 
 former experiments led me to watch with great care the progress- 
 ive dilatation of the pupil, and I deemed it expedient, in each case, 
 when this symptom was well developed, to compress the tube so 
 as to diminish the current, and allow the transfusion to proceed 
 more gradually and slowly. Occasionally I almost completely 
 interrupted the current until the subsidence of this symptom, and 
 I found that when about three quarts had been transfused, any 
 additional quantity was followed by unpleasant symptoms, which 
 indicated the necessity of stopping the operation. On removing 
 the tube and closing the vein, all symptoms of irritation "gradually 
 subsided, and the pulse, from being rapid and irritable, became 
 slower, stronger, and fuller, gradually approaching the healthy 
 standard. 
 
408 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 In each of these four cases the reaction was steady and progres- 
 sive. The natural warmth of the extremities was gradually 
 restored, and, in the course of ten or twelve hours, the patient 
 presented other equally unmistakable symptoms of amendment, 
 such as returning appetite, more quiet and steady respiration, 
 cheerfulness of countenance, and a willingness to move about. 
 From this point there was a gradual improvement, and, in a short 
 time, they were pronounced cured. 
 
 I have been induced to submit these few remarks, much less 
 with a view to record any little success I may have had in per- 
 forming the operation myself, than with a hope that others, far 
 more capable, will take up the matter, and test it thoroughly ; for, 
 whatever. obstacles and objections there may be to its performance 
 in the human subject, there are none to prevent its becoming a 
 most valuable agent in veterinary science." 
 
 Soon after the discovery of the circulation of the blood by 
 Harvey, transfusion was attempted on animals, and afterward 
 on man. In some cases the experiment was successful, while 
 others failed to aiFord relief; in fact, a majority of the cases ter- 
 minated unfavorably ; and of late years transfusion has been aban- 
 doned, and regarded as " useless and even dangerous." We can 
 conceive, however, of cases which might occur — when, for exam- 
 ple, a horse has lost a large quantity of blood accidentally — to 
 warrant us in resorting to transfusion; and if any of our veter- 
 inary friends are disposed to make experiments of this kind, we 
 urge them to do so, notwithstanding the opinion of the Parlia- 
 ment of France against it, and that of some scientific men who 
 have pronounced it " useless and dangerous." 
 
 One among the many reasons which may be urged against 
 transfusion is the fact that venous blood is a non-supporter of 
 vitality. It is saturated with the excrementitious material ab- 
 sorbed from the intestinal canal, fibrous membranes, and cellular 
 tissues, and a vast amount of morbific matter is mixed with the 
 venous blood in the course of its circulation, so that it can not be 
 of any benefit to the system of a sick or dying horse until it shall 
 become oxygenized or vitalized, or changed from venous to arte- 
 rial blood, which change can not possibly take place until this 
 fluid has reached the air-cells of the lungs.. It would appear, 
 therefore, that the transfusion of vitalized arterial blood, if the 
 process can be conducted with the relative amount of safety at- 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 409 
 
 tending that of the transfer of venous blood, would be a procedure 
 more consistent with the known laws of physiology than is the 
 case when venous blood is transfused. It is possible that some 
 animals might be benefited by the* transfusion of venous blood, 
 provided the heart and lungs of the patient are in a healthy state, 
 so as to insure sufficient oxygenation; otherwise, the rapid con- 
 sumption of the little oxygen absorbed would be likely to end in 
 asphyxia. If the function of the lungs be impaired by disease, 
 then the process of aeration of the blood is checked, and the blood 
 can not circulate, notwithstanding the healthy state of the heart. 
 In verification of this fact, as regards the very important function 
 of respiration and aeration, we may mention that Dr. Austin 
 Flint, Jun., has lately demonstrated that the condition of oxy- 
 genation of the blood is necessary to the performance of the vital 
 functions, and that a want of capillary power (occasioned by im- 
 perfect oxygenation) throws all onus on the heart, and that the 
 heart is insufficient for the labor. In one of his experiments, after 
 capillary circulation had entirely ceased, the chest was opened 
 and the heart found beating regularly. 
 
 Management of the Horse's Foot in the Stable. 
 
 It is my firm belief, based on a knowledge of the physiology 
 of the foot, that soft bedding, containing the usual amount of 
 filth, is, in many cases, the exciting cause, not only of tender- 
 ness and contraction, but also of many muscular affections. I 
 rejoice to find horse-owners exercising their reason in this depart- 
 ment of -stable management, because it is one step in the right 
 direction, and will put a stop to those glaring absurdities which 
 are constantly practiced just because they have the sanction of 
 antiquity, or because Neighbor So-and-so recommends them. 
 Reason teaches that the health of the whole animal fabric is best 
 promoted by cleanliness and ventilation (by which a pure atmo- 
 sphere is insured), and by food suitable in quantity and quality 
 to the special wants of the animal. Hence, what reason teaches, 
 man should practice. 
 
 It is unreasonable, therefore, to suppose that a horse can be 
 benefited by standing on a soft bed, composed in part of the de- 
 filing excrements of his own body, which are constantly decom- 
 posing and forming gaseous vapors unfit for respiration. If dirt 
 
410 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 and filth are innoxious, in what does the value of our sanitary 
 regulations consist? Why do our city authorities spend so much 
 money to purify the pestiferous cesspool and sewer, and to rid our 
 streets of accumulating rubbish and filth ? Let human beings wal- 
 low knee-deep in muck, and revel shoulder-deep in an atmosphere 
 saturated with ammoniacal and carbonic acid gases (as some horses 
 are compelled to), and death would run riot — our cities would be 
 converted into immense charnel-houses, fit receptacles for a race 
 of beings that would not adopt the means which reason and expe- 
 rience suggest for averting the calamity. 
 
 Horses that have no better care than that alluded to, are in 
 close proximity with disease. That they are often found dead in 
 their stalls from the effects of carbonized blood I can testify, and' 
 many more would die, only they are permitted to take a little of 
 the breath of life during the day, which, to some extent, dilutes 
 the poisonous gases with which their system has been saturated 
 during the night, and thus their life, which, under the best cir- 
 cumstances, is a weary toil, is prolonged. 
 
 Without attempting to prove the general effects of impure air 
 and filth on the system of a horse located in a stall from one to 
 two and a half feet deep of soft bedding, let us consider, in a brief 
 manner, the local phenomena. Our readers are all aware that the 
 combined action of heat and moisture tends to relax — enervates 
 the tissues of the body, and, if carried beyond a certain point, 
 ends in decomposition. Take, for example, a common poultice, 
 apply it to a horse's foot, and renew it as soon as it becomes dry. 
 In the course of two or three days the hoof will separate from 
 its matrix, the frog and heels soften, the tissues be in a state 
 of relaxation, and, if the poultice is continued, the hoof will 
 separate from the sensible parts ; if the foot is already diseased, 
 the separation is accelerated. Warm water has the same effect. 
 Applied externally for any length of time, it relaxes and pros- 
 trates ; applied internally, it relaxes and vomits. Hence the soft, 
 (which implies moist,) hot bedding, tends to create morbid action 
 in the feet, and whatever disease the horse may be predisposed to 
 in those parts will generally manifest itself. Some animals, how- 
 ever, escape the evils alluded to, owing to their insusceptibility; 
 for disease of the foot can not occur without a susceptibility to it 
 and the application of a cause. Soft bedding, cow dung, and other 
 unmentionable filth, are often resorted to as remedies for con- 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 411 
 
 traction, but they are classed among the irrational barbarities of 
 the past, with which they ought to have sunk into oblivion. 
 Veterinary science has discovered that if such articles possess 
 any virtue, it is owing to the moisture they impart to the foot. 
 Therefore, on the score of decency, and in view of relaxing the 
 contracted foot according to the principles of reason and modern 
 science, we should avoid every kind of filth, and resort* to pure 
 water or wholesome poultice ; or take off the shoes, wash the feet 
 daily, and let the horse run to grass, so that he may bring the sole 
 and frog in contact with the ground, and thus promote expansion 
 of the heels. 
 
 As regards the manufacture of tender feet, in both the young 
 and aged, it makes but little difference whether they have the 
 range of a filthy barn-yard or are confined in a bedded stall ; the 
 effect is tenderness of foot, and subsequent lameness; and the 
 same, or a disposition to it, may be transmitted through the sexual 
 congress to future offspring. In view, therefore, of preventing 
 diseased feet, strict attention must be paid to cleanliness. The 
 stall floor should be composed of brick or plank, having just suf- 
 ficient declivity to conduct fluids into a gutter, running along the 
 entrance to the stall, which should terminate exterior to the stable, 
 so that the ammonia, in which the urine is abundant, is carried 
 beyond the stable atmosphere. The bedding, which, according 
 to long custom, is stowed under the crib, there acting as a sort of 
 noxious smelling-bottle to the horse's nostrils, should be spread 
 out in the open air, sorted, the refuse and excrement removed to 
 a dung-heap, located as far from the stable as possible; for the 
 common manure receptacle, under the stable floor, is one of the 
 worst features of stable economy. The stable floor should be 
 washed clean as often as circumstances permit. 
 
 Strangles. 
 
 This disease is most prevalent in young horses. After the age 
 of eight the disease is more rare. I have, however, seen some 
 well-marked cases occurring in horses whose ages varied from five 
 to eight years. Strangles is, without doubt, one of the evils of 
 domestication, and often results from errors in diet and man- 
 agement, which, if we make some exceptions, will generally bear 
 improvement. 
 
412 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Strangles is supposed to be a disease to which all horses are 
 subject once in their lives, yet Mr. Percivall contends that 
 many horses escape the disease. Hence, if many escape, it is very 
 natural for those who know the value of pure air, natural food, 
 and exercise to conclude that the colt, while enjoying these great 
 luxuries in the open air, by the side of its mother, guided by her 
 superior instinct, is not liable to be attacked with a disease which, 
 as already stated, we believe to result from depriving animals of 
 those blessings which Nature has in store for them in their unre- 
 strained state. But it often happens that young colts, after run- 
 ning a season with their mother, partaking of the invigorating 
 country air, grow up to be strong and robust, and then the period 
 arrives for weaning them. How changed the scene ! Instead of 
 being permitted to gambol in their native element, they are con- 
 fined to a small space, not large enough to swing a cat round, and 
 perhaps as dark as the grave ; and the animal, after fretting for a 
 season, and making unsuccessful efforts to escape from its prison- 
 house, tamely submits to the discipline, not, however, until he has 
 cut and bruised and otherwise injured himself. I was called, a 
 short time ago, to visit a young colt that had lacerated his head, 
 breast, and fore-legs in a most shocking manner, in making an 
 attempt to escape through a window from the horrors of confine- 
 ment. His companions were about a dozen cows, more calculated 
 to alarm and render his position a perilous one than otherwise; 
 and the impure atmosphere, rendered so by the emanations from 
 the excrements and from the lungs of his companions, was a source 
 of great mischief. Then, who can blame such an one for attempt- 
 ing to escape and regain liberty ? If strangles should appear in 
 such a subject, it would not be surprising. 
 
 Then, again, take a colt from its mother, whose milk contains 
 all the elements for sustaining life and developing the organization 
 of the young subject, and place it upon a diet of hay or like innu- 
 tritious trash, a whole truss of which would not afford one-half 
 the quantity of nutriment contained in a quart of its mother's 
 milk. However profitable and well-adapted hay may be for stock 
 of mature growth and powerful digestive organs, it is a sad mis- 
 take to suppose that it will do for the young. A case of this kind 
 •came under my observation last year. The subject, aged two and 
 a half years, died in a state of marasmus (a gradual wasting of the 
 system without any apparent disease). A post mortem examina- 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 413 
 
 tion failed to detect any disease other than general emaciation. 
 On making inquiries concerning the food, the owner replied, " The 
 colt has been fed on good sweet hay and corn-stalks ever since it 
 was weaned." This was capital food for the poor thing, provided, 
 however, its stomach had a grist-mill within it ; otherwise, it was 
 hard fare, and must derange the digestive function, and, ere the 
 colt has attained maturity, dyspepsia, in either a mild or aggra- 
 vated form, has secured a victim. 
 
 Mr. Peecivall has defined strangles to be " a diffusible swell- 
 ing under the jaw. The tumor consists in a circumscribed inflam- 
 mation, having all the characteristics of simple phlegmon, attack- 
 ing the subcutaneous cellular substance included between the 
 branches of the jaw, which, in consequence, become gradually 
 filled and distended with eifusions of lymphy and serous matters, 
 acquires a firm and solid feel, tenderness on pressure, and a sense 
 of unnatural heat. This commonly proceeds to suppuration, end- 
 ing, to all appearances, in a common submaxillary abscess. Now, 
 this, and this alone, constitutes strangles. There are in the books 
 a variety of other symptoms described, but they are all concomi- 
 tant or accidental, none but these being, properly speaking, essen- 
 tial to its existence. The usual concomitants are, membranous 
 inflammation, giving rise to soreness about the throat ; reddening 
 and discharge at the nose, and perhaps cough ; tumefaction of the 
 salivary glands, producing pain and difficulty of deglutition; and, 
 lastly, some slight febrile commotion of the system." 
 
 Contagiousness of Strangles. — We learn from the "Veterina- 
 rian" that M. Reynal, clinical professor at the Alfort School, 
 submits a number of observations corroborative of the contagious 
 character of strangles. He states that "young horses having 
 strangles, and put into stables with horses of adult age, doing 
 their duty, have communicated the disease to those of the latter, 
 who have stood in adjoining stalls, though some few have only 
 exhibited the disease in a catarrhal form. Even the foal has been 
 known to suck the disease from its dam. Moreover, experiment 
 has been had recourse to to inoculate for strangles. M. Damalix 
 smeared with a sponge, impregnated w T ith matter taken from the 
 abscess of strangles, twice daily, both sides of the pituitary mem- 
 brane and the internal surfaces of the linings of the eyelids, in a 
 sound horse, about to be cast for spavin. This was continued for 
 seven days. On the eighth, he remarked that the horse had lost 
 
414 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 his appetite, had commenced running from both nostrils, coughed 
 softly and loosely, and had swelling under the jaw, which ended 
 in resolution, all the symptoms terminating eight days from their 
 commencement. 
 
 It has been remarked that strangles is more surely communi- 
 cated at an early than a late stage, and in a certain form more 
 readily than in others. Strangles will assume the herpetic char- 
 acter, simulate farcy and glanders, settle in the mesenteric glands, 
 or may follow castration. In regard to contagion, may be men- 
 tioned, as most readily communicable, that form of strangles which 
 assumes the character of eruptions on the lips, nose, and pituitary 
 membrane." . 
 
 The Tumor of Strangles is not always confined to the submax- 
 illary space, as will be observed from the following case, which 
 occurred in the author's practice, a short time ago, in a gray mare, 
 and which speedily ran to a fatal termination. The subject had 
 previously suffered from some internal disorder, and, on recovery 
 from which, did not appear to regain its usual health, but re- 
 mained in an unthrifty condition. A few days before our atten- 
 tion was called to the case, a tumor made its appearance on the 
 near hip, which suppurated and discharged. On the morning of 
 our visit, the animal had been attacked with abdominal pain, for 
 which remedies had been prescribed. They not appearing to 
 afford relief, the owner called in the aid of some person, who in- 
 serted a knife into the mouth, and wounded the palatine artery, 
 from which the blood had flowed for several hours, but was now 
 arrested. We found the extremities icy cold, and the pulse very 
 feeble. The eye appeared glassy, mucous surfaces pale, and the 
 lips hanging pendulous. There was a painful tumor on the near 
 hind leg, close to the stifle, and another on the flank of the same 
 side. The animal was exceedingly stiff and lame in the hind ex- 
 tremities, and appeared to be failing very fast. Considering the 
 case a hopeless one, we merely recommended some restorative cor- 
 dial and a few quarts of gruel. The animal died in the course 
 of a few hours, and its death, no doubt, was hastened by the loss 
 of blood; for, as the owner expressed himself, "the horse had 
 some life in him before being bled," thereby intimating that the 
 abstraction of blood deprived him of that life. 
 
 Treatment. — So soon as matter can be detected in the tumor or 
 abscess beneath the jaw it should be laid open. This will liber- 
 
HORSE MANAGEMENT, ETC. 415 
 
 ate a quantity of pus. The orifice thus made must not be allowed 
 to close, but must be kept open for a few days, or until matter 
 ceases to run. During this period, a liniment, composed of cod- 
 liver oil, half a pint, and powdered camphor, two ounces, must 
 occasionally be rubbed about the region of the jaws. Half an 
 ounce of powdered chlorate of potass should be mixed in the 
 drink, or with some flaxseed tea, if the patient will drink it. A 
 couple of drachms of fluid extract of pleurisy-root may be given, 
 night and morning, for a short time. Active medicine is not 
 indicated ; good nursing, aided by pure air and voluntary exercise 
 in an in closure, will soon restore the patient to health. 
 
 "We close our labors in the Equine Department by entering 
 our solemn protest against the unwarrantable use of the lancet or 
 knife in Veterinary Practice. It is a disgrace to humanity, an 
 outrage on the rights and privileges of that noble animal, the 
 horse, over whom God has given us dominion and power — not to 
 abuse and render their life a weary toil, and extort front them all 
 the labor we can, but to protect them, to administer to their wants 
 and necessities, and render their condition as happy as possible. 
 A moral responsibility rests on every man to see that the claims 
 which these poor creatures have upon our race are respected ; that 
 their rights are not violated ; that, when sick and in a dying con- 
 dition, they shall be treated with mercy, and be protected from 
 their tormentors, the unmerciful phlebotomists. Any misguided 
 man who can draw from the veins of an emaciated or dying horse 
 the little blood they contain should be sent to the insane asylum, 
 and never again be permitted to disgrace the noble nature of man. 
 We can respect the man who conscientiously practices blood-let- 
 ting; but where is the medical man who can conscientiously bleed 
 a dying brute with a view of saving life ? 
 
 END OF EQUINE DEPARTMENT. 
 
BOVINE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 27 
 
EXPLANATION. 
 
 The above cut represents the geneology of pleuro-pneumonia, as it occurred in Massacha- 
 eetts, a few years ago. It commenced with Mr. Chenery's herd, and spread in the above 
 order. The names are those of the parties whose herds took the disease by infection or con- 
 tagion. (See article Pleuro-pneumonia.) 
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 PART SECOND. 
 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 
 
 SECTION" XIV. 
 
 THE RINDERPEST, OR CONTAGIOUS PLEURO- 
 PNEUMONIA. 
 
 Origin of the Disease in Massachusetts — Spread of the Disease — The 
 Cattle Plague in Kentucky. 
 
 Origin of the Disease in Massachusetts. 
 
 IN the early part of the spring of 1859, Mr. W. W. Chenery 
 sent to Holland for three cows and one heifer. They arrived 
 in Boston on the 23d of May. Two of the cows were found to 
 be in very bad condition. The first died at the end of a week, 
 and was buried; the second one died two days afterward, and 
 was also buried. About the 26th of June the third cow was found 
 to be sick ; she died the 29th day of June. The next cow found 
 to be diseased was taken sick in August. This cow was imported 
 from Holland in 1852. She died in about a fortnight from the 
 time she was first taken. The disease then spread among the 
 rest of the herd owned by Mr. Chenery, of which he lost a 
 large number. 
 
 I examined the two cows that were landed sick. They did not 
 appear to manifest any symptoms of pleuro-pneumonia, but seemed 
 to have suffered terribly from the effects of the voyage. They had 
 got down during the latter part of the voyage, and the external 
 surface of the body was so bruised and abraded that some of the 
 bones were visible. But perhaps Mr. Chenery's own history of 
 
 (419) 
 
420 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the origin of the disease in Massachusetts may be the best that can 
 be given, which I here present to the reader : 
 
 Boston, Mass., 31arch 7, 1860. 
 
 Dear Sir : In compliance with your request, I take pleasure in fur- 
 nishing you a succinct account of my last importation of cattle from 
 Holland, and also of the disease that subsequently prevailed in my 
 herd at the Highland Farm, iu Belmont, as is now generally supposed, 
 in consequence of that importation. 
 
 It may be remarked that I had previously made two importations 
 from Holland, and the extraordinary superiority of the animals received 
 from that source, in comparison either with our native or any of the 
 foreign breeds heretofore imported, induced me to increase my stock 
 of Dutch cattle by further importations, rather than await the natural 
 increase from those already imported. Accordingly, in December, 
 1858, I transmitted an order to my correspondents in Schiedam, Hol- 
 land, instructing them to employ a competent person expressly to pro- 
 ceed to the north of Holland and make selections of the best animals 
 that could be obtained, without regard to the expense. Following my 
 instructions, four cows were procured from Purmerend and the Beem- 
 ster, and were duly shipped at Rotterdam, on board the barque " J. C. 
 Humphreys," which vessel sailed from that port early in April, and 
 arrived here on the 23d of May, 1859. 
 
 Upon examination, the cows were found to be in an extremely bad 
 condition — very much bruised and emaciated — one of them, as the 
 mate of the barque stated, not having been on her feet during the 
 twenty days preceding her arrival, while another one was totally una- 
 ble to walk, and these two animals were accordingly carried to the farm 
 in wagons. The remaining two were driven out. Deeming it impos- 
 sible for the first-mentioned cow to recover, she wa§, on the 31st of 
 May, slaughtered, and on the 2d of June following the second cow 
 died. At that time, in common with every one knowing the facts in 
 the case, I was so fully persuaded that the bad condition of these ani- 
 mals was caused by neglect on the voyage, that I libeled the vessel, 
 and went through a course of one hundred and fifty dollars' worth of 
 law in my endeavors to obtain indemnity for the loss ; but the law is 
 uncertain, and the barque went on her way. My mind, however, re- 
 mains unchanged with regard to the treatment the animals received on 
 the voyage. The third cow of this importation seemed to be doing 
 well until about the 20th of June, when she became sick, and died in 
 ten days after. The fourth cow, " Lady Beemster," has, down to this 
 time, shown no indications of sickness, but is, on the contrary, in a 
 thriving condition. 
 
RINDERPEST, OR CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 421 
 
 Early in the month of August following, symptoms of disease were 
 observable in the Dutch cow, " Lady Louise " (imported in 1852). 
 She died on the 20th of the same month. About this time several 
 other animals were taken sick, in rapid succession, and then it was that 
 the idea was first advanced that the disease was identical with that 
 known in Europe as " epizootic pleuro-pneumonia." From that date 
 every possible precaution was taken to prevent the spread of the sup- 
 posed distemper, strict orders having been given that no animals should 
 be allowed to leave the farm, nor any strange cattle to come upon the 
 premises. A temporary building was erected, in a pasture at consider- 
 able distance from the farm barn, to which the animals not infected were 
 removed, and disinfecting agents were used about the premises, etc. 
 
 The following extract from my letter-book, in answer to an applica- 
 tion for stock during the prevalence of the disease, will serve to show 
 my views with regard to it at that time : " I am at present obliged to 
 decline any applications for stock, owing to an epidemic disease in my 
 herd. The disease is that known as ' pleuro-pneumonia,' and I have 
 already lost seventeen head, and have ten more very sick. I am using 
 every precaution to prevent the disease from spreading, and you will, 
 of course, see the propriety of my refusing to allow any anirnal to leave 
 the farm until the infection has ceased." 
 
 It is manifest that the means used to prevent the spread of the dis- 
 temper have so far proved eminently successful, inasmuch as, notwith- 
 standing I have lost some thirty animals (nearly half of my whole 
 herd), there has not been a single case of the disease elsewhere in the 
 neighborhood of my farm. 
 
 As there seems to be an impression abroad that the disease in my 
 case was confined exclusively to the Dutch stock, I would remark that 
 such is not the fact ; that, on the contrary, they have, comparatively, 
 been more exempt from it than any other breed. It is not, however, 
 confined to any particular breed, or to any age or sex, as the full-grown 
 ox, the mature cow, and the young calf have been alike prostrated by 
 it; and of the animals lost, five were thorough-bred Dutch, five Dur- 
 ham, one Ayrshire, one Guernsey, two Jerseys, five Devons, two natives 
 (all the natives on the farm), and the remainder were grade Dutch. 
 
 There has been no new case of sickness in my herd since the death 
 of the mammoth cow " Lady Washington," which occurred on the 8th 
 of January, and I am, therefore, induced to believe that, so far as my 
 animals are concerned, the disease has run its course. 
 
 From the foregoing remarks, it will be perceived that some months 
 ago, when the disease was raging, I believed it to be infectious or con- 
 tagious ; but I confess that more recently the conviction has forced 
 itself upon me that it was of an entirely local character ; that the 
 
422 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 lungs of the cattle had become diseased by breathing carbonic acid 
 gas, generated in the cow-house in consequence of insufficient ventila- 
 tion. The recent developments with regard to the spread of the disease 
 in North Brookfield and vicinity — in tracing its origin to the calves 
 that went from my farm in June last — together with the information I 
 have just received in a letter from Holland upon the subject, will, I 
 fear, force me back again to the belief that it is the veritable European 
 scourge. 
 
 With regard to the treatment of the disease, I can only say that 
 several of our most eminent veterinary surgeons have availed them- 
 selves of the opportunity to study the disease, by post mortem exami- 
 nations and otherwise, and are, doubtless, competent to give valuable 
 information upon the subject. My own private opinion, based upon 
 costly experience, is, that whenever an animal becomes really sick with 
 this distemper, the best teatment is to slaughter and bury forthwith. 
 
 In concluding this long letter, I beg to say that, if it shall prove 
 that through my efforts to improve the breeds of neat cattle, I have 
 been the means of introducing this disease into the country, I am sure 
 no one can possibly regret it more sincerely than myself. At the same 
 time, I feel some consolation in believing that, provided the disease 
 cau be restricted to any thing like its present limits, the benefits con- 
 ferred by the introduction of the Dutch cattle here will more than 
 outweigh the losses incurred by the introduction of the disease. 
 Respectfully, 
 
 WlNTHROP W. CHENERY. 
 
 Spread of the Disease. 
 
 The disease was introduced into North Brookfield from Bel- 
 mont. Mr. C. Stoddard, a young man of North Brookfield, 
 purchased of Mr. Chenery three calves. After arriving (by 
 rail) at North Brookfield, they were driven toward the place of 
 destination (about five miles). On the way, one of the calves was 
 observed to falter, and at the end of the journey seemed to be 
 quite sick. In two or three days, the father of the young man 
 took the calf away to his own barn for treatment. In this barn 
 were about forty head of cattle. The calf growing no better, the 
 son took it back again to his own residence. In about ten days 
 it died. Soon the senior Stoddard observed that one of his oxen 
 was sick ; it soon died. Two weeks after, a second was taken sick 
 and died. Finally, in the course of a short time he had lost eight 
 oxen and cows. Young Stoddard lost no animal by the infection 
 
RINDERPEST, OR CONTAGIOUS PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 423 
 
 at that time. He sold, however, eleven heifers, and retained nine 
 of the most valuable himself. These nine were four oxen and 
 five young cattle. The four he took to his father, three of the 
 others to his uncle, and the remaining two he left with his father- 
 in-law. It was finally discovered that wherever these animals 
 went they scattered the infection, without a single failure, show- 
 ing that the disease was of a contagious character. It turned out, 
 finally, that the herds of both father and son were badly diseased. 
 Out of the nine formerly belonging to the son, seven were the 
 subjects of pleuro-pneumonia. The elder Stoddard lost fourteen 
 of his animals before the commissioners for the extirpation of the 
 pest were appointed. The elder Stoddard kept about eight oxen, 
 which he employed in teaming. He was drawing some lumber, 
 and stopped over night at a neighbor's named Needham. The 
 disease was communicated, and Mr. Needham finally lost his whole 
 herd. Many died, while others were destroyed by order of the 
 commissioners. Finally, Mr. Stoddard sold an animal to Mr. 
 Woodis, of New Braintree, who had twenty-three fine cows. 
 Seven or eight died before the commissioners got there, and the 
 whole herd had to be condemned. Next, Mr. Stoddard sold a 
 yoke of cattle to Mr. Olmstead. At the end of five days they 
 had infected the whole herd. Finally, these cattle came into the 
 hands of Mr. Doane. They were put in with twenty-two yoke 
 of cattle, and employed a day and a half in moving a building 
 from Oakham to North Brookfield. It was afterward proved that 
 the whole of these cattle took the infection. Belonging, as they 
 did, to eleven different herds, they carried the infection to eleven 
 different farms, and thus, by contagion or infection, the cattle for 
 miles around became the subjects of pleuro-pneumonia. The 
 disease assumed such proportions that the commissioners had not 
 funds sufficient (ten thousand dollars) to perform the operations 
 required by law — namely, extirpation. And here it may be proper 
 to inform the reader that the commissioners had no power to 
 order an attempt at medicinal treatment. They were ordered to 
 extirpate the malady — to kill and bury all infected herds; and 
 this has, finally, proved to be, both in this and other countries, 
 the cheapest way of getting rid of contagious pleuro-pneumonia. 
 
 The following is a brief record of the autopsies made by veter- 
 inary surgeons employed by the State of Massachusetts : 
 
 Autopsy 1. — This cow appeared badly. She coughed, but, it 
 
424 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 was said, ate well. The posterior lobe of the lung adhered to the 
 diaphragm, was indurated, and contained a cyst, in which was a 
 very small quantity of pus and a mass of detached lung of the 
 size of a quart measure. This was connected with the main por- 
 tion of the lung by bronchi, some of which had been cut off in 
 such a manner as to admit air into the cyst. The mass was offen- 
 sive, friable, and, on incision, did not present the bright, mottled, 
 organized appearance of similar masses lying in air-tight cysts. 
 There was no serum in the chest. — Dr. Martin, April 12, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 2. — An ox, 7 years old. The lung was extensively 
 and firmly adherent in various parts, and almost "as hard as a 
 stone." On incision, there was found a large cyst, containing pus 
 and lymph. — Drs. Dadd and Thayer, April 19, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 3. — A steer, 3 years old. The owner said that this 
 animal was but slightly, if at all sick. The left lung was adher- 
 ent to the pleura costalis and diaphragm. On incision, there was 
 found, in the middle, a large cyst, containing pulmonary tissue. 
 The right lung was adherent, but its substance healthy. — Drs. 
 Dadd and Thayer, April 19, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 4. — A steer, 2 years old. Marked adhesion of the 
 posterior superior portion of the lung to the diaphragm. Some 
 consolidation of the lung. The right lung contained a cyst, in 
 which was a mass not entirely separated. — Drs. Dadd and 
 Thayer, April 19, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 5. — A cow, 8 years old. The owner said that this 
 animal was one of the most healthy in his herd. At the apex of 
 the left lung was a very large slough. There was also red hepa- 
 tization. — Drs. Dadd and Thayer, April 19, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 6. — An ox, 7 years old, owned by Curtis Stoddard, and 
 exposed to the Chenery calf during the illness of the latter. The 
 superior anterior portion of the right lung was much enlarged, 
 and contained a large cyst, in which was a quantity of pus and a 
 mass of detached pulmonary tissue. Left lung adherent to the 
 diaphragm. — Drs. Dadd and Tyler, April 20, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 7. — The anterior lobe of the right lung adhered to the 
 sternum. A portion of the pulmonary tissue was separated and 
 contained in a cyst. — Drs. Bates, Dadd, and Thayer, April 
 21, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 8. — A yearling heifer. Much serum was found in the 
 chest, and the pleural surfaces were extensively adherent. The 
 
RINDERPEST, OR CONTAGIOUS PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 425 
 
 substance of the right lung was completely* marbled, some parts 
 having suppurated, while others were only indurated. — Dr. Ty- 
 ler, April 27, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 9. — Killed a cow which had been sick nineteen days. 
 She was feeble; had but little appetite; diarrhea, cough, and 
 shortness of breath; hair rough, etc. Percussion dull all over 
 the left side of the chest, with absence of normal respiration. The 
 left pleural cavity contained several gallons of serum. Over the 
 costal pleura was a firm layer of lymph, resembling the velvety 
 parts of tripe. The whole lung was indurated, especially at its 
 base, and brittle, like liver. No pus. Right side and lung 
 healthy.— Dr. Martin, April 11, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 10. — Killed a cow, 10 years old. Sick since January. 
 Dullness over the left side. On opening the chest, there flowed 
 from it a stream of fetid matter as thick as tar. Strong adhesions 
 to the ribs. In the lung was a large tumor, enveloped in a cyst, 
 or sac. Eight lung indurated. — Drs. Dadd, Thayer, and Ty- 
 ler, April 19, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 11. — Killed a calf, 3 weeks old. In the right pleural 
 cavity was a quart of serum. Lymph, easily separated, was spread 
 over the surface of the lung. The left lung adhered to the ribs, 
 sternum, and pericardium. — Drs. Dadd, Thayer, and Tyler, 
 April 19, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 12. — Killed a cow, 10 years old, which had been sick 
 three or four months. The posterior superior portions of the right 
 lung adhered so strongly to the ribs and diaphragm, that the 
 knife was necessary for their separation. On opening the poste- 
 rior part of the lung, a detached mass was found, very soft, sur- 
 rounded by pus, and contained in a sac. Left lung healthy. — Drs. 
 Bates, Dadd, and Thayer, April 21, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 13. — Left lung healthy, but slight adhesions to dia- 
 phragm. Right lung firmly adherent to the diaphragm. In it 
 was found a mass of consolidated lung, not entirely separated. — 
 Drs. Bates, Dadd, and Thayer, April 21, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 14. — Killed a calf, 4 weeks old. Right lung inflamed. 
 Left chest filled with serum. Lung covered with lymph. — Drs. 
 Bates, Dadd, and Thayer, April 21, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 15. — Killed a cow, 9 years old, and mother of the calf. 
 In the right lung was a cyst of the size of a pullet's egg, filled 
 with pus. The left lung contained a small cyst, filled with the 
 
426 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 same. Heart flabby .< — Drs. Bates, Dadd, and Thayer, April 
 
 21, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 16. — Killed a stag that was in the "big team." Three 
 months before, he had been sick for four weeks, but had recovered, 
 and had been working very hard. Serum in the right pleural 
 cavity. Lung indurated, and adherent throughout so strongly to 
 the ribs and diaphragm, that it was necessary to cut or scrape it 
 off. In this lung was a small cyst. — Examined May 9, 1860. 
 
 Autopsy 17. — Killed the other stag. Left lung useless. Serum 
 in the chest. Right lung in the acute inflammatory stage. 
 
 These stags were taken December 3, 1860, in exchange for a 
 yoke of oxen sold at the same time to William F. Doane, and 
 kept with Olmstead's diseased herd. They were in the " big 
 team" December 19. — Examined May 9, 1860. 
 
 Many other autopsies were made by members of our sister pro- 
 fession, human medicine, and the disease was always found to be 
 seated within the chest. It was not of so formidable or malig- 
 nant a character as it has proved to be in some parts of Europe, 
 and probably this is owing to the fact, if fact it be, that in the 
 transplantation of the disease from Holland to this country it has 
 undergone some modification. 
 
 From my own experience, I am led to believe that the Holland 
 cattle inherit in their systems an idiosyncrasy or predisposition to 
 pleuro-pneumonia, and that Avhen the circumstances are favorable 
 for its development — namely, impure air and bad management — 
 the latent disease to which, by virtue of their constitution they 
 are liable, is thus fanned into a flame. Being in its character 
 contagious, it then spreads, according to the laws, or after the 
 fashion which govern or obtain, in other epizootic contagious 
 maladies. This must have been the case as regards Mr. Chen- 
 ERy's herd. Before his Dutch stock left Holland, they were care- 
 fully examined by competent surgeons, well acquainted with the 
 national disease pleuro-pneumonia, and a clean bill of health was 
 rendered. It was also ascertained that the malady was not then 
 prevailing in the localities where the animals were purchased; 
 hence it manifested itself in the manner here described. The 
 same is true as regards its introduction into the Cape of Good 
 Hope. The animal was in perfect health on leaving Holland, 
 but on arriving at the place of destination manifested the disease, 
 and communicated it to others. 
 
RINDERPEST, OR CONTAGIOUS PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 427 
 
 The history of the disease in South Africa is quite interesting j 
 hence I introduce the following testimony, as given before a com- 
 mittee of the Legislature of Massachusetts, by Rev. D. Lindley, 
 lately a missionary in South Africa. He said : 
 
 " The disease, whatever be its name, and it has different names, 
 was introduced into South Africa a few years ago. It was intro- 
 duced from Holland, imported in the body of a bull. A gentle- 
 man in Cape Town, wishing to improve his stock, made that 
 importation, and with it that disease which has been to South 
 Africa the severest scourge that has ever fallen on its property 
 interest. It was about six weeks after the animal landed (he 
 having been on board the vessel on the passage about two months) 
 before any sign of sickness appeared in him. At the time, it was 
 not suspected that the disease was the lung contagion, so long 
 known in Holland. However, he died. He communicated that 
 disease to a considerable number of cattle, and before the people 
 became aware of the evil that threatened them, it had scattered 
 about them very extensively. 
 
 " The question may arise in the mind of the committee, Why 
 was it not at once exterminated there, as you propose to have it 
 here ? The answer to this question will be found in this statement 
 that I must make, in order that you may understand the circum- 
 stances of that country. You will imagine New England, and a 
 great part of the United States, divested of its woods, its forests, 
 leaving, here and there, thickets and j ungles, and a grass country 
 that is without fences or any inclosures, and all this country spread 
 over with cattle by the thousand (for the property of the inhabit- 
 ants of the country consists in cattle and in sheep). I have seen 
 1,600 in one herd, but generally the herds are from one hundred 
 to five hundred. In those parts of the country where the lions 
 and tigers have been exterminated, these cattle are allowed to roam, 
 night and day, where they please, and they wander considerable 
 distances, sometimes miles around. In addition to that, all the 
 produce of the country that is brought to market, whether to supply 
 the city of Cape Town or Port Elizabeth, or other towns lying 
 along the coast, is brought down from the interior in large wagons, 
 drawn by oxen. All the goods imported into the country and 
 taken inland are conveyed on these wagons, drawn by oxen ; and 
 to each wagon the custom of the country gives six pairs of oxen. 
 
428 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 The country is large, it being from Cape Town to the extremity 
 of any civilization in the interior, twelve hundred miles, and across 
 the plains to where I live, twelve hundred miles more. Well, this 
 country is passed through, up and down, crosswise, and backward 
 and forward, by hundreds of wagons and thousands of cattle every 
 day. They have no railroads, no rivers — no other way of trans- 
 porting goods from one point to another but this ox-wagon. Well, 
 they are great sheep-raisers in this country, having five to ten 
 thousand sheep in a flock, and I have seen as many as fourteen 
 thousand in one flock. Their clips of wool are all sent down in 
 these wagons to the coast. 
 
 " In a country of this kind, where there are so many cattle, and 
 where every thing is done by means of cattle, and they are trav- 
 eling night and day, there is no possibility of killing out this dis- 
 ease by extirpation. The seed had been so widely disseminated 
 before the people knew what the matter was, that such a system 
 was looked upon as hopeless, and the Government adopted no 
 measures to stay it, and every man was left to look out for his own 
 interests. I will say that, after it had got fairly spread abroad 
 to a considerable extent, the inhabitants very generally resorted to 
 inoculation ; and I will say, in passing, that we are indebted to 
 that for about all the cattle we have left. We should have been 
 flat on the ground, and no man could have got to the coast with 
 his products or returned with his merchandise. Inoculation has 
 saved us what we have, after six years. The disease was still at 
 work when I came away, but it was more under subjection. It 
 has killed hundreds and thousands of cattle, and I can assure 
 you, gentlemen, that where it has come into a flock it has not 
 left more than five out of a hundred. I was happily surprised 
 when I heard Dr. Loring state that in the past year, in this State, 
 not more than twenty per cent, had died. 
 
 " With us, when an animal is known as having the disease, we 
 look upon it as already dead; and I can affirm, without hesita- 
 tion, that where it has got into a herd of cattle, not more than 
 five out of a hundred have been spared. Occasionally one has 
 passed through, and has not had the disease at all ; and a few, on 
 the other hand — two or three in a hundred — have recovered, and 
 no more. I know of one man who had five hundred head of 
 cattle. The disease got in among them, and, finally, he had but 
 five left. If I speak with emphasis, it is because I have had sad 
 
RINDERPEST, OR CONTAGIOUS PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 429 
 
 experience; and I have been afraid that the good citizens of Mas- 
 sachusetts might not be aware of the evil that I do most firmly 
 believe threatens their property interest more than any thing that 
 ever threatened it yet. 
 
 " The disease has spread in every direction from Holland, and 
 by contagion. I will give you facts on this matter of contagion. 
 "Well-meaning men — men of science, and who hold high and in- 
 fluential stations — said it was not contagious ; that it was impos- 
 sible for a lung disease to be contagious, and, through their influ- 
 ence, some herds suffered that might, to my certain knowledge, 
 have been saved. One of the commissioners appointed was a 
 man of some science, and he said, 'Poh! poh! it can not be 
 contageous/ and the cattle were left, and the consequence is, it 
 has spread over all the country around them. 
 
 " I will tell you how the disease came to my particular neighbor- 
 hood. A native went out as a peddler, over the Cathumba Mount- 
 ains, into the interior, nearly three hundred miles. There he 
 took cattle in payment for goods. He brought down a herd of 
 oxen to the eastern coast. While on the way down, some of his 
 oxen became sick, and he quietly put them out of the way; for 
 he could travel one or two days, perhaps, and not see a single 
 person, and the dead cattle were not likely to attract attention. 
 He had that failing which we can pardon in others, as we see it in 
 ourselves, that he cared a little more for himself than he did for 
 his neighbors. He put the sick oxen out of the way, and brought 
 down the rest and sold them. They were bought by a gentleman 
 who had about one hundred and twenty oxen. The peddler's 
 cattle, looking apparently well, were put into that herd. Pres- 
 ently the disease broke out. It was in that instance that this 
 doctor had the influence to prevent the slaughter of that herd, be- 
 cause he said the affection was not contagious. These cattle were 
 running about in the neighborhood — out on the plain twenty 
 miles square, without fence and without tree, save here and there 
 a bush — where were grazing thousands of cattle, and they ran 
 just where they pleased. From this flock the contagion was 
 communicated to all the cattle in the region. Oxen were travel- 
 ing through the country every day (at least a hundred passing in 
 a day), and in that way it was carried widely through the country. 
 Until it was brought from a contaminated region in the interior 
 by these oxen, the disease had never been within three hundred 
 
430 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 miles of us. I might give a thousand facts just equal to this, 
 but I am mentioning what occurred in my neighborhood. 
 
 " The disease had not crossed to the northward, to the Ungani 
 River, until this happened : A man wished to convey a boat from 
 Port Natal to a place about sixty miles to the northward. He 
 put the boat on a wagon, and took his six yoke of oxen to draw it. 
 He traveled one day, and camped just outside of a village through 
 which he had passed. In the morning he found one of his oxen 
 sick. He had camped on a piece of ground where cattle grazed 
 every day, and in a place where the people had thought them- 
 selves safe. Finding his ox sick, he quietly took him and his 
 mate out of the wagon, and, leaving them there, started on. 
 These oxen remained through the day, and mixed with the many 
 cattle owned in that village. The second day after they had been 
 there, it was discovered that there was a sick ox in the field. The 
 inhabitants were all out at once. They killed the ox, and, from 
 the description, they saw that he had the disease they had dreaded. 
 They immediately inoculated their cattle, and saved a goodly 
 number of them. Now, in regard to that, I wish to make this 
 statement. I made a statement which was honestly reported, I 
 suppose, but mistakenly as a statement, that they had saved ninety 
 per cent. ; in some instances not more than thirty per cent. Be- 
 tween this and ninety is probably the average percentage saved. 
 In this case, I mentioned that there was a clear, distinct instance 
 where the sickness had been brought from the interior three hun- 
 dred miles, and in the last case it was carried twenty miles. In 
 another instance, two natives were trading, and brought the dis- 
 ease from the country where they went, two hundred miles, and 
 set it down in a perfectly healthy region, in a herd of about eighty 
 cattle, and there it spread, and they were every one carried off. 
 
 " Another fact, and one with which I had to do myself. A na- 
 tive, a stupid heathen, was working for an Englishman in an 
 infected region. He took his pay in cattle — two calves, I think, 
 a year or a year and a half old. He carried them into a healthy 
 district, where the disease had been kept out, and within twenty 
 miles of which it was not known. Presently these calves fell 
 sick and died, and the cattle with which th'ey were placed began 
 to be sick. I had in my service a young man belonging to that 
 village, which was twelve miles from where I lived. A messenger 
 came to this young man to say, ' Your cattle are sick.' When I 
 
RINDERPEST, OR CONTAGIOUS PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 431 
 
 heard that, I began to inquire if any cattle had been brought from 
 within the infected region to his kraal. They said such an one 
 (meaning the native before mentioned) had been working with a 
 man, and taken two head of cattle for his pay. He came back, 
 a little more than two months ago, with these cattle, and they 
 took sick and died, and now our other cattle are sick. I saw at 
 once what the matter was ; for I knew that the region where these 
 two cattle were taken from was wholly contaminated. I said, 
 ( Your cattle will all die ; you ought to tell your neighbors to keep 
 their cattle away from you.' I asked him, further, if his cattle 
 had mixed with other cattle, and he said, ' There are three kraals 
 that have mixed with ours ; so it was too late, and the result was, 
 they all died. I told the young man whom I sent to go and warn 
 the neighbors. He did so, and they took their cattle in the oppo- 
 site direction to grass, and for two years before I came away not 
 a single herd of the cattle around them had taken the disease. 
 Just those that were exposed to the contagion, and no others, died. 
 The neighbors' cattle continued in a state of perfect health for two 
 years after those four herds (one hundred or one hundred and 
 thirty head) had died, right out there in the heart of a healthy 
 region, a region as large as a county. 
 
 " I can not doubt that the disease was communicated by con- 
 tagion, and that if the animals can be cut off, the disease will be 
 kept off. It was kept off in the region in which I lived in this 
 way. The chief with whom I have lived occupies a considerable 
 extent of territory, and he is fortunately fortified on one side by 
 a range of mountains, and on the other by a precipice some hun- 
 dred feet in height. He had assembled his tribe for another pur- 
 pose, and, wanting my advice in reference to some political diffi- 
 culties, he sent a messenger to tell me of his trouble. I went to 
 him, and, after that matter was settled, I took occasion to tell him 
 that the sickness was within some forty miles of us. I told him 
 what the disease had done and would do, and I said to him, 
 'There is just one thing to do, and that is, to keep your cattle 
 where they are, and not allow any to go out or come in.' The 
 people there love their cattle, as they say, better than they love 
 their lives. They took the alarm, and every effort that was made, 
 on the part of any one, to bring cattle into the country was im- 
 mediately and stoutly resisted. The intruder was met with spear 
 and shield, and threatened with death and destruction to himself 
 
432 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 and his cattle if he came a step further, and so was made to go 
 back. Only half a mile off, within sight of these cattle, dead 
 animals were lying unburied that had been exposed to this con- 
 tagion. The disease was brought there by the oxen of an indi- 
 vidual who had been into the interior, and when he came home 
 his oxen died. They communicated the disease to all the cattle 
 in that neighborhood, and I never saw more complete destruction. 
 There was not a single head left in all those kraals. Those cattle 
 came up to within half a mile of our boundary, and you could 
 look down and see herds of them lying dead. That was three 
 years ago, and yet, when I came away, the disease had not got 
 one inch over that line. 
 
 " These are facts that I have seen and know ; and in that coun- 
 try, if you should ask us, ' Is the disease communicated by con- 
 tagion?' we would say ' Yes,' and we should just as soon doubt 
 that the sun made daylight. There are thousands upon thou- 
 sands of facts to prove it. We have no more questions to ask on 
 that subject. You will see how widely the disease might spread 
 in a country like that, where cattle are so abundant, where the 
 travel is continued day and night, and where thousands of oxen 
 are on the road every twenty-four hours. It has been to that 
 country a great scourge. Thousands and hundreds of thousands 
 of cattle have died, and many of the people have been made poor 
 by the ravages of the disease, and the only hope they have of 
 securing a comfortable subsistence, and recovering a comfortable 
 position in respect to property, is through sheep. They have 
 given up all idea of grazing cattle, and are now turning their at- 
 tention to sheep; for the disease is so widely spread, that they 
 have no hope that it will ever be exterminated. 
 
 " I do not know that I have any thing further to state. I might 
 repeat hundreds and hundreds of facts of precisely this character. 
 If I have appeared earnest in my statements — somewhat as if I 
 was making a speech, which is, perhaps, my profession — I hope 
 you will not attribute it to any other motive than a wish to make 
 you fear as I think you ought to fear. Massachusetts has enacted 
 some glorious history, whereof you have famous monuments, and 
 I hope that pluck will not be wanting now." 
 
 From such evidence as the foregoing, there can not be any 
 doubt regarding the contagious element of the disease. 
 
rinderpest, or contagious pleuropneumonia. 433 
 
 The Cattle Plague in Kentucky. 
 
 The Cattle Plague of Kentucky is known in Texas as " Texas 
 Fever." There are, at the present time, about one hundred thou- 
 sand head of cattle pastured along the eastern and north-eastern 
 limits of the State of Louisiana, destined for the markets of the 
 Mississippi. They are detained where they are by the statutes 
 of neighboring States, which forbid their being driven through 
 them before the 10th of November, the reason being a disease 
 called the " Texas," or cattle fever, which prevails in the summer 
 months, and is contagious. 
 
 Some of these Texas cattle were brought into the State of Ken- 
 tucky early in August, 1866, and shortly after the disease made 
 its appearance, the details of which were communicated to the 
 " Lexington Observer and Reporter " in the following letter : 
 
 Scott County, Kt., September 1, 1866. 
 Col. L. J. Bradford, President of Kentucky .State Agricultural Society: 
 
 Dear Sir — This section of the country has been much disturbed, 
 in the last few weeks, owing to a frightful disease which has made its 
 appearance among the cattle, killing many, making some blind, and 
 otherwise affecting a large number. There was no disease among the 
 cattle of these interior counties prior to the introduction of a large 
 lot from Texas by General R. Gano. It has been asserted, and be- 
 lieved, for a long time, that the Texas cattle would propagate a pecu- 
 liar and destructive disease. Missouri, in consequence, established a 
 cattle quarantine, and, I believe, passed a prohibitory law ; hence, for 
 some time, that State has not been visited with this fatal malady. 
 Kentucky has it now, and there can be no doubt, in the minds of 
 those who have been informed of the facts, that it was introduced by 
 the Texas cattle. 
 
 Reason. — My mother-in-law, Mrs. James K. Duke, who lives nine 
 miles from Lexington and four from Georgetown, in this county, on 
 one of the best and most beautiful farms in the State, on which no 
 disease of any kind had ever occurred, took upon pasture, the 28th 
 of June last, over three hundred of these Texas cattle. None of her 
 own ran with them. They remained until the 3d of August, looked 
 healthy, and grazed well. Within five or six days after they had been 
 taken away, a lot of Kentucky cattle (a great many raised on the 
 farm) were turned on the pasture which had been occupied by the 
 Texas cattle. No danger was apprehended, but, within a week or ten 
 28 
 
434 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 days, it was discovered that the disease had broken out among them. 
 Attention was immediately given. All were removed from the pas- 
 ture, and the sick separated from the well. Two or three died almost 
 immediately. 
 
 External Symptoms. — Dull, stupid, stiff; separation from the herd; 
 drooping of the head; disinclination to eat; trembling, cramping, 
 staggering, falling, and, in many cases (I do not know that there is 
 an exception), compression of the jaws. Some are made perfectly 
 blind — none on this farm, but on an adjoining oue, that of Mr. Charles 
 Herndon, whose milch cows, calves, and a few steers were affected first 
 in the eyes (some in one, some in both) ; and it was a week or ten 
 days after the disease manifested itself in this way before these or 
 others began to seriously sicken and die. 
 
 Internal Symptoms, as far as Observed. — Blood, very black and 
 thick ; heart, only slightly affected ; lungs, perfectly sound and healthy; 
 the manifold, or second stomach, very much contracted, with the fecal 
 matter, hard, dry, and compact; the paunch, or first stomach, almost 
 empty, and with no apparent change ; bowels, contracted, nearly empty, 
 and extremely costive; bladder, generally containing only a small 
 quantity of thick, high-colored urine. In a few cases they discharge 
 a considerable quantity of bloody urine. 
 
 Up to the present time Mr. Herndon has lost eight or ten out of a 
 lot of twenty-five or thirty ; Mrs. Duke, with a herd of seventy-five, 
 has lost twenty. Another neighbor, Mr. James Kenney, where only 
 Texas cattle remained, lost two. A gentleman near Oxford, Scott 
 County, lost twelve ; another near Midway, Woodward County, lost 
 sixteen, from turning on a pasture where the Texas cattle had been 
 but one night and part of a day. Many others have died in the wake 
 of these Texas cattle, yet it is a remarkable fact that the disease has 
 broken out nowhere in a malignant form save where these imported 
 cattle have been. On the farm of Mrs. Duke, her milch cows and 
 calves, which were kept near the house, and in the central part of 
 the place, and not allowed to mix with these foreign cattle, or run 
 on the pasture where they had been, are and have been free from, 
 the disease, and milk and butter used all the time. 
 
 What is the Disease? — I think it is nothing less than the cattle 
 plague, of which we have heard so much of late as raging with such 
 terrible fatality in Europe. In England it is called the rinderpest; 
 in Russia, cattle plague; in Mexico and Texas, the Spanish fever. 
 The symptoms are very similar. In almost every case thus far it 
 has proved fatal. The rindei-pest could not be worse. 
 
 How is it Communicated? — Dr. J. Burden Sanderson, of England, 
 discovered that the blood of the animal affected with cattle plague 
 
RINDERPEST, OR CONTAGIOUS PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 435 
 
 contained the poison of the malady, so that serum obtained from it 
 would give the disease by inoculation. Now, how did these Texas 
 cattle communicate this disease, when they were apparently healthy ? 
 Spanish fever is an endemic disease of Texas, and cattle have been 
 for years dying with it, sometimes, in certain localities, prevailing as 
 an epidemic. No disease, however, even in the form of epidemic, is 
 always fatal; but I am sure, from the natural course of things, the 
 discovery of Sanderson, and from facts herein given, that some of those 
 Texas cattle had this disease in their systems, and brought it to 
 Kentucky, so that the poison has inoculated our cattle and produced 
 the disease from which they are now suffering. 
 
 Our grasses seem to have had the effect to eliminate the poison 
 through their kidneys, bowels, and, perhaps, through the lungs, which, 
 being deposited on the pasture, was left ready for the first that fol- 
 lowed after them. Our Kentucky cattle, of course, not being acclimated, 
 are readily susceptible to the infection of the poison, and have suf- 
 fered accordingly. The disease is entirely distinct from any we have 
 ever had in the State before — attacks suddenly, affects singularly, 
 and kills in almost every case. One who has ever seen a case can 
 point out the cattle affected with it as soon as they begin to sicken. 
 
 Thus far, Mrs. Duke has lost twenty out of twenty-six cases. On 
 the 25th of August she commenced feeding green corn. Since that 
 date only one has died — five getting well, and no others sickening. 
 Every case, with the exception of blindness at Mr. Herndon's, one case 
 of purging at Mr. Kenney's, and two of bloody urine, were affected 
 precisely alike; so much so, that the description of one would answer 
 for all, the symptoms being more uniform than in any epidemic I have 
 ever seen or known. The fact that this disease has been brought here 
 by Texas cattle I regard as perfectly certain, no such disease having 
 ever appeared here prior to their coming into the State, and none 
 occurring, so far as can be ascertained, save where they have been. 
 
 It is well known that they introduced the same disease into Mis- 
 souri for several consecutive years, and the State was only relieved 
 of the pestilence by the Legislature passing prohibitory laws, making 
 it a heavy penalty to bring a single one into the State. It is true 
 they come here seemingly healthy, but may they not, as I suggested 
 before, bring it in their systems, and. through the effect of grasses 
 upon their bowels and kidneys, deposit the poison upon our pastures 
 by their urine and dung? The theory that the disease is communi- 
 cated through the feet, or by the ticks, I think fallacious, and will not 
 discuss it. Their feet are healthy, smooth, and sound, and the ticks 
 on them can be found almost anywhere in Kentucky. I have seen 
 them often. 
 
436 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Prior to using the green corn, I am informed, by Dr. A. B. Duke, 
 that salt and ashes, soda, sulphur, copperas, bleeding in the mouth, 
 neck, ears, and tail were resorted to without any good effect ; but it 
 is not conclusive that green corn will be of any material service. It 
 was only an experiment, did good in a few cases on Mrs. Duke's farm, 
 but has not yet checked the cases on Mr. Herndon's. It is impos- 
 sible to give a remedy so soon. It requires much experience and ex- 
 periment, and it would be well for farmers in Kentucky to look into 
 the matter and prepare for it. 
 
 An Agricultural College has been established near Lexington. 
 Would it not be well to have Veterinary Surgery studied — in fact, 
 have a special chair for that profession? Many young men will 
 study it, and it is as important as any other. The diseases of cattle, 
 horses, hogs, and sheep are as little known and understood in Ken- 
 tucky as though stock never did suffer from disease. Kentucky has 
 long been known and noted as a cattle or stock-breeding, raising, and 
 feeding State. If she would maintain prominence, and protect her 
 greatest interest, she must establish quarantines and pass laws shut- 
 ting out this terrible pestilence from her borders, and prepare for 
 the cure and relief of her fine stock. 
 
 Most respectfully your obedient servant, 
 
 G-. Clay Smith. 
 
 'The following is my reply to the above : 
 
 Chicago, III., September 13, 1866. 
 G. Clay Smith, Esq.: 
 
 Dear Sra — Through the kindness of R. W. Carroll & Co., of Cin- 
 cinnati, I am in possession of an article, over your signature, having 
 reference to the "Cattle Plague in Kentucky." I have carefully 
 perused the article and compared the symptoms, as described, and 
 find that the disease bears no analogy to the rinderpest in Europe, 
 nor the pleuropneumonia of Holland, which was imported into Mas- 
 sachusetts about six years ago, where I had ample opportunities of 
 studying it, having been appointed by Governor Banks as surgeon to 
 the commission appointed to extirpate the pest. 
 
 The Texas bovine malady, just introduced in Kentucky, is peculiar 
 to the breed of Texas. In that country the disease has acquired a 
 home in the constitutions of animals bred and reared there. The 
 disease lurks in the breed in a latent form, and, when circumstances 
 are favorable for its development, it manifests itself, and becomes both 
 contagious and infectious; and thus it spreads after the fashion of 
 the rinderpest and other bovine epizootics. 
 
RINDERPEST, OR CONTAGIOUS PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 437 
 
 Your suggestion in regard to establishing a special chair for Vet- 
 erinary Science in the Agricultural College of Kentucky is a move 
 in the right direction. The husbandmen of Kentucky have great in- 
 terests at stake in the ownership of a vast number of some of the 
 finest stock in the world. They are subject to most of the diseases 
 that afflict the superior orders of creation, and the theory and prac- 
 tice of veterinary medicine and surgery rests upon the same intelli- 
 gent basis as that which obtains in human medicine. It makes no 
 difference whether we prescribe for a man or an animal, the laws of 
 the animal economy are the same ; each one is susceptible, and can 
 be benefited by the same plan of treatment. Hence the need of vet- 
 erinary schools of learning in the United States for the instruction 
 of those who shall engage in the practice of our art. The science 
 has been sadly neglected in this country, but a period has arrived 
 when we must have educated men to prescribe for our flocks and 
 herds. Humanity demands it — our own interests reiterate the de- 
 mand. Thousands upon thousands of valuable animals die annually, 
 prematurely and unnecessarily, in consequence of a want of knowl- 
 edge of the nature of the disease and the modus operandi of medicine. 
 
 I know of no better locality in the United States than Kentucky 
 for the establishment of a rational system of teaching veterinary 
 science at an Agricultural College ; and permit me, dear sir, to urge 
 you to use your efforts for the above purpose. Such an undertaking, 
 if successful (and I have no doubt of it), will reflect great credit on 
 you, and finally crown your State with the laurel of veterinary fame. 
 Yours respectfully, 
 
 G. H. Dadd, V. S. 
 
 Causes. — There is a great deal of doubt in regard to the manner 
 in which infectious and contagious principles invade the economy, 
 yet I think we shall not miss the mark in contending that it is 
 chiefly through the medium of the lungs that they are introduced 
 into the system ; and, finally, the pernicious substance is absorbed 
 into the blood, which it, more or less, quickly vitiates, and thus 
 occasions the subsequent symptoms. All contagious diseases differ 
 from one another. Every one possesses its own peculiar powers, 
 by which, when they have come into bodies favoring their action, 
 through the proper channel of communication, they every one pro- 
 create their own distinct form of disease by a constant and uniform 
 law ; hence the contagion of rinderpest produces its specific effect 
 on the system, spending its force principally on the respiratory 
 organs. The virus of glanders will not produce any other dis- 
 
438 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 ease than glanders. The same remarks apply to rabies, scarlet 
 fever, small pox, etc. ; so that the virus of Texas fever produces 
 that disease and no other. The agents through which the virus 
 is most readily concocted are animal emanations, or secretions, 
 particularly the effluvia arising from the excretions of infected 
 animals, and that arising from the carcasses of those that have 
 died of the complaint. Hence, all that succumb to the same 
 should be buried or burned. 
 
 When a large number of animals are crowded together, and 
 the disease makes its appearance, the looation may be designated 
 as the center of infection. In that event they need more space, 
 and must have it, or the disease will run riot among them; yet 
 the cordon sanataire must be drawn around them, for, if fresh 
 cattle come within breathing distance, the chances are that the 
 malady will spread. 
 
 Treatment. — In regard to the treatment of this malady I have 
 but little to offer. Medicine has but little control over diseases 
 of this character, yet I should recommend isolation, pure air, and 
 a free use of chlorate of potass, hyposulphite of soda, sulphate of 
 iron, and ginger. Take of 
 
 No. 64. Powdered chlorate of potass 3 oz 
 
 Powdered hyposulphite of soda 4 oz. 
 
 Powdered sulphate of iron 2 oz. 
 
 Powdered ginger 7 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 • Dose, one ounce, morning and evening ; to be mixed each time 
 in half a pint of flaxseed tea. 
 
SECTION XY. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. 
 
 Croup — Laryngitis — Bronchitis — Inflammation of the Lungs — Hoose or 
 Common Catarrh — Epizootic Catarrh — Consumption — Pharyngitis (Sore 
 Throat) — Pulmonary Apoplexy — Pleurisy, and Description of the 
 Pleura. 
 
 Croup. 
 
 THIS disease is generally supposed to occur among young ani- 
 mals, but Claude relates a case of false membranes in a 
 nine-year old ox. Young calves are frequently attacked with 
 "laryngitis," and very many die from obstruction in the air- 
 passages. These, after death, are found to be occupied by semi- 
 organized lymph. Such cases are known to veterinary surgeons 
 as membraneous croup, and, in the latter stages of the disease, the 
 false membranes are found to occupy the intestinal canal, as well 
 as the air passages. 
 
 Symptoms. — The animal is observed to be in imminent danger 
 of suffocation ; there is some discharge of morbid matter from the 
 nostrils, yet it is evident that the respiratory passages are fast 
 filling up with the morbid secretion. The only chance of saving 
 the animal is to perform the operation of tracheotomy; but this 
 operation, in order to be successful, must be performed in the early 
 stage of the disease, or when false membranes are confined above 
 the point selected for the operation ; for when the obstruction 
 exists at or about the lower end of the trachea, in the vicinity of 
 the bronchial tubes, the case is hopeless. The only medicine of 
 any value, in the early stage of this affection is 
 
 No. 65. Glycerine 2 oz. 
 
 Tincture of lobelia 2 dr. 
 
 Water 2 oz. 
 
 A second dose may be given at an interval of two hours. If 
 
 (429) 
 
440 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the patient does not improve, and the danger appears imminent, 
 tracheotomy must be performed. 
 
 Laryngitis. 
 
 This disease often commences as an ordinary cold ; but soon the 
 throat becomes husky, followed by prolonged sonorous respiration. 
 The respiration soon becomes quickened, and, finally, the patient 
 may die of suffocation. Laryngitis consists of an inflammatory 
 affection of the submucous cellular membrane of the larynx, often 
 ending in cedematous laryngitis. This is one of the most danger- 
 ous of all diseases, for, after oedema has once set in, the animal is 
 liable to die of asphyxia (loss of pulse) at any moment. 
 
 Symptoms. — Commencing, as it often does, as an ordinary cold 
 or sore throat, it has some symptoms in common with the latter. 
 The animal protrudes the nose, so that the head, instead of being 
 pendulous, is thrust forward, and he very rarely turns his head 
 sideways. The region of the throat is usually tumefied and ten- 
 der, and pressure on the larynx occasions great distress. These 
 symptoms, associated with the alarming character of the breath- 
 ing and livid appearance of the visible surfaces, will enable any 
 one to determine the true nature of the disease. 
 
 Treatment. — The first object is to endeavor to prevent effusion. 
 In this view, I recommend that the patient be carefully drenched 
 with the following: 
 
 No. 66. Fluid Extract buchu 1 oz. 
 
 Chlorate of potass 2 dr. 
 
 Water 3 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 At the end of three hours, repeat the dose. In the mean time 
 bathe the jaws and throat with a strong infusion of lobelia ; then 
 apply a cold-water bandage around the jaws and throat. The 
 body and limbs should be well rubbed with a wisp of straw, so 
 as to keep up an active circulation on the surface of the body. 
 An enema, composed of soap and water, may be thrown into the 
 rectum. Should the symptoms become more alarming, the serv- 
 ices of a veterinary surgeon will be required, to perform the 
 operation of tracheotomy, which consists in taking a circular piece 
 of cartilage out of the trachea, and inserting therein a common 
 tracheotomy tube. If the disease be confined to the parts above 
 
DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. 441 
 
 the seat selected as the place of operation, the animal may yet be 
 saved. When the disease passes into the chronic stage, we have 
 a purulent discharge from the nostrils. This discharge may be 
 modified by giving a few doses of the following : 
 
 No. 67. Tincture of matico 2 oz. 
 
 Syrup of garlic 8 oz. 
 
 Sweet spirits of niter 2 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Dose, two ounces, morning and evening. The throat should 
 be rubbed occasionally with a small quantity of tincture of blood- 
 root or hot vinegar. It often happens that chronic laryngitis ends 
 in thickening, or altered structure, of parts within and around the 
 larynx. Should this be the case, the patient should be put on a 
 course of iodine. Twenty grains per day of iodide of potassium 
 may be given in a small quantity of water ; and the region of the 
 throat should be anointed every night with the following oint- 
 ment : * 
 
 No. 68. Powdered iodide of potassium 2 dr. 
 
 Simple ointment 2 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Description of the Larynx. — The larynx is seated at the upper 
 part of the windpipe, to which it is joined. It occupies that part 
 known as the throat, between the broadest part of the angles of 
 the jaw. It is composed of several cartilages, which are under 
 the control of the laryngial muscles. These cartilages are so con- 
 trived as to be movable on each other, in various directions. 
 
 The first cartilage is named thyroid, or shield-like. It forms 
 the most extensive part of the larynx, and protects the other parts 
 from external injury. 
 
 The second cartilage is named cricoid, or ring-like cartilage. 
 It overlaps the first ring of the trachea, or windpipe, in the form 
 of a helmet. 
 
 Thirdly, there are two ewer-shaped cartilages, termed arytenoid. 
 They are found on the upper and back part of the trachea. They 
 form a canal which leads to the glottis. 
 
 The fourth cartilage is named epiglottis, in consequence of being 
 situated upon and over the glottis. It is the door-keeper of the 
 larynx, and every particle of food or drop of water which the ani- 
 mal swallows must pass over it. If it fail to perform its function 
 
442 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 for a single moment, when the animal is either drinking or eating, 
 death is sure to follow. But the ox is rather more favored in the 
 mechanism of the epiglottis than the horse. The epiglottis of the 
 horse is just adapted to the caliber of the glottis, he being a non- 
 ruminant; but in the case of the ox, the rough, unmasticated 
 particles of food have to be returned to the mouth for a second 
 mastication. This would peril the life of the animal if he had no 
 other protection than that found in the larynx of horses. The 
 fact is, the epiglottis of cattle, instead of being confined to the 
 caliber of the rim of the glottis, overlaps it, and this securely pro- 
 tects the parts from the accidents which may occur in the process 
 of remastication. 
 
 The larynx is lined by a membrane very susceptible to irrita- 
 tion. It is abundantly supplied with excretory glands and ori- 
 fices, for the emission of a secretion peculiar to itself. 
 
 Bronchitis. • 
 
 Bronchitis is a disease of the bronchial mucous membrane. In 
 its early stage, the term acute has been applied to it ; this having 
 subsided, it assumes a chronic type. It is very rare that this is a 
 primary affection, for it is generally preceded by cough or catarrh, 
 or else is an accompaniment of an abnormal condition of contigu- 
 ous tissues. Its existence may be demonstrated very readily by 
 applying the ear to the trachea, in the region of the point of the 
 breast-bone, the peculiar sound differing from that in any other 
 part of the trachea, having what is termed a sibilant, or whistling 
 sound. 
 
 Treatment. — The treatment will be about the same as that 
 recommended for common catarrh, with the addition of a counter- 
 irritant to the sides of the chest. A little mustard and vinegar will 
 answer the purpose. A bronchial difficulty, of a very alarming 
 character, sometimes prevails as an epizootic, and this must be 
 treated the same as epizootic catarrh. 
 
 Description of the Bronchial Tubes. — The bronchial tubes are a 
 continuation of the trachea. It having entered the thorax, becomes 
 forked or bifurcated. They are constituted of several pieces, mak- 
 ing up so many segments of the circle, overlapping each other so 
 as to admit of extension and contraction in the respiratory acts. 
 These are connected together and invested by an elastic cellular 
 
DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. 443 
 
 substance, which imparts to them both strength and elasticity. A 
 further subdivision of the bronchial tubes takes place as they pen- 
 etrate the substance of the lungs, so that they become very numer- 
 ous. As they proceed onward their caliber continually grows less, 
 until they end in the extreme ramifications known as air-cells. 
 The bronchial tubes are lined by a membrane common to the 
 trachea. 
 
 Inflammation of the Lungs. 
 
 Inflammation of the lungs, known, also, as pneumonia, is not 
 usually so prevalent among the bovine as it proves to be in the 
 equine species, excepting, however, milch cows, located in unven- 
 tilated milking establishments. In such locations diseases of the 
 lungs are often fearfully prevalent, raging, at times, as an enzootic 
 affection, which generally proves fatal when a large number of 
 animals are confined in a small space. 
 
 Among horses this disease is often occasioned by laborious work 
 and feats of speed, which produce rapid and sometimes distressing 
 respiration ; but among cattle, whose powers of speed and endur- 
 ance are not often put to the test, we may reasonably infer that 
 the exciting causes vary in their general character. 
 
 The stimulating and morbid action of an impure atmosphere 
 may produce this disease by first creating irritation on the lining 
 membrane of the respiratory passages. It has also been noticed 
 that this disease frequently appears among cattle that have been 
 driven a long distance, and have also been compelled to go hungry 
 and thirsty for many hours. Fprtunately for the poor brute, this 
 disease is not so painful as bronchitis, pleurisy, and laryngitis; 
 and, after having passed through the acute stage, it assumes a sort 
 of mild, subacute, or chronic type, which, apparently, appears less 
 dangerous than the acute kind ; yet, after all, is more so, as it is 
 apt to terminate in altered structure, hepatization, induration, and 
 tubercles. 
 
 Pneumonia, now and then, terminates by metastasis ; that is, by 
 translation of the formidable lung difficulty to one equally formi- 
 dable, which locates in the feet, known to veterinarians as laminitis 
 (fever in the feet). Among cattle, however, this termination is 
 rather rare, yet very frequent among horses. When the disease 
 does not take this course it often ends in " resolution," which sig- 
 nifies a return to health, without leaving any perceivable evidence 
 
444 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 of altered structure ; so that, after awhile, the animal may become 
 sound as ever. 
 
 Pneumonia is divided into several forms or stages, but, as they 
 all have reference to its degree or intensity, it seems unnecessary 
 to refer to them. It may, however, be proper to inform the reader 
 that pneumonia may exist either as a state of congestion or of in- 
 flammation. Congestion signifies a distended or plethoric state 
 of the blood-vessels of the parenchyma of the lungs, and slow 
 motion of blood. Congestive pneumonia sometimes sets in as sud- 
 denly as that which is termed " inflammatory," and among cattle 
 the former is most prevalent. In the congestive stage the symp- 
 toms are those of embarrassment, the blood courses through its 
 channels sluggishly, and there is not the activity of heart and 
 lungs which is perceivable in pneumonia. 
 
 Symptoms. — The symptoms, in the early stage, are such as are 
 generally observed at the commencement of any inflammatory 
 affection ; namely, coldness of extremities and shivering fits ; loss 
 of appetite ; labored respiration, quick pulse, slight cough ; mouth 
 hot and clammy. The animal will not lie down, and refuses to 
 move ; the head is extended, perhaps drooping, and the fore-legs 
 stand wide apart. As the disease progresses these symptoms vary, 
 and the appearance of the membrane of the mouth, nose, and eyes 
 vary also, from the color of bright scarlet to that of a leaden hue. 
 In the congestive stage, the pulse is more voluminous, yet less 
 active, and the visible surfaces are highly congested. A cough, 
 slight or active, as the case may be, is usually noticed ; it is a sort 
 of deep-seated, half-suppressed cough, and sometimes is the first 
 symptom which attracts the owner's attention to the ailing animal. 
 . Treatment. — I have little faith in the heroic remedies so highly 
 recommended by Youatt and others, and even by myself only a 
 few years ago. I now have more faith in Nature and in regi- 
 menal means, and find that more cases are cured in this way than 
 by the old method. It is very important, at the commencement 
 of the treatment, that the patient shall be placed in a clean, com- 
 fortable location, where pure air abounds; for, under such circum- 
 stances, the condition favorable to the operation of Nature in the 
 cure of the malady are secured. Should the animal labor under 
 accelerated respiration and full, strong pulse, I should administer 
 one ounce of powdered niter in a quart of cold water ; after which, 
 four ounces of the liquor acetate of ammonia may be given, every 
 
DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. 445 
 
 four hours. This agent, also, should have a quart of cold water 
 added to it at every dose. The brisket and sides may be rubbed 
 with a portion of the following : Powdered mustard and strong vin- 
 egar, enough of each to form a thin paste. When mixed, a small 
 quantity of oil of cedar may be added. This application should 
 be repeated two or three times in the course of twenty-four hours. 
 Nauseants are next administered, in view of relaxing capillary and 
 muscular constrictions, and this is desirable, as such conditions 
 tend to equalize the circulation of ftie blood, and prevent an undue 
 quantity accumulating in the pulmonary organs. 
 
 In cattle practice, having had a case of this character under 
 treatment, I prefer to administer the nauseating remedies by the 
 anus; hence, a couple of quarts of infusion of lobelia may occa- 
 sionally be thrown into the rectum. Considerable of the active 
 principle of lobelia will be absorbed within this gut, and, under 
 the circumstances, it is much better to introduce the medicine 
 into the system in this way than by the stomach. The propor- 
 tions of the lobelia to the water are — 
 
 No. 69. Lobelia (herb) 2 oz. 
 
 Boiling water 2 qt. 
 
 When cool, strain, and it is fit for use. 
 
 It may be necessary to give a dose of medicine ; if so, I should 
 use the following : 
 
 No. 70. Glauber salts 12 oz. 
 
 Ginger 1 dr. 
 
 Warm water 1 qt. 
 
 It should be known to all husbandmen that a disease of this 
 character, located in such important organs as those of respiration, 
 is very prostrating, and operates very unfavorably on the inher- 
 ent vitality of parts ; hence, so soon as the activity of the mor- 
 bid phenomena is somewhat subdued, all active medication should 
 cease. 
 
 The affection is likely to continue for some days, and all we 
 have to do is to try to keep the patient alive while the disease is 
 running its course. Careful nursing, pure air, and light diet are 
 the remedies. After the first twenty-four hours, I pay little at- 
 tention to the pulse, but more to the patient, for I can conceive 
 of but two conditions in this disease. One I call acute, the other 
 chronic. The very moment the acute condition subsides, it merges 
 
446 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 into the chronic, and requires life-sustaining agents. After the first 
 twenty-four hours, I generally resort to the following medicine: 
 
 No. 71. Glycerine 8 oz. 
 
 Powdered bloodroot 4 dr. 
 
 Powdered golden seal 1 oz. 
 
 Water 4 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Dose, one table-spoonful, to be smeared on the tongue night 
 and morning. t 
 
 Management of the Patient while under Treatment. — As I have 
 already intimated, a full supply of pure air must be insured ; for 
 a practitioner would be more likely to save an animal in the open 
 air (provided the weather was not too cold or tenrpestuous) than 
 in the unventilated cow-house. Should the limbs at any time be 
 cold, they are to be hand-rubbed and bandaged ; the body being 
 in the same condition, must also be clothed. I should also give 
 the chilled patient some warm ginger-tea, or any other non-alco- 
 holic stimulant or carminative, in view of arousing the action of 
 the heart and capillaries, by which means the red arterial and 
 life-sustaining blood would be forced to the external surface and 
 extremities, imparting to them a genial warmth, and thus insur- 
 ing an equilibrium of the circulating fluid. The patient should 
 be furnished constantly with a bucket of pure, cold water. When 
 morbid thirst prevails, the water must be acidulated with either 
 lemon-juice, cream of tartar, or acetic acid. Any symptoms of 
 debility or lassitude are to be opposed by a few doses of some veg- 
 etable tonic. Tincture of golden seal, or tincture of matico, in 
 ounce doses, every twelve hours, are the best remedies that I am 
 acquainted with. 
 
 My experience in the treatment of this formidable disease is, 
 that in ninety-nine cases out of one hundred, the patient dies of 
 a meddlesome medicinal disease ; in fact, he dies secundem artem. 
 In view of furnishing a logical argument to support this theory, 
 I refer the reader to Youatt, Percivall, and others of the or- 
 thodox stamp, (very learned men,) who are apt to place too much 
 confidence in art, to the exclusion of Nature. 
 
 It is my opinion, after many years study and practice, that dis- 
 eases are not cured by art; but art may so modify the diseased 
 condition that the recuperative powers of the system can thereby 
 induce salutary changes, without which they can not so readily be 
 
DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. 447 
 
 effected. Thus art, when understanding^ applied, may be said 
 to aid Nature in the cure of disease. 
 
 Hoose, or Common Catarrh. 
 
 Cattle, as well as horses, are subject to a catarrhal affection, 
 known among English farmers as " hoose." This consists of a 
 defluxion from the nasal cavity, accompanied with cough, loss of 
 appetite, and loss of flesh. In popular language, it is nothing 
 more than a common cold, induced by the ordinary causes, such 
 as exposure, errors in diet, and management. It generally ap- 
 pears during spring, or toward the latter part of autumn, when 
 the temperature of the atmosphere undergoes the most sudden 
 changes; and it generally selects its subjects; for many animals, 
 subjected to the ordinary causes of cold, enjoy immunity from the 
 same; hence, I infer that a predisposition to this affection is 
 hereditary, and manifests itself at periodical intervals, without 
 the intervention of the common exciting causes, although they 
 may prove operative in developing a latent disease. 
 
 I conceive that it sometimes has an hereditary origin, from the 
 fact that some breeds are more subject to it than others. In some 
 cases, however, this hereditariness exists only so far as the animal 
 is of a peculiar temperament, so that, when removed from a warm 
 to a colder region, it is apt to contract catarrh. This is the case 
 with many of the Alderney breed of cows imported into the 
 northern region of the United States. Ere they have been here 
 long, they have an attack of catarrh, which often runs into the 
 chronic stage, and ends in consumption. 
 
 Symptoms. — The first symptom which the farrier will observe, 
 is loss of appetite. Succeeding this are febrile symptoms, such 
 as quick pulse and respiration, heaving at the flanks, dry muzzle, 
 glairy discharge from the nostrils, reddening of the visible sur- 
 faces. The limbs are generally colder than usual, and the hair 
 loses its glossiness and appears roughened. The animal will occa- 
 sionally snort and discharge more or less of glairy mucus, and 
 some soreness of throat may be observed. Such are the early and 
 most noticeable symptoms of this disease ; and this is the most 
 proper period for the animal to receive attention, in order to pre- 
 vent the malady running into the chronic form ; for, should it do 
 so, ten chances to one if the case is not called " horn-ail," and 
 
448 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 thus the poor animal has to submit to a routine of barbarisms, 
 such as boring horns, letting daylight, pepper, and turpentine into 
 the frontal sinuses, much to the annoyance of a sick brute, and 
 very significant of the ignorance of the itinerant cattle-slayer. 
 
 Treatment. — The treatment depends somewhat on the condition 
 of the patient, as regards the preponderance of fever or debility. 
 A high-fed animal, abounding in morbific material, and neces- 
 sarily of a febrile diathesis, must have aperients. Eight ounces 
 of Glauber salts, dissolved in warm water, and sweetened with 
 molasses, may, without the least danger, be administered, followed 
 by a liberal supply of warm, sloppy, bran-mashes ; and, should 
 the pulse be voluminous and excessively active, thirty grains of 
 powdered niter may be added to the above, which, in all proba- 
 bility, will reduce the action of the heart. In the mean time, we 
 keep the patient quiet. Withhold all fat and muscle-making food, 
 and allow the patient to breathe a pure and cool atmosphere; for 
 a cool atmosphere is, perhaps, a better sedative than niter, and 
 certainly more requisite; and, after the medicine shall have had 
 time to traverse a portion of the intestinal surface, say a lapse of 
 five or six hours, an enema of Glauber salts may be given, in the 
 proportion of half a pound to half a gallon of water. 
 
 In the early stage, and having a plethoric subject under treat- 
 ment, it may, by some persons, be considered necessary to resort 
 to the fleam ; and some highly-educated physicians decide this to 
 be the best course. There may be cases, occurring in pampered 
 and stable-fed animals, which demand a prompt use of the above 
 instrument ; but the author has never seen a case of catarrh which, 
 in his judgment, demanded the abstraction of blood. Bleed by 
 the bowels, if there be need of depletion. This is my doctrine. 
 Catarrh, whether it be simple or epidemic, in one feature re- 
 sembles influenza occurring among horses. It is a prostrating 
 disease, inducing debility. However, I have no desire to force my 
 opinions on any man. Try sanitive medicines; if they have not 
 the desired effect, the judicious practitioner has no other remedy. 
 
 We have now only to keep the patient alive while the disease 
 is running its course, and this is accomplished by means of "good 
 nursing." There are a great many remedies that might be recom- 
 mended, in view of hastening convalescence, but " good nursing " 
 supplants the whole. A sore throat may accompany the malady, 
 and, if so, I recommend the following : 
 
DISEASES OP THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. 449 
 
 No. 72. Olive oil 6 oz. 
 
 Oil of cedar 1 oz. 
 
 Spirit of ammonia ^ oz. 
 
 Tincture of capsicum 1 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Apply a portion to the throat twice daily. 
 
 In order to promote a discharge from the nasal outlets, we 
 resort to vapor, which may be generated by dropping water or 
 vinegar on a hot brick ; and to insure the full effect of the same, 
 I envelop the head with a cloth or blanket, so as to direct the 
 current of vapor through the nasal passages. In view of pro- 
 moting a nasal discharge, a small quantity of bayberry bark (pul- 
 verized) may occasionally be blown up the nostrils, from a quill 
 or a hollow tube of paper. The after-treatment will depend upon 
 the observable symptoms. While a febrile diathesis continues, 
 we depend on sedatives and aperients. In the chronic stage, tonics 
 and alteratives are indicated, and must be resorted to, in view of 
 warding off a chronic cough and its consequences. 
 
 Epizootic Catarrh. 
 
 Epizootic catarrh is infectious, yet animals having once had an 
 attack of the same may enjoy immunity from it thereafter. It 
 usually appears and spreads over various parts of the country 
 when great variations in the weather are noticed. It generally 
 appears in the spring, and disappears when the weather becomes 
 warmer and more uniform. 
 
 Symptoms. — The symptoms of epizootic catarrh, in the early 
 stage, do not differ materially from those alluded to in the pre- 
 ceding article (common catarrh). In a very short time, however, 
 the animal begins to grow very weak, and becomes debilitated. 
 Tumors form in various parts of the body, emitting, when pressed, 
 a crackling sound ; the glands in the region of the throat are en- 
 larged; the neck, stiff; the odor from the breath and feces is 
 very offensive; the animal loses flesh very fast, and, unless re- 
 lieved, will surely die. 
 
 Causes. — The direct causes of this, like that of any other epi- 
 zootic and endemic affection, are involved in obscurity. Specu- 
 lation is rife as regards the causes of cholera and the potato rot, 
 which probably have analogous origins, but it is very difficult, if 
 29 
 
450 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 not impossible, at the present time, to define the precise character 
 of the morbid germ which, "like a little leaven," leavens the 
 whole body. 
 
 Treatment. — The principal objects in the treatment of this mal- 
 ady are to sustain the vital powers, and thus guard against the 
 subsequent prostration and decomposition which, under the ortho- 
 dox treatment, is sure to occur. The proper mode of treatment 
 is to drench the animal with the following : 
 
 No. 73. Tincture of matico 1 oz. 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda 6 dr. 
 
 Powdered golden seal 2 dr. 
 
 Warm water 1 pint. 
 
 Having administered the above medicine, anoint the throat and 
 all tumefied parts with a portion of the following counter-irritant: 
 
 No. 74. Oil of cedar 1 oz. 
 
 Oil of sassafras \ oz. 
 
 Cod-liver oil 6 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Apply by means of a small piece of sponge. Should the breath 
 become fetid, and the odor from the evacuations almost intoler- 
 able, as is often the case, very powerful antiseptics will be needed, 
 to arrest the morbid fermentation. The most efficient and valu- 
 able article for this purpose is pyroligneous acid. A couple of 
 ounces of the same may be given in a quart of oatmeal gruel, 
 every four hours, until the odor is exterminated. The diet should 
 consist of well-salted, scalded shorts, sliced carrots, and parsnips. 
 In the absence of rumination, give a drachm of powdered golden 
 seal and half a drachm of carbonate of soda, twice in twenty- 
 four hours. 
 
 Consumption. 
 
 This disease, as it appears among cattle, is supposed to be the 
 sequel of other diseases of the respiratory apparatus, and some 
 writers contend that phthisis is the termination of chronic disease 
 of the lungs, characterized by the formation of tubercles within 
 the substance of the lungs. 
 
 Symptoms. — The most notable symptoms are emaciation, debil- 
 ity, cough, fever, and purulent expectoration. Expectoration, 
 however, is a feature of this disease, more marked in the human 
 subject than among horses and cattle ; yet, in the last stages, we 
 
DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. 451 
 
 occasionally observe nasal discharges of a purulent character. In 
 diagnosing this disease, it is necessary to make ourselves acquainted 
 with the history of the case, and the physical conformation of the 
 animal; for, if the patient be the subject of neglected catarrh, 
 bronchitis, or any other pulmonic or pleuritic difficulty, we have 
 the data for an intelligent diagnosis ; provided the physical con- 
 formation corresponds to that which physiologists regard as sus- 
 ceptible of phthisis ; namely, a lean, lank organization, associated 
 with an active, nervous temperament. 
 
 Referring to Percivall for evidence on the subject now under 
 consideration, I find that he considers a colt having long legs, 
 overgrowth, narrow chest, flat sides, pot belly, and an appearance 
 of weakness and unthrivingness, a capital subject for phthisis. A 
 cough occurring in such an animal, of a feeble, painful, hoarse, 
 rattling, or gurgling character, shows conclusively that disorgan- 
 ization of the lungs has commenced. The cough will also be ac- 
 companied by a sound which gives us an idea that it is deep- 
 seated. 
 
 Causes. — Aside from the well-known direct hereditary causes 
 which are known to exist in breed, there are others operating 
 insidiously to produce disease and altered structure in the lungs. 
 The climate may be prejudicial. I have known this disease to 
 make its appearance among cows unsuited to our New England 
 climate — the Alderneys, for example. On the other hand, if cows 
 be removed from a warm, comfortable location, or barn, to a region 
 involving a material difference in temperature, a derangement of 
 the respiratory system is very apt to occur. It may appear at 
 first under the guise of a simple bronchial affection, which insidi- 
 ously steals on until the substance of the lungs is affected. Ani- 
 mals shut up in close and hot stables, where they can not obtain 
 sufficient oxygen to vitalize or decarbonize the blood, are apt, 
 after a short time, to die of tuberculated lungs ; or, perhaps, a 
 worse form of disease, known as infectious pleuro-pneumonia, 
 soon terminates their wretched existence. Impure air is at all 
 times operative in exciting pulmonary affections. The least de- 
 viation from purity may occasion very serious difficulties ; there- 
 fore, it should be the business of the farmer to see that his cattle 
 have constantly an abundant supply of pure, uncontaminated air — 
 the breath of life. 
 
 Treatment. — In the first place, the patient must be removed to a 
 
452 DADDS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 comfortably warm and well-ventilated barn. Should the weather 
 be chilly, a blanket may be thrown over the body ; and it will be 
 expedient, also, to clothe the limbs, up to the knees and hocks, 
 with strips of flannel. By this means we promote cutaneous and 
 subcutaneous circulation, and every drop of blood invited and 
 maintained at the surface in the extreme vessels tends to prevent 
 internal congestions. Without proper attention to these matters, 
 we might as foolishly attempt to raise a dead cow to life. Next, 
 the patient, whose appetite is almost sure to be impaired, should 
 be fed on that kind of food which contains more carbon and nitro- 
 gen than common hay ; namely, oatmeal. In case of a complete 
 suspension of rumination (loss of cud), a due proportion per diem 
 of oatmeal gruel, sweetened with some saccharine matter, may be 
 administered from a bottle. Every morning the patient should 
 have four ounces of the best cod-liver oil. This can be continued 
 until its action is made manifest by purging. Every evening, 
 give the patient a dose of the following : 
 
 No. 75. Powdered phosphate of lime. 3 oz. 
 
 Powdered bloodroot 1 oz. 
 
 Powdered bayberry bark 4 dr. 
 
 Powdered sassafras 2 oz. 
 
 Divide the mixture into sixteen parts. The above is, according 
 to my experience, the most rational method of treating this disease ; 
 but the farmer must not feel disappointed if he fails in arresting 
 it, for it frequently baffles the most consummate skill. 
 
 Pharyngitis (Sore Throat). 
 
 The term pharyngitis signifies inflammation of the membrane 
 lining in the pharyngial inlet, or funnel-like entrance into the 
 oesophagus, or gullet. 
 
 Symptom. — The diagnostic symptom of this affection is as fol- 
 lows : The subject is unable to swallow, and thus the food taken 
 into the mouth is apt to be returned by the nostrils. This hap- 
 pens occasionally, although the passage of the nasal inlet is much 
 smaller than it is in the horse. On exploring the inferior region 
 of the throat, from ear to ear, considerable swelling or tumefaction 
 is encountered, yet the pharyngial muscles appear to be constricted. 
 It generally appears among cattle as a simple local affection, yet 
 it often accompanies other diseases of the respiratory character. 
 
DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. 453 
 
 and whenever it does appear as a local malady, it is apt to merge 
 into something else. It is a very distressing affection, and the 
 animal gets but little relief until suppuration commences ; then a 
 free discharge takes place. 
 
 Treatment. — Let the animal's throat be rubbed twice daily with 
 
 No. 76. Oil of cedar 1 oz. 
 
 Cod-liver oil 6 oz. 
 
 Spirits of ammonia 2 dr. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Keep a sloppy bran-mash before the patient, or some flaxseed 
 tea, into which stir a small quantity of powdered niter of liquorice. 
 This will relieve the cough, if any be present, and tend to lessen ir- 
 ritation of the lining membrane of the pharynx. When the patient 
 begins to expectorate, or has the least discharge from the nose, give 
 
 No. 77. Balsam of tolu 2 oz. 
 
 Sweet spirits of niter 3 oz. 
 
 Mucilage of gum arabic 8 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Dose, one wine-glassful, twice daily. 
 
 Description of the pharynx. — The pharynx is the commencement 
 of the tube known as the oesophagus, or " gullet." It is a funnel- 
 shaped cavity, lodged between the mouth, gullet, and windpipe. 
 The pharynx is composed of muscular and membraneous tissues. 
 The most important muscles which enter into the composition of 
 the pharynx are the constrictors. They give the membrane form- 
 ing the funnel-shaped sac a complete covering, and their function 
 is to force the food beyond the action of the tongue, into the oeso- 
 phagus. The pharynx is divided from the mouth by the soft 
 palate and the epiglottis ; therefore, except in the act of swallow- 
 ing or coughing, there is no direct communication. The interior 
 of the pharynx is lined by a membrane having within its structure 
 a vast number of minute glands, with excretory ducts, from which 
 a viscid or lubricating fluid issues. This lubricates the pellets of 
 food, so that, by this process, their passage into the oesophagus is 
 insured without the casuality of friction. 
 
 Pulmonary Apoplexy. 
 
 This disease occasionally appears among cattle in the Western 
 States. It attacks animals irrespective of age, sex, or condition. 
 
454 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 It is generally sudden in its attacks, and death frequently ensues 
 in the course of a few hours. 
 
 Symptoms. — The pulse and respirations are very much acceler- 
 ated, the former sometimes running as high as 110; an augmented 
 salivary secretion is observed to run from the mouth; the tongue 
 is much swollen; so, also, are the eyelids, and tears run down 
 each side of the face; various parts of the body are swollen and 
 congested ; the stomach is distended with gas, and the evacuations 
 are profuse and watery. Post mortem examinations reveal a highly- 
 congested state of the lungs ; in fact, they are engorged with blood, 
 and the muscles in the region of the tumefied parts are in a similar 
 engorged condition. 
 
 Treatment. — No time should be lost in administering the follow- 
 ing drench, for it will preserve the tissues against decomposition, 
 and, perhaps, save the animal : 
 
 No. 78. Pyroligneous acid 12 dr. 
 
 Water 1 pint. 
 
 Tincture of matico 1 oz. 
 
 Repeat the dose after a lapse of six hours, and rub the tume- 
 faction occasionally with 
 
 No. 79. Oil of cedar 1 oz. 
 
 Tincture of capsicum 2 oz. 
 
 Tincture of bayberry bark 4 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 It appears that in this disease there is a morbid impulse directed 
 to various parts, which results in local accumulations, rendering 
 the parts turgid. Then the blood is thrown out of the capillary 
 vessels, and sometimes they suffer a rupture, which accounts for 
 the engorgement and extravasation. 
 
 As there is generally some effusion present in this malady, some 
 good may be accomplished in acting slightly on the kidneys ; yet, 
 as the pulse and respirations are both accelerated, the ordinary 
 diuretic (sweet spirits of niter) is not admissible, for the simple 
 reason that it is too stimulating ; therefore I recommend the use 
 of common niter — half an ounce, every four hours, to be given in 
 a little water. The tumefied tongue should be rubbed often with 
 table salt. The animal does not require any kind of food until 
 amendment takes place. The best drink for the patient is cold 
 water, to which a little table salt may be added. 
 
DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. 455 
 
 Pleurisy and Description of the Pleura. 
 
 The delicate, transparent membrane which lines the cavity of 
 the thorax, or chest, is duplicated as an external tunic on the 
 lungs, and forms a partition called mediastinum, which divides the 
 cavity of the chest into two equal parts, termed right and left 
 cavities of the thorax. It is, therefore, a reflected membrane. 
 That portion which gives a lining to the chest is termed pleura 
 costalis, and that which invests the lungs is called pleura pulmo- 
 nalis, although, at all points, they are precisely similar in structure 
 and function. The pleura is called a serous membrane. It is 
 dense, shining, and transparent ; its texture is penetrated by blood- 
 vessels, nerves, absorbents, and exhalents. The minute ramifica- 
 tions of the arteries give origin to a vast number of exhalents ; 
 and these furnish a serous or watery vapor, which is distributed 
 over every part of the pleura, and thus all friction and irritation 
 is prevented. In the disease known as hydrothorax (dropsy of 
 the chest), the effused fluid found in the cavity of the thorax comes 
 from the exhalents. The absorbents play a very different part. 
 Their function is to absorb or drink up any superabundant serum 
 or blood that may be found in the chest. The functions of these 
 vessels, however, are limited ; for when, in consequence of disease, 
 augmented serous secretion takes place, the absorbents are unequal 
 to the task imposed on them, consequently the subject of hydro- 
 thorax often dies with his chest loaded with water. 
 
 Symptoms. — This disease is generally ushered in like other febrile 
 affections, by fever and trembling of the fore extremities. The 
 cough accompanying pleurisy is painful, and the animal tries to 
 suppress it as much as possible. The breathing is not laborious, 
 but short, the intercostal muscles not admitting of their usual exten- 
 sion and contraction without intense pain. The diaphragm has to 
 perform the respiratory movement, without the aid of the former 
 muscles. If slight pressure be made on the intercostal spaces, be- 
 tween the ribs, the animal will evince symptoms of intense pain. 
 If a person attempts to back the patient, the latter will moan or 
 grunt, and be very unwilling to move. The patient stands with 
 his fore-legs wide apart, and seldom, if ever, lies down. On ap- 
 plying the ear to the sides of the chest, a slight sound, resembling 
 that of friction, is discernible. This is probably occasioned by the 
 presence of effused lymph on the pleural surfaces. The pulse is 
 
456 DADDS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 generally quick, tense, and small. These are the principal symp- 
 toms of pleurisy in its early stage. They will vary as the disease 
 progresses, or become complicated. The minor symptoms, such 
 as loss of cud, etc., are not worth noticing, as they are present in 
 various other forms of disease. 
 
 Treatment — Give two drachms of fluid extract of gelseminum 
 every four hours. This acts as a powerful sedative, and will 
 soon afford much relief. In the mean time, let a preparation of 
 mustard and vinegar be applied to both sides of the chest and 
 breast. The patient should now have one ounce of powdered 
 chlorate of potass, dissolved in flaxseed tea or thin gruel. This 
 may be given morning and evening. Should the animal refuse to 
 drink it, give it as a drench, by adding to it one pint of water. In 
 view of mitigating the cough which may be present, and of reliev- 
 ing pain, the patient may be made to inhale an ounce or so of sul- 
 phuric ether from a sponge, the latter being merely covered with 
 a towel, except that part which comes in contact with the nostrils. 
 It would not be proper to completely etherize the animal, but 
 merely to stupefy him for a time. This will have an antispasmodic 
 effect, and may be repeated, or not, at intervals of four hours, ac- 
 cording to the nature of the effects produced. 
 
 It will be proper to administer an occasional enema, and this 
 should be of an antispasmodic character ; therefore an infusion of 
 lobelia is recommended. The very moment the animal appears 
 to be relieved of urgent symptoms, the treatment should not pro- 
 ceed on the same principles. The intention should be to guard 
 against debility and hydrothorax, two mortal enemies to the bovine 
 species. Golden seal and buchu are the best remedies to prevent 
 the one and guard against the consequences of the latter. They 
 may be given in the following proportions : 
 
 No. 80. Powdered golden seal 2 dr. 
 
 Tincture of buchu 4 fluid dr. 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda 3 dr. 
 
 Water 1 pint. 
 
 This quantity is sufficient for a period of twenty-four hours. 
 The animal appearing much better will be the signal to discon- 
 tinue all medical treatment. 
 
SECTION XYI. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 
 
 Description of the GSsophaous — Foreign Bodies in the Gullet — CEsophagot- 
 omy — Laceration of the Oesophagus — Aphtha — Description of Stomach — 
 Rumination — Bloat — Distension of the Rumen with Food — Gastrointesti- 
 nal Inflammation— Dentition of Cattle— Synopsis of Dentition — Suspended 
 Rumination, or Loss of Cud — Inflammation of the Bowels — Invagination 
 of Intestine — Diarrhea — Chronic Diarrhea— Gut Tie — Internal Rupture 
 of Oxen — Flatulent Colic — Spasm of the Bowels — Constipation of Bowels. 
 
 Description of the (Esophagus. 
 
 THE oesophagus, or gullet, extends from the mouth to the 
 stomach, and passes down the left side of the neck, outside 
 of the windpipe, between the two first ribs, and then runs back- 
 ward, along the upper part of the thorax, until it reaches the 
 diaphragm. Having passed through the latter, it enters into the 
 mechanism of the digestive canal. It is composed of three coats. 
 The outer one is made up of cellular substance, and admits of 
 much distension. The middle one is muscular, and composed of 
 two layers, arranged spirally, and running in opposite directions ; 
 that is to say, the fibers wind round the gullet, in contrary direc- 
 tions. This allows or aids the food which has been masticated to 
 pass down the tube into the first compartment of the stomach, 
 viz., the paunch, and, by a reverse action of the other set of spiral 
 muscular fibers, the pellet (cud) ascends into the mouth for re- 
 mastication. The inner or third coat is similar in structure to 
 the pharyngeal membrane, or that which lines the pharynx, yet 
 it is so arranged as to admit of considerable distension. 
 
 Foreign Bodies in the Gullet. 
 
 When an animal attempts to swallow a substance too large for 
 the caliber of the oesophagus, it becomes impacted in the same, and 
 
 (457) 
 
458 DADDS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the creature is said to be choked. On examining the left side 
 of the neck, the foreign body can be both seen and felt. When 
 an accident of this character occurs, half a pint of olive oil should 
 immediately be administered. This will lubricate the internal 
 surface of the oesophagus, and aid us when attempting to force the 
 impacted material toward the stomach. Before any attempts are 
 made to introduce the probang, some efforts should be made to 
 manipulate the obstruction, and thus force it downward. If it 
 can be felt, yet can not be moved by external manipulation, there 
 is very little chance for the animal ; yet we are not without re- 
 source. The probang is our remedy. This is to be introduced 
 through the mouth-piece into the oesophagus. Some slight degree 
 of force may be used to push the obstruction downward. If that 
 fail, no time should be lost in futile efforts, and an operation must 
 be performed termed cesophagotomy. 
 
 CESOPHAGOTOMY. 
 
 This operation is performed as follows : — Place the animal in 
 the trevis, or cast, and etherize him. Then make an incision over 
 the region of the obstruction, through the skin and subcellular 
 tissues. The oesophagus will then be seen. The only vessels in 
 this location that are of any consequence are the jugular vein and 
 common carotid artery ; but there is no danger of wounding them 
 when the oesophagus is distended. The obstruction having been 
 found, an incision is to be made through the coats of the gullet 
 sufficiently large to admit of the extraction of the incarcerated 
 body. So soon as this desirable object is effected, the edges of the 
 gullet may be closed by sutures or stitches, one end of which 
 should be cut off close to the knot, and the other left long enough 
 to hang out of the external wound. The integuments are then to 
 be brought together by another set of stitches, taking care to leave 
 a small orifice at the lower part of the neck, for the escape of any 
 morbid matter. The wound, with the exception of this orifice, 
 should be well coated with collodion or liquid cuticle. For a few 
 days after the operation, the patient should be kept on a light, 
 sloppy diet, sufficiently seasoned with common salt to prevent fer- 
 mentation. In the course of a fortnight the wound will be quite 
 healed. 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 
 
 459 
 
 Laceeation of the (Esophagus. 
 
 This accident very frequently occurs from the objectionable 
 practice of attempting to force a foreign body, such as an apple, 
 potato, or turnip, that the animal has greedily attempted to swal- 
 low, down the oesophagus into a more dilated part of the digestive 
 apparatus, by means of such rude instruments as a whip-stock or 
 common stick, in lieu of a proper instrument, known as a probang. 
 The operator sometimes succeeds in removing the obstruction, but 
 soon a swelling is observed in the 
 region of the neck. The animal 
 evinces signs of pain, and symptoms 
 of suffocation ensue. In such cases 
 it is evident that the oesophagus is 
 ruptured. The following, from the 
 author's case-book, is introduced in 
 view of showing the folly of forci- 
 bly removing such obstructions : 
 
 October 10, 1855. — Saw a cow, 
 at Feltonville, the property of Mr. 
 Welch and others. The animal 
 had calved about ten days previous, 
 and done well. Two days after 
 parturition she was purchased by 
 another man for the above party, 
 and driven to her new home. On 
 the way thither she picked up an 
 apple and got choked. The apple 
 was discovered in the upper half 
 of the oesophagus. The attendant 
 tried to manipulate it either one 
 way or the other, but, failing in 
 this, he procured a whip-stock, and 
 forced the foreign body toward the 
 rumen. This induced convulsions, 
 
 and the subject threw herself violently down, with the whip-stock 
 in her throat. This feat she repeated several times, to the immi- 
 nent danger of limb and life. She shortly, however, recovered, 
 and appeared to do well, and the next day, I believe, was received 
 by the above firm. After a brief space, she appeared to be " ail- 
 
 SECTION OF A COW'S STOMACH. 
 
 Explanation.— 1, A portion of the oesopha- 
 gus, or gullet ; 2, The terminating portion 
 of the gullet ; 3 3, Lining membrane of the 
 first compartment of the stomach ; 4 4, 
 Portions of the lining membrane of the 
 second compartment of the stomach, dis- 
 sected and raised, so as to show the mus- 
 cular mechanism beneath it; 5 5, The lips 
 of the demi-canal, which are the bounda- 
 ries of the groove. At the lower part is 
 the entrance into the third compartment 
 of the stomach, termed "many-plies." 
 
460 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 ing," and the owners, thinking the apple was the cause of the 
 same, gave her a full dose of oil. Soon afterward inverted peri- 
 staltic action took place, and, whenever she attempted to swallow 
 fluids or solids, vomiting or regurgitation took place. This was 
 her condition at the same time I saw her — ten days after the first 
 attack. I prescribed alkalies and counter-irritation. Next day 
 she appeared better ; that is, the vomiting had ceased. She was 
 then drenched with Glauber salts and spearmint, and during the 
 next day received several alkaline injections, and such other treat- 
 ment as the urgency of the case seemed to require. Notwithstand- 
 ing this, she died on the third day from my first visit. The owner, 
 in accordance with my request, notified me of the death, and I made 
 an autopsy. The heart, lungs, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, 
 stomach, and bowels all appeared in a healthy state. They pre- 
 sented, however, evidences of debility, in the condensation and 
 pale aspect of their tissues. The omentum-caul was exceedingly 
 dense, scarcely thicker than a piece of writing paper. Tracing 
 the oesophagus internally from the mouth to its termination, or 
 base, there were no symptoms of laceration or inflammation ; but 
 in the dilated portion of the same, which is contiguous, and re- 
 ceives food after primary mastication, I found a mass of juvenile 
 corn-stalks, about the size of a man's fist, and twice the length of 
 the same — seven inches. This part being considered as the ter- 
 mination of the oesophagus, and commencing link of the stomach, 
 was distended beyond its ordinary capacity, and in a high state of 
 gangrene (mortification), and particles of corn-stalk were j)rotrud- 
 ing through its disorganized and lacerated tissues. This accounts 
 for the death ; but the reader will probably want to know some- 
 thing about the cause, and may, possibly, say that the whip-stock 
 was the exciting one. This would appear, on first thought, as a 
 rational conclusion, because many valuable animals, both in this 
 and the mother country (as records show) have been destroyed by 
 lacerating the oesophagus with the above or some such instrument ; 
 and we might reasonably assign the cause of death to the same, 
 and thus terminate this article. But my readers, I opine, desire 
 the truth, and nothing but the truth. I am satisfied that the 
 whip-stock, however injurious it may have been in other cases 
 (and it is in most cases an objectionable remedy), was inoperative 
 in this ; that is, so far as the vitality of the animal was concerned. 
 Now for the proof. The seat of the disease proved to be, by care- 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 461 
 
 fill measurement, forty-three inches from the tip of the lips. The 
 whip-stock was three feet six inches in length, and, according to 
 the testimony of the operator and others, six or eight inches of the 
 same never entered the mouth. Computing the medium at seven 
 inches, the reader will perceive that the diseased location was just 
 seven inches beyond the reach of the instrument. 
 
 How, then, are we to account for the death of the animal ? I 
 shall try to satisfy the reader on this point. The animal, at the 
 time of purchase, had not recovered from the pain, labor, and ex- 
 citement of parturition. She was an invalid ; in the same condi- 
 tion, yet less well provided for than her lordly mistress, who has 
 the advantages of science, skill, and sympathy to alleviate her 
 woes and mitigate her pains. The poor brute was compelled to 
 perform a journey when she ought to have been kept at rest, and 
 kindly cared for. The common sympathies of our race ought to 
 have been extended to her. She ought to have been dosed with 
 groaning cordial, instead of corn-stalks ; and, instead of perform- 
 ing a journey through apple orchards, she ought to have been kept 
 at home until health and strength reappeared. 
 
 Changes in food, location, and barn management, are, at times, 
 and under certain circumstances, operative in inducing disease, 
 especially when the subject be in a weak or delicate condition. 
 Corn-stalks, therefore, being very indigestible, tend to overtax and 
 irritate the stomach, and the oil, probably, induced nausea. In 
 efforts at vomiting, the rough particles of food found a lodgment 
 at the point indicated, where they accumulated, produced irrita- 
 tion, inflammation, and, finally, mortification. The direct cause 
 of death, therefore, was obstruction within the gullet ; the morbid 
 appearances were the consequence of the same. 
 
 The best instrument I know of for the accident of choking, or 
 obstruction within the gullet, is a flexible probang ; but, as that 
 instrument is not always to be obtained, every farmer should be 
 provided with the next best instrument, which consists of a piece 
 of smooth, flexible rattan, about five feet in length, armed at one 
 end with an oblong ivory ball, which must be securely fastened. 
 If much forffe be used, laceration of the oesophagus is apt to occur ; 
 therefore, if the foreign body will not yield to gentle pressure, I 
 should pour down a little olive oil, wait awhile, and then try the 
 probang again. If, however, the foreign body can be detected, 
 and the probang fails to remove it, we should immediately perform 
 
462 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the operation of cesophagotomy, which consists of making an open- 
 ing into the gullet large enough to remove the former, and then 
 bringing the divided edges together again by means of sutures 
 (stitches). 
 
 Cases like the above (when the medical man is not called on 
 until after the lapse of several days from the time of the accident) 
 do not admit of the introduction of a probang. 
 
 The following case, which occurred in the practice of "W. San- 
 ders, student Royal Veterinary College, goes to show that an ani- 
 mal should never be consigned to death until the skill of a qualified 
 person proves unavailing : " In the month of March, a young 
 Alderney cow became choked with a Swede turnip, which was found 
 to be impacted about the termination of the third of the cervical 
 portion of the oesophagus. The owner immediately sent for a 
 person whom he had been in the habit of employing, but who, 
 not having a proper probang, substituted a common ash stick. 
 After some difficulty, the obstruction in this way was removed. 
 In the course of a fortnight the neck was found much swollen, and 
 the animal not only evinced a great deal of pain, but sometimes, 
 as I was informed, appeared as though threatened with suffocation. 
 It was supposed that the oesophagus must be ruptured, in conse- 
 quence of, as it appeared, a considerable portion of food having 
 protruded between the muscles of the neck, just anterior to the 
 sternum. A small orifice was made through the skin, and a por- 
 tion of the food (for food it proved to be) removed. The cow 
 continued to get worse for several days, and putrefaction had ap- 
 parently commenced. The attendant now advised the owner to 
 have the cow slaughtered ; but, as her condition precluded the 
 prospect of selling her advantageously, it was deemed expedient 
 to risk the chances of recovery, especially as she was young and in 
 calf. Under these circumstances, my brother, who resides in that 
 locality, was consulted. On his arrival he gave but little hopes 
 of recovery, seeing she was to so great a degree debilitated. A 
 stimulant was administered, and an incision, about seven inches 
 in length, was made in the most depending part of the swelling, 
 through which more than a quarter of a peck of food was removed 
 from between the muscles. The wound being now held open, and 
 a candle placed in front, the rupture of the oesophagus became 
 quite apparent. It proved full three inches in length. The 
 wound was cleaned. A common side-saddle was placed upon her 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 463 
 
 back, and fastened on with a girth in the usual manner ; a small- 
 sized piece of ash-wood was shaved so as to render it pliable at 
 one end. The large end was then tied to the crupper-loop of the 
 saddle, and passed then between the pummels, which kept it in 
 its place, and elevated it half way along the neck. The oesopha- 
 gus at this part being rather deep-seated within the loose fleshy 
 part of the dewlap, it was not convenient to pass sutures through 
 the edges of the laceration. A pledget of tow, dipped in some 
 digestive, was put into the wound, and pressed against the ruptured 
 part. A pad of flannel was then placed over the outside, and a 
 broad bandage, with some thin but flat pieces of wood sewn to it, 
 to prevent its becoming too narrow. This was carried round and 
 over the stick above the neck, which, being pliable, acted as a 
 spring, that kept a moderate but equal pressure as she moved her 
 head up and down. She was mainly supported upon gruel made • 
 of barley and bean and wheat flour; but in addition, occasion- 
 ally, was allowed a little green food. Tonics and stimulants 
 were administered. Any food that accumulated in the wound was 
 removed, and it was regularly dressed twice a day. Three weeks 
 after she calved a live calf; but, from the weakness before partu- 
 rition, she became so reduced as to require assistance to get up for 
 a short time. I went home from college on the 6th of May. On 
 the 8th I saw her myself. There was then a small circular open- 
 ing, leading into the oesophagus, sufficiently large to admit the 
 finger, which was prevented healing by the frequent escape of 
 food. The edges of the wound were thickened, and apparently 
 healed over. They were occasionally scarified, with the view of 
 promoting cicatrization; for it was my opinion that, should the 
 wound heal, it would leave a stricture in that part of the tube, and 
 consequently render the animal susceptible of becoming again 
 choked. The food continued to pass, more or less, through the 
 opening until the beginning of June, when the wound became 
 entirely closed. Since then she has become again in calf, and 
 from that has continued to go on well ; nor has she ever, that I 
 am aware, again shown any symptoms of choking, although she 
 has taken her chance as to the nature of her food. She is still in 
 the same person's possession ; cousequently I know, from the in- 
 formation I have received, that she continues, up to the present 
 time, apparently as well as ever she was; and it is now eight 
 months since the wound healed over." 
 
464 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Aphthae. 
 
 This disease is commonly known as "thrush, or sore mouth. 
 It appears as a vesicular eruption on the tongue, gums, and on the 
 buccal and palatine membrane. When the disease is mild, and 
 confined to the above parts, it is easily cured by daily applications 
 of a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 7. Powdered golden seal 2 oz. 
 
 Tincture of matico 1 oz. 
 
 Honey 4 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Apply by means of a swab or sponge. 
 
 When the disease is violent and of long standing, it is apt to 
 extend through the whole course of the alimentary canal, from the 
 mouth to the anus. If this be the case, the animal will purge, as 
 if a powerful cathartic had been administered, and will be other- 
 wise unwell. The method of cure, in this event, is to prescribe 
 tonics and astringents. The remedies are tincture of matico, 
 golden seal, and sulphur, in the following proportions : 
 
 No. 8. Tincture of matico 4 dr. 
 
 Powdered golden seal 2 dr. 
 
 Sulphur 2 dr. 
 
 Water 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 The patient's diet should consist of oatmeal gruel, slightly 
 alkalized with hyposulphite of soda. 
 
 The following article upon epizootic aphtha? is from the " Vet- 
 erinarian :" 
 
 " Epizootic aphthae, commonly known as foot and mouth com- 
 plaint, is a febrile, very contagious, and panzootic affection ; that 
 is, readily communicable from one species to another — met with in 
 the horse, goat, pig, fowl, hare, etc., but most commonly in the 
 ox and sheep, in which two last-mentioned animals it consists of 
 vesicles breaking out on the mouth, gums, lips, teats, and around 
 the coronary surface of the foot, between the skin and the hoof. 
 It is an epizootic affection, spreading over large tracts of country, 
 interfering very seriously with the capability of the ox to put on 
 fat ' while preparing for the butcher,' and in the milch cow, ren- 
 dering the supply of milk small, if not altogether suspending it. 
 In this disease the ox exhibits the following symptoms : Suspen- 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 465 
 
 sion of rumination ; constipation ; sometimes, though rarely, diar- 
 rhea ; great flow of saliva from the mouth, and severe lameness. 
 Milk taken from cows affected with this disease should never 
 be drank, as it will most readily produce aphthae in man. To 
 prove this fact, Professor Hertwig, together with two medical 
 men, Mann and Vilion, drank the warm milk of an aphthous 
 cow, and the result was that each became the subjects of severe 
 inflammation of the throat, associated with*the vesicular eruptions 
 mentioned above as indicative of this malady. Professor Simonds 
 also gave the warm milk of an aphthous cow to pigs, with a simi- 
 lar result." 
 
 Description of the Stomach. 
 
 The stomach of a ruminating animal presents a very complex 
 arrangement, of which the purpose seems to be to favor the me- 
 chanical reduction of the food, and its impregnation by the salivial 
 and gastric fluids, before it is subjected to the action of the biliary 
 and pancreatic juices. 
 
 The stomach of an ox is divided into four parts or cavities, viz.: 
 rumen, or paunch ; reticulum, manyplus, abomasum. 
 
 The rumen, like the oesophagus, is composed of three coats. The 
 internal one is studded with numerous papilla?, which incline in 
 the direction that the food takes. They are erectile, and by inclin- 
 ing in different directions, they can, to a certain extent, favor or 
 oppose the passage of food. 
 
 The openings into the rumen are two — one at the base of the 
 oesophagus, through which the food and fluids pass ; the other is 
 below this. It is much larger, and communicates with the second 
 stomach. The paunch is not so highly organized as some other 
 parts of the stomach. This compartment is capable of extraordi- 
 nary distension, and, in some cases of tympanites, becomes so dis- 
 tended as to produce suffocation by pressure on the diaphragm and 
 lungs. 
 
 The reticulum, or second stomach, sometimes called the honey- 
 comb, presents a very irregular surface, consisting of open cells, 
 varying in size and depth, looking very much like a piece of 
 honeycomb on a large scale. There are two openings into this 
 stomach — one through the floor of the gullet, the other into the 
 paunch. The pellet of food to be returned for remastication is 
 thrown into the cesophagean canal by the reticulum. 
 30 
 
466 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 The manyplus, sometimes called manyplies or manyfolds, is 
 made up internally of laminae, or leaves, which hang down from 
 every part of it. By this arrangement an immense digestive sur- 
 face is crowded into a small space. The cuticular covering of 
 these leaves or laminae is very singular. It is thickly studded with 
 eminences, varying in size and form. In some places they resemble 
 little hooks, others look like papillae; some are soft, others are 
 hard and durable, likfe horn. The function of the lamina? and 
 papillae is to comminute and properly prepare the food ere it 
 enters the fourth compartment. 
 
 The abomasum is the true digestive stomach. Its function is to 
 secrete the gastric juice; at least the gastric juice is secreted by 
 small glandular bodies, having ducts which terminate on the 
 villous membrane, which lines the abomasum. The lower orifice 
 of this part of the stomach is termed pylorus. It is guarded by a 
 projecting body, which answers the purpose of a sphincter muscle, 
 to guard against regurgitation from the duodenum. 
 
 Rumination, or Remastication and Ingestion of Food. 
 
 The ox, a member of the group ruminantia, has four compart- 
 ments in the stomach, yet two of them are nothing more than 
 dilatations of the oesophagus. 
 
 The food having been gathered by the lips, tongue, and teeth 
 within the mouth, it undergoes a grinding process between the 
 molars, and receives the admixture of salivial fluids secreted by 
 the submaxillary, parotid, thyroid, and sublingual glands. It then 
 passes down the oesophagus into the paunch. The character of the 
 food, however, regulates its passage into the various compart- 
 ments. If the pellet of food be solid, the paunch receives it ; if it 
 be semi-fluids, it goes beyond the paunch to the second and per- 
 haps third compartment. This is the case with a sucking calf. 
 The milk, which forms its nutriment, requires no remastication, 
 and, therefore, passes directly into the true digestive cavity — the 
 fourth compartment. 
 
 It appears, therefore, that the functions of digestion and remas- 
 tication are involuntary, and are governed by the same sort of 
 power which causes the heart to pulsate, expands the lungs, se- 
 cretes the bile, pancreatic juice, etc., without the aid or consent 
 of the animal. We may, however, to a certain extent, increase 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 467 
 
 or decrease these functions, by artificial means ; but their primary 
 operations are uncontrollable, simply because they are involun- 
 tary. Some persons have doubted the fact of rumination, and if 
 any of my readers be skeptical on this subject, let them satisfy 
 themselves by experiment. The best subjects for demonstrating 
 the acts of rumination are animals with lean necks. For exam- 
 ple, let a person stand on the left side of the animal, in the region 
 of the neck (supposing the latter to be in the ruminating mood). 
 He perceives the cud re-ascend through the gullet, and re-descend 
 again into the stomach. At the period of re-ascension, place the 
 ear in the region of the gullet, and a gurgling sound will be heard, 
 different from that accompanying re-descension. The action has 
 been described as undulating, alternate, coming and going, like 
 the motion of a ship ; but this is regulated by the respiratory 
 movements and different attitudes of the body. "We can, how- 
 ever, at the moment of the reascent, perceive a flank movement, 
 deep inspiration, succeeded by a rapid expiration, showing con- 
 clusively that a powerful nervous concurrent force (involuntary) 
 controls the action of rumination. 
 
 Finally, the cud can be made to ascend or descend, in the fol- 
 lowing manner : We perceive the cud descend ; now grasp the 
 gullet firmly, and it re-ascends into the mouth. We next perceive 
 the cud ascending; arrest it by compressing the gullet, and it 
 rapidly descends again into the stomach; hence the phenomenon 
 of remastication can readily be demonstrated. 
 
 The solid food, when once in the paunch, receives the admix- 
 ture of fluid secreted from its walls. After maceration for a short 
 time, the more solid parts are returned to the mouth, where they 
 undergo another mastication, and are again saturated with the 
 salivial fluids and swallowed. If properly masticated it reaches 
 the third stomach (manyplus or omasum). Here it undergoes a 
 further reduction, becomes quite pulpy, after which it enters the 
 fourth stomach. 
 
 Caepentee thus describes the phenomena of rumination : 
 " The direction of the food into one or the other of the digestive 
 cavities, appears to be affected without any voluntary effort on 
 the part of the animal itself, but to result simply from the very 
 peculiar endowments of the lower part of the oesophagus. This 
 does not entirely terminate at its opening into the first stomach or 
 paunch, but it is continued onward as a deep groove with two 
 
468 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 lips. By the closure of these lips it is made to form a tube, 
 which serves to convey the food onward into the third stomach ; t 
 but when they separate, the food is allowed to pass either into the 
 first or second stomach. When the food is first swallowed, it has 
 undergone but very little mastication ; it is, consequently, firm in 
 consistence, and is brought down to the termination of the oeso- 
 phagus in dry bulky masses. These separate the lips of the 
 groove or demi-canal, and pass into the first and second stomachs. 
 After they have been macerated in the fluids of these cavities, 
 they are returned to the mouth by a reverse peristaltic action of 
 the oesophagus. This return takes place in a very regular man- 
 ner, the food being shaped into globular pellets by compression 
 within a sort of mold formed by the ends of the demi-canal, 
 drawn together, and these being conveyed to the mouth at 
 regular intervals, apparently by a rhythmical movement of the 
 oesophagus. After its second mastication, it is again swallowed 
 in a pulpy semi-fluid state. It now passes along the groove 
 which forms the continuation of the oesophagus, without opening 
 its lips, and is thus conveyed into the third stomach, whence it 
 passes to the fourth." 
 
 Bloat, Hoven, or Tympanites. 
 
 The term " bloat " has long been discarded by veterinarians as 
 an indefinite term, signifying a state of turgescence, dilation, in- 
 flation, or puffiness, which is merely indicative of changes in the 
 form and condition of parts, without regard to the actual seat or 
 nature of the difficulty. For example, a horse is bloated when 
 he becomes the subject of subcellular emphysema (distension of 
 the cellular membrane beneath the skin with gas), or oedema 
 (dropsical tumefaction), etc. However, as every farmer appears 
 to be somewhat conversant with the condition of the animal 
 known as " bloat," or " hoven," we shall not offer any remarks 
 calculated to mystify him, but merely suggest that the term tym- 
 panites be substituted for " bloat." Tympanites intestinalis signifies 
 a distension of the intestines with wind or gas, accompanied by 
 an elastic distension of the abdomen. The latter, when struck or 
 sounded by a blow, sounds like a drum, and indicates a windy 
 distension of the abdominal viscera (a bowel or organ within the 
 body), commonly known as flatulent colic. Tympanites rumenites 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 469 
 
 signifies distension of the rumen in the bovine species — the ox 
 and cow — and, in the phraseology of the grazier, is known as 
 bloat or hoven. 
 
 Causes. — The direct cause of flatulency and windy distension 
 is imperfect digestion. In such cases the food, instead of under- 
 going the normal process of digestion, whereby it is converted 
 into chyme and chyle, ferments and evolves gases, either carbonic 
 acid, or sulphureted hydrogen, and, as " a little leaven leavens the 
 whole loaf," so the fermentation, once commenced in the stomach, 
 goes on until the food is in a state of putrefaction, or up to the 
 period when all its gaseous material has been extracted. Before 
 this takes place, it frequently happens that the animal dies, either 
 by rupture of the rumen or some portion of the abdominal viscera. 
 In some cases, unrelieved, the distension is so great that the ani- 
 mal dies in a state of suffocation, occasioned by the pressure on 
 the diaphragm, and other important parts and organs. 
 
 Imperfect indigestion may be occasioned by a deranged condi- 
 tion of the digestive organs, induced by various causes, such as 
 give rise to the same phenomena in man, namely, errors in diet, or 
 sudden changes of the same. Thus, if stall-fed animals be turned 
 into a field of clover, or into a luxuriant pasture, they not only eat 
 greedily, and create an undue distension of the stomach, but they 
 partake of food containing a large amount of aqueous matter, 
 which, every one knows, is more indigestible than dry food; and 
 such a sudden change of diet is not always to be tolerated. There 
 can be no dispute about the causes of bloat, hoven, or tympanites. 
 It evidently is occasioned by imperfect digestion. As a general 
 proposition, therefore, we may contend that all indigestible matter 
 may, directly or indirectly, produce a tympany of the abdominal 
 viscera ; and we may also contend that an animal may occasion- 
 ally become tympanitic, under the most intelligent management, 
 owing to some inherent idiosyncrasy in the local organs, honestly 
 inherited from sire or dam, or their ancestors. Hence, the reader 
 will infer that this dyspepsia, or indigestion, is, like various other 
 diseases which seem to appear without any direct cause, transmis- 
 sible, not always directly, but by predisposition to this and other 
 maladies, which is said " to lurk in breed and conformation," over 
 which we have but little control other than palliative. 
 
 Treatment. — Supposing the abdomen to be distended to its ut- 
 most capacity by the extricated gas, and the animal is oppressed 
 
470 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 and distressed in the act of breathing, there is no time to be lost. 
 It is useless to resort to drug medication. The case is imminent. 
 The gas must be evacuated immediately, and we therefore punc- 
 ture the flank on the left side, in its most salient region, by means 
 of the trocar and canula (an instrument somewhat similar to that 
 used for tapping the chest). Immediate escape of the gas is the 
 result, and the patient is soon relieved. Now we may resort to 
 medication, and that medicine is the best which is calculated to 
 arouse the action of the stomach and arrest fermentation. With 
 these objects in view, I recommend the following : 
 
 No. 9. Hyposulphite of soda 4 dr. 
 
 Tincture of ginger 2 oz. 
 
 Water 1 pint. 
 
 Dissolve the hyposulphite in the water, and then add the tinc- 
 ture of ginger. Drench the animal with the same. If the tinc- 
 ture of ginger can not be obtained, then substitute four drachms 
 of the pulverized root. If the case be curable, the above treat- 
 ment is almost sure to afford relief. The medicine, however, may 
 be repeated at the end of four hours, if necessary. 
 
 Remarks on the introduction of the Trocar. — Having ascertained 
 that the animal is in a dangerous condition, owing to the great 
 quantity of gas present within the rumen, the most prominent 
 point of the left flank should then be selected. Here make an 
 incision through the integument, sufficiently large to admit the 
 instrument. Then draw the skin upward, and puncture the ab- 
 domen ; in this way we make an indirect opening, so that, when 
 the trocar is withdrawn, the integument covers the orifice made 
 last. The trocar must be kept very sharp or keen, so that it may, 
 without using much force, penetrate the peritoneum, and, lastly, 
 the rumen. Once within the latter, all resistance ceases. The 
 trocar is now withdrawn, and the canula remains, for the passage 
 of the gas. In bad cases, the moment the cutting instrument is 
 withdrawn from its sheath, the gas will escape, with a noise resem- 
 bling a steam-whistle, which conveys to us the idea that we are in 
 the presence of a living locomotive, issuing a blast of warning to 
 keep out of smelling distance, for ofttimes the odor is intolerable. 
 
 It is best to let the tube remain in the stomach or paunch until 
 the abdomen is reduced to about its natural size. The instrument 
 must occasionally be drawn forth a little, or pushed forward, as 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 471 
 
 the case requires; and when it becomes obstructed with any por- 
 tion of the contents of the stomach, a quill or straw may be used 
 to clear the obstruction, and, as the gas escapes and the paunch or 
 bowels recede, the canula, which is about six inches in length, 
 must be pushed forward as far as it will go. 
 
 Relief may sometimes be obtained by passing the probang into 
 the stomach, and I should advise its use in such cases as those at- 
 tended by eructation of wind by the mouth from the stomach. 
 
 Distension of the Eumen with Food. 
 
 It occasionally happens that the function of the stomach, as a 
 whole or a part of the same, become impaired. The food is then 
 very apt to accumulate in the rumen. Or it may happen that an 
 animal has partaken voraciously of meal or corn, which, becoming 
 saturated with the fluid found in the paunch, swells to such an 
 extent that there is danger of its bursting. 
 
 Symptoms. — At first the animal is noticed to be uneasy, and fre- 
 quently shifts its position ; occasionally moans ; the left flank is 
 swollen and hard. This swelling may be determined by a person 
 taking a position directly behind the animal ; he will immediately 
 perceive the enlargement. On striking the part with the hand, it 
 has no drum-like (tympanitic) sound, as in hoven or bloat, but has 
 a solid sound, showing that the distention is owing to the presence 
 of a quantity of solid food. Should the medicinal preparations 
 fail to relieve the animal, rumination then ceases, the symptoms 
 become aggravated, the brain sympathizes, unconsciousness and 
 convulsions occur, which soon end in death. 
 
 Treatment. — In cases of extreme distension, it is all folly to 
 waste time in administering medicine. An incision, about five 
 inches in length, should be made through the left flank into the 
 stomach. Then, by means of the hand, the indigestible mass is to 
 be removed. This should be done carefully, so as to prevent the 
 food falling into the abdominal cavity. The incision made into 
 the rumen is then to be stitched, or sutured ; and, lastly, the integ- 
 uments are brought together in the same way. It may be proper 
 to apply a little tincture of matico or tincture of aloes to the 
 wound. Having finished the operation, the next object is to 
 arouse the action of the stomach, for which purpose I recommend 
 the following : 
 
472 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 * 
 
 No. 10. Powdered golden seal 3 dr. 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda 4 dr. 
 
 Powdered ginger 2 dr. 
 
 Warm water 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Drench from a bottle. The patient had better be kept hungry 
 the first twenty-four hours after the operation ; then an occasional 
 bran-mash, well seasoned with table salt, may be allowed. 
 
 Many cases of very considerable severity have been relieved by 
 the above treatment. There is very little danger attending an 
 operation of this kind, for the rumen is not very highly organized 
 with either blood-vessels or nerves. I have known several in- 
 stances in which this operation has been performed in the rudest 
 possible manner, with a common jackknife, and yet the animals 
 operated on recovered. The intelligent husbandman, however, 
 will, if possible, secure the services of a surgeon for the perform- 
 ance of all operations requiring skill and good judgment. 
 
 Removal of the Sutures, or Stitches. — The incision into the ru- 
 men having been secured by very fine yet .strong thread, and the 
 ends cut off, needs none of our attention. The external sutures, 
 however, will have to be removed in the course of a week or ten 
 days. We merely cut the knot and withdraw the suture. 
 
 Gastrointestinal Inflammation. 
 
 Gastro-intestinal inflammation of the stomach and bowels is fre- 
 quently occasioned by the presence of concretions and hair-balls, 
 or some other foreign bodies. There are many plants, such as 
 hemlock, crowfoot, henbane, wild poppy, etc., which act as poisons, 
 and induce an inflammatory condition of the stomach and intes- 
 tines. An animal may feed on substances which are too dry and 
 fibrous. They accumulate and distend the stomach beyond its 
 normal capacity. Or the manyplus may contract spasmodically 
 and imprison the food. In either case an inflammatory condition 
 is the result. The treatment of a disease of this character is very 
 unsatisfactory, and it is very difficult to write out any directions 
 that shall meet the emergencies in cases of the above character. 
 
 The following case, communicated for the " Veterinarian " by 
 Surgeon Redwood, will give the reader a better idea of this 
 malady than the author can furnish, his experience being rather 
 limited in treatment of this affection : 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 473 
 
 "I have forwarded to you a jar containing portions of the 
 abomasum of a cow that I have had slaughtered, seeing that 
 further treatment was altogether useless. You will perceive a 
 large gangrenous spot on the inner coat of the above viscus, which 
 I consider was the cause of the symptoms presented. I have also 
 sent you portions of the ilium and jejunum, which will afford you 
 some idea of the intensity of the spasmodic action with which 
 these intestines were affected. The whole of the small intestines 
 presented the most marked spasmodic condition ; in fact they were 
 like so many muscular cylindrical cords, and impervious to any 
 body larger than that of an ordinary-sized goose-quill. 
 
 Now, all the diseased conditions are enumerated in the above 
 brief description. Every other organ — except the liver, which 
 had a little deposit of earthy matter in a few of its larger biliary 
 tubes, a very common condition of the gland — both in the thorax 
 and the abdomen, presented the most healthy aspect. The animal 
 was ill but thirty-six hours. 
 
 The following were the symptoms observed and the treatment 
 adopted : The patient was a dairy cow, five years old, in excel- 
 lent condition, living on straw alone for the last fourteen days, 
 five months advanced in pregnancy, and never had been ill before, 
 being bred on the farm. When I first visited her she evinced 
 all the symptoms of hoven, and that, to a great extent, so much 
 so, that at one time I was about to introduce the trocar, for the 
 purpose of affording relief; yet, knowing the animal could not 
 have had access to succulent diet, I came to the conclusion that 
 this was the effect of the chemical laws acting on vegetable mat- 
 ter, over which the stomachs had, in some degree, lost their vital 
 influence. The poor animal was in great agony, shown by loud 
 groaning, though rarely lying down ; eyes, sunk in their orbits ; 
 pulse, quick and irritable, but not such as to indicate or warrant 
 depletion. Occasionally a quantity of the fluid contents of the 
 rumen were regurgitated through the nose and mouth, almost, it 
 would appear, involuntarily. She also, at intervals, voided a 
 small quantity of commingled aqueous and mucous fluid per 
 anum, although, as before remarked, from the moment she was 
 observed to be ill, not the smallest portion of ingesta passed the 
 abomasum, which, together with all the other stomachs, was par- 
 tially filled with food in a pultaceous state. It appeared to me 
 evident that the obstruction to the passage was caused by spas- 
 
474 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 moclic action of the pyloric orifice, the action extending throughout 
 the greater portion or all of the small intestines. 
 
 "Will you favor me with your opinion as to the cause of the cir- 
 cumscribed and intense inflammation of the villous coat of the true 
 stomach, and say if you think it arose from any chemical irritant? 
 
 The treatment consisted in the exhibition of spirits of ammonia 
 aromatic with the carbonate ; aperients, and at last the chlorides ; 
 but all proved inert, no benefit whatever accruing therefrom. Had 
 I suspected spasm to such a marked extent, I should certainly 
 have given large doses of extract belladonna and hyosciami, both 
 in the form of enema and by the mouth. As it was, my treatment 
 was directed solely to the symptoms evinced ; and when I found 
 that all the usual remedies were of no avail, as the animal was in 
 high condition, I thought it best to have her destroyed. 
 
 [The lining membrane of that portion of the alimentary canal 
 forwarded by Mr. Redwood was, throughout, in a state of conges- 
 tion, presenting here and there depressed or cup-like patches, which 
 apparently resulted from ulceration, commencing in the submucous 
 tissue. The ulceration had also penetrated, in spots, the substance 
 of the mucous membrane. This condition of parts is somewhat 
 singular, and might have had its origin in the existence of some 
 local irritant.] " 
 
 IMPORTED DUTCH COW PURMER. 
 
 [Imported by W. W. Chenery, of Belmont, Mass.] 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 
 
 475 
 
 Dentition of Cattle. 
 
 APPEARANCE OP THE TEMPORARY 
 INCISORS AT BIRTH. 
 
 APPEARANCE OP THE TEMPORARY 
 INCISORS ABOUT ONE WEEK AF- 
 TER BIRTH. 
 
 APPEABANCE OF THE TEMPORARY 
 INCISORS ABOUT TWO WEEKS AF- 
 TER BIRTH. 
 
 APPEARANCE OF THE TEMPORARY INCISORS 
 ABOUT THREE WEEKS OR A MONTH AFTER 
 BIRTH. 
 
 APPEABANCE OF THE TEMPORARY 
 INCISOBS AT THE AGE OF EIGHT 
 OB NINE MONTHS. 
 
 APPEARANCE OF THE TEMPORARY 
 INCISORS AT THE AGE OF TEN OB 
 ELEVEN MONTHS. 
 
476 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 APPEARANCE OF THE TEMPORARY 
 INCISORS AT THE AGE OF FIF- 
 TEEN OB 6IXTEEN MONTHS. 
 
 APPEARANCE OF THE TEMPORARY IN- 
 CISORS AT THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN OE 
 NINETEEN MONTHS. 
 
 APPEARANCE OF THE TEMPORARY 
 AND PERMANENT INCISORS AT 
 THE AGE OF ABOUT TWO YEARS. 
 
 APPEARANCE OF THE PERMANENT 
 AND TEMPORARY TEETH AT THE 
 AGE OF THREE YEARS. 
 
 APPEARANCE OF SIX PERMANENT IN- 
 CISORS AND TWO TEMPORARY AT THE 
 AGE OF FOUR. 
 
 APPEARANCE OF AIX THE PERMANENT 
 TEETH AT THE AGE OF FIVE. 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 
 
 477 
 
 APPEARANCE OF THE PERMANENT 
 TEETH AT THE AGE OF ABOUT 
 SIX YEARS. 
 
 APPEARANCE OF THE PERMANENT 
 TEETH AT THE AGE OF ABOUT 
 TEN YEARS. 
 
 Synopsis of Dentition. 
 
 INCISORS. 
 
 Temporary incisors all prominent at the end of one month. 
 
 The two central permanent incisors appear in from twenty to 
 twenty-four months. 
 
 The two inner middle permanent incisors appear at about the 
 age of three years. 
 
 The two outer middle permanent incisors appear at about the 
 age of four years. 
 
 The corner permanent incisors appear between the ages of five 
 and six years. 
 
 MOLAES, OR GRINDERS. 
 
 Temporary molars, three in each jaw, above and below, on both 
 sides, are prominent at birth, or within four weeks of that period. 
 
 Fourth temporary molars are cut at the age of six months. 
 
 Fifth temporary molars are cut at the age of fifteen months. 
 
 Sixth temporary molars are cut at the age of from two years to 
 thirty months. 
 
 The first and second permanent molars are cut at the age of 
 about two years. 
 
 The third molar is cut at about the age of three ; the fourth 
 appears at the age of four ; the fifth at the age of five ; and the 
 sixth at the age of six. 
 
478 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Suspended Rumination, or Loss or Cud. 
 
 Some people, who are in the habit of prescribing for loss of eud, 
 more properly termed " cessation of rumination," suppose that if 
 they can only restore the lost function the trouble will end. This 
 is certainly very desirable, for an improvement in the appetite of 
 sick animals is a sure sign of rapid recovery ; yet a restoration of 
 the cud alone will not always insure a cure, neither are the reme- 
 dies prescribed by some calculated to accomplish this object. One 
 man reccommends a red herring to be thrust down the throat; 
 another a portion of the quid, or cud, of a healthy cow. Others 
 recommend raw beef, pork, pepper, etc. This results from mis- 
 taking symptoms for disease ; for loss of cud is nothing more than 
 a symptom of deranged digestive function, or that of other organs 
 sympathetically associated with it. Those who have the care of 
 cattle, and prescribe for them when sick, are not supposed to be 
 able to trace loss of cud to derangement of one or a class of organs, 
 unless they shall have had the advantages of a medical education, 
 which is not often the case. They are not acquainted with the 
 various sympathetic relations that exist in the animal economy, 
 neither can they understand why an abnormal condition of one 
 organ produces a corresponding effect in one or a class of organs 
 remotely situated ; nevertheless, such are the facts. Many a poor 
 cow has been thus forced to swallow down a red herring (bones 
 and all) or " another cow's quid " (not of tobacco, for none other 
 than two-legged animals chew quids of this description), and we 
 can readily conceive that such articles may, for the time being, 
 arouse the digestive organs, and create an unnatural appetite in 
 animals of such refined taste and nice discrimination as the cow. 
 A red herring, either whole or comminuted by the grinders, and 
 then swallowed, only creates irritation on the mucous surfaces of 
 the various compartments of the stomach ; an unusual abundance 
 of blood flows into the walls of that organ, the circulation of that 
 fluid is quickened, the gastric juice flows more readily, and the 
 digestive function is exalted. A repetition of the practice enfee- 
 bles the power of the stomach ; its action is quickened at expendi- 
 ture of power, for all unnatural excitement of a natural function 
 is followed by a corresponding depression. A stimulant — and red 
 herring may be classed as such — creates a desire for food ; but then 
 the animal may be laboring under an acute disease of some organ, 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 479 
 
 when food would be inadmissible; or the stomach may be over- 
 burdened and unable to digest what is already there, and, there- 
 fore, requires rest, as any other organ would after long-continued 
 action. 
 
 The stomach is one of the most important organs, and performs 
 some of the most delicate operations in the animal economy. Its 
 functions may be suspended from various causes, and it is the 
 province of the practitioner to learn and understand the why and 
 wherefore of its derangement. In many cases the stomach craves 
 no food, because it can not digest it; and merely creating an 
 appetite by stimulants is worse than useless, for whatever is then 
 eaten can not be converted into chyme, nor can the lacteals take 
 it up and apply it to the purposes of nutrition. Whenever an 
 animal is suffering from disease, pain, or excitement, there will 
 often be absence of appetite (loss of cud), and this function is 
 suspended because the animal is drawn from it by his sufferings. 
 
 The real seat of sensation of hunger is in the brain, not in the 
 stomach alone, as some suppose. The latter may first communi- 
 cate some such sensation to the brain, yet if that organ be in a 
 deranged condition, unable to recognize the want, then we must 
 impart healthy action to it, and establish an equilibrium between 
 the nervous and general system, in order to produce a natural ap- 
 petite. Do you wish to know how to do this ? If so, study the 
 veterinary art. That the appetite is affected by the state of health, 
 both of the body and mind, is certain. Human practitioners real- 
 ize that. " In fever, pain, and in certain dyspeptic states, the 
 stomach craves little or no food. So in mental distress, in times 
 of great fear, or sorrow, or extreme anxiety, the appetite fails. 
 Even in a single moment the appetite may be suspended by any 
 sudden mental affection or emotion." Animals are known to man- 
 ifest mental emotion when separated from their offspring, or from 
 those with whom they have been accustomed to work or associate ; 
 and many cases are on record showing that animals, when deprived 
 of the society of their fellows, refuse their food, and die of grief, 
 so that, in this particular, the brute does no,t differ from his mas- 
 ter. Is it not a matter of importance, then, to ascertain the cause 
 of loss of cud (appetite) before we prescribe red herrings, etc. ? 
 
 " Loss of cud/' says Mr. Youatt, " is more a symptom of dis- 
 ease than a disease of itself. It accompanies most inflammatory 
 complaints, and is often connected with those of debility. It will 
 
480 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 be the duty of the practitioner to ascertain the cause of this sus- 
 pension of second mastication, and to adapt his mode of treatment 
 to the nature of that cause. A dose of physic, with a small por- 
 tion of aromatic medicine, will be indicated if any fever can be 
 detected. More than the usual quantity of aromatic should be 
 added in the absence of fever, and still more, with tonic and 
 alterative medicine, if general debility is indicated. The cara- 
 way and ginger powder are the best aromatics, and will supersede 
 every other. The gentian and ginger, with Epsom salts, will 
 prove a very useful tonic and alterative in cases of loss of cud 
 that can not be traced to any particular diseased state of the 
 animal." 
 
 A word to the farmer, and I have done. If you have permit- 
 ted your animals to subsist on innutritious diet, so that their diges- 
 tive powers have been overtaxed, and that function is paralyzed, 
 then the blame rests with you. On the other hand, have you been 
 preparing them for market — piling on the fat, at the same time 
 depriving them of pure air and exercise ? If so, you are equally 
 blamable. Is your barn and dairy management consistent with 
 the received opinion of those who are the best judges in these mat- 
 ters ? If not, make them so, and, depend upon it, your cattle will 
 thrive and be blessed with a natural appetite ; for disease, in nine 
 cases out of ten, results from violating the laws of Nature. 
 
 Inflammation of the Bowels (Enteritis). 
 
 Inflammation of the bowels, occurring in any of the divisions 
 of the intestines, is one of frequent occurrence ; yet among cattle 
 it is not liable to become so suddenly fatal as among horses. 
 
 Symptoms. — This disease bears some analogy to colic, in the 
 suddenness of its attack. A healthy animal is all at once attacked 
 with abdominal pain ; gets down, and moans from incessant or 
 persistent pain ; The pulse generally ranges from 60 to 70 ; rumi- 
 nation has ceased, and the feces is hard, covered with slime or 
 streaked with blood ; * the flanks heave (as the saying is); the 
 limbs are tremulous, and the animal has a staggering gait ; the 
 visible surfaces of the eye, mouth, and nostrils are reddened ; pres- 
 sure upon the abdominal region (which is generally tucked up), 
 elicits symptoms of pain. As the disease proceeds, these symp- 
 toms are aggravated, and intestinal hemorrhage or mortification 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 481 
 
 terminates the sufferings of the animal. The post mortem exami- 
 nation generally reveals engorgement of the blood-vessels of the 
 intestines, with highly-carbonized and coagulated blood ; the lin- 
 ing membrane is of a dark velvet color, and the large intestines 
 are, more or less, inflamed or gangrenous. 
 
 Treatment. — The principal objects in the treatment of this dis- 
 ease are, to lubricate the interior of the stomach and intestines 
 with mucilage of slippery elm, and to equalize the circulation and 
 nervous action over the general system. The remedies are as 
 follows : 
 
 No. 85. Mucilage of slippery elm 1 quart. 
 
 Powdered gum assafetida 2 dr. 
 
 Powdered lobelia 1 dr. 
 
 The above dose may be repeated at the expiration of eight hours. 
 In the mean time, apply a mustard poultice to a part of the abdo- 
 men, and excite the circulation on the surface of the body and 
 extremities by friction with wisps of straw. An occasional anti- 
 spasmodic injection should be thrown into the rectum. Two 
 quarts of hot water to one ounce of powdered lobelia are about the 
 proper proportions. Should the patient appear to suffer from dis- 
 tension of the intestines with gas, then give one ounce of hyposul- 
 phite of soda, two drachms of powdered golden seal, and one pint 
 of water. 
 
 Animals in the above condition can not bear cathartics, yet cases 
 now and then occur which require a gentle aperient, merely to aid 
 in the removal of fecal accumulations. When such remedy is in- 
 dicated, I recommend the following, to be used as a drench : 
 
 No. 86. Glauber salts 8 oz. 
 
 Warm water 1 pint. 
 
 Molasses -J gill. 
 
 Powdered ginger 1 table-spoonful. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Invagination of Intestines. 
 
 Invagination of intestine signifies a portion of intestine drawn 
 within another, there becoming strangulated. This difficulty 
 does occasionally occur, and the symptoms do not differ materially 
 from those attending strangulation occasioned by the cord, or vas 
 deferens. 
 
 31 
 
482 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Symptoms. — The animal passes nothing from the rectum but a 
 small quantity of blood ; suffers incessant pain ; is very uneasy, 
 and rumination is suspended ; he will occasionally anxiously regard 
 the flanks and moan. This trouble is generally preceded by 
 flatulency. 
 
 Treatment. — The best plan of relieving the animal is to etherize 
 him, for it often happens that, during etherization, a relaxation of 
 the muscular tissues takes place, and such condition is favorable 
 to the return of the bowel. It may be proper, while the animal 
 is down, and under the influence of ether, to introduce a hand into 
 the rectum and try what can be done by manipulation and traction. 
 The small intestines, in which the difficulty occurs, can be seized 
 through the wall of the rectum, and, perhaps, by some slight trac- 
 tion or movement, the difficulty may be remedied. It is impossible 
 to tell what is the result of our efforts until the animal is relieved, 
 and has had time to recover from the effects of the ether. This 
 having taken place, without improvement, I should immediately 
 perform the right-flank operation, search for the seat of the diffi- 
 culty, and reduce the invagination. 
 
 This operation may appear to some as a very formidable affair — 
 very dangerous and painful ; but a skillful surgeon, armed with 
 the great Godsend, ether, can perform the same without the least 
 danger. I have opened the abdominal cavity several times, in 
 cases of sterility, merely to explore the uterus and ovaries, and 
 never met with any accident; and to encourage those who have 
 never had any experience in the performance of this operation, I 
 relate the following incident : I was requested, a short time ago, 
 to visit a very valuable Durham cow, the property of Mr. G. 
 Clarke, of Hyde Hall, Otsego County, N. Y., which had been 
 purchased of Lord Ducie, accompanied by a warranty of pregnancy 
 by one of the best bulls in England. Time revealed the fact that 
 she was not pregnant. She had afterward several connections with 
 the opposite sex, yet could not be impregnated. The object in 
 securing my services was to solve the problem of her sterility. 
 Now comes the pith of the matter. I cast her and explored the 
 vagina. It appeared that there was a sort of hour-glass contrac- 
 tion in the vagina, so that the hand could not be introduced more 
 than six inches. At this point there appeared to exist a mechani- 
 cal obstruction to further penetration. This was sufficient evidence 
 of incapacity of the sexual congress, yet, having traveled a long 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. * 483 
 
 distance, at great expense to the owner, and there being some pros- 
 pect of litigation in the matter, I was determined to remove all 
 doubts. I therefore performed the flank operation, and explored 
 the uterus and ovaries. The whole were in a state of atrophy, 
 except the right ovary, which was as large as the kidney of an ox. 
 Being desirous of ascertaining what the character of the enlarge- 
 ment was, I put my thumb and finger into it. By so doing I 
 ruptured a vessel, which bled very profusely. My immediate im- 
 pressions were that the animal must die of internal hemorrhage. 
 It was a matter of impossibility to secure the bleeding vessel, so I 
 sutured the incision, expecting that the animal would die in the 
 course of a few hours ; but, contrary to my expectations she got 
 well. 
 
 Diarrhea. 
 
 Diarrhea consists of an increased number of lower-bowel dis- 
 charges, augmented peristaltic motion of the bowels, irritability 
 of the same, and a too rapid propulsion of the secretions. Di- 
 arrhea is sometimes salutary — an eifort of Nature to rid the 
 system of morbific matter. It frequently occurs at the com- 
 mencement of various fi^ms of disease, and is scarcely, if ever, 
 an isolated affection. Gallup, in his " Institutes of Medicine," 
 contends that the muco-intestinal discharges are portions of the 
 centrifugal circulations, which probably have their functions ac- 
 celerated by the force of the heart and arteries, above that of the 
 centripetal series. A fluid, quite similar to the cold sweat of the 
 skin, and by a similar process, is forced out in abundance, and 
 produces the diarrhea. 
 
 A moderate diarrhea, occurring in a plethoric animal, is often 
 salutary ; for it relieves the relative plethora of the vascular sys- 
 tem, which occurs at the onset of acute disease. When the dis- 
 charges are of a yellow or greenish color, there is, generally, 
 functional derangement of the liver. When an abundance of 
 mucous material is observed, it goes to show that the mucous 
 membrane is congested. Sometimes an excess of serous fluid is 
 observed. This occurs more particularly in dropsical affections. 
 There is also an alvinous variety of diarrhea, caused by an abnor- 
 mal secretion or exudation of coagulable lymph. It frequently 
 comes away in shreds, or detached pieces, from various portions 
 of the intestinal canal. 
 
484 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Treatment. — Almost any form of this affection, except the 
 chronic kind, can be checked, and perhaps cured, by administer- 
 ing a few doses of charcoal and lime-water. I use these agents 
 in the following proportions : 
 
 No. 87. Finely powdered charcoal 8 oz. 
 
 Lime-water 4 oz. 
 
 Tincture of matico 2 oz. 
 
 Water 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 One-fourth of the above is a dose for an ox or cow, which may 
 be repeated every four hours. The same remedy answers for calves, 
 only they require a smaller quantity. The astringent properties 
 of the above mixture can be augmented by increasing the quantity 
 of matico, or by adding a small quantity of powdered bayberry 
 bark. 
 
 In all cases of diarrhea, I usually order a change of diet ; for, 
 in some cases, the food is operative in producing the difficulty. 
 If it occur while at grass, the animal should be taken to the barn 
 for a short time, and allowed a few moderate meals of ground 
 oatmeal. When sucking calves are under treatment for diarrhea, 
 the mother should also have a few doses of the above remedy ; for 
 it often happens that she is ailing at the time, and her milk has 
 a morbid tendency on the calf. In the advanced stages, when the 
 fecal discharges emit a bad odor, and rumination is suspended, 
 the patient should have a few quarts of milk porridge per day. 
 Scalded milk alone will sustain and benefit the calf. 
 
 Chronic Diarrhea. 
 
 Chronic diarrhea is usually accompanied by loss of condition ; 
 the coat stares, and, although the animal is allowed the very best 
 kind of food, still it thrives not ; the skin and ribs seem to have 
 entered into permanent relationship. In a case of this character, 
 I recommend the following : 
 
 No. 88. Phosphate of lime 6 oz. 
 
 Powdered ginger 3 oz. 
 
 Powdered charcoal 4 oz. 
 
 Powdered golden seal 2 oz. 
 
 Powdered bayberry bark 1 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Divide the mass into eight equal parts, and mix one of them 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 485 
 
 in the food night and morning. This will generally have the 
 desired effect. Should it fail, I would increase the quantity of 
 bayberry bark to three ounces. 
 
 Gut-tie. 
 
 It would seem that an apology is due the reader from the author 
 for introducing such an apparently vulgar term as the above ; but 
 the fact is, this term has a meaning — perhaps better understood 
 than any other that can be introduced at the present time. It 
 would appear that " gut-tie " is often occasioned by a faulty method 
 of castration, or " altering." This is the testimony of experts ; but 
 it is my opinion that gut-tie often occurs more accidentally than 
 otherwise, for animals have been known to die of gut-tie after being 
 castrated in the best possible manner. I once operated on an ani- 
 mal for this mechanical trouble, and am satisfied that the castrator 
 was as well qualified to perform the operation as the best of the 
 craft ; yet the cord had retracted into the abdomen, formed a false 
 tissue, and had also a large bulbous extremity, which no skill or 
 foresight could have possibly guarded against. 
 
 Symptoms. — The animal operated on presented the following 
 symptoms : Pulse, small and quick ; respirations, hurried ; animal 
 very uneasy (all the time), down and up again very often ; rectum, 
 empty, yet coated with slime ; the patient refused both food and 
 water, and had not ruminated nor passed any feces for several 
 hours. 
 
 Treatment. — I proposed an operation, with the intention of ex- 
 ploring the abdominal cavity, to which the owner consented. 
 The patient was cast on the near or left side, and etherized. An 
 incision, five inches in length, was then made through the integu- 
 ments of the right flank, midway between the last rib and ante- 
 rior part of the ilium, about three inches below the transverse 
 spines of the lumbar vertebra. The muscles and peritoneum were 
 also divided in the same manner as when spaying a cow. After 
 introducing my hand, I found a portion of intestine incarcerated 
 by the remains of the spermatic cord, which seemed, together with 
 some false membrane, to have entangled the intestine. After lib- 
 erating the latter, the divided muscles were closed by suture, one 
 end of which was left long enough to hang out of the wound. The 
 integuments were then sutured, and dressed with tincture of aloes. 
 
486 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 The patient staggered a little when he got up, but soon commenced 
 eating. I did not see him afterward, but, a fortnight from the 
 time of the operation, was informed that the animal experienced 
 immediate relief from the difficulty, and was then well. 
 
 Up to the present time there appears to be no information afloat 
 in this country regarding the cause and remedy of this singular 
 difficulty ; hence, I presume that some reliable account from other 
 sources may be acceptable to the reader of this work. The fol- 
 lowing account of " gut-tie " is from the pen of Surgeon Crow- 
 HURST, published in the " London Veterinarian :" 
 
 "I was requested on the 15th of last month, to attend a two- 
 year old steer, the property of W. W. Daws, Esq., of Ewhurst, 
 which was taken ill the day previously ; but, it being late when 
 the illness was observed, and my residence nine miles distant, 
 some aperient medicine was administered, and orders given to 
 send for me the next morning. When I arrived, the steer was 
 lying down in a shed, but soon got up and walked across the 
 yard. His back was arched, and the abdomen tucked up. He 
 was somewhat excited at first, but soon began to tremble, and to 
 step in a backward direction, by putting one hind leg directly 
 behind the other. Occasionally he turned his head toward his 
 side, and would kick at his belly, and, now and then, stretch 
 himself out, and curve his loins to a considerable extent. After 
 being in the yard for a short time, he returned into the shed and 
 lay down again, doing this in a very careful manner. He soon 
 got up a second time, and stepped backward as before, seemingly 
 for the purpose of getting his hind-quarters against some resisting 
 body. The man in charge of the animal explained that the symp- 
 toms had undergone but very little change since he was taken ill, 
 and that he had not eaten any thing nor voided any feces. There 
 were, however, several evacuations of mucus lying about the yard, 
 which had been expelled from the bowels. 
 
 Having procured a wagon-rope, and obtained the assistance of 
 two or three men, I had the animal cast, and examined him per 
 rectum. There were no feces present, but, on passing my hand 
 onward, I readily detected a band, which was drawn tightly round 
 the bowel. It appeared to pass from behind forward, and und?r 
 the rectum. By pulling at this the animal struggled from pain. 
 Finding this state of things, I at once decided upon operating, as 
 I could not see the patient any more that day, having many press- 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 487 
 
 ing professional engagements. I first cut off the hair from the 
 right side, which I prefer to do while the animal is standing, that 
 I may know better where to commence my incision when he is 
 cast. I will here describe my plan of casting the animal, that, 
 should any person have a preferable one, I may put it in requi- 
 sition in my after-proceedings. I first fastened one end of a 
 rope to the off fore-leg, then passed it in front and around the 
 near fore-leg, and afterward under the part of the rope between 
 the legs, so as to pull them close together. Next, it was carried 
 between the hind legs and round the near one, and then under 
 that part which passed from the fore to the hind legs. By then 
 bringing the end of the rope over the bullock's back, I was en- 
 abled to throw him on his near side, and prevent his rising by 
 drawing the near hind leg forward, and fixing it between the 
 fore-legs. As the off hind leg was still at liberty, it was secured 
 by drawing it backward, and fastening it by another rope to a 
 crowbar fixed in the ground. A man was then placed on the 
 animaPs neck ? to keep his head down, and prevent his rising. 
 Every thing being ready, I commenced the operation by cutting 
 through the common integument and abdominal muscles, midway 
 between the antero-inferior spinous process of the ilium and the 
 last rib, a short distance below the transverse processes of the 
 lumbar vertebra, so as to avoid the arteries of the part. The peri- 
 toneum was then broken through with the fingers, and afterward 
 the left hand was introduced into the abdomen, in a direction 
 toward the pelvis. I experienced no difficulty in finding the 
 band, which consisted of the vas deferens, and which formed a 
 semicircular projection in the abdomen from the intestines pass- 
 ing behind it, or from below upward, as the steer lay on his side. 
 It was drawn quite tight, and had produced strangulation of the 
 intestines. I was soon enabled to liberate the intestines, after 
 which I drew the vas deferens toward the opening in the muscles 
 and divided it, excising a portion to the extent of about three or 
 four inches. The part cut through retracted, and was left floating 
 free in the abdomen. The operation was completed by passing 
 some interrupted sutures of wide tape through the common integ- 
 ument only. After the animal was released, I gave him some 
 aperient medicine, and ordered gruel to be administered at regu- 
 lar intervals. 
 
 Before I was a student at the college, I attended a post mortem 
 
488 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 examination of an old Welch runt, which my father ordered to 
 be killed, as the proprietor neglected sending soon enough for him 
 to be of any service. In this case there were about six inches of 
 the small intestines strangulated, and quite black in color. The 
 question arises, Is this affection produced from any particular 
 mode of castration ? My father has castrated animals in the same 
 way as taught him by his father for forty-five years, and has 
 never had one case among those he has operated upon, although 
 he has been called to several which had been operated upon by 
 other persons. 
 
 The calf which I have alluded to was not castrated by him, nor 
 was the two-year old steer, (the subject of this communication,) by 
 either of us, which tends to prove that castration has to do with 
 its production, these cases having occurred in our district. I had, 
 until recently, supposed that the spermatic artery, on being drawn 
 at until it ruptures, in the operation of castration, might recede 
 into the abdomen, and, hanging loose, afterward strangulate the 
 intestines by getting around them, but I feel convinced this is not 
 the case." 
 
 The following, which lately appeared in the Edinburgh "Vet- 
 erinary Review," is offered for the reader's instruction. It is a 
 translation from Gierer, by Mr. Gamgee : 
 
 "On the Internal Ruptures in Oxen. 
 
 " Gierer alludes to the fact that all authors agree as to the na- 
 ture of the internal or peritoneal ruptures termed ' ueber-wurf/ 
 by the Germans — 'gut-tie' by the English. There is a separa- 
 tion of the atrophied spermatic cord from the sides of the pelvis, 
 and, under peculiar circumstances, the peritoneum is lacerated ; a 
 portion of intestine slips downward and backward, and the cord 
 is entwined round it, so as to constrict it, obstruct the passage of 
 excrement, and inflammation, with other consequences, result. 
 Gierer especially describes his method of discovering the seat of 
 the constriction, and his plan of operating. He says that it is not 
 always so easy to find the spermatic cord, and to discover precisely 
 which intestine is incarcerated. Most cases occur in oxen from 
 a year and a half to four years old. When symptoms of colic, 
 and no discharge of feces induce him to suspect l gut-tie/ he 
 examines per rectum, and, by careful manipulation, can always 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 489 
 
 detect the spermatic cord and imprisoned intestine. Gierer has 
 never seen this strangulation relieved spontaneously; and there 
 are two methods of cure to adopt — the one palliative, and the 
 other radical. The first consists in the return of the intestine 
 through the fissure in the spermatic cord, by quickly driving an 
 ox or raising his hind-quarters in a stall. This should be tried 
 soon after the first appearance of the disease. When this does not 
 answer, the normal condition of the parts must be restored by the 
 taxis effected through the rectum. 
 
 Very often there may be a relapse, from the loose spermatic 
 cord and fissure of the peritoneum remaining in statu quo. There 
 are two methods of radical cure — one by the introduction of the 
 hand through an incision through the abdominal walls, and the 
 other by the rectum. Gierer always operates by the rectum, and 
 his method consists in the simple return of the spermatic cord in 
 contact with its natural point of attachment against the abdominal 
 wall. To effect this a limited, successive, and slightly outdraw- 
 ing traction forward, or from behind forward, of the intestine is 
 effected ; and, having accomplished this, the soft part of the thumb 
 of the right hand, which is used from the beginning of the oper- 
 ation, is applied through the coats of the rectum in the lower and 
 posterior part of the cord, and, with a jerk, or forward movement, 
 the operation is completed. 
 
 Gierer says that the introduction of the hand in the abdomen 
 is only needed when, from the amount of intestine imprisoned, it 
 is difficult to feel the rudimentary spermatic cord; but, under 
 these circumstances, inflammation and gangrene would have en- 
 sued already, and the operation would, therefore, be useless, and 
 it is many years since he had occasion to perform it." 
 
 Flatulent Colic. 
 
 This disease is generally occasioned by some derangement of 
 the digestive organs, whereby the food, instead of being properly 
 digested, undergoes fermentation, and thus carbonic acid gas, or 
 sulphureted hydrogen is evolved. 
 
 Symptoms. — It is attended by considerable pain; the animal 
 will be very restless, continually lying down and getting up again ; 
 discharges gas from the anus ; strikes the belly occasionally with 
 the hind feet, and the abdomen is enlarged. 
 
490 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Treatment. — This species of colic can generally be relieved as 
 follows: Take one ounce of hyposulphite of soda, dissolve the 
 same in a quart of water ; then add tincture of ginger and tincture 
 of golden seal, of each, one ounce. Drench the animal with the 
 same. Clysters of soap-suds, to which a little salt may be added, 
 should be thrown into the rectum occasionally. The belly should 
 be w T ell rubbed with coarse straw, and, in severe cases, I should 
 rub some mustard, moistened with vinegar, on the lower part of 
 the abdomen. After a lapse of two hours, should the patient ap- 
 pear unrelieved, a second dose of the colic drench may be given. 
 Generally, however, one dose is sufficient. 
 
 Spasm of the Bowels. 
 
 Spasm of the bowels, generally termed spasmodic colic, is oc- 
 casioned by contraction of the longitudinal and circular fibers of 
 the muscular tunic of the intestines. In this disease nearly the 
 same symptoms are observed as those alluded to in flatulent colic, 
 with the exception of flatulency. The patient, however, is more 
 irritable and dangerous to handle than in flatulent colic, and he 
 has periods of relaxation from pain which return at intervals with 
 increased violence. It is supposed that this affection is caused 
 by the presence of irritating matters in the intestinal canal, either 
 in the form of bad food, poisonous plants, or water impregnated 
 with lead. As the muscles of the intestines belong to that class 
 known as involuntary, it follows that the state of spasm is the 
 result of some excitability or deranged condition of the nerves of 
 involuntary motion ; hence antispasmodics are indicated. In view 
 of relieving the spasm, I recommend the following : 
 
 No. 89. Powdered assafetida 1 dr. 
 
 Sulphuric ether 2 dr. 
 
 Thin gruel 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Use as a drench ; then administer, occasionally, an antispasmodic 
 clyster, composed of warm water and a small quantity of pow- 
 dered lobelia. 
 
 Failing to relieve the animal by the above means, I should get 
 him under the influence of sulphuric ether, to be applied to the 
 nostrils by means of a sponge. There is no necessity for fully 
 etherizing the animal, for, if kept in a partial state of stupefaction 
 
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 491 
 
 for about twenty minutes, the spasm will relax ; after which, let 
 the patient be kept on bran-mashes for a day or more. 
 
 Constipation of the Bowels. 
 
 Constipation is generally the result of impaired digestion, yet, 
 now and then, it is the precursor of some definite malady. The 
 old method of resorting to powerful cathartics generally aggravates 
 the symptoms, and the animal dies unrelieved of the constipation. 
 
 The best method of treating this affection is to administer, with 
 an aperient, stimulants and bitters; in this way we arouse the 
 action of the digestive organs, and create a lax state of the bowels. 
 Let the following drench be given : 
 
 No. 90. Glauber salts 12 oz. 
 
 Powdered golden seal 3 dr. 
 
 Powdered ginger 2 dr. 
 
 Dissolve the Glauber salts in one quart of tepid water; then 
 add the other ingredients. After a lapse of eight hours, the animal 
 should be walked about, have its belly rubbed, and* an occasional 
 clyster of warm soap-suds may be thrown into the rectum. Should 
 the medicine not operate at the expected time, administer two 
 drachms of powdered mandrake, the same quantity of golden seal, 
 and half an ounce of hyposulphite of soda, in about a quart of 
 water. 
 
 To prevent a recurrence of the constipation, let the animal have 
 half an ounce of equal parts of golden seal and carbonate of soda 
 daily, which may be mixed in the food. It is important, also, in 
 view of guarding against constipation, to make some change in 
 the diet. Thus, if the animal has been long fed on meal, some 
 coarser material (shorts) should be substituted, for a brief period 
 at least. 
 

 SECTION XVII. 
 
 PARTURITION. 
 
 Signs of Labor, or Parturition — Natural Labor — Unnatural Labor— 
 Fore-legs Presenting — One Fore-leg Presenting — Head Presenting 
 without the Legs — Extraction of a Calf on its Back— Hind Legs Pre- 
 senting — Breech Presentation — Cleansing, or Removal of the After- 
 birth — Back of the Calf Presenting at the Brim of the Pelvis — Ute- 
 rine Hemorrhage — Birth of Twins — Triplets. 
 
 Signs of Labor, or Parturition. 
 
 AT the end of two hundred and seventy days from the period 
 of a cow's impregnation, some enlargement of the udder 
 will be perceived, and the labii pudendi (external parts of the 
 genital organs) are relaxed, and appear tumefied, and a sort of 
 glistening discharge issues from the same. The animal is also 
 restless, and appears desirous of avoiding the society of other 
 cows. Her respirations are somewhat quickened; she becomes 
 nervous and irritable, and labor pains set in, occurring at stated 
 periods, until, at last, the neck of the uterus dilates, the foetal 
 membranes present themselves in the form of a watery tumor, 
 and the parts admit of the delivery of the foetus. 
 
 Natural Labor. 
 
 Natural labor consists of the presentation of the placental mem- 
 branes, inclosed fluid, with the head and two fore-feet of the foetus. 
 In the act of natural expulsion the membranes become ruptured, 
 and the liquor amnii (water) escapes. This lubricates the parts, 
 and greatly facilitates the birth of the foetus. After delivery a 
 few after-pains occur, by which means the placenta, or after-birth, 
 is expelled. This completes the painful routine of natural labor. 
 (492) 
 
parturition. 493 
 
 Unnatural Labor. 
 
 A cow failing to give birth after the fashion described in the 
 preceding article, and being in a state of parturition, having regu- 
 lar uterine pains, increasing in severity as they successively occur, 
 yet no appearance of the foetus, is probably the subject of false 
 presentation. The character of this presentation must be ascer- 
 tained, and our efforts then directed to the replacement of the part 
 to its natural position. The person who intends to render assist- 
 ance to the parturient cow should be clad in suitable garments. 
 His arms must be bared to the shoulders, and, in view of guard- 
 ing against the absorption of morbid virus, the person's arms 
 should be lubricated with glycerine or olive oil. The instru- 
 ments required are, embryotomy knife, embryotomy hooks, and 
 slip-nooses. (See cut of instruments.) 
 
 Fore-Legs Presenting. 
 
 The most common false presentation is that when the two fore- 
 legs are advanced into the vagina, sometimes beyond it, and the 
 head turned upon the foetal body. This is occasioned by the 
 muzzle having caught at the brim of the pelvis. The delivery 
 can not be effected until the position is changed, without danger 
 to the mother and certain destruction to the calf. The best plan 
 is to attach a cord, or the slip-nooses, to each fore-leg, which are 
 then to be forced back into the uterus. The head must then be 
 sought for, and constant pressure exerted on the same until it is 
 sent forward far enough to enable the operator to release it from 
 the brim of the pelvis, and guide it into the vaginal outlet. A 
 noose may then be slipped over the lower jaw; then traction on 
 it and those of the fore-legs will accomplish the delivery. 
 
 If the calf is dead I should use the embryotomy hook in pref- 
 erence to the noose ; but, in view of saving the calf, the latter is 
 the safest. Some care, however, is necessary in drawing out the 
 fore- feet, lest the points of the hoofs lacerate the vagina. While 
 the assistants are drawing steadily on the cords, the operator 
 should give them a lateral action, from side to side, and upward 
 and downward. This is far better than pulling persistently in 
 one direction, for it tends to loosen and alter the position of im- 
 pacted parts. 
 
494 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 One Foee-leg Presenting. 
 
 This is also a common occurrence, and, if seen early, the de- 
 livery may be safely effected by attaching the noose to the pro- 
 truded leg. This is to be pushed back, the other sought for and 
 secured in the same manner, and again to be returned. The head 
 must then be properly placed, the legs drawn outward, and the 
 delivery may be accomplished with every prospect of bringing 
 forth a live calf. 
 
 Head Presenting without the Legs. 
 
 In a case of this character, it is evident that the legs are doubled 
 up within the vagina and uterus, and, unless attended to early, the 
 calf will be dead ; therefore, in order to save time and trouble, I 
 should decapitate the calf, which is done as follows: Make a cir- 
 cular incision around the neck through the integuments ; then cut 
 down in a region between the first and second cervical vertebra?, 
 and sever the capsular ligaments and spinal marrow. A person 
 not expert in these matters will probably succeed better in de- 
 taching the head at this point than at the base of the cranium. 
 Before the neck is returned, the embryotomy hooks should be in- 
 serted into it, and the blades secured by tying the cord which 
 passes through them. Having pushed back the neck, I run my 
 hand along one limb at a time, and find the hoofs. These are 
 brought forward and noosed. Traction now being made on the 
 three cords, the delivery is secured. 
 
 Supposing the calf to be alive, I proceed as follows: A noose 
 is affixed to the lower jaw; the head is then pushed back as far 
 as it can be got; the fore-legs are then to be brought into posi- 
 tion as above described, after which the calf is readily brought 
 away. Some difficulty may be experienced in extracting the hind 
 parts. If they require much force in extraction, the probabilities 
 are that the pelvis of the foetus is impacted in that of the cow. 
 The long diameter of the pelvis is crosswise of the body, so that, 
 if the calf be in a position that opposes its long pelvic diameter 
 to the short one of the mother, it must be pushed back a few 
 inches, and turned, so that its feet shall be downward, in a line 
 with the cow's limbs. 
 
 It is very important that the calf should be in the right posi- 
 
PARTURITION. 495 
 
 tion as regards the diameter of the pelvis, for many valuable cows 
 are ruined by the violent means used in the extraction of the hind 
 parts when in a faulty position. A little tact in securing a right 
 position for the exit of the calf would save a vast amount of 
 unnecessary and cruel traction, which in our rural districts, where 
 veterinary surgeons are not to be found, is too often employed. 
 
 Extraction of a Calf on its Back, Hind Legs 
 Presenting. 
 
 Some persons have an idea that when a wrong presentation of 
 this kind takes place the calf may be turned. This is an impos- 
 sibility, and it is only a waste of time and a feat of ignorance to 
 even attempt it. The calf must be extracted in the manner of pre- 
 sentation. The traction, however, should be made in a direction 
 toward the bones of the coccygis, or tail. In the early stages of 
 this kind of parturition, the back rests on the belly of the mother, 
 and the feet come in contact with her spine. If my services were 
 sought at this' early period, I should endeavor to bring the feet 
 down, one at a time, and noose them, and proceed to deliver with- 
 out making any futile attempts to change the position of the calf. 
 In a case of this character, which occurred in my practice a short 
 time ago, I found it impossible (the cow being down) to dislodge 
 the feet from the spinal region. I therefore procured a double 
 and single block tackle, and fastened it to a beam which ran 
 across the barn ; the hind extremities were then attached to the 
 single block by means of straps, and in this way the posterior 
 parts were elevated. The consequence was, that the whole foetal 
 apparatus receded into the abdominal cavity, the feet were dis- 
 lodged from the spine, and I had the satisfaction of delivering the 
 animal of a live calf. 
 
 The following case is related by Surgeon Cartwright, in the 
 " Veterinarian : " 
 
 " On the 30th of April, 1850, Mr. came for me to see a 
 
 cow, four years old, that could not calve, as, in a former instance, 
 another celebrated man at such work had been in attendance on 
 her, but, from the state of the os uteri, was fairly frightened 
 from making an attempt to remove it, as, he said, 'an operation ' 
 must be performed on it. I found her well off at the hips, and 
 about the vulva well relaxed. On introducing my hand into the 
 
496 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 vagina, I ascertained that the os uteri was dilated to about five 
 inches in diameter, in an apparent rigid state. On passing my 
 hand through the os uteri, I found that the calf lay on its back. 
 The hind feet could be felt, but they were doubled up at the fet- 
 locks, and pressed against the rectum and inside of the upper por- 
 tion of the os uteri. In consequence of the calf lying on its back, 
 and its feet being doubled up, the latter was not forced into the 
 os uteri, from which cause the os uteri could not be dilated for the 
 cow to calve. I immediately got one of the legs straight, brought 
 it forward into the vagina, and passed a cord around it, and then 
 served the other the same. Afterward we used gradual traction 
 to the feet, until the os uteri was fully dilated, and, in the course 
 of an hour, we removed a live calf, which, together with the cow, 
 did well. I fear such cases as these may induce persons to divide 
 the os uteri, thinking it in a scirrhous state. In a fortnight after, 
 this person had an exactly similar case; but, from using gross 
 force, they burst open the pelvis somewhere, and the consequence 
 was, the cow was obliged to be destroyed." 
 
 Breech Presentation. 
 
 A presentation of this kind is generally attended with difficulty 
 and danger. The difficulties depend, however, somewhat on the 
 length of time which has elapsed since the commencement of the 
 labor. If it be recent, there is some hope for both mother and 
 calf, but in a protracted case there is little hope for the mother; 
 and one reason is, the vagina or uterus is often injured or rup-. 
 tured by the struggles of the foetus in trying to free itself from its 
 uncomfortable position. Then, again, the uterus has contracted 
 upon the foetus so as almost to imprison it, at least forcing and 
 impacting it within the cavity of the pelvis, so that the little ani- 
 mal is almost immovable. Let a person unacquainted with bo- 
 vine midwifery introduce his hand and arm in a case of this char- 
 acter, and he will be astonished at the amount of force it will 
 require to thread his hand between the foetus and pelvis; and 
 after accomplishing his object, the hand and arm become so be- 
 numbed by the pressure that he can not accomplish much, if any 
 thing, until he can succeed in forcing the foetus forward, which, 
 in some cases, when uterine action is strong, can not be effected 
 without elevating the posterior parts of the cow by means of a 
 
PARTURITION. 497 
 
 hoisting tackle. It requires a person with a long arm to be of 
 much service in a case of this kind, for the limbs are extended a 
 long distance into the abdomen. A breach presentation is very 
 readily detected by the presence of the calf 's tail, which occasions- 
 ally hangs out of the vagina. 
 
 The mode of extracting the foetus when the breech presents is 
 as follows : Pressure must be made upon the buttocks of the calf 
 in the interim of labor pains. Having succeeded in pushing the 
 calf forward, the hocks may possibly be reached; afterward the 
 feet. These are to be brought into the vaginal passage; then, by 
 traction, and altering the position of the calf, if necessary, the 
 delivery is completed. Should it be found impossible to push the 
 foetus forward, I should lose no time in raising the hind-quarters 
 of the cow by means of hoisting apparatus, which most farmers 
 have on hand. In order to avoid hurting or injuring the cow's 
 limbs when hoisting the hind parts from the ground, I encircle 
 the legs, just above the fetlock, with some old gunny bag, or 
 something of the sort ; then affix a strap to each leg, into which 
 the tackle must be hooked. The cow is, of course, raised from 
 the floor, belly upward. 
 
 Cleansing, or Removal op the After-birth. 
 
 After the delivery, the after-birth should be detached, if pos- 
 sible; for, if it be allowed to occupy the uterus, the latter contracts 
 upon it, and there it may remain for a week or more, and, at last, 
 come away a mass of putridity — not, however, before the cow has 
 suffered some derangement of health. So soon as the calf is born, 
 I introduce my hand, and pull, in various directions, on the um- 
 bilical cord. Failing to bring the placenta away, I introduce my 
 whole arm, and carefully detach the now foreign body from the 
 cotyledons of the uterus. The uterus shortly afterward contracts, 
 and thus effectually prevents uterine hemorrhage. 
 
 It has been my universal custom, of late, to remove the placenta 
 immediately after the birth of the calf, and I do so because I con- 
 sider it unwise to allow it to remain ; for the labor is not then 
 completed. No practitioner of midwifery in human medicine 
 would ever deem it proper to leave his patient until the "after- 
 birth" was removed, for it would, most undoubtedly, endanger 
 the mother's life if it were left to rot away, as is too often the case 
 32 
 
498 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 with the poor uncomplaining cow. In the removal of the placenta, 
 I am careful not to pull too hard on the umbilical cord, lest in- 
 version of the uterus ensue. A little tact and patience will often 
 accomplish wonders. The placenta may be detached from the 
 cotyledons, and yet can not be drawn away. The probability is 
 that some irregular contraction of the uterus retains it. Now we 
 
 'st exercise a little patience, and then introduce the arm and 
 -el for the seat of contraction. This can probably be dilated by 
 the fingers, and then the placenta may easily be removed. 
 
 In cases of protracted labor, when the cow is much exhausted, 
 the placenta may remain in the uncontracted uterus for want of 
 muscular power in the same to expel it. In such a case I should 
 give the cow about a quart of ginger tea, and if any tympany of 
 the intestines exist, I should add a small quantity of carbonate of 
 soda. 
 
 The absurd practice of attaching a weight to the membranes, or 
 rolling them on a stick, as heretofore recommended, is not in ac- 
 cordance with my views of an enlightened system of practice. To 
 say the least, it is unscientific, and presents an unsightly appear- 
 ance. The odor which arises from the putrid mass, in the course 
 of a few days, is enough to sicken a dog, and no doubt it does 
 sicken pregnant cows, and may induce abortion. The membranes 
 must be removed. 
 
 The abominable practice of allowing the cow to devour the 
 after-birth is much to be deplored. I know the custom has the 
 sanction of long usage, but that, in my opinion, is no argument in 
 its favor. The cow is not a cannibal nor a carniverous animal, 
 yet, for the sake of getting rid of an unsightly and filthy mass of 
 carrion, which ought to have been removed from her sight, she is 
 tempted, and finally does devour it. She may, however, some- 
 times be led to devour the placenta and foetal membranes through 
 the promptings of a morbid appetite. The best and safest way 
 to dispose of the after-birth is to burn it, for the odor arising 
 from it under the process of decomposition has a bad eifect on 
 pregnant cows of a highly imaginative and nervous temperament, 
 and the odoriferous morbid germ is more active in warm than cold 
 weather. 
 
parturition. 499 
 
 Back of the Calf presenting at the Brim of the 
 
 Pelvis. 
 
 This unfortunate presentation is one of rare occurrence. I never 
 saw but one case, and that I now propose to introduce for the 
 instruction of my readers. I was called, a short time ago, to visit 
 
 a cow, the property of Mr. R , of Winchester. The animal 
 
 had been in labor, with strong parturient pains, for twelve hours. 
 In the mean time several persons had tried their skill on the poor 
 brute, without doing the least good. At the time of my visit, she 
 was in a deplorable condition. Her ears, horns, and extremities 
 were icy cold ; she was delirious, throwing her head about in a 
 reckless manner, as if in convulsions ; the vaginal lips were very 
 much tumefied, their lining membrane being highly inflamed. I 
 immediately gave her a good drench of stimulating medicine, 
 which appeared to have a good effect in restoring warmth on the 
 external surface and in the extremities. On making an examina- 
 tion, I discovered that the back or spinal column of the foetus was 
 firmly impacted within the brim of the pelvis ; consequently every 
 uterine effort to expel the same was only making matters worse. 
 I employed all the usual means to change the position of the calf 
 to no purpose. Finally, I proposed an operation, to which the 
 owner consented. I now etherized the cow, turned her on her 
 left side, and made an incision through the right flank, beginning 
 at a point two inches beneath the transverse processes of the lum- 
 bar vertebra, mid-distance of the last rib and anterior spine of the 
 pelvis. The length of the incision was about ten inches. I then 
 divided the muscles in this region known as the transversalis, 
 external and internal oblique. Having thus exposed the perito- 
 neum, I punctured it, and, by means of a probe-pointed bistoury, 
 dilated it to the extent of the external incision. I then made an 
 incision through the uterus, .disemboweled the calf, so as to reduce 
 its bulk, and, finally, removed the heart and lungs; yet I could 
 not extract the carcass (which was of extraordinary size). I there- 
 fore made a section of the spinal column, and removed the foetus 
 in halves; then took away the placenta, and removed all fluids 
 by means of a sponge. The incision was properly sutured, and, 
 after a short period, the cow got up and partook of a bran-mash. 
 Twenty-four hours after the operation the cow died. This proba- 
 bly occurred from the exhausted condition of the animal at the 
 
500 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 period of operating. When nothing except an operation of this 
 kind can save the mother, I recommend that it be performed early, 
 so that there shall be vitality enough in the system to bear up 
 against it. 
 
 Uterine Hemorrhage. 
 
 Uterine hemorrhage is known, in common parlance, as flooding 
 from the womb. Occasionally it does occur as a sequel of forcible 
 extraction of the calf, followed by an unwarrantable harshness in 
 extracting the placenta and its membranes from the uterine coty- 
 ledans. The best plan of arresting this kind of hemorrhage is to 
 drench the cow with two ounces of tincture of matico, and then 
 encircle the body, in the region of the small of the back, with a 
 cold-water bandage. The object, in a case of this kind, is to in- 
 duce contraction of the uterus, for, when once contracted, the flood- 
 ing will soon cease. 
 
 Birth of Twins. 
 
 There are many cases on record of cows giving birth to twins, 
 and even triplets, without manual assistance ; yet occasionally, in 
 consequence of two presenting in the passage at once, some .assist- 
 ance is needed. When called to a case of this character, the object 
 should be to ascertain if the parts presenting belong to one or two 
 calves. If the latter be the case, one must be pushed back and 
 the other advanced ; for they can not both be born at once without 
 periling the life of the mother. 
 
 Triplets. 
 
 Three years ago I visited Keene, N. H., on the occasion of the 
 State Fair, and saw a cow of native breed, the property of Mr. 
 Aldrich. I learned that at two previous births she had brought 
 forth twins, and now was the mother of three at one birth. These 
 were milk-white, and a perfect counterpart of each other. I un- 
 derstood Mr. Aldrich to say that the cow had never been bred to 
 the same bull, so that the plural and triple births were the result 
 of a peculiarity of constitution on the part of the cow. This re- 
 markable peculiarity seems to favor the hypotheses of Pythagoras 
 and Aristotle, who maintained that the female parent affords all 
 
PARTURITION. 501 
 
 the materials necessary for the formation of the offspring, the office 
 of the male being merely to awaken the dormant formative powers 
 residing in the female ovaducts. The "ovists" further assume 
 that the foetal germs already exist, with all their organs, in some 
 part of the female organs of generation, and that the action of the 
 male is merely that of exciting and endowing the foetus with vi- 
 tality. These theories, however, appear irreconcilable with the 
 phenomena of the offspring inheriting the faults and defects of 
 the male. The cow alluded to never required any assistance in 
 labor. This may be accounted for from the fact that the mother 
 had a large pelvis, and her offspring at the time of birth were all 
 small. 
 
 But here are two other remarkable cases, as related by Mr. 
 Gamgee, in his translations : 
 
 "The subject of this notice had been delivered of her first calf 
 in January, 1857, when two years old — a fine heifer of the Brittany 
 breed, and of medium size. Soon after she was served (only once) 
 by a bull of the district, and became impregnated. During gesta- 
 tion the animal was healthy, walked easily, and her belly presented 
 no uncommon appearance as regards size. On December 26, her 
 term of gestation having closed with little pain or expulsive efforts, 
 she gave birth, in a very few minutes, to two calves (male and fe- 
 male), the first being in the normal position, the last having the 
 posterior limbs presented first. At the same time the foetal envel- 
 opes of the calves came away. 
 
 During delivery the cow showed no suffering, and would eat 
 and drink as usual. Shortly after, the attendants perceived, be- 
 tween the lips of the vulva, two white, soft tumors, which they 
 took for inverted uterus, and at once hastened for the cow-doctor. 
 Meanwhile, a neighbor, thinking he recognized in them the water- 
 bags, pricked them, and, on the escape of the water, another calf 
 was seen, with a natural presentation, which, was soon delivered 
 by the efforts of the mother. This was immediately followed by 
 a fourth, which was also easily expelled. These two last — the 
 first a female, the last a male — died in a few seconds, though, 
 doubtless, had the liquor amnii been at once evacuated, both 
 might have survived, as they were even stronger than the two 
 first. They were very fat, and weighed, when given to the 
 butcher, 25 kilogrammes each. 
 
 " The cow which has shown such remarkable fecundity (five 
 
502 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 calves in one year) has all along preserved the most perfect 
 health." 
 
 Remarkable Fecundation in a Cow. — Mr. M. B. Forbes sent the 
 London " Veterinarian " the following particulars relating to the 
 birth of five calves at one time : " A cow of the short-horned breed, 
 six years old, the property of Mr. Richard Knight, farmer, Santon, 
 about a mile from Ryegate, was safely delivered on Monday morn- 
 ing, the 21st of February, three weeks before her time, of five 
 calves — four bulls and one cow. Three of the calves died a few 
 hours after birth, but the fourth survived until Tuesday, and the 
 fifth until the following day, Wednesday." Mr. Forbes saw the 
 cow on the 23d, and found her going on well. It was her third 
 calving. 
 
SECTION XVIII. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 
 
 Constriction of the Neck of the Uterus — Embryotomy — Treatment of Cows 
 during Pregnancy — Symptoms of Pregnancy — Dropsy of the Womb — Puer- 
 peral Fever — Falling of the Womb. 
 
 Constriction at the Neck of the Uterus. 
 
 OWING to some abnormal condition of the neck of the uterus, 
 it is occasionally the seat of constriction. The difficulty can 
 only be determined by introducing the hand into the vagina ; then, 
 by bringing the fingers in contact with the mouth of the womb, it 
 is found in an undilated and indurated or hardened state. Should 
 the labor pains be quite strong, and no signs of relaxation appear- 
 ing, I should then introduce a probe-pointed bistoury or the em- 
 bryotomy knife into the neck of the uterus, and dilate the stricture, 
 by making incisions into the inner border of the strictured or har- 
 dened mass. This will allow of some slight dilatation, large 
 enough for a bladder of foetal membrane to gain entrance. After 
 this takes place, the labor will gradually progress, and, if every 
 thing goes right, as the saying is, a live calf may soon be expected 
 to make its appearance, and the cow may also be expected to sur- 
 vive the operation. 
 
 Embryotomy. 
 
 The operation known among medical men as embryotomy, sig- 
 nifies dismemberment of the calf within the vagina and uterus. I 
 presume no man, except he be acquainted with the anatomy of the 
 parts, would dare to attempt the dismemberment and disembowel- 
 ment of the foetus. It is an operation, however, which has to be 
 performed very often, and it has saved the lives of very many 
 valuable cows ; therefore I shall try to " post " the reader on the 
 
 (503) 
 
504 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 subject. The instrument used for this purpose is called an embry- 
 otomy knife (see cut of instruments), and is introduced into the 
 uterine cavity, concealed in the hand, so that its cutting edge shall 
 not injure the genital organs of the cow. 
 
 Mode of Operation. — Having introduced the knife within the 
 uterine cavity, I run my hand along the ftetal limb to the top of the 
 shoulder, if possible, and there turn the knife and send its beak 
 point through the integument, and slit the same to the region of 
 the knee. Here I make a circular incision of the integument 
 around the knee. A slip-noose is affixed to the fetlock, and, while 
 an assistant is making steady traction on the same, I loosen the 
 integument from the limb ; then, by a little dexterity in the use 
 of the knife, at the top of the shoulder and elsewhere, the whole 
 leg is drawn away. After amputating the shoulder, I make an 
 incision through the cartilages of the ribs. This exposes the whole 
 of the thoracic viscera, which I remove. If the bulk of the calf 
 appears to be sufficiently reduced to insure its extraction, I affix 
 a noose to the remaining fore-leg, and, by traction, remove the 
 carcass. The only difficulty in the way of a prompt extraction 
 occurs, oftentimes, in consequence of the foetal head being bent 
 round on the opposite side of the chest ; but, under ordinary cir- 
 cumstances, the calf can be extracted without proceeding to disem- 
 bowel or decapitate it. If, however, either of the latter operations 
 will facilitate the birth of the calf, I should certainly perform one 
 or the other, or both. Having extracted the whole of the fetus, 
 I next remove the placenta and membranes, and then drench the 
 cow with the following : 
 
 No. 91. Fluid extract of ginger ^ oz. 
 
 Tincture of matico 1 oz. 
 
 Warm water 1 quart. 
 
 This will improve the condition of the prostrate animal, and in- 
 sure contraction of the uterus. The uterine expulsive power, so 
 favorable to the liberation of the calf, if dormant, can readily be 
 aroused by administering a stimulating drench. 
 
 Treatment of Cows During Pregnancy. 
 
 The cow is the only animal with which I am acquainted that 
 yields milk regularly during the trying and prostrating probation 
 of pregnancy. She has not only to yield milk for the profit of 
 
DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 505 
 
 her owner, but she must also furnish an identical preparation for 
 the nourishment of the foetus in utero. Then, again, the integrity 
 of her own system requires that her digestive organs shall furnish 
 enough of chyme and chyle for the manufacture of good, rich blood, 
 to repair incidental and extraordinary wear and tear of her system ; 
 therefore she should be well fed and cared for. Any stinting or 
 miserly economy in the feeding of pregnant cows is very poor 
 policy, and is a sort of starvation procedure, which can never be 
 expected to pay. It is impossible for the cow to discharge these 
 treble duties unless she be generously fed on nutrimental agents, 
 containing the necessary equivalents. I am aware that most cows 
 are too well fed, hence milk fever and other inflammatory affec- 
 tions ; yet the food given to some cows in this region, such as swill, 
 brewer's grains, corn-stalks, coarse, damaged hay, etc., is not suit- 
 able for pregnant cows. They should have a mess of roots occa- 
 sionally, and about a quart of meal night and morning, which may 
 be stirred in a bucket of water, to which add a tea-spoonful of 
 salt. A reasonable quantity of good, sweet hay should be allowed 
 daily. This will not only keep the stomach distended to a healthy 
 capacity, but will also furnish matter for remastication, by which 
 process a large amount of saliva is secreted, and passes into the 
 stomach, where it operates on the food therein contained as a pow- 
 erful digester. 
 
 A pregnant cow should never be confined to the cow-house, for 
 want of proper exercise indices plethora, and a plethoric condition 
 of the system retards the development of the foetus ; hence the cow 
 is very apt to go over her time. The pregnant animal needs, and 
 must have, exercise. It aids in the circulation of blood through 
 her system : it brings the blood oftener in contact with aerating 
 surfaces, and thus invigorates it ; in short, the whole animal econ- 
 omy is benefited by exercise in the open air. If the season of the 
 year admits, the cow should be sent to pasture. Here, under the 
 advantages arising from pure air, natural food, etc., she will get in 
 fine condition, so that when the period of calving arrives she will 
 be strong and vigorous, and can bring forth a healthy calf. It 
 must be borne in mind, however, that the petted, stall-fed cow is 
 not a safe subject to leave in the pasture at night. The cold, damp 
 ground and air are apt to derange her health ; therefore she should 
 be housed at night and on stormy days. 
 
 As regards milking the animal during pregnancy, it must de- 
 
506 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 pend on circumstances. A cow in good condition may be milked 
 longer than a poor one, and the poor, overmilked animal must 
 " go dry," as the saying is, for a couple of months prior to calving. 
 Should a pregnant animal yield milk up to within a fortnight of 
 calving, she should have a few bran-mashes, and the daily quan- 
 tity of food and drink must be diminished. She should also have 
 free access to salt, and occasionally a table-spoonful or so of phos- 
 phate of lime may be sprinkled over her fodder. 
 
 Symptoms op Pregnancy. 
 
 A cow in healthy condition will be in heat (a state of menstru- 
 ation) about once a month. This lasts for a period of four days, 
 more or less. About three or four months after conception has 
 taken place, the belly is enlarged, and, on making pressure on the 
 right flank, the motions of a live foetus can be distinctly felt. 
 Pregnancy may be determined earlier than this by auscultation 
 (the art of diagnosis by listening to the sounds of the heart). The 
 beating of the fcetal heart can be distinctly heard. The ear should 
 be applied to the right flank. 
 
 Dropsy op the Womb. 
 
 This affection generally prevails among aged cows, in the latter 
 period of pregnancy. The causes of jt are, perhaps obscure ; yet 
 it may be attributable, like other dropsies, to a debilitated condi- 
 tion of the system, and an impoverished state of the blood. 
 
 Symptoms. — The symptoms noticed in this affection are as fol- 
 lows : An unhealthy and debilitated state of the animal ; visible 
 membranes, pale and watery ; a pendulous and much enlarged con- 
 dition of the abdomen; spinal column, curved in a downward 
 direction ; and the animal, when down, is observed to rise with 
 difficulty. 
 
 Treatment. — It often happens that in dropsy of the uterus, the 
 walls of the abdomen are ruptured, and the fluid escapes into the 
 cellular tissue beneath the common integuments. This is readily 
 detected by an unnatural tumefaction, or swelling, in some part 
 of the abdominal region. My usual practice in a case of this char- 
 acter is to puncture the integument, and allow the fluid to escape. 
 I then direct that the animal have a few doses of the following : 
 
DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 507 
 
 No. 92. Fluid extract of buchu*. 1 oz. 
 
 Powdered chlorate of potass 4 dr. 
 
 Water , 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Give a dose of the above once or twice daily. 
 
 Dropsy confined to the uterus is a formidable affection, because 
 it requires the services of an experienced surgeon, who will, prob- 
 ably, tap the dropsical membranes through the vagina; yet the 
 operation is not always advisable, for it frequently results in pre- 
 mature parturition. 
 
 Puerperal Fever. 
 
 During the past few years, very many valuable cows have died 
 of "milk fever" (puerperal fever), puerperal convulsions, etc. It 
 is a remarkable fact that this disease almost always attacks cows 
 in high condition; hence, in view of prevention, we should en- 
 deavor to guard against the accumulation of fat ; and this can be 
 done by withholding meal and substituting shorts, and also by 
 allowing considerable quantities of roots and grass, when they can 
 be had. 
 
 Puerperal fever is a disease of an inflammatory type. The state 
 of plethora, which is observed among fine cows owned by wealthy 
 individuals, who dispense provender liberally, because they hate 
 to see a " poor " cow, is more likely to occur in a cow when preg- 
 nant and stall-fed (from the fat of the crib) than otherwise, be- 
 cause, under such management, she does not get exercise enough 
 to make away with the carbonaceous material, and, therefore, it 
 increases from day to day, and is harvested into the cell reservoirs, 
 proving in its bulk detrimental to full and free circulation, respira- 
 tion, and intestinal peristaltic action. 
 
 The warm and impure atmosphere which the stall-fed animal is 
 compelled to respire is decidedly operative in bringing about that 
 condition known as plethora; therefore our object should be to 
 secure a current of cool and pure air throughout the cow-stable. 
 Pure and cool air is a very potent physiological, sedative, contra- 
 stimulant, and, as the fat animal is in a morbid state of excitation 
 from the stimulus of the food, as well as artificial atmosphere, the 
 suffering creature will surely be benefited by inhaling the requisite 
 amount of an uncontaminated atmosphere. 
 
 The principal causes of puerperal fever in women are said to 
 
508 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 be misplaced benevolence, which benevolently (!) furnishes her 
 with choice viands, rich caudles, and stimulants, in view of obvi- 
 ating debility and insuring hilarity of mind. Now, the condition 
 of the pregnant female being one of increased susceptibility, it 
 fully demonstrates the incompatibility of using even what may 
 be considered as the ordinary stimulations of health. Therefore, 
 in the case of the cow, stimulating food, and an unnecessary 
 amount of the same, given daily after the cow has " come to her 
 growth," as the saying is, may be termed misplaced benevolence ; 
 whereas, if the cow has not attained her full growth, the practice 
 of feeding liberally is not objectionable, for she requires a large 
 amount of nutriment to develop the various parts of her organ- 
 ism, and promote the integrity of the same, and also to nourish 
 the foetus in utero, and, lastly, for the purpose of furnishing the 
 necessary material for the lacteal secretion. It has been noticed 
 that great milkers, as .well as fat animals, are often the subjects 
 of puerperal fever; and probably the suppression of the milk 
 secretion, in the advanced stage of pregnancy, may be an exciting 
 cause of the difficulty, yet not in all cases, for we are pretty cer- 
 tain that some cows, owing to a peculiarity of constitution, are 
 predisposed to puerperal hysteritis. In view, therefore, of guard- 
 ing against the consequences which may occur when the animal 
 is suddenly " dried up," we should be careful to diminish the 
 daily allowance of food, and also feed lightly from this period up 
 to that of parturition. 
 
 Milking the cow before calving, in view of preventing puer- 
 peral fever, is very mischievous, for it is apt to excite premature 
 parturition. Many of the cows I have attended for the above 
 complaint had been so treated. Occasionally the udder becomes 
 distended to a painful degree, so that it is necessary to practice 
 moderate milking, otherwise the practice is injurious. 
 
 It is generally supposed that this disease first manifests itself 
 in some parts of the tissues entering into the composition of the 
 reproductive organs ; or, in other language, primary congestion 
 and irritation of the womb, ending in cerebral congestion and 
 convulsions. The cerebral congestion, however, is not always the 
 cause of convulsions, for we have many cases on record in which 
 phlebotomy was practiced on the heroic plan (an incredible amount 
 of blood having been abstracted) without arresting the convul- 
 sions ; hence, in such cases, congestion is the result, not the cause, 
 
DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 509 
 
 of convulsions. A very eminent physician (Dr. Logan) has 
 stated, as the result of observation, that puerperal convulsions 
 were generally found in females of highly organized nervous sys- 
 tems, and who were peculiarly susceptible to irritation of that 
 system; yet our experience in this country, in cattle practice, 
 confirms what we have written in the preceding part of this arti- 
 cle ; namely, that puerperal convulsions are more frequent among 
 fat animals ^than in those of lean condition. The theory of Dr. 
 Logan may, in the main, be correct ; for a lean animal (nervous 
 temperament) can, by artificial means, be brought into the condi- 
 tion known as plethora. 
 
 You att contends that " cows in high condition are most sub- 
 ject to an attack of puerperal fever. Their excess of condition, 
 or state of plethora, disposes them to affections of an inflammatory 
 character, at all times and under all circumstances." If it shall 
 prove to be the case that puerperal fever is the result of uterine 
 inflammation, we should diagnose the case as puerperal hysteritis, 
 and treat accordingly. Puerperal hysteritis may, however, occur 
 at any period of pregnancy. 
 
 Symptoms. — The early symptoms attending a disease of this 
 character are such as are found to prevail in a disease of a febrile 
 character ; namely, loss of appetite, accelerated pulse and respira- 
 tion (the latter attended with strong but quick abdominal flank 
 movements) ; tongue, slightly coated ; mouth, hot and clammy ; 
 muzzle, dry. There is also a sort of wildness about the eyes ; the 
 animal is nervous, and some unusual spasmodic twitchings of the 
 muscles will generally be observed. Soon the animal grates her 
 teeth, foams at the mouth, dashes her head recklessly on the floor 
 (for she is now on the floor). Examine the eye at this stage, and 
 the pupil will be found in an amaurotic state. The udder be- 
 comes swollen, hot, and tender, and the lacteal secretion is partly 
 suspended. 
 
 The disease generally appears within a fortnight after calving, 
 and it may occur within a very few hours. Its duration is very 
 brief, both the curable and incurable cases terminating either one 
 way or the other in a short time ; and if violent convulsions set 
 in, we generally find that the patient has but little time to live. 
 Especially is this the case when paraplegia be present, or paralysis 
 in any form. The principal symptoms in which the diagnosis 
 must be founded are as follows : We first ascertain whether or not 
 
510 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the animal has, within the period of a fortnight, given birth to a 
 calf. If so, and she manifests the usual symptoms of convulsions, 
 (refuses to notice her calf, has lost the use, more or less, of her 
 limbs, and the eyes present a wild stare, the pupils being dilated, 
 and the udder swollen,) we may then safely conclude that we have 
 a case of milk fever to deal with. 
 
 Treatment. — The professional man treats the disease according 
 to its indications, and the non-professional, if he attempt to treat 
 a case of this character, must endeavor to do likewise. I can not 
 possibly commit to paper all the necessary information, but shall 
 merely lay down a few simple rules for the management of such 
 cases. At the same time, I would advise the owner of the sick 
 cow to secure, if possible, the services of some competent veteri- 
 narian. Some practitioners recommend the abstraction of blood 
 from the jugular vein, but my practice is to bleed from the bow- 
 els, by administering purgative medicine. In this way the animal 
 can be depleted with greater safety than by blood-letting. The 
 cathartic is as follows : 
 
 No. 93. Glauber salts 12 oz. 
 
 Powdered ginger -| oz. 
 
 Warm water 1 qt. 
 
 First dissolve the salts in the above amount of water, then add 
 the ginger. Drench the animal by means of a quart bottle. Take 
 time to pour it down the oesophagus, and the more speedily will 
 it act. If I have no faith in blood-letting, I may be said to have 
 great faith in purgation ; for, as Percivall very truly observes, 
 in regard to the treatment of staggers in horses, " Purge a horse 
 and you cure him," so I say in regard to the treatment of puer- 
 peral fever, Purge a cow and she shall be cured. The bowels 
 must be made to liberate their contents. After having adminis- 
 tered the medicine, the patient must be watched, and, when, she 
 lies down, let her have a comfortable bed of hay ; and the attend- 
 ant should occasionally sponge her head with cold water. When 
 down, a good stimulating alkaline enema may be thrown into the 
 rectum, composed of 
 
 No. 94. Warm water 2 qts. 
 
 Gringer •§• oz. 
 
 Fine salt 2 oz. 
 
 Supposing that, after a lapse of six or eight hours, the bowels 
 
PARTURITION. 511 
 
 fail to respond to the purgative, half the quantity just recom- 
 mended may be given; and perhaps it may be proper, in view of 
 creating a vacuum in the rectum, to repeat the enema; for pur- 
 gation once established our patient is safe; yet, in view of pro- 
 ducing this very desirable result, it is not a rational procedure to 
 convert the stomach into an apothecary's shop, and gorge it with 
 useless drugs, as is, unfortunately, too often the case; for, by this 
 means, a medicinal disease is created, which is generally more 
 uncontrollable than the original one. 
 
 In curable cases it is very rare for the above medicine to fail in 
 exciting catharsis; however, such remedy is not always at hand 
 (I mean the salts). The next best remedy is common table salt, 
 to be substituted for the Glauber or Epsom salts. 
 
 Other indications to be fulfilled in the Treatment of this Dis- 
 ease. — The palsied limbs require attention. Let them be diligently 
 rubbed with tincture of capsicum (hot drops), in view of producing 
 reaction. By this means we equalize the circulation, and thus 
 relieve internal congestion. Should the bowels be tympanitic, or 
 distended with gas, a quart of ginger tea may be given ; and it 
 may do more good if a small quantity of carbonate of soda be 
 added to the same. Should the animal be thirsty, a small quan- 
 tity of powdered niter may be dissolved in water or thin gruel, 
 and offered to her. After the bowels have operated, the danger 
 passed, a few doses of alterative medicine may be given. This is 
 composed of 
 
 No. 95. Fluid extract of sassafras 1 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of hops 3 dr. 
 
 Water 1 gill. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 The following case, from the author's note-book, is here intro- 
 duced to illustrate a new mode of treatment. The case occurred 
 
 in a five-year old cow, the property of Mr. G , of Maiden, 
 
 Mass. The animal gave birth, without assistance, to a healthy 
 male calf. The birth took place during the night-time, at pas- 
 ture, the weather being rather tempestuous. Three days after 
 parturition, the cow showed symptoms of failing health, and the 
 owner, like a sensible man, instead of boring the animal's horns, 
 at the suggestion of the neighbors, preferred to seek advice; 
 hence my services were secured. 
 
 The patient was down on the left side; pupils, amaurotic; 
 
512 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 pulse, scarcely perceptible ; respiration, of a stertorous character, 
 and accelerated; surface of the body, comfortably warm; visible 
 surfaces, of a leaden hue; abdomen, slightly tympanitic. The 
 animal occasionally turned its head toward the costal region, and 
 returned it recklessly to the floor ; mamma, tumefied and hot ; in- 
 ternal surface of the labia pudendi, inflamed. The patient takes 
 no notice of its offspring. Applied counter-irritants to the spinal 
 and pectoral regions, and then applied sulphuric ether to the 
 nostrils. The object in administering sulphuric ether was to 
 diminish the reflex excitability of the nervous system, and so cut 
 short the convulsive paroxysms. The ether appeared to prove 
 invaluable ; for, soon after its administration, the animal appeared 
 calm, tranquil, and rational, and soon began to take notice of its 
 offspring. I then administered table salt, eight ounces; water, 
 one pint. Flannels, saturated with infusion of hops, were now 
 applied to the mamma, and renewed occasionally. In the course 
 of thirty-six hours after the administration of the ether, the pa- 
 tient was standing up, nursing her offspring, and, at the same 
 time, partook of a bran-mash. The following three days, the pa- 
 tient got two drachms of fluid extract of chamomile flowers per 
 diem, and was then turned out to grass, and did very well. 
 
 Remarks on the Preceding Case. — The treatment of puerperal 
 fever, in bygone days, is a disgrace to what has been considered 
 as a " learned profession." It is a very unfortunate circumstance 
 that such learned men as Ramsbotham, Churchill, Meigs, and 
 other equally distinguished midwifarians, should contend that 
 " the lancet is our sheet-anchor in puerperal convulsions." They 
 inform the world of medical non-thinkers that the daring use of 
 " the lancet is demanded ; " that " the lancet is our sheet-anchor ; " 
 that "blood must be taken largely;" yet a great proportion of 
 their patients thus treated prematurely pay the debt of Nature 
 secundum artem. What a libel on a "learned profession" is this 
 state of affairs! And, unfortunately, the distinguished French 
 surgeon Cazeaux has indorsed the reckless tactics of Eng- 
 land's universally wretched practice; namely, "sanguine emis- 
 sions." Now, I contend that the routine practice of the acknowl- 
 edged authorities will not stand the test of modern medical logic ; 
 that it is contrary to all demonstrative experience, and, therefore, 
 should receive the seal of oblivious antiquity, never to be reacted 
 or countenanced by sensible men. The old school heretics are 
 
PARTURITION. 513 
 
 great sticklers for the support of their tottering fabric — namely, 
 " that fever and inflammation must be subdued " — and they com- 
 mit outrages on the physiological laws of animality by instituting 
 a series of manipulations, redolent of the aroma, acceptable to the 
 god of pathology, whom they worship with the spontaneous faith 
 of a new convert. 
 
 Falling (or Inversion) of the Womb. 
 
 This sad accident is generally occasioned by extra uterine ex- 
 pulsive action, at the moment of the birth of the calf, aided by 
 adhesions of the placenta to the cotyledons, by which means, in 
 the process of delivery, the uterus is actually turned inside out. 
 The relaxation of the ligaments, which ordinarily confine the 
 
 FALLING OF THE WOMB. 
 
 Explanation.— Pig. 1, Pudendum ; 2 6, Region of the neck of the womb; 3, Vagina; 4, The 
 cotyledons of glands of the uterus ; 5, Body of the womb turned inside out. 
 
 uterus to the pelvic cavity, may be one among the various causes 
 which tend to induce inversion. The accident, so far as my ex- 
 perience goes, is apt to occur in animals of an inferior class, coarse 
 and flabbily organized, and among others in a debilitated condi- 
 tion. The only way to prevent a recurrence of inversion is to 
 spay the cow. 
 
 Treatment. — The old method of introducing the arm, in order 
 to force back the protruded parts, is now superseded by a bulbous 
 rod of iron, which must be applied to the fundus or base of the 
 33 
 
514 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 womb. A due amount of pressure being steadily made, an assist- 
 ant manipulates the sides, and the womb is re-inverted. Some- 
 times it is very difficult to get the womb back, in consequence of 
 latent uterine action, which convulsively resists our efforts, and 
 violently sends it out again at the moment of return. Should 
 the convulsive action of the uterus continue any great length of 
 time, I should etherize the animal, and, when fully under its in- 
 fluence, the reduction may again be attempted, and probably con- 
 summated. The instrument should be kept in the womb for 
 some time after reduction, so as to give the muscular fibers of its 
 walls time enough to contract ; and it may be necessary to have a 
 man in attendance for a whole day or more, in view of accom- 
 plishing this result. 
 
 So soon as the reduction is complete, I should sponge the loins 
 often with cold water ; or a better plan, perhaps, would be to pack 
 the loins, after the fashion of hydropathy. The loins and abdo- 
 men will, by this method, receive considerable support, which will 
 be favorable to induce contractile power in the uterus. 
 
 Sometimes the presence of the bulbous instrument in the uterus, 
 after reduction, tends to keep up the after-pains, or expulsive ac- 
 tion, and if so, it must be removed, previous to which, however, 
 some stout tape should be sent through the thick skin in the re- 
 gion of the prominences found on each side of the vaginal outlet, 
 known as the tuberosity of the ischium. This is a much better 
 plan than that of stitching the vaginal lips. After removing the 
 instrument, a pad may be placed on the lips of the vagina ; then 
 tie the tape sutures moderately tight. Two sutures will answer, 
 and they can be allowed to remain until all danger of re-inversion 
 has passed. The animal should be placed in a situation where the 
 hind parts can be elevated a few inches. 
 
 The following cases appear interesting enough to obtain a 
 space in this work, and I recommend them to the reader's perusal. 
 They occurred in the practice of Surgeon Young husband : 
 
 "On the morning of the 3d of January, 1850, I was sent for, 
 in great haste, to attend a cow that three days before had calved, 
 and, apparently, up to this time, had done well ; but on that 
 morning, on the cow-keeper attending as usual, he found the cow 
 down, and the whole of the uterus protruding through the vagina. 
 On my arrival, I found her as described, with the uterus in a most 
 loathsome state, from being suffered to remain unprotected among 
 
PARTURITION. 515 
 
 the dung and urine of the cow-house, and also the placental mem- 
 branes adherent. Plenty of assistance being at hand, we had her 
 up, well-raised her hind parts, and in that position secured her, so 
 that she could not well slip down again. Having carefully de- 
 tached the placenta, I next proceeded to cleanse the parts by 
 washing them with a mixture of weak spirit and water. Hav- 
 ing accomplished this, I proceeded to return the part; but, on 
 minutely examining that viscus, before attempting its replace- 
 ment, I discovered in it a large rent, through which I easily in- 
 troduced my hand ; and, for the better satisfaction of the owner, 
 I caused one of the bystanders to do the same, to show them that 
 it was not through any mismanagement of mine that this unto- 
 ward accident had taken place; for, in my belief, another cow 
 had trod upon it while she was down, and thus done the mischief. 
 After this, I effected its return without much difficulty. Judging 
 that I had got all the part into a right position, etc., I made an 
 attempt to withdraw my arm ; but, in doing this, the cow imme- 
 diately began to strain with such violence that it was not without 
 the greatest difficulty that I could retain the part in statu quo. 
 But, by a fortunate slip, her anterior parts were brought so near 
 the ground that I now easily accomplished that which, for a length 
 of time, I had found the greatest difficulty in attempting to do ; 
 namely, getting the part into a right position, retaining it there, 
 and withdrawing my arm without difficulty. The cow now 
 straining very little or none, I applied the usual means of pre- 
 vention, gave an anodyne, had her set up from the awkward 
 position into which she had got, and waited to see the result. I 
 retreated for a short time, leaving a watch, in case any thing 
 untoward should again take place. On my return, I found her 
 still up, attended with no bad symptoms, very little straining, 
 and appearing to be more comfortable than her situation would 
 warrant. She was now offered a little food, of which she seemed 
 to partake freely. Still, I warned the owner of the danger, and 
 told him I had not the slightest hope of her recovery. To be 
 brief, from that time she had a little fever medicine occasionally, 
 and I paid her a few visits, still finding her apparently improv- 
 ing, and on my last visit, on the 10th, found her in so favorable 
 a situation that I told the owner that, being at a great distance, 
 unless I heard more from him, I would discontinue my attend- 
 ance ; nor had I more occasion to repeat them. The cow did well, 
 
516 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 and has since had two more calves, without needing any of my 
 assistance. 
 
 The second case was that of a cow belonging to Mr. T. Monk- 
 house, of Moredale, in my neighborhood, which calved appar- 
 ently with the greatest ease, showing no signs of particular 
 uneasiness; but, on paying her a visit, he found her with the 
 uterus protruded and the placenta attached. They immediately 
 secured the part, so as it might receive little or no injury from 
 the contact of foreign bodies. In the mean time, a messenger 
 was dispatched for me. Being at home, I was not long in being 
 at my post. After having her put in a position which I con- 
 sidered favorable, I proceeded to detach the placenta, which was 
 easily done, and the part being free from dirt, was soon ready for 
 returning, which, from the diluted state of the parts of genera- 
 tion, was, of all cases I ever had, the most easily accomplished. 
 But mark the sequel. When I imagined I had made all right, 
 the cow, appearing to suffer very little from the effects of the op- 
 eration, was let up from her situation, and I had withdrawn my 
 arm, when, behold, a portion of the small intestine made its ap- 
 pearance through the vulva! Judge of my consternation now, 
 having no cause to fear such an untoward act. I told the owner 
 how the case stood, and frankly confessed my ignorance of its 
 cause. I now proceeded to find out the rent in the uterus, which 
 I soon did, it being in its posterior part, and, without much diffi- 
 culty, got the intestine returned. My next aim was to cause as 
 much contraction of the uterus as I could, so as to bring the 
 divided edges of the organ together. This I did by the appli- 
 cation of camphorated tincture of opium, and which, I am proud 
 to say, soon gave me the required satisfaction — so much so, in- 
 deed, that before I withdrew my arm the laceration was scarcely 
 distinguishable to the touch. The cow, in this case, appearing in 
 so easy a state, no truss was applied the first night, but a person 
 stayed with her, if possible to prevent future ills. Now, I must 
 say, of all cows, this one has gone on most favorably. To give a 
 description of her treatment would be a waste of time and paper, 
 since as to the medical treatment it amounted almost to nothing. 
 Careful nursing, with a few solitary doses of medicine, constituted 
 the whole." 
 
Mm 
 fiyf|2 
 
 ^*"*lsg*5\ 
 
 
 tS&>!t,Wfe 
 
 **zz^2ffl^£ i ^d8g& 
 
 - 
 
 SECTION XIX. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE UDDER, TEATS, ETC. 
 
 Mammitis — Stricture in Cows' Teats — -Obstruction at the end of the Teats — 
 Obstruction in the Teats — Tumors in the Teats — Injuries to the Teats — 
 Sore Teats — Chapped Teats and Chafed Udder — Inversion of the Vagina 
 — Laceration of the Vagina — Abortion — Inflammatory Affections of the 
 Hind Limbs after Calving. 
 
 Mammitis. 
 
 MAMMITIS signifies inflammation of the udder. It usually 
 consists of tumefaction, attended with heat and pain, and 
 generally sets in shortly after calving. The treatment of this af- 
 fection should be antiphlogistic. Let the animal have a full dose 
 of Glauber salts, and apply a refrigerating lotion to the udder 
 (cold water will answer), in view of reducing the temperature of 
 the same. In this state of the udder scarcely any milk flows, and 
 what comes is often bloody. Soon an entire obstruction takes 
 place, or nothing but a watery secretion can be got away. Next, 
 the udder hardens in places, abscesses form, and then the secretory 
 function of one or more quarters is destroyed. The animal now 
 has the " garget," and ten chances to one if the part or parts are 
 ever restored. The only way to prevent garget is to let the calf 
 suck immediately after it is born, or else introduce a tube into one 
 or more of the teats, and thus evacuate the milk ere it coagulates. 
 Symptoms. — The disease, at its commencement, invariably con- 
 sists of an inflamed condition of the mamma, or " bag," character- 
 ized by pain, heat, swelling, and more or less febrile symptoms. 
 It is precisely the same disease which many nursing women are 
 prone to and suifer from, and its terminations, when not arrested 
 in the early stage, are exactly the same ; namely, suppuration, form- 
 ation of an abscess, induration, or hardening of the walls of the 
 
 (517) 
 
518 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 bag. In the human female the suppurative stage is known to 
 nurses as " broken breast ;" and the state of induration or harden- 
 ing which follows, or may exist independent of an abscess, is com- 
 monly called " caked " breast ; hence the term caked udder. Such 
 is the character of this disease as it occurs among cows in the 
 United States. In Europe it occasionally assumes a more malig- 
 nant form, and it often becomes necessary to extirpate the whole 
 gland. 
 
 Treatment. — ^The disease should be attended to in its early stage, 
 and the milk must be evacuated, so that it shall not accumulate 
 nor coagulate. In order to do this, a metallic tube may be inserted 
 into the teat, and allowed to remain there, so that the milk shall 
 flow as fast as it is secreted. The inflamed part must be bathed 
 with cold water several times during the day, to which add a few 
 drops of tincture of arnica, and, if the part be very painful, an in- 
 fusion of hops may be used. Afterward anoint the parts with a 
 small quantity of glycerine. The animal must be kept on a very 
 light diet (scalded shorts are good) ; and if she be fat, or the least 
 constipation of bowels exist, I should give one pound of Epsom 
 salts, dissolved in warm water, to which may be added a small 
 quantity of molasses and a tea-spoonful of ginger. 
 
 Supposing the case to be in the suppurative stage, and it is evi- 
 dent that pus or " matter h is forming within the " bag," or its 
 walls, it may be poulticed with flaxseed, or rubbed twice daily 
 with some stimulating liniment — say linseed oil, two ounces; 
 spirits of hartshorn, one drachm. So soon as the matter burrows 
 to the surface, and a soft spot can be detected, it should have a 
 free opening made into it, by means of a "thumb-lancet. The 
 matter must then be squeezed out, and into the cavity syringe 
 some salt and water, or a little tincture of aloes. In the suppu- 
 rative stage I generally order a generous diet. 
 
 In the indurated stage, the treatment consists in exciting ab- 
 sorption of the parts ; and in this view I recommend iodide of 
 potassium, known as " hydriodate of potassa." It is one of the 
 most efficient remedies for the absorption of abnormal growths 
 that I have ever used, and it is highly recommended in our text- 
 books by men well acquainted with its modus operandi. The dose 
 of hydriodate of potassa is twenty grains per day, to be pulverized 
 and dissolved in water. Being inodorous and almost tasteless, 
 there is no trouble about the patient drinking it. The medicine 
 
DISEASES OF THE UDDER, TEATS, ETC. 519 
 
 may be continued until the enlargement disappears, when the 
 dose may be gradually lessened. If I were called upon to treat 
 a chronic case of long standing, I should, in addition to the above, 
 besmear the parts daily with a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 96. Iodide of potassium 1 dr. 
 
 Glycerine 7 dr. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Stricture in Cows' Teats. 
 
 I was lately consulted in reference to the case of a very valu- 
 able imported cow, that had obstruction in the off posterior teat. 
 She had given birth, about a week previous, to twin calves. The 
 obstruction appeared to be located about half way up the teat. I 
 fomented the parts with an infusion of lobelia, after which the 
 tube was easily introduced. 
 
 Obstruction at the Ends of the Teats. 
 
 It occasionally happens that a fungous or warty excrescence 
 makes its appearance at the end and center of the teat, which ob- 
 structs the flow of milk, and is very annoying and painful to the 
 animal. This should be removed by the scalpel, taking care to 
 dissect away every portion of the morbid growth. The part is 
 then to be sprinkled with powdered bloodroot, in order to prevent 
 union of the edges of the outlet of the teat. The milk-tube, well- 
 oiled, must now and then be introduced. 
 
 Obstruction in the Teats. 
 
 A simple obstruction in the teats is frequently occasioned by 
 imperfect union in the lining membrane. 
 
 Treatment. — This is easily remedied by introducing a tube con- 
 structed for the purpose, which should be well lubricated with 
 olive oil, and allowed to remain in the lactiferous channel for 
 several hours daily, or until all danger of readhesion has passed 
 away. The lactiferous outlet is sometimes obstructed by false 
 membranes running across its channel. These must be annihi- 
 lated by the introduction of the tube. 
 
520 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Tumors in the Teats. 
 
 Tumors are occasionally found in the teats. Their presence 
 is determined by bulbous enlargement, which, on manipulation, 
 appear very evident. 
 
 Treatment. — The method of operation in such cases is to intro- 
 duce a tube, well smeared with iodine ointment, and repeat the 
 operation, two or three times daily, until the milk passes freely. 
 
 Injuries to the Teats. 
 
 I have met with several cases of injury to the teats in the form 
 of an incision, which occurred accidentally on the animal rising 
 from the ground, cutting or lacerating the same with its own hoofs. 
 
 Treatment. — When the accident is discovered shortly after it 
 happens, the parts may be brought together by uninterrupted 
 suture. The seam is then coated with collodion, and the milk 
 must be evacuated wholly by the tube until the parts have united. 
 Sometimes the union is not complete, but a small fistulous opening 
 is left, through which the milk is constantly dribbling. The only 
 way to remedy this is to convert the fistula into a simple flesh- 
 wound. This is done by means of a sharp-pointed knife, which 
 removes the thin callus forming the interior of the fistula. The 
 raw edges are then to be brought together by suture, and collo- 
 dion and the tube used, as before. 
 
 Sore Teats. 
 
 Treatment. — First, wash with warm water and castile soap ; then 
 lubricate the parts with equal portions of lime-water and linseed 
 oil. 
 
 Chapped Teats and Chafed Udder. 
 
 Treatment. — Foment the parts daily with an infusion of chamo- 
 mile flowers for at least fifteen minutes at a time ; then wipe dry, 
 and use the lime liniment. Thes.e temporary, or what might, 
 with more propriety, be termed local maladies, will, if the system 
 be free from morbid matter, generally yield to local remedies. If, 
 however, no change for the better can be observed, the following 
 aperient should be given : 
 
DISEASES OF THE UD.DER, TEATS, ETC. 521 
 
 No. 97. Fluid extract of golden seal 3 dr. 
 
 Powdered mandrake ^ oz. 
 
 Powdered ginger . . 1 tea-spoonful. 
 
 Dissolve in warm water, one quart, and drench the animal with 
 the same. In the event of the above remedies failing to give relief, 
 anoint the parts twice daily with a compound composed of glyce- 
 rine, four ounces, and fine elm flour enough to form a thin paste. 
 
 Inversion of the Yagina. 
 
 Inversion of the vagina generally occurs in the latter months 
 of pregnancy, at a time when the digestive organs are somewhat 
 impaired, either actually or sympathetically. In either condition 
 the food is very apt to be imperfectly remasticated, and ferments. 
 This gives rise to the formation of gas within the alimentary canal, 
 and occasions tumefaction of the compartments of the stomach and 
 large intestines. In this state they take up more room than can 
 be spared for their occupancy ; hence the pressure in a posterior 
 direction, which forces the vagina out of its location. 
 
 Treatment. — When this difficulty occurs in a cow on the eve of 
 parturition, there will be some danger of inversion of the uterus, 
 unless the reduction is effected before delivery ; therefore I should 
 endeavor to make room in the abdominal cavity, by putting a stop 
 to the fermentation which is going on in the stomach. In this 
 view, I recommend that the animal have the following drench : 
 
 No. 98. Hyposulphite of soda 1 oz. 
 
 Powdered golden seal 4 dr. 
 
 Water 1 qt. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Having administered this drench, procure a soft sponge, and 
 foment the part (if it be much inflamed and painful) with a tepid 
 infusion of hops. If the inversion be of recent origin, and not 
 much congested, cold water may be used instead. After awhile 
 pressure and manipulation may accomplish the reduction ; yet it 
 is apt to reappear, and continue to do so until the animal has got 
 rid of her burden. The reduction, however, must be effected, if 
 possible, every time the protrusion makes its appearance, or the 
 cow will suffer from retention of urine. 
 
 It is very evident to me that very many cases of inversion of 
 the vagina are caused by indigestion ; therefore great care should 
 
522 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 be exercised in the feeding of cows during the last months of 
 pregnancy. 
 
 Laceration of the Yagina. 
 
 This is an accident of very frequent occurrence among cows, yet 
 seldom proves fatal. It often occurs from the rough manner, 
 sometimes practiced, of bringing the feet forward ; therefore great 
 care is necessary in conducting an artificial labor to a successful 
 termination. 
 
 The following case of extensive laceration of the vagina of the 
 cow, given by the " London Veterinarian," goes to show the po- 
 tency of Nature in the cure of disease and injuries : 
 
 " Mr. J. W. Maw, veterinary student, has sent us the following 
 particulars relating to a case of willful laceration of the vagina, 
 and contiguous parts of a cow : ' Mr. Crosby, who is in practice 
 at Thornton Pickering, Yorkshire, as a veterinary surgeon, was 
 called, a short time ago, to attend a milch cow which presented 
 symptoms of colic. On his visiting her, he observed a piece of 
 stick, about three inches long, protruding from the vagina, and, 
 on removing it, he found that it was about a yard in length, and 
 had been thrust through the vagina, and likewise the rectum, into 
 the abdomen. Previous to its removal the cow did not evince 
 such symptoms as one would have been led to expect in an animal 
 suffering from such a severe injury. There was but little external 
 hemorrhage, the symptoms, upon the whole, rather indicating that 
 internal hemorrhage was going on. Anodynes were administered, 
 and quietude enjoined. No inflammatory symptoms supervened, 
 and, in the course of ten days or a fortnight, the animal had re- 
 covered. The atrocious act is supposed to have been perpetrated 
 by some gypsies, who were located near the place at the time, from 
 their going, in the following morning, to beg the carcass, thinking, 
 probably, that the poor animal was dead.' " 
 
 Abortion in Cows. 
 
 The cow is the most liable of all domestic animals to abortion, 
 and those that have once been the subjects of this mishap are lia- 
 ble to a recurrence of the same. Mr. Youatt, in his work on 
 cattle, furnishes some very useful information on this subject ; still, 
 the direct causes of abortion are, like many other enzootic ttnd epi- 
 
DISEASES OF THE UDDER, TEATS, ETC. 523 
 
 zootic affections,' involved in obscurity. That it occasionally rages 
 as an enzootic pest, is clearly shown by the records of the past, and 
 by what occurred, a short time ago, among the dairy cows of a 
 milking establishment at Concord, N. H., without mentioning 
 other cases, which of late have been chronicled in our agricultural 
 periodicals. 
 
 It occasionally appears as an insolated evil. An Alderney cow, 
 the property of Mr. Burnet, of Southboro, has, in the course of 
 three years, aborted four times. At the time of writing this arti- 
 cle my attention was called to her. I recommended that she should 
 be spayed ; the owner consented, and, of course, she thereafter be- 
 came a more useful animal in supporting other offspring than her 
 own. I call this an isolated case, because Mr. Burnet informed 
 me that his other cows had not aborted. She inherits a tendency 
 to abort. 
 
 A theory has been broached by some writer that severe winters, 
 succeeded by warm springs, hilly pasturage, the practice of allow- 
 ing young stock and one and two-year old bulls to run with the 
 breeding cows is likely to end in abortion. This is sheer non- 
 sense, and is not entitled to the least consideration; and, relying 
 on the intelligence of my readers, I refrain from offering any ar- 
 gument in view of controverting evident absurdities. The fact is, 
 some cows will abort, no matter what may be the nature of the 
 pasturage or condition of the atmosphere ; and so will women mis- 
 carry occasionally, in spite of their own precautions and the advice 
 of their physicians to prevent it. It is evident, therefore, that 
 there exists in the animal economy of some subjects peculiarities 
 of constitution termed idiocyncrasies, which, under certain circum- 
 stances, and on the application of the cause, (indirect,) develop the 
 latent pathological fire, and thus they abort. 
 
 "When abortion prevails among a whole herd of cows on one 
 man's farm, I should consider it as an enzootic, arising sponta- 
 neously, and afterward propagated by infection or by sympathetic 
 influence. Youatt gives a quotation which favors these views : 
 " In the Leipsic ' Agricultural Gazette/ it is stated that, ' by an 
 unheard-of fatality, the abortion of cows in that district was almost 
 general, and that, after the most anxious search, no assignable 
 cause for it could be discovered, nor would any medicine or medi- 
 cal treatment arrest the plague..' " 
 
 I shall now, in a brief manner, throw out a few hints for the 
 
524 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 consideration of dairymen and breeders, in view of the adoption 
 of preventive measures ; for, since neither " medicine nor medical 
 treatment " can arrest the plague, our only hopes of stopping abor- 
 tions, which in this country are alarmingly on the increase, lies in 
 the practice of preventive .measures. 
 
 A very objectionable, and I may add, ruinous, practice prevails 
 at some milking establishments, of keeping the cows impregnated 
 all the time. The mother no sooner gets through the pains and 
 perils of parturition than she is again, ofttimes, compelled to sub- 
 mit to a re-impregnation. This is what I call an excessive use of 
 the reproductive organs, which must eventually impair their integ- 
 rity. It is well known to all physiologists, and I presume that 
 the reader must have some knowledge of the facts, that the uterine 
 organs, like those of digestion and respiration, can be overtaxed ; 
 and disease, in some form or other, is very apt to occur in over- 
 worked organs. If actual disease does not set in, debility of func- 
 tion or organ must eventually ensue. The uterus, like various 
 other organs of the animal economy, must have periods of rest, or 
 the day of reckoning will surely arrive. An excessive use of the 
 reproductive organs generally, if not always, impairs the integrity 
 of the nutritive organs, and vice versa; hence, if a cow is kept 
 pregnant all the time for the unwise purpose of making her yield 
 a constant supply of milk, it should not appear strange if she fall 
 off in the quantity of milk, appear unthrifty, be off her feed, and 
 have a glairy discharge from the vagina. These are the symp- 
 toms which usually precede abortion. 
 
 I lately visited an imported cow, the property of a gentleman 
 in Illinois, who informed me that she had aborted three times at 
 about the seventh month of her pregnancy, and she was generally 
 put to the bull shortly after the mishap. I told him that this bad 
 practice was the sole predisposing cause of the trouble ; for the 
 short space of time which occurred between the premature exjral- 
 sion of the foetus and re-impregnation was not sufficient for the 
 entire recovery of tone in the sexual organs; hence, so long as 
 this practice continued, his cow would never go her full time. I 
 strongly urge the necessity of spaying such an animal. She ought, 
 at least, to be separated from the breeding cows, and her foetal calf, 
 membranes, and placenta should be burned in the open air, for 
 there is no safety in burying them a few inches under the earth's 
 surface. 
 
DISEASES OF THE UDDER, TEATS, ETC. 525 
 
 It is very probable that many cases of abortion occur tn rough a 
 deranged condition of the digestive organs ; therefore the means 
 most likely to prove effectual in keeping the stomach in a healthy 
 state should be adopted. What an immense amount of labor 
 the digestive organs have to perform ! They have to be almost 
 constantly engaged in converting the elements of good and bad 
 food into chyme and chyle ; and they must not slacken much, else 
 where are sixteen quarts, more or less, per day of milk to come 
 from? How is the foetus in utero to be nourished, and the wear 
 and tear of the cow's organism to be provided for, when the 
 stomach is not in working order ? 
 
 The practice of milking cows to within a short period of par- 
 turition is highly injurious, yet some persons with whom I have 
 had conversations on this subject contend that, in some cases, it is 
 impossible to " dry the cow." I advised them to reduce the ani- 
 mal's food to less than one-half, or even one-fourth, if necessary ; 
 in fact, there would be no harm in withholding food altogether for 
 a short time, and in substituting for food a dose or two of aperient 
 medicine. This course must necessarily soon lessen the amount 
 of blood in the system, and as the milk is concocted from the blood, 
 it will decrease in the same ratio, or, rather, be essentially lessened ; 
 and in view of reducing the quantity of milk, I also urge the 
 necessity of keeping the cow on a small quantity of water. This 
 practice may not, on all occasions succeed in arresting the lacteal 
 secretion, still it is the only rational way of accomplishing the 
 object. 
 
 Abortion is sometimes attributed to a debilitated state of the 
 animal. This also arises from a derangement of the stomach. 
 Then an opposite mode of treatment must be pursued, such as a 
 change of food to that of a more nutritious character, and the fre- 
 quent administration of small doses of ginger and golden seal. 
 
 Breeding cows require a great deal of care and some watching. 
 Careful selection of the right kind of food for the necessary wants 
 of the animal and her fcetus in utero is indispensable. Neither 
 the one nor the other can be expected to enjoy good health on a 
 diet of slops, swill, brewer's grains, corn-stalks, rotten potatoes, 
 frozen turnips, damaged meal, musty hay, or sour apples, etc. 
 Care is also requisite in providing for the animal's wants in re- 
 gard to "watering." This is a subject of great importance, yet 
 very few husbandmen give it that attention which its importance 
 
526 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 demands. The horrible stagnated stuff found in some pastures 
 and water-troughs, which the thirsty creatures are compelled, from 
 sheer necessity, to imbibe, is surely operative in producing very 
 many unnecessary diseases, derangements, and abortions. 
 
 Some watching is necessary. A cow likely to abort is gener- 
 ally " off her feed," does not ruminate according to her accustomed 
 activity ; she fails to yield the daily quantum of milk ; her condi- 
 tion is noticed to be unthrifty, and, on inspecting the vagina, it 
 is observed to be the seat of a glairy discharge. Such an animal 
 should be immediately isolated from the rest, of the herd, and 
 proceeded with as above directed. It is said that a very common 
 cause of abortion is sympathetic influence. 
 
 There is another matter of some importance to be considered in 
 view of prevention? I allude to breeding. It is my opinion 
 that thousands of the abortions which occur among our domes- 
 ticated animals of this country are for the benefit of the several 
 races present and to follow ; for if the offspring of cows whose 
 systems have been debilitated by a too early use of the sexual 
 organs, and those of other parents, laboring under organic disease, 
 malformation, and stunted growth, together with the apology of 
 offspring of cows doomed to drag out a miserable existence in 
 some horrible " swill-milk establishment," where death runs riot, 
 or runs into the milk-pail, to kill off unnursed infants, these being 
 permitted to come into the world with their inherited imperfec- 
 tions, and being suffered to grow up and become parents, issuing 
 a worse edition than the original copy in turn — these bad speci- 
 mens, not of Nature's handiwork, but of man's ignorance and 
 folly, or willful transgression of the law of Nature, being permit- 
 ted to live, they would be so many libels on creative power ; and, 
 in order to remove them from the face of the earth, and put a 
 check on the monstrous evil, a friendly pestilence must eventually 
 ensue. This would be a mournful event ; for many valuable ani- 
 mals might, by infection or contagion, be involved in the general 
 ruin ; therefore Nature adopts the lesser evil, and applies the law 
 of destruction prior to the birth of monstrosity. 
 
 The laws of reproduction and destruction are nicely and wisely 
 balanced. "Thus far shalt thou go, and no further." The off- 
 spring of weak, emaciated, ill-formed, scrofulous, consumptive, 
 and otherwise defective animals, should never be used for breed- 
 ing purposes ; in fact, they are not even fit for the butcher. 
 
DISEASES OF THE UDDER, TEATS, ETC. 527 
 
 Finally, I would advise breeders to let the female get her 
 growth ere she is forced into copulation ; for prior to maturity 
 all the energies of her system are concentrated upon the perfection 
 and integrity of her organism, and, until that important period 
 arrives, the reproductive system can not be exercised without 
 running great risk of violating one of the fundamental laws of 
 Nature. 
 
 I have now directed the reader's attention to most of the causes 
 likely to influence or induce abortion, and I leave the rest, if any 
 there be, to be discovered by their own experience. It is impos- 
 sible for me to furnish definite instructions as regards the treat- 
 ment of individual cases, either prior or subsequent to abortion, as 
 each require a certain course, according to the condition and pre- 
 vailing symptoms ; yet, if I have succeeded in pointing out only 
 a few of the errors which prevail in our present faulty system of 
 breeding and management, and have been practical enough to 
 secure the reader's attention in a perusal of this article, I have 
 accomplished more than I expected at the time of its composition. 
 
 Inflammatory Affection of the Hind Limbs after 
 
 Calving. 
 
 Some cows, after calving, suffer from an inflammatory affection 
 of the hind limbs, which renders them lame, or they are unable 
 to use the parts with that promptitude which characterizes the 
 physiological condition or state of health. The limbs are gener- 
 ally hot, and, in certain localities, are swollen, and the general 
 health of the animal seems to be impaired, yet there is no great 
 danger attending the condition. The tumefaction appears to con- 
 sist of a local effusion (dropsy) of serum into the cellular tissue, 
 which readily disappears through the local application of cold water, 
 and the action of the calf on the teats. 
 
 The attention of veterinarians has been directed to this affec- 
 tion by Lecout [trier, in the following paragraph, translated by 
 Mr. Gamgee : 
 
 "A few days after parturition, and always when it has been 
 normal, a difficulty in the movements of the hind-quarters is to 
 be observed. The hocks become sensitive ; the anterior surface 
 swells up ; the synovial capsule is disturbed ; great pain is felt at 
 the slightest touch, accompanied with heat. Then the appetite 
 
528 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 is lost ; the secretion of milk diminished ; pulse quick and strong ; 
 and a certain amount of fever sets in. The patient can not lie 
 down, and still is not safe on its legs. The writer never saw 
 the affection but on recently-calved cows; never after the ninth 
 day, and almost always from the fourth to the seventh. This 
 disease affects generally the good mother, and is of a most be- 
 nignant nature. A friction of turpentine and alcohol is sufficient 
 to restore to health in most cases; otherwise, brandy and soap. 
 When the fever is strong, a dose of niter, with digitalis, is useful. 
 This disturbance is always of a benignant nature, and is coinci- 
 dent with parturition, as the parturient fever, and a serous diarrhea, 
 which occurs from the second to the third day after calving, easily 
 checked, and never lasting more than twenty-four hours." 
 
 Treatment. — My treatment is as follows: Give the patient a 
 drachm, three times per day, of fluid extract of gelseminum, and 
 bathe the limb with a cold infusion of hops, just so long as in- 
 flammation and fever exist. Then prepare the following : 
 
 No. 99. Fluid extract of buchu 8 oz. 
 
 Chlorate of potass 2 oz. 
 
 Water 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 I 
 
 Dose, a wine-glassful night and morning. Rub the limbs with 
 a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 100. Fluid extract of wormwood 3 oz. 
 
 Proof spirit 1 pt. 
 
SECTION XX. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 
 
 Description of the Urinary System — The Ureters — The Bladder — The 
 Urethra — H^esiaturia — Inflammation of the Kidneys — Urinary Cal- 
 culi — Calculi in the Bladder — Black Water — Red Water. 
 
 Description of the Urinary System. 
 
 THE primary organs of the urinary system are the kidneys, 
 two ovoid conglomerate bodies, of a purple color, located in 
 the lumbar region, or loins, separated from each other by the in- 
 ferior part of the spinal column. They are generally imbedded 
 in adipose tissue denominated suet. The kidneys are the great 
 emunctories of the body, are constantly engaged in secreting waste 
 and morbid fluids from the blood, and we find them much larger 
 in cattle, than in horses. When the function of any other excre- 
 tory organ is impaired, an extra amount of work is in store for 
 them to perform. In health their function never ceases — a con- 
 stant secretion of urine is going on all the time. Whether the 
 animal be awake or asleep it matters not, there is no rest for the 
 kidneys. On cutting through the kidneys, it is found to be com- 
 posed of two substances, termed cortical and medullary. 
 
 The kidneys are supplied with blood by the emulgent arteries. 
 They are of large caliber, and furnish a large quantity of blood 
 from which the urine is secreted. Within the center of each kid- 
 ney is a receptacle known as the pelvis, which terminates in a 
 funnel-shaped outlet, the commencement of the ureter. The 
 emulgent arteries, which supply the kidneys with arterial blood, 
 are derived from the posterior aorta. They subdivide and ramify 
 into the substance of the gland, and end in a very complex net- 
 work. The emulgent veins are much larger than the arteries. 
 They accompany the latter, and, finally, converge into one trunk, 
 34 ( 529 ) 
 
530 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 and terminate in the posterior vena cava. The nerves of the 
 kidneys are derived from the renal plexus. 
 
 The Ueetebs. 
 
 Each kidney is connected with the bladder by a common duct 
 or tube, known as the ureter. These ducts are much stronger 
 and larger than those found in the horse. They are composed of 
 two tunics. The external one is both fibrous and muscular in a 
 longitudinal direction, which permits it to contract and extend in 
 exact ratio as the bladder contracts when empty, and expands 
 when filled. The internal membrane is of mucous texture, and 
 is constantly lubricated with a mucous secretion, which defends it 
 against the irritating qualities of the urine. 
 
 The Bladdee. 
 
 The bladder of an ox is much larger than that of the horse. It 
 is a musculo-membranous sac, or bag, and is located within the 
 pelvis, bounded above by the rectum, and below by the internal 
 surface of the pubic bones. In the cow we find the bladder 
 located between the rectum and the uterine organs. The bladder 
 has a transverse ligament inserted into the lateral parts of the 
 pelvis. It has three coats. One is derived from the peritoneum, 
 or lining membrane of the abdominal cavity, which gives the 
 bladder an external covering. The middle coat of the bladder is 
 composed of muscular fibers, which run in longitudinal and cir- 
 cular directions. The internal membrane, or coat, is more highly 
 organized than the others. It is furnished with excretory out- 
 lets, from which issues a mucous secretion for its own protection. 
 
 The bladder is divided into fundus, body, and cervix. The 
 fundus is that prominent part which faces anteriorly, or toward 
 the intestines, and when the bladder is full of urine, it protrudes 
 into the abdominal cavity. The body is the bulky or capacious 
 part, generally more rounded, when full, than in the horse's 
 bladder. The cervix is the neck, or contracted part of the blad- 
 der. It is surrounded by muscular fibers that involuntarily con- 
 tract, so as to close the passage, except in the act of urinating. 
 Some anatomists consider this muscle as a distinct one in the 
 horse, and have given to it the name of sphincter ; but in oxen it 
 
DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 531 
 
 does not seem to be a distinct muscle, neither does it contract with 
 that force or persistency which is known to occur in the case of a 
 horse. 
 
 The Urethra. 
 
 The urethra arises from the neck of the bladder, and extends 
 from it to the end of the penis. It is much smaller in caliber 
 than in the horse. It affords a passage for the urine and seminal 
 fluid. Interiorly it is composed of mucous membrane, which is a 
 prolongation of that found within the bladder. 
 
 HEMATURIA. 
 
 Hsematuria signifies voiding of blood with the urine. In 
 cattle-raising districts, this disease, or rather the symptoms of 
 one, is generally known by the term " red water/' although a very 
 marked difference exists between hsematuria and mere discolor- 
 ation or reddened appearance of the urine ; for in the former case 
 blood globules are invariably present, and their presence can be 
 determined by procuring a sample of the urine. After letting it 
 stand for a short time, the blood coagulse may be detected by the 
 naked eye, at the bottom of the vessel in which the urine is 
 caught. 
 
 Causes — Its Character and Symptoms. — The voiding of blood 
 with the urine is generally supposed to be occasioned by some vio- 
 lence, such as local injury in the lumbar region, calculi within the 
 ureters or the bladder ; from local hemorrhage, occasioned by con- 
 gestion, or inflammation of some portion of the urinary organs. 
 Congestion is apt to occur in overfed animals, and, perhaps, is 
 an effort of Nature to phlebotomize the subject and reduce the 
 amount of circulating fluid, and thus lessen the liability to accu- 
 mulate adipose tissue. If such be the case (the patient being in 
 a state of plethora), no immediate danger is to be apprehended. 
 Especially is this the case when the hemorrhage is merely passive, 
 unaccompanied by symptoms of pain either at the time or between 
 the periods of urinating. A case of this character might very 
 properly be termed congestive hsematuria, and may be treated on 
 the same principles which prevail in the practice of intelligent 
 physicians in the management of other local congestions. Ne- 
 phritis (inflammation of the kidneys) may occasion hsematuria, 
 
532 DADDS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 and is almost always accompanied by sure and unmistakable 
 symptoms; namely, those of pain and irritation, either in the act 
 or else before or after urinating. It may be difficult to deters 
 mine what is the exciting cause of this inflammatory condition. 
 It may be purely idiopathic, or may arise from the irritation 
 consequent on the passage of urinary calculi through the parts 
 involved; and, notwithstanding there are certain diagnostic symp- 
 toms attending both varieties, still the medical attendant (who 
 has just seen the case for the first time,) may find it hazardous to 
 venture an opinion on its exact pathology ; yet he shall not be at 
 fault in treating the case as a local inflammatory affection. If it 
 can be shown that the animal has been dosed with strong diuret- 
 ics, and no hemorrhage had existed prior to their administration, 
 but is now quite profuse, we may safely conclude that the hemor- 
 rhage is occasioned by the local stimulus. It may, therefore, be 
 laid down, as a general rule, that all cases of hematuria, attended 
 with symptoms of pain, are occasioned by the irritation of some 
 foreign body acting on some part of the secretory surface of the 
 urinary apparatus, or else is the result of some external violence; 
 and it is the business of the person who prescribes to carefully 
 consider these matters, in view of forming a correct diagnosis. 
 
 Hsematuria does occasionally occur in nursing women of a pleth- 
 oric diathesis. At the period of weaning the infant, the woman 
 notices, on urinating, that the fluid is tinged with blood; but, as 
 the act is unaccompanied by pain, and nothing of the kind being 
 felt in the region of the kidneys, she feels no alarm about it, and 
 scarcely if ever consults a medical man on the subject. In the 
 course of a few days, all things being favorable, the urine assumes 
 its natural appearance ; therefore, if hsematuria shall appear in a 
 cow at the period of " drying her up," as the saying is, or if a cow 
 shall be observed to pass blood in the urine at the time of wean- 
 ing the calf, and neither one nor the other manifest any discern- 
 ible symptoms of pain, nor any perceivable manifestations of 
 derangement in the vital functions, there will be no necessity to 
 resort to any very active mode of medication, and an intelligent 
 physician would merely recommend a mild laxative, light diet, 
 and a little nursing. A few doses of liquor acetate ammonia 
 might be indicated as a febrifuge. This may be given from a 
 bottle. 
 
 Treatment. — Should the owner of the animal be unable to obtain 
 
DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 533 
 
 the services of a professional man, let him prepare some flax- 
 seed tea (a quart) ; then add half an ounce of powdered blood- 
 root ; after which let the animal have six drachms of tincture of 
 niatico, diluted in a small quantity of water, night and morning. 
 Should the disease be traced to the presence of urinary calculi, a 
 lithontriptic will be indicated, which is prepared as follows : 
 
 No. 101. Muriate acid 1 oz. 
 
 Water 1 pt. 
 
 Fluid extract of hops 1 oz. 
 
 Dose, half the above quantity, night and morning. 
 
 Inflammation of the Kidneys. 
 
 Symptoms. — Cattle affected with inflammation of the kidneys 
 will be observed to have some slight roaching of the back; that 
 is to say, instead of the back or spinal column being straight or 
 slightly concave, as it ought to be, it now presents a convexity, 
 or, in other words, is arched in an upward or superior direction. 
 The arching of the back is occasioned by tonic spasms of the psoas 
 and iliac muscles, located above the kidneys in the lumbar region. 
 These muscles are known to butchers as "tenderloin." On 
 making pressure over the region of the kidneys, the animal will 
 be observed to flinch, the parts appearing very tender and hot. 
 The animal is generally dull ; the muzzle, dry ; a chilliness of the 
 horns and external surface is observed, showing very clearly that 
 there is an unequal circulation of the blood. There is, generally, 
 some difficulty in passing the urine ; the animal strains in the act 
 of passing it, and it is redder than usual. The symptoms vary as 
 the disease progresses, but the above are the principal ones on 
 .which the diagnosis must be founded. 
 
 Treatment. — Drench the animal with twelve ounces of Glauber 
 salts, dissolved in a quart of warm water ; then apply warm-water 
 bandages to the region of the loins, which may be retained in their 
 place by encircling the body with a bandage. An emollient clys- 
 ter of slippery elm should occasionally be thrown into the rectum, 
 and the patient should be drenched with four ounces of the liquor 
 acetate of ammonia every six hours, until an improvement takes 
 place. Then give tincture of matico, in half-ounce doses, night 
 and morning, until the patient is better. 
 
534 dadd's veterinary medicine and surgery. 
 
 Urinary Calculi. 
 
 Cattle are occasionally the subjects of urinary calculi, yet there 
 are not many cases of the kind on record ; and, during a practice 
 of twenty-five years, the author has never been called upon to 
 prescribe for nor treat a case of this character. This testimony 
 is diametrically opposed to that of You att and others. Youatt 
 contends that " concretions are oftener found in the urinary pas- 
 sages of cattle than of the horse." This is not in accordance with 
 the experience of American husbandmen. In England, however, 
 cattle may inherit some peculiarity of constitution, which causes a 
 tendency to the formation of concretion ; or perhaps the water they 
 drink may be impregnated with alkalies, so as to induce an alka- 
 line diathesis. Urinary calculi are generally composed of carbo- 
 nate and phosphate of lime, carbonate of magnesia, and some 
 animal matter. 
 
 Treatment. — Should calculi be present in either the kindeys or 
 ureters they are sure to occasion some degree of pain. The urine 
 will be reddened, and sometimes blood corpuscles can be detected 
 in the same. After awhile some muco-purulent fluid will be dis- 
 charged with the urine. In this stage, it might be advisable to 
 give the animal one ounce of acetic acid, in sixteen ounces of. 
 water, per day, to be continued a week or so. Should the general 
 health be impaired, let the animal have a few doses of the follow- 
 ing: 
 
 No. 102. Fluid extract of hops 2 oz. 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda ^ oz. 
 
 Water 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Calculi in the Bladder. 
 
 A stone once having formed in the bladder will defy all our 
 attempts to dissolve or decompose it ; yet if any one wishes to try 
 the experiment, they can resort to the use of muriatic acid, suffi- 
 ciently diluted with water to render it harmless to the animal tis- 
 sues with which it may come in contact. The stone can, however, 
 be removed by the operation of lithotomy, which will require the 
 services of a skillful surgeon. In such a case the owner may pos- 
 sibly decide upon slaughtering the animal. Perhaps this is the 
 best thing he can do. 
 
DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 535 
 
 Symptoms. — There are various symptoms of deranged health 
 which often attend stone in the bladder; yet, as they frequently 
 accompany other diseases, and throw no special light on this, I 
 shall take no notice of them, but offer something brief, yet more 
 reliable. The presence of a stone in the bladder will generally 
 occasion some interruption to that free and uniform flow of urine 
 which takes place in a healthy animal without any symptoms of 
 stone in the bladder ; consequently if, in the act of urination, the 
 flow of fluid is suddenly stopped, to commence again a few mo- 
 ments afterward, at the same moment a slight trembling of the 
 hind limbs is observed, and the animal strains ineffectually to 
 urinate, only passing a few drops, and this state of things has ex- 
 isted for some time, it may be inferred that a stone is present in 
 the bladder, and if so, the animal had better be slaughtered. 
 
 Black Water. 
 
 A discharge from the urethral outlet of fluid quite black in 
 color very frequently indicates a grave form of disease existing in 
 the liver. Should black-colored matter be detected in the urine, . 
 the probabilities are that the animal will die ; for the disease which 
 gives rise to the abnormal discharge is probably organic. 
 
 Symptoms. — In some cases black water is occasioned by engorge- 
 ment of the liver, spleen, or kidneys, and when an animal dies of 
 these engorgements, we find the capillary veins much distended ; 
 and these engorgements frequently occur, also, in many of the dis- 
 eases of an epizootic or malignant character. Such condition or 
 congestion is owing to a loss of equilibrium in the circulation. 
 The arteries are very impressible to excitation, and hold out their 
 physiological actions the longest. The veins being more distensi- 
 ble than arteries, the blood is forced into the venous radicles faster 
 than they can absorb it ; hence the free egress of blood is retarded. 
 The result is an accumulation of blood, distending the organs or 
 veins, producing engorgements and a darkened color of the blood 
 and tissues. The blood assumes a darkened color partly from de- 
 lay and partly from deficient pulmonary absorption and aeration. 
 
 The causes of these local congestions are not always to be deter- 
 mined, yet they almost always receive their chief force from a 
 morbid habit pervading the general system ; at least this is the 
 ease when no local disease exists to account for them. 
 
536 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Treatment. — The principal object in the treatment of black 
 water is to equalize the circulation and decarbonize the blood. 
 Diffusible stimulants and nauseants fulfill the first indication, and 
 ammonia the latter ; therefore I use the following : 
 
 No. 103. Fluid extract of ginger 1 oz. 
 
 Chlorate of potass 1 oz. 
 
 Spirits of ammonia 2 dr. 
 
 Water 1 pint. 
 
 Give the above quantity once daily. 
 
 ■ 
 
 Eed Water. 
 
 The changes which occur in the color of the urine are the results 
 of various causes. In a preceding article the reader is informed 
 that hsematuria (voiding of blood with urine) is traceable to cer- 
 tain direct causes, hence the difficulty is of an acute character. 
 Now, suppose we take a well animal as a subject for experiment. 
 We administer repeated doses of sweet spirits of niter or tincture 
 of juniper. The first thing we notice is, the urine is augmented, 
 . or rather more profuse than usual, and of a pale color. Continue 
 the medicaments over a given period, and the urine assumes a 
 darker color — first, yellow ; next, brown, or coffee color, purple, or 
 even black. This shows conclusively that the color of the urine 
 can be altered by the use of medicinal agents ; therefore, if a red- 
 dened appearance of the urine follow the exhibition of strong 
 diuretics, the cause is plain enough, and the cure is effected by dis- 
 continuing the diuretic medicine, and in restoring the equilibrium 
 of action which should exist among the various excretory organs. 
 Various kinds of food are also operative in producing changes in 
 the color and quantity of the urinary secretion. Beets and car- 
 rots, when fed in quantity for a sufficient length of time, alter 
 essentially the color of ihe fluids of the body, urine included. As 
 regards quantity, musty oats and an excess of stimulating food 
 are notorious causes in explanation of augmented and discolored 
 urinary secretion. 
 
 Discoloration of the urine, which some of our Western farmers 
 term " red water/' is usually occasioned by derangement of the 
 liver and other parts of the digestive apparatus. The urine, how- 
 ever, is more likely to have a tinge of brown or yellow than red, 
 and, therefore, several writers, Mr. Youatt included, have termed 
 
DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 537 
 
 such cases " chronic red water ; ■' and they all agree that such an 
 affection is not primarily one of the kidneys, but of the liver, and 
 I presume that the " red-water " which prevails among cattle in 
 the West owes its origin to the same causes as above. For exam- 
 ple : A friend informs me that he lost a valuable cow, " which died 
 of red water," and that the urine was of a " yellow-brown color," 
 indicating, very clearly, that the animal labored under an affection 
 of the liver; and, in view of dispelling all doubt on the subject, 
 I here introduce a short paragraph from my correspondent's letter : 
 
 " On skinning the animal, I found that the parts beneath (sub- 
 cellular tissues) had a yellow appearance. On cutting open the 
 abdomen, I noticed that the liver was of a very dark color, and 
 appeared to be filled with black blood. The gall-bladder was very 
 large, and appeared darker than usual ; the manyplies (manyplus) 
 was full of caked food, and there were no appearances of disease 
 in any other parts." 
 
 Of course, it will be perceived that my correspondent was far 
 from being an adept in the art of autopsy ; however, the appear- 
 ances which he has described lead us to the necessary conclusion 
 that the so-called red water (which he contends caused the death 
 of his cow) was the result of functional, perhaps organic, disease 
 of the liver. 
 
 Mr. Yotjatt, when discussing the theory of the pathology of 
 chronic red water, offers the following : 
 
 " Chronic red water is more prevalent than that which is acute, 
 and in its first stage is far more a disease of the digestive organs, 
 and especially of the liver than of the kidney. The urine is ob- 
 served to be of a brown color, or brown tinged with yellow. The 
 beast feeds nearly as well as before, but ruminates rather more lazily. 
 In a few days a natural diarrhea comes on, and the animal is well at 
 once ; or a purgative drench is administered, and a cure is presently 
 affected. This occurs frequently in cows and calves of weak con- 
 stitution. At other times there is manifest indisposition. The ani- 
 mal is dull, heavy, languid ; the ears droop, the back is bowed ; she 
 separates from the herd ; she refuses her food, and ceases to rumi- 
 nate. Presently she gets better; she rejoins her companions, but 
 this is only for a little while. The urine, which at first was brown, 
 with a tinge of yellow, has now red mingled with brown, or it is 
 of the color of porter. It is increased in quantity ; is discharged 
 sometimes with ease, at other times with considerable straining— 
 
538 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 in little jets, and with additional bowing of the back. The milk 
 diminishes ; it acquires a slight tinge of yellow or brown ; the 
 taste becomes unpleasant, and it spoils all that it is mingled with-. 
 The pulse is accelerated ; it reaches to 60 or 70. If the blood is 
 drawn, the serum which separates from it is brown. The skin is 
 yellow, but of a darker yellow than in jaundice ; it has a tinge of 
 brown. The conjunctiva is also yellow, inclining to brown. The 
 urine becomes of a darker hue, and is almost black. The animal 
 usually shrinks when the loins are pressed upon. Occasionally 
 there is much tenderness, but oftener the beast scarcely shrinks 
 more than he is accustomed to do when laboring under almost 
 every disease. The belly is not so much tucked up as drawn to- 
 gether at the sides. There is considerable loss of condition ; the 
 legs and ears get cold ; the animal is less inclined to move ; there 
 is evident general debility. In every stage there is costiveness, 
 and that exceedingly difficult to overcome, but, on close inquiry, 
 it is ascertained that there was diarrhea at the beginning, and 
 which was violent and fetid, and which suddenly stopped." 
 
 Testimony of this description, emanating from reliable authority, 
 is entitled to our consideration ; and it should teach us to seek for 
 the cause of discolored urine beyond the region of the kidneys, 
 except in those cases which are evidently the results of the action 
 of diuretics or stimulants in the form of improper food. It will 
 generally be found that discolorations in the urine are the symp- 
 toms of a disease located elsewhere; hence the disease should be 
 treated instead of the symptoms. 
 
 Treatment. — If the disease appears to be located in the liver, 
 indicated by a yellow tinge of the visible surfaces, dark-colored 
 feces, and yellow tinge of the urine, the animal being dull and 
 sleepy, showing symptoms of febrile action, it may be proper to 
 administer a dose of purgative medicine, combined with some 
 agent calculated to restore the physiological action of the liver, and 
 I therefore recommend the following : 
 
 No. 104. Epsom salts 12 oz. 
 
 Podophyllum peltatum (mandrake)... 2 dr. 
 
 Dissolve the salts in tepid water, one pint ; then add the podo- 
 phyllum, and administer the same by means of a " drenching- 
 horn," or bottle. 
 
 In administering medicine to cattle, our object is to get it beyond 
 
DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 539 
 
 the rumen or paunch into the digestive compartment of their com- 
 plex stomach, and, in aiming to do this, we pour the medicine 
 down the oesophagus slowly. After the bowels have responded to 
 the action of the medicine, it may be proper to administer altera- 
 tives which are known to change morbid action. Powdered sul- 
 phur and mandrake may be given, in small doses— not sufficient 
 of either to keep up the cathartic action of the salts, but merely 
 to keep the bowels in a soluble condition for a day or two ; and if 
 there be any danger of superpurgation, neither mandrake nor sul- 
 phur are indicated. In such case I should give an occasional dose 
 of powdered golden seal, two drachms, and the same quantity of 
 carbonate of soda. The patient should be fed sparingly ; and if 
 the season permit, a run in the pasture will prove beneficial. 
 
SECTION XXI. 
 
 THE HEART — ITS FUNCTION AND DISEASES. 
 
 Description of the Heart — The Heart's Function — Diseases of the Heart- 
 Dilatation of the Heart — Pericarditis — Hypertrophy — Endocarditis. 
 
 Description of the Heaet. 
 
 THE heart is a wonderful and powerful piece of muscular 
 mechanism. Its function is of the involuntary order, so 
 that regular contractions and expansions, or beatings, occur in the 
 normal state, without the knowledge and consent of the animal. 
 These contractions and expansions, however, can be modified by 
 means of various medicinal agents which act upon the nervous 
 system, thus producing a sort of mixed action (voluntary and in- 
 voluntary). For example, all medicines known as sedatives op- 
 erate so as to depress the heart's action, and lessen, for a given 
 period, the number of its pulsations ; while, on the other hand, 
 stimulants augment the action of the heart, and increase the num- 
 ber of its pulsations. The average weight of the heart of an ox 
 is eight pounds, yet it is frequently the seat of fatty degeneration, 
 when its weight and bulk is then materially increased. 
 
 The heart is anatomically divided into four cavities, two of 
 which being in a superior and anterior direction, and, in conse- 
 quence of bearing some resemblance to the ears of a dog, are 
 termed auricles. These cavities, known as right and left (or 
 rather anterior and posterior), are divided by a wall, or septum, 
 known as the septum auriculorum. The right auricle is the re- 
 ceptacle for venous blood, and three venous trunks terminate in 
 it; namely, the anterior vena cava, which returns the venous 
 blood from the anterior extremities, head and neck; next, the 
 tena cava posterior, which returns the venous blood from the 
 posterior parts ; and, lastly, the coronary vein. The latter returns 
 (540) 
 
THE HEART— ITS FUNCTION AND DISEASES. 
 
 541 
 
 blood which has circulated through the heart itself for its own 
 nourishment. A considerable quantity of dark, venous blood is 
 generally found in this auricle after death, and it opens into the 
 right or anterior ventricle by an aperture denominated the au- 
 riculo-ventricular opening ; yet, in consequence of a valvular con- 
 trivance within the ventricle, the blood can not recede into the 
 auricle. 
 
 the heart; its circulation. 
 
 Explanation.— a, The left ventricle ; 6, The right ventricle ; cef, The aorta; ghi, The ca- 
 rotid and other arteries springing from the aorta ; k, The pulmonary artery ; /, Branches 
 of the pulmonary artery in the lungs ; m m, The pulmonary veins emptying into the left 
 auricle; n, The right auricle; o, The ascending vena cava; q, The descending vena 
 cava ; r, The left auricle ; s, The coronary vein and artery. 
 
 Internally, the right auricle is lined by a glistening vascular 
 membrane, having, on various parts of its surface, small muscular 
 eminences, termed musculi pectinati. The small cavities which 
 occur, in consequence of this arrangement, are termed cul-de-sacs. 
 The right or venous ventricle is also lined by a nicely-organized 
 membrane, and has beneath it several muscular prominences, 
 named carnce columnce, which give origin to as many tendinous 
 
542 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 slips. These are known as cordce tenclince. They are inserted 
 into a fibrous membrane in the region of the auriculo-ventricular 
 opening, and then get the name (membrane included) valvula 
 tricuspis. The lateral contractions of this ventricle are aided by 
 small tendinous cords, having muscular origins from the wall and 
 septum. The venous blood passes from this cavity into the pul- 
 monary tissues of oxygenation, through the pulmonary artery, 
 which emerges from the superior part of the ventricle. At the 
 commencement of the pulmonary artery are found three valves 
 termed semilunar. Their function is to guard against a retrograde' 
 movement of the blood, so that it has no other channel than that 
 which leads to the lungs. 
 
 The left ventricle has scarcely any anatomical or structural dif- 
 ferences from those observed in the right, although its cavity is 
 smaller, and its walls are somewhat thicker, than those found on 
 the right. It receives the blood from the lungs after purification, 
 by means of the pulmonary veins, which have four openings into 
 this cavity — two proceeding from the right and two from the left 
 lobes. The left or arterial ventricle is the reservoir for arterial 
 blood, which is destined to reanimate, replenish, and perpetuate 
 the vital economy. Having a vastly more important function to 
 perform (which requires augmented muscular mechanism) than its 
 duplicate found on the right side, the thickness of its walls must, 
 therefore, necessarily exceed those of the right. This is found to 
 be the case, so that the outer wall of this is about three times as 
 thick as that found on the other side ; and this guide is useful to 
 us in determining at sight, after the heart is detached from the 
 body, which is the left ventricle, and vice versa. 
 
 The channel of communication between the left auricle and 
 ventricle is named, as is the case on the opposite side, auriculo- 
 ventricular opening. It is furnished, however, with only two 
 instead of three valvular openings, termed valvula bicuspis, or 
 mitralis. This ventricle is one of importance for our considera- 
 tion, from the fact of the great aorta (the plastic hose, which 
 seldom if ever requires cobbling or repair) here originates. Its 
 margin, or outlet, is guarded by a complete set of valves, three in 
 number, termed semilunar, similar to those found at the origin of 
 the pulmonary artery. This ventricle is divided from the one on 
 the opposite side by a muscular and tendinous uartition termed 
 septum ventriculorum. 
 
THE HEART— ITS FUNCTION AND DISEASES. 543 
 
 Form, Situation, and Attachment of the Heart. — Its form de- 
 scribes that simulating a cone having a body, base, and apex. 
 Its base being in a superior direction, it follows, as a matter of 
 course, that its apex has an inferior insertion downward and back- 
 ward. The heart lies in the region occupied by the fourth, fifth, 
 and sixth dorsal vertebra, right in the central region known as 
 the cavity of the chest. Its apex is inclined to the left side. It 
 appears that in the ox the heart differs in construction from that 
 of the horse in the following peculiarities : There is a bone found 
 in the heart termed os cordis, the function of which has never been 
 explained ; yet it is evidently intended for some useful purpose — 
 perhaps to give strength and durability to the sanguinous force- 
 pump. Next, we notice some difference in the internal mechanism 
 of the right ventricle. There are several fleshy bands, running 
 across from side to side, which prevents abnormal dilatation ; for, 
 taken as a whole, the venous system of the bovine species is more 
 developed than in the horse — the veins are larger and more numer- 
 ous, and more blood is constantly accumulating in the right auricle 
 and ventricle ; hence the need of additional muscular mechanism. 
 
 The Heart's Function. 
 
 The blood having gone the rounds of the circulation, enters the 
 anterior or right cavity (auricle). It then passes into the venous 
 or right ventricle. By the contraction of this ventricle the blood 
 is forced through the pulmonary arteries into the lungs; there 
 having undergone certain changes (which have been alluded to in 
 another part of this work), it returns by the pulmonary veins to 
 the left auricle; from thence it descends into the left ventricle. 
 The contractions of the left ventricle force the blood into the 
 great aorta (anterior and posterior), which gives rise to a numer- 
 ous set of arteries, through which channels the blood reaches the 
 extreme parts of the system. 
 
 Diseases of the Heart. 
 
 Diseases of the heart in cattle are very common, yet they fre- 
 quently elude detection, simply because the symptoms are very 
 obscure. Mr. Gamgee contends that the most common cause of 
 diseases of the heart in cattle is the passage of needles, and other 
 
544 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 foreign bodies, from the reticulum through the diaphragm. At 
 the same time, he alludes to many drawings in his possession of 
 polypi in the heart, growing from the auriculo-ventricular valves; 
 also to drawings of deposits beneath the endocardium (lining of the 
 heart's cavity) • of tumors, also, outside the heart, consisting in 
 masses of cysts, and due to the development of hydatids of the 
 echinacoccus veterinorum. 
 
 Dilatation or the Heart. 
 
 The heart is often the seat of dilatation, or amplifications of 
 one or more cavities, with attenuation of the walls of the same. 
 This dilatation is supposed to arise from the mechanical effect of 
 over-distension. 
 
 Cause. — The cause of dilatation is deficient power in the heart 
 in proportion to that of the system. This may be acquired or 
 it may be congenital. All obstructions, also, to the circulation, 
 whether situated in the orifices of the heart or in the aortic or 
 pulmonary systems, may induce this dilatation. 
 
 Symptoms. — The pulsations are feeble and oppressed, and, on 
 moving the animal about, he becomes distressed ; the pulse is soft 
 and feeble ; languor in the arterial circulation, as shown by the 
 congested state of the mucous surfaces. The respiration is some- 
 what affected, not primarily, but through the intervention of 
 irregular nervous action. The jugulars are engorged, and various 
 parts and organs of the body are congested, and the surface and 
 extremities are below the natural temperature. 
 
 Treatment. — The principal object should be to improve the 
 general health, by alteratives and tonics. The surface of the 
 body should be kept warm, and often rubbed, so as to excite 
 capillary action. This will also have the effect of relieving the 
 venous congestions. Any hygienic measures, regarding both diet 
 and management, will certainly do good. Pure air, for example, 
 is absolutely needed, to vitalize the blood as it tardily courses the 
 veins. Without such there is ^ery little chance of restoring the 
 animal. The alterative and tonic may be thus prepared : 
 
 No. 105. Iodide of potass -J oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of sassafras 3 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of hops 1 oz. 
 
 Water. . . » 1 pint. 
 
THE HEART— ITS FUNCTIONS AND DISEASES. 545 
 
 Mix, and dissolve the potass in the water; then add the other 
 ingredients. Dose, one-fourth of this quantity night and morning. 
 
 The Pericardium and its Diseases. 
 
 The pericardium is a membranous bag that surrounds the heart. 
 It is known to the butchers as the " heart-bag," and is attached 
 to the sternum, diaphragm, and to the roots of the large blood- 
 vessels at the base of the heart. It is composed of two layers, 
 united by cellular tissues. The external one is composed of 
 fibrous tissue; the internal one is a smooth, serous membrane, 
 similar to that which lines the cavity of the chest. This serous 
 membrane is studded by numerous vessels called exhalents. From 
 these issue a vapor of fluid, the purpose of which is to guard 
 against friction. The insertions of the pericardium are such that 
 it confines the heart in its proper situation, and aids in sustain- 
 ing a reciprocal action between the heart and lungs. It is often 
 the seat of a disease known as pericarditis. 
 
 Pericarditis. 
 
 This disease consists of inflammation of the pericardium, the 
 causes of which are supposed to be nearly the same as those of 
 pleurisy, or inflammation of other serous membranes; namely, 
 sudden impressions of cold on the external surface, violence, etc. 
 A special cause has also been assigned for this disease; namely, 
 the penetration of the pericardium by foreign bodies, such as nailSj 
 needles, wire, etc., coming from the interior of the stomach, and 
 working their way through it into the former. 
 
 Symptoms. — There is considerable increase in the force of the 
 heart's pulsation; the jugular veins are engorged (larger than 
 usual), and an undulating movement is observed in them. There 
 will be acute inflammatory fever, generally preceded by rigors, 
 shivering, and coldness ; the visible surfaces of the nostrils and 
 eyes are highly reddened in the early stages, and rumination has 
 ceased, with loss of appetite. The animal occasionally directs its 
 head near the region of the heart, and if pressure be made on the 
 sternum (breast-bone), it elicits distressing symptoms. As the 
 disease progresses, the jugulars increase in volume, the pulse be- 
 comes feeble, and an cedematous or dropsical state of the lower 
 35 
 
546 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 parts of the thorax sets in. This latter feature indicates that a 
 considerable quantity of fluid is present, both in the pericardium 
 and thorax. In this stage the case is incurable. 
 
 Treatment. — In the early stage of pericarditis, the treatment 
 should be about the same as that recommended for acute pulmonic 
 and pleuritic affections. Iodide of potassium, in doses of twenty- 
 five grains per day, may prove serviceable; and some form of 
 diuretic medicine may also be exhibited, to increase the action of 
 the kidneys. So soon as the patient shows signs of amendment, 
 tincture of matico, in ounce doses, may be given, twice daily, 
 until the patient has fairly recovered. 
 
 The London " Veterinarian " publishes the following case, fur- 
 nished by Surgeon Lepper : 
 
 " I herewith send you what I think is a rare specimen of a dis- 
 eased heart, with its investment, which was taken from a cow of 
 the short-horn breed, about seven years old, the property of Mr. 
 Bliss, of Windmill Hill, Waddesdon. On the fourth day after 
 calving she was noticed to fail in her appetite, and her milk also 
 became greatly diminished in quantity. In walking across the 
 yard she staggered and fell. She laid for some considerable time, 
 when, with difficulty, she got up and walked to a shed, where she 
 soon laid down again. It was in this condition that I first saw 
 her. The expression of her countenance did not materially differ 
 from that of a healthy animal. The bowels were regular in their 
 action; the pulse did not exceed fifty beats in the minute, and 
 was soft and full. On the left side of the chest there was an 
 emphysematous swelling, extending over four or five of the mid- 
 dle ribs, and about eight or ten inches wide. On auscultating 
 the chest, I could not discover any unusual sound in the respira- 
 tory action ; the breathing, also, was regular. The jugular veins 
 were filled to repletion, so as to be observable when standing by 
 the side of the animal — a state of things which I have invariably 
 found to exist in effusion into the pericardium, and, especially, if 
 much fluid is present. I felt satisfied that this was a case of this 
 description, and, consequently, formed an unfavorable opinion as 
 to the issue. To relieve the distended vessels, I took away eight 
 or ten pounds of blood, and gave a slight purgative, which ap- 
 peared to afford temporary relief. For two or three days the 
 appetite improved, and the cow appeared to move with greater 
 freedom and less pain. On the sixth day after my first visit she 
 
THE HEART— ITS FUNCTIONS AND DISEASES. 547 
 
 suddenly relapsed, and died on the seventh. This animal had, for 
 some time past, wasted in flesh, but, as her general appearance was 
 healthy, little notice was taken of it". It is surprising that she 
 should have gone on so well as she did with so extensive disease 
 of the heart. As to the nature of the affection I shall offer no 
 remarks, but leave this to be explained by you." 
 
 The following remarks are added by the editor of the above- 
 named journal: 
 
 "This was but another of several specimens which we have 
 received, from time to time, in which the external surface of the 
 heart was covered with layers of effused and partially-organized 
 fibrine. The pericardium was thickened to three times its natural 
 substance, and within it was contained several ounces of colorless 
 serous fluid. The effused fibrine hung in grapelike appendages 
 from the base of the heart, each of which had a flocculent condition. 
 These bodies were devoid of color, and had altogether such an 
 appearance as would lead us to doubt whether the effusions re- 
 sulted from active inflammation. The muscular substance of the 
 organ, and its internal lining membrane, were alike free from 
 organic change." 
 
 The following case, which occurred in the practice of Mr. 
 Williams, may also prove interesting and instructive to the 
 reader : 
 
 "On the 16th of June, I was requested by Mr. Thomas Tatum, 
 Gwernafield, to attend a cow of his. Her history he gave as fol- 
 lows : ' She has been unwell since she calved, three weeks ago. 
 The foetal membranes were not expelled for a fortnight after the 
 event, and they came away piecemeal, in a state of putrescence. 
 Her appetite has been very capricious all along, and her bowels 
 rather costive. A discharge of white matter has taken place from 
 the vagina for the last week or so. She gives but little milk. 
 The breathing is tranquil, and she does not cough. She has a 
 peculiar stare in the countenance, and takes a great deal of notice 
 of every thing.' 
 
 On inspection, I found her as the owner had stated, the symp- 
 toms, to a casual observer, being any thing but indicative of 
 extensive organic changes, but more of general debility after par^ 
 turition. She was rather emaciated. On closer examination, I 
 found the mucous membranes to be rather pallid ; the mouth, cool 
 and moist; the temperature of the body but slightly below the 
 
548 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 natural standard, and equal over all parts of the body ; the pulse, 
 very weak, beating 96 in the minute, and regular; the breathing 
 only very slightly hurried. 
 
 After advancing thus far in my examination, I must confess 
 that the case fairly puzzled me, and I was inclined to look on it 
 as one of general debility and leucorrhea ; but as the discharge 
 from the vagina was very slight, I thought it could not be the 
 sole cause of the loss of appetite and other symptoms present. I 
 now auscultated the chest, and, on applying my ear, the respira- 
 tory murmur was heard distinct and natural, but I thought a little 
 increased at the anterior portion of both sides. On auscultating 
 the region of the heart, I failed to detect the sounds of that organ, 
 and on still further examination, both the sounds and the impulse 
 were indetectible. This struck me as being curious, but, on ac- 
 count of the regularity of the pulse, I did not consider either the* 
 heart or its membranes to be the seat of digease, and treated the 
 case as one of general debility, loss of appetite, and leucorrhea. 
 The animal lingered for about four weeks more, the symptoms 
 remaining nearly the same as at the time when I first examined 
 her, with the exception of increased emaciation. 
 
 The post mortem examination revealed ansemia, the tissues being 
 exceedingly pale and sodden, the blood in the vessels scanty and 
 pale, and scarcely staining the fingers. The abdominal viscera 
 were healthy, with the exception of the liver, which was congested. 
 The gall-bladder was distended with dirty, lemon-colored bile, 
 of thin consistence, and seemingly containing a large amount of 
 mucus. On opening the cavity of the thorax, the pericardium 
 was seen distended to an enormous extent, filling the floor of the 
 cavity, and adherent to the sternum and pleura costalis by a thick 
 layer of exuded lymph, this having no appearance of organization, 
 but seemingly consisting of a shapeless basis-substance, easily 
 separated from the parts it was in contact with. The cavity of 
 the pericardium contained in its inferior part about two pints of a 
 fetid, whey-like fluid. With the exception of that part which 
 contained this fluid, the cavity was obliterated by exudation, 
 matter about two inches in thickness surrounding and gluing to- 
 gether the visceral and parietal surfaces of the pericardium. The 
 heart itself was flabby, pale, and its cavities contained a small 
 amount of blood, of the same thin consistence as that in other 
 parts of the body. The endocardium was healthy. The lungs 
 
THE HEART— ITS FUNCTION AND DISEASES. 549 
 
 presented no appearance of disease; they were pale, excepting 
 in the parts lying undermost after death. The plurae, excepting 
 where they were involved in the pericardiac disease, presented no 
 abnormal appearance. The thoracic and abdominal cavities con- 
 tained a little fluid. 
 
 Reflecting on the appearance presented by the pericardium, by 
 its being adherent through the accompanying pleuritis to the 
 walls of the thorax and sternum, and by the heart itself being 
 thus in a manner bound down and fastened by a thick layer of 
 plaster, and elastic material existing between it and the ribs, I 
 was satisfied that the absence of the sounds of impulse was due to 
 these pathological changes, and not, as I had foolishly supposed, 
 to general debility. But, before giving publicity to this opinion, 
 I thought it better to wait for more proof. 
 
 September 4, 1857, I was called to attend a cow, the property 
 of "W. Gregg, Esq., Syntroll, Mold. I had attended her in May 
 previous for ' retention of the foetal membrane.' She seemed to 
 be very languid and depressed for some days before and after the 
 removal of these ; but, as she fed pretty well, I was not requested 
 to prescribe for her. She had given milk freely all the summer, 
 but had not appeared so lively as she ought to be. She seemed 
 as well as usual on the evening of the 3d of September. On the 
 morning of the 4th her quantity of milk was diminished. On 
 examination, I found her wet and cold from the rain of the pre- 
 vious night, standing ' all of a heap ;' head depressed, and ears 
 pendulous ; mouth and nose, cold ; breathing, tranquil ; bowels, 
 costive ; pulse, 100, very feeble, but regular ; the mucous mem- 
 branes slightly tinged yellow. Auscultation failed to detect the 
 sounds of the heart, and the palpitation was absent. I pronounced 
 the case to be one of pericarditis, and that exudation had taken 
 place to some extent; also that congestion of the liver existed, 
 this being secondary, and owing to the feebleness of the circula- 
 tion. 
 
 The treatment consisted in the administration of purgatives and 
 stimulants. Counter-irritants were also applied to the sides, and 
 as the case advanced, tonics were given. But nothing seemed to 
 affect the pulse ; it remained feeble throughout, and it was only a 
 few days before death that irregularity was detected. 
 
 On Friday, September 18, diarrhea set in, and on the 21st cede- 
 matous swellings appeared in different parts of the body, but more 
 
550 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 especially on the dewlap and fore-parts. On the 23d she dropped 
 down and died without a struggle. 
 
 All throughout, this animal exhibited the same watchful state 
 as observed in the first case, and the appetite was very capricious 
 indeed. One day she would feed pretty well ; then, again, she 
 would not touch any thing for days. The bowels were very ir- 
 regular, and, on account of rumination being suspended, the food 
 passed through her in a half-masticated state. 
 
 The post mortem, four hours after death, revealed general anaemia 
 of the subcutaneous and muscular tissues, these being seemingly in 
 a broken-down condition. The blood in the veins was pale and 
 thin. The abomasum, small intestines, and liver were congested ; 
 but even here the blood was of the same watery character as in 
 other parts. The gall-bladder was distended with thin, lemon- 
 colored bile. The thoracic cavity contained rather a large amount 
 of clear serum. The pericardium was distended by a layer of 
 lymph, about two inches in thickness, gluing together its two 
 surfaces, and containing, near the apex of the heart, nearly a pint 
 of dirty, whey-colored fluid, of a fetid odor. The lymph was 
 easily removed from the heart, and between it and the muscular 
 tissue of the organ was a layer of cartilaginous substance, about a 
 quarter of an inch in thickness, covered by a serous glistening 
 membrane. Toward the apex of the heart this had formed bands 
 of connection between the two surfaces of the pericardium, but in 
 all other parts it was confined to the visceral pericardium only. 
 The lungs were slightly congested. The plurse were as described 
 in the former case." 
 
 Hypertrophy of the Heart. 
 
 Hypertrophy signifies augmentation — thickening of the muscu- 
 lar substance of an organ, resulting from increased nutrition. It 
 generally pccurs in animals of the sanguine temperament, of vig- 
 orous health, their muscles being much harder and firmer than 
 usual. In such animals the blood is rich, and nutrition is very 
 active. I have often visited market for the purpose of inspecting 
 the hearts of slaughtered oxen, and I have observed that hyper- 
 trophy generally occurs in the left ventricle. Sometimes its walls 
 are thickened, the cavity retaining its natural dimensions. Occa- 
 sionally the cavity is dilated and the wall thickened, but, in the 
 
THE HEART— ITS FUNCTION AND DISEASES. 551 
 
 majority of cases, the walls are thickened and the cavity dimin- 
 ished. This constitutes the disease known as true or concentric 
 hypertrophy (enlargement) . 
 
 This disease, when moderate and uncomplicated, is not pro- 
 ductive of much inconvenience to the bovine species, whose mo- 
 tions are slow ; yet occurring in a horse, it would produce much 
 inconvenience, and render the animal almost useless for speed. 
 
 Symptoms. — A person unacquainted with the heart's sounds will 
 find it impossible to diagnose a disease of this character ; in fact, 
 such a disease will sometimes defy the scrutiny of experts. A 
 deadened sound is always heard when the ear of a person is applied 
 to the region of the heart, yet this depends somewhat on the form 
 of the disease, its complications, the nature and intensity of the 
 exciting causes, and the condition of the patient. On applying 
 the finger to the pulse at the angle of the jaw, or on the temporal 
 artery, it will appear that the circulation is embarrassed. 
 
 Treatment. — No rules can be laid down for the treatment of this 
 affection, and the only agent of any value is iodine, or iodide of 
 potassium. It is possible, however, that in a case of this character 
 the butcher may prove to be the best doctor. 
 
 Endocaeditis. 
 
 Endocarditis is an inflammatory affection, located in the mem- 
 brane within the heart. It is a rare disease among cattle, yet very 
 frequently occurs among horses. 
 
 Symptoms. — Like all inflammatory conditions, this is attended 
 with heat about the base of the horns ; hot and feverish mouth ; 
 vitiation of the secretions ; cessation of rumination ; some degree 
 of suffering, of a peculiar character, not noticed in any other af- 
 fection. The pulse is violent, abrupt, strong, full, and may range 
 up to eighty; every motion the animal makes accelerates the 
 respiration ; yet the lungs show no signs of disease. On examin- 
 ing the heart after death, its internal membrane is thickened, and 
 appears of a dark purple color; clots of extravasated blood are 
 also present on its internal surface. 
 
 Treatment. — Administer a cathartic drench, say about sixteen 
 ounces of Glauber salts in a couple of quarts of tepid water ; then 
 give half an ounce of powdered nitrate of potassa in a little water, 
 every four hours, until the force of the pulse is essentially lowered. 
 
552 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 In the mean time, administer an occasional clyster of soap and warm 
 water. 
 
 This disease has occasionally a rheumatic origin ; so that if the 
 animal be taken suddenly with inflammatory muscular lameness 
 assuming the features of rheumatism, shifting from one limb to 
 another, and then leaving the region of the first attack and going 
 to the heart, I should prescribe two fluid drachms of wine of col- 
 chicum, in a gill of water, every morning, and at night, twenty- 
 five grains of iodide of potass, in half a gill of water. 
 
 
 CELEBRATED BULL *' DUTCHMAN." 
 
SECTION XXII. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE EYE AND ITS MEMBRANES. 
 
 Description of the Eye — Humors of the Eye — Coats of the Eye — Muscles 
 of the Eye and Eyelids — Ophthalmia — Foreign Bodies in the Eyes — Spe- 
 cific or Periodical Ophthalmia — Cancer in Cattle. 
 
 Description of the Eye. 
 
 THE eyes of oxen are frequently the seat of various forms of 
 disease, hence it is necessary that the farmer should know 
 something of their wonderful mechanism ; I therefore propose to 
 give a description of the same. The eye is protected by a bony 
 casing known as the orbit, which appears to be much stronger than 
 that found in the horse. In the interior part we find a large quan- 
 tity of fatty matter which acts as a soft cushion for the eye to 
 repose on, and, at the same time, as the fatty matter accumulates, 
 it gives prominence to the eye and increases the range of vision. 
 
 Humors of the Eye. 
 
 The humors of the eye are named aqueous, crystalline, and 
 vitreous — three in number. The aqueous humor fills the interval 
 between the cornea and crystalline lens, and is surrounded by a 
 capsule of its own, on the inner surface of which is secreted the 
 aqueous humor. The uses of this limpid fluid appear to be to 
 transmit the rays of light and permit free motions of the iris. The 
 fluid is frequently evacuated and reproduced. - 
 
 Crystalline Lens. — This is situated in a concavity behind the 
 aqueous humor, and anterior to the vitreous, opposite to the pupil. 
 In appearance it resembles a crystal or lens of magnifying glass, 
 and is composed of concentric lamellae, and these of radii. Its 
 form is spherical, yet the posterior surface is more convex than 
 
 (553) 
 
554 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the anterior. Like the other humors of the eye, it is enveloped 
 in a capsule, and the disease known as cataract consists of altered 
 structure in the lens or its capsule ; sometimes both are involved. 
 Acids, alcohol, and boiling water convert it into an opaque, solid 
 body, resembling the white of an egg when boiled. The function 
 of the crystalline lens is to concentrate the rays of light so as to 
 form a distinct image on the interior of the eye. 
 
 Vitreous Humor. — This jelly like substance derives its name 
 from its glassy appearance. It occupies the posterior concavity of 
 the globe of the eye, known as the " dark chamber." It fills the 
 membranes, aids to maintain the form of the eye, and keeps the 
 crystalline lens at a proper and physiological distance from the 
 retina. Anatomists have hitherto failed in detecting any signs of 
 vascularity in the vitreous humor. 
 
 Coats of the Eye. 
 
 1. Tunica Conjunctiva. — This membrane is very highly organ- 
 ized, lines the eyelids, and is reflected over the anterior part of the 
 eyeball. It covers the region known as the pupil, yet is pervious 
 to the rays of light. Previous, however, to being reflected over 
 the globe, it gives a covering to the membran beneath, carunculse 
 lacrymale, and puncta lachrymalia. 
 
 2. Tunica Sclerotica. — This tunic is made up of fibers, which 
 are very dense, yet elastic. It constitutes what is commonly 
 known as the " white of the eye," extends from the junction of the 
 optic nerve with the globe to the cornea, and, more than any other 
 tunic of the eye, tends to preserve its form. It also affords attach- 
 ment for most of the muscles of the eye — the retractor and four 
 recti. 
 
 3. Cornea. — This is a dense and compact membrane, yet com- 
 posed of laminated structure, which accounts for the opacity or 
 " filmy " obscurity so often encountered in veterinary practice ; for, 
 in a physiological condition of the eye, the lamina? are compact, 
 like a house newly shingled ; but, in consequence of untoward 
 circumstances, a leak occurs ; a watery exudation then sets in. The 
 cornea may be considered as the shield that protects the eye, yet, 
 in consequence of its transparency, it is also operative in the pro- 
 duction of vision. 
 
 4. Iris. — This is the movable curtain of the eye, adapts the eye 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE AND ITS MEMBRANES. 555 
 
 to vision, possesses the property of contraction and expansion. In 
 its center is a perforation commonly known as the pupil. The 
 dimension of the pupil depends entirely on its contraction and di- 
 latation. In a very dark barn (provided the eye be in a healthy 
 condition), the pupil will be very much dilated; in a barn well 
 lighted, the pupil will be quite small. The iris is a fibro-niuscu- 
 lar membrane, abundantly supplied with blood-vessels and nerves, 
 and coated with a substance known as uvea, which is derived from 
 the pigment. The arteries of the iris come from the ciliary ; its 
 nerves are derived from the ciliary. 
 
 5. Choroid Coat. — This coat, or membrane, lies beneath the 
 sclerotica. It extends from the optic foramen to the ciliary edge 
 of the cornea. Both of its surfaces are coated with pigment, 
 which absorb the rays of light. The outer coating is entirely 
 black ; the inner one is a mixture of black and green, which lines 
 the posterior half of the dark chamber. 
 
 6. The Retina. — This is the third or inner coat of the eye. It 
 is a delicate, transparent membrane, highly vascular. The prin- 
 cipal part of it, probably, consists of an expansion of the optic 
 nerve ; it is the part on which the object of vision is depicted. It 
 is supplied with blood by branches from the central artery of the 
 retina. 
 
 Muscles of the Eye and Eyelids. 
 
 The first muscle which attracts our attention, on removing the 
 palpebral integument, is the orbicularis palpebrarum, so named 
 from the spherical or circular arrangement of its muscular fibers. 
 It is inserted into the orbital portion of the ungis and os frontis 
 to the palpebral ligament, and to the skin of the lids. Its use is to 
 shut the eyelids. 
 
 Levator Palpebral Superioris. — The action of this muscle is to 
 corrugate and draw the lid upward. It is located above the orbit, 
 and is attached to the forehead by means of an aponeurotic expan- 
 sion, and is inserted into the upper eyelid, its muscular fibers being 
 blended with those of the preceding muscle. Its action is to raise 
 the upper eyelid, in which action it is aided by the levator palpe- 
 bral internus. 
 
 Next, we find four muscles known as recti; namely, levator 
 oculi, depressor oculi, abductor oculi, adductor oculi. They are 
 inserted into the cavity of the orbit and external part of the scler- 
 
556 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 otica, at points equidistant from each other. The action of these 
 four muscles are as follows: The levator raises the eyeball in a 
 superior direction ; the depressor, as its name indicates, depresses 
 the eyeball ; the abductor turns the eyeball from the axis of the 
 body outward; and the adductor rotates the eyeball inward, or 
 toward the axis of the body. 
 
 The three remaining muscles, making seven proper to the eye, 
 are named obliquus superiora, et inferiora, and retractor oculi. 
 The obliquus superiora is found in the upper part of the inner 
 cavity of the orbit, and is attached to the margin of the optic far- 
 amen. At the inner canthus of the eye it passes through a fibro- 
 cartilaginous pulley-like arrangement, by which means the eyeball 
 is rotated in an oblique direction upward and outward. 
 
 Obliquus Superiora. — This muscle is found beneath the eyeball, 
 in the front and lower part of the orbit. It is attached to the os 
 unguis, and to the lower and outer part of the sclerotica, at its 
 junction with the transparent part of the globe. Its action is 
 antagonistic to that of the preceding muscle. 
 
 The seventh and last muscle to be described is the retractor. 
 It is one of the most admirably-arranged muscles in the whole 
 animal economy. In figure it resembles a hollow cone — its apex 
 turned backward, its base pointing forward, the inner edge sur- 
 rounding the optic foramen, and, at the same time, offering pro- 
 tection to the optic nerve. Around its sides, equidistant, are found 
 the four recti muscles, making a very complex and wonderful piece 
 of mechanism. The action of this muscle is to draw the eye back- 
 ward within the orbit. 
 
 I shall now make some brief yet instructive allusions in rela- 
 tion to the appendages of the eye. The appendages comprise the 
 eyelids, eyelashes, tarsal cartilages, meibomian glands, lachrymal 
 glands, caruncula lachrymalis, punctu lachrymalia, lachrymal sac, 
 and ductus ad nasum. 
 
 Eyelids. — The upper and lower eyelids may be considered as 
 the movable blinds of the eye. The upper is the most capable of 
 corrugation, and borders the greatest surface of the eyeball. It is 
 readily resolved into wrinkles. At the junctures of the aperture 
 which separates the eyelids are the canthi, or angles of the eye. 
 The loose portion of integument entering into the composition of 
 the upper lid is derived from the skin covering the frontal region, 
 and that of the lower lid is derived from the face. The lids inter- 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE AND ITS MEMBRANES. 557 
 
 nally form two cavities, thus adapting themselves to the convexity 
 of the globe. Their internal surfaces are lined with the tunica 
 conjunctiva. The borders of the eyelids have two margins. On 
 the outer one we find eyelashes ; between the latter and the inter- 
 nal margin we find the orifices of the ciliary glands, through which 
 issue a secretion for the lubrication of the surrounding parts. The 
 edge, or surface between the two margins just alluded to, conduct 
 the tears into the puncta lachrymalis. 
 
 Eyelashes. — The eyelashes (cilia) are so familiar to the reader, 
 and their function is so apparent, that I need not trouble him 
 with any remarks about them, only to observe that, by their 
 advantageous arrangement, the rays of light, come from whatever 
 direction they may, are somewhat intercepted; and they also op- 
 erate as feeders to the seeing as well as the sightless animal, and 
 warn him of his proximity with bodies that he can not immedi- 
 ately perceive. 
 
 Tarsal Cartilages. — These fibrocartilaginous substances are 
 found at the ciliary margins of the upper and lower lids. They 
 possess firm and thick ciliary margins, yet grow thin as they 
 recede from the cilia. In consequence of their close connection 
 with the rim of the orbit, they are called, by some anatomists, 
 "tarsal ligaments." Their function is to give some degree of 
 firmness to the eyelids, or the soft parts of the same, and they 
 also preserve the physiological curvature of the eyelash. 
 
 Ciliary or Meibomian Glands. — On inverting the eyelids of a 
 horse, and carefully running the eye over the borders of the lids, 
 within the grooves, occurring in the concave part of the tarsal 
 cartilages, we perceive, through a very fine tunic or membrane, a 
 number of opaque sacs, having a miniature canal, capable of pene- 
 tration by a small body equal in caliber to the point of a common 
 needle. They are evidently glandular bodies, and, therefore, 
 have excretory ducts, which pour out the necessary lubricating 
 material to prevent the agglutination of the lids. 
 
 Lachrymal Gland. — This gland lies underneath the process of 
 bone known as the orbital arch. It is covered by the lining 
 membrane of the orbit. It is a gland of the conglomerate class, 
 being composed of many lobules. These lobules are composed 
 of granules, from which spring the excretory ducts, and they, by 
 interunion, form a set of tubes which terminate on the conjunc- 
 tiva of the upper lid. The office of this gland is to secrete the 
 
558 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 tears, which run into the ducts, and are then poured on the con- 
 j unctiva. 
 
 Carunoula Lachrymalis, — At the inferior canthus of the eye, 
 between the eyeball and eyelids, is seen a small, black tubercle, 
 called the caruncula lachrymalis. It is not a secretory organ, but 
 appears to be placed there for the mechanical purpose of directing 
 the tears into the puncta lachrymalis. 
 
 Lachrymal Puncta and Conduits. — The puncta are two small 
 orifices, seen in the inner margins of the lids, at the root of the 
 caruncle. They are the openings of two canals found within the 
 substance of the lids, termed lachrymal conduits ; they terminate 
 in the lachrymal sac. 
 
 Lachrymal Sac. — The lachrymal sac is a funnel-shaped mem- 
 branous bag, lodged in close proximity with the lachrymal for- 
 amen. This sac serves as a reservoir, into which the tears flow 
 from the lachrymal conduits. The lachrymal sac terminates in 
 the ductus ad nasum. 
 
 Ductus ad Nasum. — The office of this duct is to convey away 
 the tears as fast as they are collected within the lachrymal sac. 
 The duct terminates at the inner and inferior part of the nostril. 
 It is formed by a prolongation of the membrane which enters into 
 the composition of the lachrymal sac. 
 
 Ophthalmia. 
 
 Symptoms. — Ophthalmia, or inflammation of the eye, is quite a 
 common affection among neat stock. It frequently occurs with- 
 out any assignable cause, except the concentration of morbid 
 action or morbid material in the tissual membranes. It is always 
 attended with more or less pain, tenderness, and tumefaction, and 
 the tears being secreted faster than they can be carried through 
 the ductus ad nasum, flow over the lower lid. This simple dis- 
 eased condition differs from what is known as specific or periodi- 
 cal ophthalmia. There is no constitutional disturbance to be 
 noticed, nor symptomatic fever, and the affection appears to be 
 confined to the conjunctivial membrane only. 
 
 Treatment. — The treatment should commence by giving the 
 animal a dose of Glauber salts, which consists of twelve ounces 
 of salts dissolved in one quart of tepid water. The action of this 
 medicine will be to remove morbid matter from the system. The 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE AND ITS MEMBRANES. 559 
 
 eye should be carefully fomented with a warm infusion of hops,* 
 after which lay a piece of wetted rag over the eye and fasten it 
 to the horns. I could name many favorite local applications 
 (lotions) for the disease in this stage, but, in my opinion, cold 
 water surpasses them all. The food should consist of scalded 
 shorts, the animal to be kept quiet in comfortable quarters. 
 
 Foeeign Bodies in the Eye. 
 
 If an animal should suffer in consequence of irritation and 
 tumefaction of the lids of one eye, and a little pus or matter can 
 be detected, the probability is that some foreign body, such as a 
 piece of hay, straw, or dirt, has insinuated itself between the ball 
 and eyelid, and has become lodged there. In a case of this char- 
 acter, the lids must be carefully inverted, one after the other, and 
 examined. The removal of the foreign body is equivalent to a 
 cure ; for very little, if any, after-treatment is needed, with the 
 exception of cleansing the eye with cold water. 
 
 Specific oe Peeiodical Ophthalmia. 
 
 This dangerous form of disease is termed periodical, because, 
 having once made its appearance, there is a liability of a recur- 
 rence. It is not, however, so prevalent among cattle as among 
 horses. It is a disease which, finally, is sure and certain to end 
 in cataract, or disorganization of the eye. In this stage perhaps 
 the butcher would be the best doctor. 
 
 It may be proper, however, to give the reader some idea of the 
 nature and symptoms of this malady, so that common ophthalmia 
 may not be confounded with nor mistaken for it. It has been 
 observed, in the preceding article, that common ophthalmia was 
 confined to the membranes of the eye. The disease now under 
 consideration makes its ravages on the inner structures of the eye, 
 the external covering being only sympathetically involved. On 
 parting the swollen lids, and if the cornea be not too opaque, we 
 shall find that the aqueous humor is thick and muddy; the iris, 
 lens, and other internal parts are altered in texture and structure ; 
 in fact, the eye has all the appearance of being ruined, which is 
 probably the case. The remote causes of this disease are consti- 
 tutional predisposition. 
 
560 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 » There are several other affections of the eyes of oxen and cows, 
 but, as they are incurable, the subjects must*be referred to the 
 butcher. 
 
 Cancer in Cattle. 
 
 Cancer is a peculiar malignant growth, affecting one or more 
 parts of the body. It probably owes its origin to some pecu- 
 liarity of constitution. It is usually divided into two stages. 
 The first is that of scirrhous, or hardening of the soft parts ; the 
 second is that of open cancer, or ulceration. In this stage, a foul 
 fungus sore is observed, having an irregular surface of varied 
 hue, with elevated, everted, and rough margins. 
 
 Treatment. — The popular method of treating this dreadful mal- 
 ady is to dissect out the diseased parts; but this rarely succeeds, 
 for the disease generally has an origin beyond the reach of our 
 scalpel. The only remedies of any value, in curable cases, are 
 bloodroot and iodide of potassium. The parts should be sprinkled 
 often with powdered bloodroot, and the patient should have twenty 
 grains per day of iodide of potassium. 
 
 A writer in the " Eclectic Journal " offers the following as the 
 pathology of cancer : 
 
 " According to the researches of the most eminent physiolo- 
 gists, malignant growths are composed of two parts, granules or 
 cells, with cell germs, and granules within them, nourished with 
 fat cells and globules, and of fibrous tissue or stroma, in which 
 the former parts are embedded. Malignant growths are com- 
 posed chiefly of albumen, supplied with blood-vessels, but differ 
 in their essential elements — namely, in their chemical and micro- 
 scopic — from healthy tissue. The development of this disease is 
 evidently a perversion of the ordinary process of nutrition. The 
 lymph, or blastema, which exudes through the capillaries, either 
 in the ordinary course of nutrition or through some accidental 
 inflammation, appears to have its vitality perverted; so that, 
 instead of forming itself into one of the proper tissues of the 
 body, it forms the irregular abnormal cells, which constitute this 
 species of growth. These abnormal cells are deposited in distinct 
 masses, or else spread through the tissue of the organ or part, 
 which it ultimately supersedes. When once formed, they in- 
 crease in size by the constant formation of new cells, which are 
 supplied with fresh material from the blood. In the course of 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE AND ITS MEMBRANES. 561 
 
 time, the older portions of cancerous growth lose their vitality, 
 soften down, their outer surface ulcerates, and a sanious discharge 
 follows." 
 
 The following case appeared in the "Veterinarian," and is 
 selected for the instruction of the reader : 
 
 " About two years since, we were called in to attend a cow, the 
 property of a gentleman residing in our neighborhood. On ex- 
 amiDation, we perceived a cauliflower excrescence growing from 
 the membrana nictitans, about the size of a strawberry, from 
 which issued an ichorous discharge that excoriated the adjacent 
 parts, and which bled on the slightest touch. We at once de- 
 cided upon taking it out, and this was accordingly done, the parts 
 being subsequently touched with lunar caustic. After this the 
 cow appeared to go on well for about twelve months, without any 
 reappearance of the cancerous growth. At the conclusion of that 
 time, we were again sent for, and found the cornea had become 
 of a bottle-green color, and that the sight of the eye was com- 
 pletely gone. About three months after this a fungoid growth 
 sprouted from the cornea, which increased in size very rapidly, 
 but was repressed by the application of a little burnt alum. 
 Shortly after this the eye receded considerably into the socket, 
 and eventually it sloughed entirely away. Some weeks after- 
 ward she became partially paralyzed, and was unable to masti- 
 cate. The lower lip was pendulous; the ear hung down by the 
 side of the neck on the affected side; difficulty of deglutition 
 was experienced, and the saliva flowed from the mouth, mingled 
 with the partially-masticated food. Attenuation of the paralyzed 
 muscles quickly followed, and much general emaciation of the 
 frame. The owner being desirous of obtaining another calf from 
 her, she was kept alive with gruel ; but, as it was soon seen she 
 could not live so as to give birth to a calf, she was destroyed. 
 This being a fortnight before her time, the calf was immediately 
 taken out, and it seemed likely to live and do well. It however 
 lived only three days, the immediate cause of death being inju- 
 dicious feeding." 
 36 
 
SECTION XXIII. 
 
 HERNIA, OR RUPTURES. 
 
 Forms op Rupture — Inguinal Hernia — Strangulated Hernia — Ventral 
 
 Hernia. 
 
 Hernia. 
 
 HERNIA signifies rupture, or unnatural protrusion of a por- 
 tion of the intestines or the omentum. In consequence of 
 the rough encounters which horned creatures frequently engage 
 in, they are liable to suffer from the consequences of external 
 violence, and a pregnant cow, with a distended abdomen, is more 
 apt to be injured in this way than the male. Still, an accident 
 of this kind will occasionally occur without the intervention of 
 external injuries; for the cow is often the subject of dropsy of the 
 womb, and in such condition the abdomen is distended to an enor- 
 mous capacity. The only thing that can be done in a case of 
 this character, is to rupture the foetal membranes by means of a 
 blunt instrument, introduced through the neck of the uterus. 
 This will not only evacuate the fluid, but also bring on premature 
 labor, and thus the lives of both mother and calf may be saved ; 
 provided, however, the calf be full grown. 
 
 Forms of Rupture. 
 
 There are various forms of rupture. A calf is occasionally 
 born with a tumor or enlargement in the region of the navel. 
 This is known as congenital umbilical hernia. It is termed con- 
 genital in consequence of being present at birth, and umbilical 
 because it is found in the umbilical region. 
 
 Treatment. — This form of hernia is not a very serious matter, 
 (562) 
 
HERNIA, OR RUPTURES. 563 
 
 and very rarely requires an operation. My usual course is to 
 apply some cotton-batting, wet with an astringent (infusion of 
 bay berry bark), and over the same a bandage, which must be 
 passed twice round the body ; yet, if the part is bathed occasion- 
 ally with infusion of bayberry, the bandage and batting can be 
 dispensed with. The reason why a case of this kind is not a 
 serious affair, is because there is no rupture of the walls of the 
 abdomen, but a mere purse, or dilated state of the common integ- 
 uments, exists, which, if necessary, can be sloughed off by the 
 application of a common pair of clams. 
 
 Inguinal Hernia. 
 
 When rupture in the groin appears at birth, it is congenital, 
 and consists of a portion of intestine, which has found its way 
 through the inguinal canal (the channel through which the tes- 
 ticle descends into the scrotum). 
 
 Treatment. — This can readily be reduced by raising the animal 
 by its hind legs, and giving it a few jerks upward. If the intes- 
 tine slips down again, and the case requires it, I should castrate 
 the animal, and put a stitch or two in the external ring, or else 
 castrate by the clam method, which will produce considerable 
 swelling, and block up the passage so that the bowel can not de- 
 scend. The clams may be removed at the end of twelve hours. 
 
 Strangulated Hernia. 
 
 The intestine will occasionally descend into the scrotum, and 
 become strangulated, so that it can not be returned. 
 
 Treatment. — In a case of this character, the operator must dilate 
 the ring (through which the intestine descended), by means of a 
 probe-pointed bistoury. Having returned the bowel, let the ani- 
 mal be castrated, and then apply the clams. Strangulated hernia 
 occurring in any other part of the body must be treated as fol- 
 lows : If the protruded bowel is tumefied in consequence of gas 
 within, it may be punctured, in one or two places, by means of a 
 suture-needle. This will allow the gas to escape. Then efforts 
 should be made to return the protrusion. Failing to accomplish 
 this object, in consequence of stricture or thickening of the walls 
 of the abdomen, I should introduce the bistoury, and dilate the 
 
564 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 wound. The reader will infer, and rightly so, that I am alluding 
 to a case in which there is an accidental external wound; other- 
 wise it would constitute what is called ventral hernia. 
 
 Ventral Hernia. 
 
 This form of hernia consists of an escape of a portion of the 
 intestines through a rent in the abdominal muscles, creating a 
 tumor beneath the common integument. This tumor may exist 
 for some time without affecting the animal's health, but when it 
 increases in size, so as to be bulky, or becomes strangulated, an 
 operation must immediately be performed. In performing the 
 operation, however, it must be borne in mind that the protruded 
 bowel has pushed before it a portion of the peritoneum (the lining 
 membrane of the cavity of the abdomen) ; therefore the intestine 
 is contained in a sac, which should also be returned, along with 
 the intestine, into the abdominal cavity. 
 
 Treatment. — The mode of operation in cases of ventral hernia 
 is to cast and etherize the animal. A semilunar incision is then 
 made over the tumor, the convex border of the flap being down- 
 ward. The panniculus carnosus (subcutaneous muscle), or super- 
 ficial fascia, is also divided. A probe-pointed bistoury is then 
 introduced between the bowel and edge of the wound. This must 
 be dilated or made sufficiently large to allow the return of the 
 intestine. The rent in the muscles is then to be strongly sutured, 
 ind one end of the suture should be left long enough to hang out 
 of the wound ; the integuments are then to be brought together in 
 the same manner, after which dress the wound with tincture of 
 aloes. In the course of eight or ten days a pull may be made on 
 the ends of the deep-seated sutures, to see if they are ready to 
 come away, yet it is best not to remove them until they are quite 
 loose. 
 
 It is impossible in a work of this character to furnish the reader 
 with all the information necessary to meet the emergencies which 
 may occur in the various forms of hernia ; for their management 
 and treatment require more than ordinary skill, and many persons, 
 who consider themselves competent to prescribe for the ordinary 
 diseases of cattle, are willing to acknowledge themselves at fault 
 when consulted on the subject of rupture; and, lest my own re- 
 marks on this subject may prove of little avail in furnishing the 
 
HERNIA, OR RUPTURES. 565 
 
 husbandman, in the hour of need, the necessary instruction, I 
 introduce the two following cases, selected from the " London 
 Veterinarian." Mr. James Stowar furnishes the following case 
 of strangulated hernia : 
 
 "On the 17th of September, 1850, I was called to the farm of 
 Ashogle, to see a cow which had been injured by the horns of 
 another ; but, as I had left home that afternoon for a distance, 
 and did not return until late next day, I did not see the cow until 
 the 19th. I found her with a hernial tumor protruding from the 
 right iliac, which remained covered within the skin, so large that 
 a bushel measure would not have contained it. She was evidently 
 in much pain while standing, and would stand only a very short 
 time. I was told that she had eaten a good deal since the acci- 
 dent, and, as a stoppage of the dung was observed, they had given 
 her a pound of Epsom salts. Her abdomen was enormously dis- 
 tended, notwithstanding the largeness of the hernial tumor. The 
 non-escape of the feces was proof positive, under the circum- 
 stances, of the hernia being strangulated. 
 
 I had her laid on the left side, as carefully as possible, and, 
 after every attempt to return the hernia by external manipulation 
 had failed, I cut into the sac, and attempted to knead in, inch by 
 inch, the gorged intestines ; but in this, also, I failed. The hernial 
 opening was large enough to admit three of my fingers, so that it 
 was not want of room in that, but in the abdominal cavity, which 
 was so fully distended by the intestines forming the hernia, that 
 caused the difficulty. I had her laid upon her back, with her 
 hind legs drawn up, so as to throw the contents of the abdomen 
 as much as possible upon the diaphragm. Even then, however, 
 I could not succeed. I therefore, with a sharp-pointed scalpel, 
 cut into the intestine, and emptied it entirely of its semifluid 
 contents, stitched up the wound, and washed it carefully, and so, 
 ultimately, accomplished the reduction. With a strong cord I 
 closed the hernial opening, as well as the one I had made through 
 the skin, nine inches further up ; I then turned her on her left 
 side, and in a few minutes the feces began to escape by their 
 proper channel. I gave linseed oil, twenty ounces, and tincture 
 of opium, one ounce. Next morning I found her up, stepping 
 through the shed, inclined to eat, her bowels acting freely. I had 
 her tightly bandaged, to support the abdomen, and made an open- 
 ing to allow the escape of discharge at the bottom of the sac. I 
 
566 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 saw her daily for a week, and prescribed according to the state in 
 which I found her. On the whole, her health proved good, and 
 her wounds healed pleasantly. She was fourteen years old, and, 
 like most cows, had a large belly. She fattened well, and was 
 sold for the shambles in April. The butcher told the farmer that 
 he found a large abscess in her side when he cut her up." 
 
 The next case is that of ventral hernia, furnished by Mr. G. 
 Lewis : 
 
 " In September last, I was requested to examine a heifer, which 
 was said to have a ' swelling on her right side.' I found her with 
 a pendulous bag, hanging very low on the right flank, and of an 
 immense size. Upon a close examination of the parts, I ascer- 
 tained that the enlargement was produced by an escape of the 
 intestines through a rent in the abdominal muscles. I informed 
 the owner that nothing short of an operation could be productive 
 of benefit to the animal, and I also pointed out to him the nature 
 of the case, and its probable results. 
 
 According to the arrangement, the heifer was sent to me on 
 September 6, when, after due preparation by medicine, etc., I had 
 her cast and secured, and then carefully made an opening through 
 the skin and panniculus muscle, immediately over the laceration 
 in the other muscles, but a little longer than it. I thus exposed 
 the rent which existed in the external and also the internal 
 oblique. The edges of the aperture were very uneven and much 
 thickened; and I may state in this place that the enlargement 
 had been observed a month prior to this date. A large portion 
 of the intestines were found to have escaped into the sac formed 
 by the panniculus and common integument ; besides which, a con- 
 siderable quantity of serous fluid existed beneath the skin, and 
 externally to the panniculus, which had doubtless been thrown 
 out by the injured vessels. 
 
 The intestines being returned into the abdominal cavity, the 
 edges of the laceration were brought together with strong metallic 
 sutures, and properly secured. The external wound was then 
 closed ; and, before allowing the animal to rise, I passed a seton 
 through the most depending portion of the integumental sac, with 
 a view to give a gradual and continuous exit to the serous effu- 
 sion . A compress was also placed upon the part to remove as 
 much of the pressure of the viscera as possible, after which the 
 animal was allowed to rise. 
 
HERNIA, OR RUPTURES. 
 
 567 
 
 For several days the bowels remained obstinately constipated, 
 and some symptomatic fever was also present; but, by proper 
 measures, these unfavorable symptoms were soon removed. The 
 animal was allowed only linseed tea and thin gruel for a few days. 
 Subsequently a large amount of serous fluid was discharged through 
 the openings made for the introduction of the seton ; it however, 
 soon ceased. The sutures also came away in due course, leaving 
 but little appearance of the original injury." 
 
 VIEW OF SOME OF THE SUPERFICIAL MUSCLES. 
 
SECTION XXIV. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE BONES. 
 
 Cachexia Ossafraga — Bone Disorders — Mechanism and Structure of Bones — 
 Composition of Bones — Ultimate Constituents of Bones — Dilatation of the 
 Jaw Bones — Abscess beneath the Periosteum, at the Angle of the Jaw — 
 Exostosis, or Deposit of the Calcareous Matter on the Surface of Bones 
 — Caries, ob Ulceration of Bones — Preliminary to Horn-Ail — On Sympa- 
 thy and the Sympathetic Relations which exist in the Animal Economy — 
 Horn-Ail — Tail- Ail. 
 
 Cachexia Ossafraga (the "Cripple").* 
 
 " A LTHOUGH using this term as the title of my subject, I do 
 il. not consider it to give an idea of the exact character of the 
 disease I am about to describe, but' merely to convey an impression 
 of a very prominent symptom of the disease. As many other 
 maladies existing in different localities, this one is very differently 
 treated of in our veterinary works. The inefficiency of our works 
 on cattle medicine is sufficiently apparent to the practitioner, who, 
 after a nominal term spent at college, enters into the world of 
 medicine a sufficiently-educated person, as his diploma gives him 
 to understand ; but how frequently is he wofully disappointed when 
 called to any of the several enzootics in cattle which he finds have 
 not been treated of, perhaps not mentioned either at college or in 
 the books ! 
 
 The present subject is one, among others, which is not discussed 
 in British works on cattle medicine. It is a disease very preva- 
 lent in many districts I am personally acquainted with, and in all 
 of which it passes under the very expressive term of ' cripple/ the 
 appearance of the animal fully confirming the term. It seldom 
 happens that a solitary case occurs on a farm which is subject to it; 
 
 * P. Sarginson, V. S. 
 668 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES 569 
 
 for all the milch cows, and perhaps some of the younger stock, are 
 more or less affected by it. Such farms are considered to be of 
 much less value than other places on which it does not occur, not 
 only from the unthrifty condition of the stock, but also as regards 
 fertility, as they are never found to be very productive, and among 
 farmers they pass under the cognomen of ' crippled places/ The 
 disease will never be found to exist on farms that are fertile and 
 rich; in fact, a certain guide to the locale of this affection is to 
 look out for farms that are situated on high lands, possessing 
 stunted hedges and trees, a barren, or, at least, a poor soil, produc- 
 ing a dry, short, and innutritious herb. On passing over the 
 farm, the limestone rock will, most generally, be seen to project 
 out of the soil, proving that it is situated on the limestone ; or by 
 examining the rivulets, if any, that flow through the farm, the 
 water will appear to be beautifully transparent, so that the smallest 
 pebble may be discerned on its bed. There is, also, in the gener- 
 ality of instances, the limestone rock forming its bed. When this 
 is present, any old farmer will tell you that the water which seems 
 to be so limpid and pure is ' hard/ and that the cattle confined to 
 it are certain to be crippled. I have, however, noted farms where 
 the water which supplied them was charged with a carbonate of 
 lime, and still no cripple exists on them. This is, undoubtedly, 
 owing to the character of the soil, which, on examination, is found 
 loamy and free, and lying on the red sandstone rock. " I have also 
 noticed ' cripple ' prevailing on farms supplied with water running 
 over mosses, etc., which, from the experience of intelligent farm- 
 ers, has been said to be antagonistic to this affection. This, in my 
 opinion, is caused from the character of the soil proving to be of 
 an undoubted calcareous character, intermixed with clay. Al- 
 though it can not be doubted but that the water supplying farms 
 impregnated with any principle of an injurious character will have 
 an influence in the production of disease, yet, in the instances 
 quoted, it appears that the character of the herbage produced on 
 such farms either counteracted the injurious influence of the water, 
 or, on the other hand, destroyed or overbalanced the influence of 
 the mossy water. 
 
 From what has been stated, it will be seen that the ' cripple' 
 will and does exist on those farms where the soil is calcareous and 
 clayey, and that it is evident that such soils are incapable of pro- 
 ducing a succulent and healthy plant ; in fact, will the herb not be 
 
570 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 surcharged with calcareous and silicious elements ? and is there not 
 a deficiency of azote-producing principles ? As it is well known 
 that where nitrogen abounds a luxuriant herbage is the result, we 
 need go no further in support of this than a farm on which an 
 abundant supply of its manure is spread. How much more abun- 
 dant and luxuriant is the character of the vegetation from the use 
 of decomposed vegetable matter and animal excreta? than from 
 any thing else. If, therefore, the herb, grown on these ' crippled 
 farms' be unhealthy, as there is little doubt, the animals partak- 
 ing of such will, without doubt, in the course of time, have their 
 systems seriously deranged, and the character of derangement will 
 depend either upon an insufficient supply of nitrogenous material, 
 inducing, consequently, emaciation and pure debility; or it may 
 be that, where this deficiency of azotized material exists, the earthy 
 salts may not exist in an abnormal degree, but still, from a want 
 of other nutritious material to counteract their ill effect, the sys- 
 tem may become charged with them. When the herbage and other 
 produce of the soil is charged with earthy salts, whether carbonates 
 or silicates, they would, in all probability, become assimilated, or, 
 at least, there would be a tendency to the deposition of these salts 
 into the various textures, such as the cartilages, ligaments, and 
 cardiac valves, etc., all of which lesions are apparent, to a greater 
 or less degree, in all the animals which have died of this disease 
 that I have examined. Some are of opinion that it is owing alto- 
 gether to an excess of carbonate of lime in the soil and waters; 
 but if this were the case, the character of the farm could not be 
 altered, nor the disease be removed, as has been done, and which 
 will be noticed hereafter. It is most probable, at least, as far as 
 my humble opinion goes, that it is induced from the combined 
 influence of poverty in the soil, and an excess of astringent salts, 
 silicates, etc. When I refer to the poverty of the soil, it must not 
 be understood that I mean an exhausted state of the soil, because 
 many of those places have not been broken up with the plow to 
 any extent. Many farmers are of opinion that the labor and ex- 
 pense required in the cultivation of such lands would not be com- 
 pensated by their produce. If it were turned up by the plow, the 
 advantages it would derive from exposure to the atmosphere and 
 rain-water would be considerable. 
 
 There are many farms which are termed crippled farms, and 
 many cattle called crippled, which are not really so. The mystery 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 571 
 
 of this is easily explained. On strict inquiry, you will find that 
 the reason the stock display so many of their bones, and walk off 
 so stiff, is owing altogether to imperfect feeding. It answers as a 
 good excuse for the farmer who overstocks his farm, and is thus 
 compelled to serve out short rations, to say that it is the cripple 
 (or any other name it may possess) that is the cause. The climate 
 will, without doubt, have a great influence in modifying this dis- 
 ease, as is shown by the greater severity in form on those lands 
 that lie the highest, where the protection is scanty from the in- 
 clemencies of the seasons. A fact connected with this affection is 
 that when cattle are taken from those farms which are subject to 
 it, even when suffering severely from it, to farms existing on the 
 eastern banks of the river Eden (which flows through the vale of 
 Westmoreland), they recover completely from its effects, and are 
 perfectly free from a recurrence of the attack if they remain in 
 that district. It is a common saying among farmers that ' there is 
 no cripple on that side of Eden.' The character of these farms 
 that are free from the affection is essentially different from those 
 afflicted with it. They have a free, sandy, and rich soil, produc- 
 ing excellent oats and rich meadow-grass, but their climate is 
 colder, owing to their being situated near a range of mountains ; 
 but if the cattle are brought on to those farms situated on the 
 western bank of Eden, where the cripple prevails, they soon begin 
 to show the symptoms of an attack. I do not include all the farms 
 on the western bank, as some are perfectly free from it. 
 
 From this instance, we may again be led to infer that the herb 
 and water to which they had been previously subject were not 
 sufficiently nutritious, or else impregnated with some injurious 
 matter, because, on removal to farms producing a superior herbage, 
 they have recovered, sometimes in an incredible short time, for the 
 sad state they were in. On all these crippled places cows that 
 yield a great quantity of milk are the soonest attacked, and the 
 farmer knowing this will not take such to his farm, because he 
 would soon have to ' dry ' them, or they would rapidly fail ; but 
 animals that have been reared on these places are less liable to its 
 attack, and are seldom so severely afflicted by it. 
 
 Many have confounded this affection with rheumatism, but it is, 
 without doubt, a distinct disease in character, as in no case of 
 cripple will be seen the acute symptoms and fever which exist in 
 both the acute and chronic form of rheumatism. In those cases 
 
572 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 where suppuration exists in the joints, and the limbs even rot off, 
 it is, in my opinion, produced from the friction of the joint from 
 ossified cartilage, and an evident deficiency of synovia, these in- 
 ducing a local inflammation altogether differing from the peculiar 
 characteristics of rheumatism, and, unlike it, the osseous system 
 seems to be the principal seat of disease. 
 
 Some cattle evince a greater predisposition than others to an 
 attack, as the elderly cow and the cow that yields a great quantity 
 of milk. I have never noticed young calves become affected by 
 it. Some have stated them to have been so, but, on inquiry, it 
 has been found to be pure arthritis, or joint-felon, from cold and 
 damp houses. While one of the stock of calves has been so af- 
 flicted, the others were perhaps perfectly healthy. The symptoms 
 vary in degree of virulence on different farms. Some farms have 
 a very slight attack, while others are very severely afflicted with 
 it ; but the symptoms will vary frequently on one farm, as, on en- 
 tering a cow-house with a collection of ' crippled ' cattle, it will be 
 seen that some are slightly affected, while others are evidently 
 suffering greatly. The disease being of a subacute character, the 
 period from its first appearance in an animal to its last stage occu- 
 pies frequently some years, according to the vigor of their consti- 
 tutions, and the mild or severe form of the disease. There is one 
 farm I am acquainted with where the owner is compelled to change 
 his stock every two years, to prevent heavy losses occurring. 
 
 Symptoms. — In the primary stage of the disease the animal pre- 
 sents a lean, emaciated condition. The bones in every part of the 
 body are prominent ; the skin is tight, hard, and void of all sup- 
 pleness; the hair presents a coarse appearance, standing almost 
 straight up, having none of its naturally smooth character about 
 it ; but if we see our patient walk, it will strike us that there are 
 no joints in her limbs, as she is peculiarly stiff, knocking her 
 hock-joints up against each other without any regard to the un- 
 stateliness of the gait. She will, also, while walking, make an 
 extaordinary cracking noise, showing an insufficiency of synovia 
 to lubricate the joints; the pulse, on pressure, feels flaccid, but the 
 caliber is rather increased than diminished ; rumination is per- 
 formed rather slow and sluggishly; appetite is not indifferent, 
 eating her hay, straw, or turnips with a degree of zest. If we 
 allow her to come in the neighborhood of the hedge where the 
 farmer's wife has displayed her linen, she will indicate the phe- 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. . 573 
 
 nomenon of bulimia or depraved appetite. She will seize with 
 avidity the first article she reaches, and chew it with wonderful 
 pleasure ; she will also hunt with avidity any sour or filthy liquids, 
 even human urine, and drink them greedily; and when in the 
 pasture will pick up a bone, if such can be found, and chew it for 
 an hour at a time, seeming to enjoy the occupation. Stones, iron, 
 sticks, clothes, etc., are all alike objects of attraction to her. This 
 peculiar habit is attributable, I should think, to acidity of the 
 stomach. The farmer imagines that a sod, cut from a field and 
 placed before her, will palliate her affection, and the cow, to ap- 
 preciate his kindness, commences to lick it, and even to devour the 
 soil that is on it. I have noticed them chewing these different 
 articles, and never saw one display any anxiety to swallow the 
 object, but merely a desire of chewing. When such articles are 
 swallowed, it will, I think, be more accidental than intentional 
 on the part of the animal, but I can not be positive on this point. 
 They show a particular desire to chew articles of clothing, as is 
 testified by a person going to a stall-head between two of them. 
 They will immediately seize his dress and chew it. The bowels 
 are always more or less constipated, and the secretion of milk is 
 partly checked, although but slightly. They may continue in 
 this manner for a longer or shorter period, according to constitu- 
 tion and external circumstances, before they display any of the 
 worst symptoms concomitant on the termination of the disease. 
 It is a gradual declining from the primary symptoms to those of 
 a more fatal character. These may be marked by the appearance 
 of tumors over the hips or stifle-joints, or, perhaps, a tumefaction 
 extending from the stifle to the hock-joint, which, in the course 
 of time, suppurates. In the mean time, the system, it is evident, 
 is sinking. The pulse is flaccid, but still retains its caliber, al- 
 though accelerated ; appetite is impaired, and rumination is per- 
 formed very lazily ; constipation, if a milch cow ; the milk is now 
 wholly suspended, or nearly so. If, perchance, the animal has 
 swallowed any irritating or indigestible substance, which is almost 
 always the case, the symptoms of indigestion will be more severe, 
 with perhaps an intermittent pulse, great lameness, increasing to 
 such an extent that the animal is either unwilling or incapable of 
 rising ; or, perhaps, on closer examination, some bone will be 
 found to have become fractured, either the scapula, femur, or the 
 pelvis, or it may have occurred in any other bone, as there is the 
 
574 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 same tendency in all the bones to fracture, although the animal is 
 fastened up in his stall, and, therefore, not subject to any of the 
 ordinary causes of fracture. 
 
 I recollect a case in which the animal could not stand. On ex- 
 amination, it was found that the radius and ulna were completely 
 fractured ; next day the scapula and femur were broken ; in fact, 
 one after another, all the bones of the limbs became fractured, 
 until the animal died from the extent of irritative fever set up, 
 consequent on the fractures. Another instance of this brittleness 
 of bone: A milch cow was purchased as perfectly sound. She 
 was poor, and the excuse was that she was rather crippled. A 
 fair price was paid for her. She walked to her new home ex- 
 tremely stiff and lame. Next morning I saw her, and found the 
 os ilium fractured ; afterward the femur broke, and she died. 
 
 In the greater part of cases the brittleness of bone is present, 
 and in such I never noticed any suppurative tumors, excepting 
 some cases where the joints were affected, and opened from local 
 inflammation. On examining some cases after death, I found at- 
 tenuation of muscles, the bones polished at their extremities, and 
 brittle. In some rare cases exostosis may be noticed on the body 
 of the bone, but such are scarce. On the epiphyses of the bones, 
 however, they will frequently be found, more especially at the 
 lower extremity of the tibia. Sometimes they have existed to such 
 an extent as to anchylose the hock-joint. In all the articulations 
 there is evident deficiency of synovia. The different articulatory 
 cartilages displayed an undoubted tendency during life to the depo- 
 sition of osseous matter in them, as all of them possessed a degree 
 of hardness inconsistent with nature. 
 
 In regard to prevention, it will be evident enough that the re- 
 moval of the animal from the innutritious farm to one of a richer 
 and more luxuriant character will be attended with the greatest 
 benefit. Many cases have been recruited even when the animal 
 has been compelled to lie and eat. An important fact I wish to 
 mention here is, that there are some two or three large farms in 
 this neighborhood which were formerly severely afflicted with this 
 disease ; but now, since they have become possessed by enterprising 
 agriculturists, the disease is much abated, in fact, proving a very 
 rare visitor, although these farms possess the characteristics pre- 
 viously described as ' crippled places,' and were, in fact, situations 
 where this disease prevailed to a serious extent. The means which 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 575 
 
 have been resorted to by these men were irrigation and extensive 
 use of artificial and other manures on the farms, thus altering the 
 character of the herbage, as it is not only more luxuriant, but evi- 
 dently of a more succulent and nutritious character. They also 
 cultivate a good quantity of the mangel-wurzel and linseed for 
 consumption by the stock. These articles were never known on 
 the farms while suffering from ' cripple.' These means have evi- 
 dently produced a wonderful eifect, as they are seldom if ever af- 
 flicted with it. As the disease is found to be worse during the 
 autumn and winter seasons, when the cattle are brought in to dry 
 food, the necessity of a succulent diet is obvious ; but still I have 
 seen many bad cases during summer, on farms where the soils were 
 calcareous or clayey. Where there is a scanty supply of turnips, 
 and where oil-cake or other of these useful articles of diet are 
 scarce, the ' cripple ' will be the most severe. In a word, to pre- 
 vent it, soft nutritious diet, as turnips, mangel-wurzel, oil-cake, 
 etc., must be resorted to; and the hay or straw with which the 
 animals are supplied should not be the stunted and dry material 
 which is produced by those lands on which the ' cripple ' is known 
 to exist, but such as is produced by the plentiful use of artificial 
 and other manures, to counteract the tendency of the soil to pro- 
 duce a dry and stunted herb. The use of crushed oats and barley, 
 along with other nutritious food, will, in the course of time, have 
 a very beneficial effect also. 
 
 When the practitioner is sought to a case of confirmed ' cripple,' 
 where the preventive means have not been resorted to, it will be 
 necessary to employ more active measures. Many remedies have 
 been tried, with more or less benefit, according to the advance- 
 ment of the disease, where the cachexia ossifraga is so predom- 
 inant, and one bone becoming rapidly fractured after another, the 
 case may be looked upon as altogether hopeless; but in those 
 cases where the tendency to fracture is not so great, the animal 
 may be recruited most generally. In recommending remedies for 
 a disease possessing different phases, it is necessary to apply those 
 means which seem most applicable to the one particular case in 
 hand. Many disappointments have originated from the reported 
 success of a particular remedy from parties who, no doubt, did 
 succeed with it, while others, without taking into consideration 
 the modifications of the disease, ruled by circumstances, climate, 
 etc., have unmistakably failed, although the same remedy may 
 
576 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 have been employed, thus showing that one remedy may succeed 
 admirably in one district, while in another it is sometimes nearly 
 useless. 
 
 Treatment. — The means which I have seen applied with success, 
 according to the modification of the disease, were, in the cases 
 where the attack is primary, the use of malt ale, administered in 
 pint doses every night for a length of time; water acidulated 
 with sulphuric acid, diluted, or with nitric acid, allowing the 
 animal no other water to drink excepting this; also administer- 
 ing the diluted sulphuric acid, twice daily ; and where constipa- 
 tion is threatened by its use, it must be obviated by a laxative 
 diet. Hydrochloric acid and nitric acid have been used, but the 
 preference is given to the sulphuric. Sulphate of soda, in quarter- 
 pound doses, combined with vegetable tonics, will sometimes be 
 found useful. Camphor, in large doses, combined with tonics, 
 given in cold ale instead of gruel, have been attended with good 
 success; also, the use of a decoction of the willow or poplar barks, 
 given in pint doses, will be found an admirable tonic for advanced 
 cases. As to the use of sedatives, the animal rapidly sinks under 
 their influence. The only class of medicines that have been the 
 most successful were tonics. There are many cases of chronic 
 rheumatism and arthrites that have been confounded with cripple, 
 but any one acquainted with these diseases will readily recognize 
 an essential difference between them. But, in fact, every remedy 
 will be comparatively useless unless the animal be put upon a 
 more nutritious diet — a diet free from astringent qualities." 
 
 Bone Disorder. 
 
 During the past few years I have noticed a number of articles 
 in our agricultural periodicals referring to a disease named by the 
 writers " Bone Disorder." The name, as the reader will perceive, 
 does not throw the least ray of light on the pathology of the mal- 
 ady ; in fact, it savors strongly of the so-called " horn-ail " and 
 "tail-ail" — terms which apply to symptoms rather than to any 
 real disorder. One writer informs us that when an animal be- 
 comes the subject of bone disorder, " the bones threaten to cave 
 in — have wasted away." If they do threaten to cave in, the best 
 method I am acquainted with to insure an opposite tendency, is 
 to promote the healthy functions of the body, and thus keep dis- 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 577 
 
 ease and the cattle separate. If the bones waste away, and then 
 assume their original shape by merely feeding bone meal, as the 
 writers contend, then the bones of cattle must possess some pecu- 
 liarities that I have never, in my professional capacity, been able 
 to discover. 
 
 If the animals recover (as we are told they do), then it might 
 be inferred that the bones possess properties analogous to that of 
 the soft tissues — an inference which the reader knows is not 
 correct. I would observe, however, that all parts of the animal 
 organism undergo a very perceptible augmentation, and decrease 
 or waste. Thus, up to the period of adult life, all parts of the 
 animal frame increase in bulk, and give to the animal that rotund 
 and symmetrical appearance which attracts the eye of all those 
 who love to admire the works of Nature ; but, at last, old age 
 comes on, which is attended by a gradual waste or shrinkage. 
 This occurs, however, more in the muscles than in the bones ; 
 yet the latter undergo some condensation, which may possibly 
 lessen their volume. This, however, is a physiological result, the 
 work of uncompromising Nature, over which human agency (bone 
 meal included) has not the least control. 
 
 Whenever the bones do become diseased, it is the result of he- 
 reditary predisposition, of local injury, or of impaired digestion. 
 So far as my inquiries have extended in relation to the character 
 of the so-called bone disorder, I infer that it is a disease of a de- 
 bilitating character, originating, in most cases, in the digestive 
 and nutritive organs affecting not only the bones but various 
 other tissues of the body, and, therefore, the only rational plan of 
 treatment consists in improving the general health of the animal. 
 The ways and means of accomplishing this very desirable result 
 are as various as the causes which occasion the derangements. If 
 it be evident (as the bone disorder theorists contend) that the 
 animal organism, in such cases, is deficient in phosphate of lime, 
 I have no objection to offer against the popular custom of giving 
 the patient a few doses of bone meal ; for, whenever there shall 
 be a deficiency of carbon in the system, bone meal may be useful 
 in supporting pulmonary combustion, and thus insure healthy 
 action of the organs and functions of the animal economy ; yet I 
 would suggest to the intelligent reader that as bruised oats, ground 
 corn, and linseed meal contain a large amount of phosphates, they 
 should be selected in preference to bone meal, which I think is 
 37 
 
578 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 more valuable as a remedial agent for a carnivorous than for a 
 herbivorous animal. 
 
 As I understand the complex theory of digestion, the value of 
 food or remedial agents is in exact ratio to their adaptation for 
 assimilation ; so that if their elements are only held in union by 
 an uncomplex chemical affinity, as is the case with all vegetable 
 productions known as food, their solution is easily and promptly 
 effected by the ordinary process of insalivation, mastication, and 
 remastication ; but bone meal (a popular remedy) is actually an 
 animal production, (vegetable matter animalized,) and, in order 
 to convert the same into the component parts of the cow's struc- 
 ture, it will perhaps require more chemico-vital force to effect the 
 solution than when oatmeal, etc., are used, the chemical affinity 
 
 PELVIS AND BIBS DISEASED AND DISTORTED. 
 
 here being weaker than is the case with bones. In the treatment 
 of any and every disease, it is usual to endeavor to ascertain the 
 direct causes, and, if possible, effect their removal, and whatever 
 seems to be indicated we are justified in supplying; so that if 
 phosphates are indicated, they may be prescribed ; yet in cases of 
 emaciation, when weakness and debility preside, I should prefer 
 to use nutritious food, tonics, and stimulants, instead of bone 
 meal. Why not add the bone meal to the barnyard manure? 
 In this way the animal would get the benefit of it in the form of 
 fodder. 
 
 In reference to a deficiency of phosphate of lime in the milk, 
 which the writers alluded to have noticed, I remark that it may, 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 579 
 
 in part, arise from functional derangement in the digestive organs 
 (in such cases a large quantity of phosphate, etc., is expelled from 
 the system in the excrement) ; or the fodder itself may be deficient 
 in its usual yield of phosphate of lime. We then have an evi- 
 dence of vegetable disease, for I believe that the phosphate of lime 
 is as necessary for the growth and integrity of the plant as it 
 seems to be for the same purposes in the animal kingdom. But I 
 believe that the plant can not lack phosphates without there being 
 a corresponding deficiency in several other constituents which go 
 to form the healthy vegetable ; so that, in such cases the disease is 
 general, not local. The plant is not fiber-sick nor the cow bone- 
 sick, but, in both cases, (the food of each being innutritions,) de- 
 bility is the disease. 
 
 It is well known that successive cultivation exhausts the soil, 
 and uses up the constituents necessary for the growth and maturity 
 of grains and fodder ; yet the pastures and plowed land might be 
 made to yield good crops and rich harvests by depositing in the 
 soil (in the form of animal excrement, straw, wood, ashes, lime, 
 charcoal, etc.,) as much as we take out of it. The soil can not 
 create any thing of itself; therefore an increase in crops can only 
 be obtained by adding more of certain agents to the soil than we 
 take out of it. 
 
 " In Flanders the yearly loss of the necessary matters in the 
 soil is completely restored by covering the fields with ashes of 
 wood or bones, which may or may not have been lixiviated. The 
 great importance of manuring with ashes has been long recog- 
 nized by agriculturists as the result of experience. So great a 
 value, indeed, is attached to this material, in the vicinity of Mar- 
 burg and in the Wetterau, (two well-known agricultural districts,) 
 that it is transported, as a manure, from the distance of eighteen 
 or twenty-four miles. Its use will be at once perceived, when it 
 is considered that the ashes, after being washed with water, con- 
 tain silicate of potash exactly in the same proportion as in the 
 straw, and that their only other constituents are salts of phos- 
 phoric acid." 
 
 It is a fact well-known to husbandmen, that some breeding 
 cows do not come up to the standard of health or fair condition, 
 although they are fed from the cream of the crib, on the best kind 
 of fodder. The inference is that the digestive organs are not in 
 working condition; therefore, in such cases, the food operates as 
 
580 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 an exciting cause of disease. The effects of cheap and damaged 
 food are too well known. Poor food is dear at any price which 
 may be asked for it. It may not furnish sufficient carbon ; if so, 
 the animal is deprived of the power of reproducing itself, and 
 must, eventually, suifer. 
 
 Mechanism and Structure of Bones. 
 
 Bones have many things in common with the soft tissues and 
 organs; for example, arteries, veins, nerves, lymphatics, and a 
 connecting cellular web. Their structure, in the embryotic state, 
 is highly vascular, yielding, and gelatinous. They have exter- 
 nally a fibrous investment, known as periosteum, which is well 
 supplied with arteries, veins, nerves, and absorbents; and it is 
 through the intervention of this fibrous tunic that the vessels 
 proper to bones reach their ultimate destination. On the interior 
 surface of hollow bones we find a membrane of similar structure, 
 only more delicately organized. The cavity of the shaft-bones ia 
 usually occupied by a quantity of adipose matter, known as mar- 
 row. This is inclosed in laminated cells, and is supposed to be a 
 sort of aliment in reserve, to provide against accidental emer- 
 gencies of non-nutrition. 
 
 Composition of Bones. 
 
 Bones consist of two constituents ; namely, animal basis and cal- 
 careous matter. In the healthy adult the proportions are as follows : 
 
 Animal matter 33J per cent. 
 
 Calcareous matter 66f " '• 
 
 Total 100 
 
 Ultimate Constituents of Bones. 
 
 The ultimate constituents of bones are gelatine, animal matter, 
 carbonate, phosphate, and fluate of lime, phosphates of soda, and 
 magnesia. Their growth, like that of shells, is effected by the 
 addition of new tissues to that already formed. Bones which have 
 a central cavity are protected internally by cartilaginous fibers or 
 unions ; hence they expand or burst so soon as their cartilaginous 
 braces are decomposed by a diseased condition of the parts. 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 581 
 
 Dilatation op the Jaw Bones. 
 
 This disease seems to be more prevalent among horses than 
 cattle. In equine practice it is termed " big head ; " in bovine 
 practice we call it spina ventosa (a bony tumor, in which the in^ 
 terior of the bone is absorbed, leaving a mere shell of bone, divided 
 into cells, containing purulent, cheesy matter) ; but perhaps " di- 
 latation of bone " will give the reader a better idea of the character 
 of the disease than any other term. On inspecting the jaw bones 
 of cattle, the subjects of dilatation, we find the greatest enlarge- 
 ment at the angle of the lower jaw. On cutting into the same, 
 its cavity is occupied by a preparation resembling soft cheese. On 
 removing this, it is discovered that the cartilaginous braces which 
 hold the sides of the bone together are decomposed; hence the 
 dilatation. This foreign material often degenerates into true 
 pus, and burrows through the bones toward the surface. In 
 this condition a fluctuating tumor can be felt at the angle of the 
 jaw. 
 
 Sometimes the bones of the jaw appear to have lost their cohesive 
 firmness and vitality ; they then border on a state known as ne- 
 crosis. Now, if a portion of bone in this condition be macerated, 
 for only a short time, in a weak solution of muriatic acid, it can 
 be rolled up like a piece of paper, showing that it is deficient in 
 calcareous matter; but if it takes a day or more to put the bone 
 in this condition, the experiment would not be of much value, as 
 all bones can be more or less softened by means of weak acids. 
 
 Treatment. — Having ascertained that the osseous structure is de- 
 ficient of earthy matter, and that the animal matter preponderates, 
 we are then in possession of facts which can be used to great ad- 
 vantage in preventing the malady, and perhaps treating it in its 
 early stage. The remedies are phosphate of lime, vegetable tonics, 
 and stimulants. I use them in the following form : 
 
 No. 106. Phosphate of lime 6 oz. 
 
 Powdered golden seal 2 oz. 
 
 Powdered sassafras 3 oz. 
 
 Powdered ginger 2 oz. 
 
 Oatmeal 4 lbs. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 This is to be divided into sixteen parts, one of which may be 
 incorporated with the food every night. I recommend the medi- 
 
582 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 cine in this form because it is calculated to give tone to the func- 
 tion of nutrition. 
 
 It is well known that the maintenance of the functions of ani- 
 mal life are almost entirely dependent on the due performance of 
 the nutritive operations, and, therefore, the integrity and properties 
 of all the hard as well as the soft tissues depend on their regular 
 nutrition by a due supply of perfectly elaborated blood. This can 
 not be effected unless the functions of circulation, respiration, and 
 secretion are performed with regularity. Circulation is necessary 
 to convey a supply of nutritious fluid, and respiration and secretion 
 separate the blood from its impurities. Therefore, in cases of this 
 character, I advise stock-owners to endeavor to improve the gen- 
 eral health of the patient by means just suggested, and also that 
 they should see that the animal gets that kind of food which is 
 rich in phosphates. 
 
 It is very difficult to define the causes of this disease. It may 
 originate in a peculiar morbid habit of body, or it may be the se- 
 quence of faulty nutrition or hereditary predisposition. When an 
 animal labors under any morbid habit of body he is in a state far 
 removed from that of health, and various parts of the body be- 
 come affected by the change ; and even should the power of form- 
 ing good healthy blood remain, the organic force by which the 
 constituents of blood are transformed into osseous structure must 
 necessarily be enfeebled by the morbid habit, so that the power to 
 produce metamorphoses is necessarily diminished. It is my opinion 
 that big head usually commences in the fibrous tissues which are 
 found in the internal surface of bones. A very peculiar feature 
 of these fibrous tunics is, that when they once become diseased 
 they run rapidly to purulency ; and this accounts for the large 
 amount of purulent matter often found in the cavities of jaw bones 
 when buried or exposed to a drying process. It is then, however, 
 in a spongy state. 
 
 A very distinguished French writer contends that " fibrous 
 tunics or tissues hardly ever contribute to the formation of pus." 
 This is evidently an error ; for when the periosteum (covering of 
 bones), which covers the fang of a tooth, and gives a lining to the 
 cavity into which it is inserted, becomes inflamed, it suppurates, 
 and the tooth has to be removed. I contend that it is the most 
 common tissue that excites the flow of those exudations from arte- 
 rial capillaries, which becomes converted into pus; hence, in this 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 583 
 
 way I account for the collections of pus often found on and under 
 fibrous ligamentary tissues and coverings of muscles ; also upon 
 and beneath the peritoseum, and in the vicinity of fibrous tissues 
 in other parts of the system. 
 
 The surgical treatment of a case of this kind is to liberate the 
 pent-up pus or matter. With this object in view, I cast the subject, 
 and, after having brought him under the influence of ether, I make 
 an incision through the integuments, etc., and expose the bone; 
 then, by means of a pair of common bone forceps, I make an 
 opening into the same, liberate the imprisoned matter, and inject 
 the cavity with pyroligneous acid. Having removed as much as 
 possible of the morbid matter, I then cram the cavity with equal 
 parts of powdered bloodroot and bayberry bark. The external 
 wound must not be closed by suture, but left open, so as to allow 
 of a free discharge from the parts ; for the healing process must 
 begin at the upper part of the cavity, and the integument should 
 be the last to heal. I continue to throw into the cavity, by means 
 of a glass syringe, a small quantity of pyroligneous acid daily, 
 until the discharge ceases. Then the parts are to be dressed with 
 common tincture of aloes. After an operation of this character 
 there will remain some enlargement of the tissual structures about 
 the parts. This can gradually be reduced by a few applications of 
 a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 107. Iodide of potassium 1 dr. 
 
 Glycerine 1 oz. 
 
 Mix, and keep the preparation in a glass vial, well corked. 
 
 Abscess beneath the Peeiosteum, at the angle of 
 the Jaw. 
 
 This is a very frequent and formidable disease among cattle, 
 and is ofttimes occasioned by blows inflicted purposely or acci- 
 dentally on a region known as the angle of the jaw. It is a 
 formidable disease, because it frequently ends in caries or ulcera- 
 tion of the jaw-bone. 
 
 Symptoms. — It originates in an inflammatory condition of the 
 periosteum, accompanied by a gradual enlargement at the angle 
 of the jaw. It is very painful, the animal being very unwilling 
 to have the part handled. The pain is occasioned by distension 
 
584 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 of the periosteum, and this is sometimes found to be indurated or 
 thickened. The animal does not eat as well as usual, in conse- 
 quence of the pain occasioned by the act of mastication, and he 
 generally labors under some degree, more or less severe, of febrile 
 excitement. Ordinarily it is a very easy matter to detect the pres- 
 ence of pus in any of the superficial regions; but in this, located 
 directly on the bone, and covered by a fibrous membrane which 
 only admits of a limited amount of distension, it is very difficult 
 for an unskillful person to discover it ; yet, if the above symptoms 
 are observed, I should decide that there is pus beneath the perios- 
 teum. 
 
 Treatment. — No treatment is of any advantage except that of 
 making a free opening through the skin, muscle, and periosteum, 
 and thus insuring a complete discharge of the morbid matter; 
 and the sooner this is done the better, for it will relieve the ani- 
 mal of much suffering and prevent ulceration of the jaw-bone. 
 Very little after-treatment is required. It is only necessary to 
 cleanse the part daily, and dress with tincture of matico. 
 
 Exostosis, or deposit of Calcareous Matter on the 
 surface of bones. 
 
 Exostosis signifies an unnatural growth of bone, or deposit of 
 calcareous matter on the surface of bones. Among horses this 
 disease occurs in the form of splent, spavin, and ring-bone. It 
 is very seldom that cattle are treated for this affection ; for the 
 deformity is so slight, and the lameness so obscure, in consequence 
 of the slow motions of the animal, that very little notice is taken 
 of it. 
 
 Treatment. — The proper mode of treatment is to apply, daily, 
 a small quantity of iodide of glycerine, prepared as follows : 
 
 No. 108. Iodine 1 dr. 
 
 Glycerine 1 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Apply by means of a small piece of sponge. This is to be 
 applied daily for a period of two weeks, after which use acetic 
 acid, one part ; water, six parts. With a portion of this sponge 
 the enlargement until pain and lameness disappear. 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 585 
 
 Caeies, oe Ulceeation or Bones. 
 
 This is a very common disease among cattle, and is preceded by 
 inflammation and suppuration. It sometimes proceeds from a blow 
 received at the angle of the jaw; generally, however, it is a con- 
 stitutional disease of a malignant character. 
 
 Treatment. — In the first stages of this disease, the part being hot, 
 painful, and tender, I should foment with warm vinegar, which 
 will tend to hasten suppuration; then, having ascertained that 
 there is some pus or matter locally imprisoned, the part must be 
 freely punctured, the pus evacuated, and the cavity injected with 
 pure pyroligneous acid. Supposing, or rather suspecting, the dis- 
 ease to be constitutional, I should administer the following : 
 
 No. 109. Iodide of potassium 1 oz. 
 
 Glycerine 4 oz. 
 
 Tincture of golden seal 2 oz. 
 
 Water 2 qts. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 The dose is one-sixteenth part of the above quantity, to be ad- 
 ministered daily. 
 
 Peeliminaey to Hoen-ail. 
 
 Many very valuable animals die prematurely, under treatment, 
 in consequence of mistaking symptoms for the disease. Before I 
 discuss horn-ail, I propose to offer a few brief remarks on the 
 subject of sympathy, so that the non-professional reader may be 
 prepared to comprehend the why and wherefore of sympathetic 
 diseases, as they occur in neat stock during the progress of pri- 
 mary affections. 
 
 On Sympathy and the Sympathetic Eelations which 
 Exist in the Animal Economy. 
 
 The animal structures are so sympathetically related to each 
 other, and so dependent are various organs and functions on an 
 equilibrium of vital action, based on the law of sympathy, that 
 the animal economy, as a whole, may be said to compose a vast 
 machine, the integrity of which depends on the free and full play 
 of all parts composing its intricate mechanism. The media by 
 
586 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 which sympathy is aroused and maintained are the nerves. These 
 originate from the brain and medulla spinalis, or spinal marrow. 
 Ten pairs of nerves radiate directly from the brain, termed cere- 
 bral; thirty -nine pairs from the spinal marrow, termed spinal. 
 They are named after that of the region in which they are found ; 
 hence we have .seven pairs of nerves issuing from the cervical 
 region (neck), eighteen from the dorsal (back), five from the lum- 
 bar region, and five sacral, within the pelvis, four coccygeal — 
 making, in all, forty-nine pairs cerebro-spinal nerves. They are 
 distributed from each side of the spine to various parts of the 
 body, and their terminations are called " sentient," this being the 
 seat of sensation. 
 
 The most important nerve, however, for our consideration, is 
 the sympathetic. It is supposed by some writers to be in itself a 
 complete nervous system. It originates in a branch issuing from 
 the base of the brain, and communicates with every other nervous 
 filament of the body. The connection takes place in the follow- 
 ing manner: The sympathetic nerve has, at various points, a 
 number of gangliform plexuses. From these thread-like fila- 
 ments arise, which radiate and connect with similar ganglions 
 found on the cerebral and spinal nerves. On these divergent fila- 
 ments we have other ganglionic structures, which send branches 
 to the liver, spleen, kidneys, etc. The sympathetic nerves of one 
 side amalgamate with those of the opposite, and this is their mode 
 of communication. The nerves of the sympathetic system possess 
 a certain degree of power in exciting muscular contractions, as 
 well as sympathetic actions, in the various parts to which they are 
 distributed. Carpenter has observed that, by "irritating a 
 branch of the sympathetic nerve, immediately after the death of 
 an animal, contractions may be excited in any part of the alimen- 
 tary canal from the pharynx to the rectum, according to the 
 trunks which are irritated ; in the heart, after its ordinary move- 
 ments have ceased ; in the aorta, vena cava, and thoracic duct ; in 
 the ductus choledochus, uterus, fallopian tubes, vas deferens, and 
 vesiculse seminales, etc. It is probable that the sympathetic 
 system not only thus brings the organic functions into relation 
 with the animal, but that it also tends to harmonize the former 
 with each other, so as to bring the various acts of secretion, nutri- 
 tion, etc., into mutual conformity." 
 
 There are several orders of sympathetic nerves. Some pass 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 587 
 
 into the parenchyma of the organic viscera, and others are dis- 
 tributed on the outer coats of arteries, continuing, throughout 
 their minute capillary structures, into the papillae. By this ar- 
 rangement the harmony between the internal, external, and remote 
 parts is perpetuated. 
 
 Correct knowledge regarding the sympathetic relations peculiar 
 to animal organization seems absolutely necessary, in order to 
 correct the erroneous impressions that some persons have formed 
 of the nature and seat of disease incidental to horses and cattle, 
 and, in this view, I offer these preliminary remarks as introduc- 
 tory to the subjects of "horn and tail-ails" (imaginary diseases, 
 which oftentimes, perhaps always, are the result of a fertile im- 
 agination, or, rather, a sequence of that faulty mode of reasoning 
 which confounds effects with causes). Any person conversant 
 with the sympathetic relations existing in the animal economy, 
 can readily discover the difference between a pathological condi- 
 tion and the local or general symptoms which usually accompany 
 it. An animal, for example, is attacked with acute disease of the 
 liver. He evinces signs of pain from pressure on the right or 
 off side, in the region of the liver, and, possibly, the lameness is 
 of so grave a character as to mislead the non-medical observer, 
 and he necessarily concludes that the subject is lame, "and noth- 
 ing more." He prescribes an external remedy, accordingly, which 
 is neither calculated to cure nor palliate the liver difficulty. Thus, 
 for want of the necessary knowledge, the symptoms are mistaken 
 for the disease. 
 
 In derangement of the digestive organs, more particularly of 
 the stomach, the brain is usually sympathetically affected. The 
 symptoms of disturbance in that organ, or its functions, may 
 escape the attention of the "cow-leach," yet they are always 
 present, and range from what has been observed as "dullness" 
 up to somnolency, accompanied by other morbid phenomena well 
 understood by the physician. A knowledge of these and other 
 sympathetic relations existing throughout the animal economy, 
 enables us to understand what occasions vomiting in a man when 
 a blow of sufficient force is received on the skull. The blow 
 arouses a certain set of involuntary operations which the subject 
 is unable to control, as in the cases of vomiting, etc. It explains, 
 also, why giddiness or vertiginous symptoms usually follow when 
 a blow is received on the region of the stomach ; how the impreg- 
 
588 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 nated uterus influences the mammse and stomach, causing increase 
 of function and volume in the former, and morning nausea in the 
 latter; how a diseased condition of the internal mucous membrane 
 reacts on the common integument, and vice versh. Even in the 
 osseous structures the law of sympathy prevails. A disease in 
 the upper extremity of the bone gives rise to sympathetic pain at 
 the opposite extremity. And as regards the muscles and tendons, 
 there exists a very marked sympathy, although in the mind of 
 pathologists this is not strange, for, anatomically considered, the 
 tendons are neither more nor less than tendinous terminations of 
 muscles. Puncture of a tendon is often followed by great de- 
 rangement of the nervous system, and other pathological condi- 
 tions, not unfrequently ending in trismus (lock-jaw.) This is 
 owing to the same law of sympathetic association just alluded to. 
 There is, therefore, a tendency in certain organs to become de- 
 ranged or diseased in consequence of a malady locating in others, 
 although they may not always be identical in function. 
 
 Horn-ail. 
 
 Persons who are in the habit of prescribing for sick brutes, and 
 have never made themselves acquainted with the sympathetic 
 relations existing in the animal economy, to which I have re- 
 ferred, are liable to commit errors in diagnosing disease, and, 
 when questioned regarding the seat of the same, their opinion 
 generally is that the suffering animal has either the horn-ail or 
 tail-ail. The idea, in almost all cases, is so supremely absurd, 
 that, if any thing other than a living animal were the subject of 
 the barbarities which, according to mistaken notions of cux-e, are 
 sure to follow, I should feel disposed to burlesque the whole pro- 
 cedure regarding both horn-ail and its treatment. In my opinion, 
 horn-ail, in ninety-nine cases out of one hundred, exists only in 
 the imagination of those persons who allow error to overcome 
 their better judgment, or else they have not given the subject a 
 passing thought ; therefore, they are incompetent to even guess at 
 the true nature of the malady with any chances of correctness. 
 No allusion, that I am aware of, has ever been made by the 
 authors of standard works or text-books on veterinary science, to 
 horn-ail ; and if educated veterinary surgeons were as numerous 
 here as in England or France, and they had the same means to 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 589 
 
 reach the ears and the understandings of our husbandmen, the 
 latter would soon be convinced of the absurdity which is here 
 described, and, consequently, be induced to protect their animals 
 from that species of cruel quackery or ignorance which would 
 refer all their aches and diseases to horns or tails, and which sanc- 
 tions the boring of the former, and curtailing or docking the 
 latter. 
 
 The pathological conditions on which the absurd theory of 
 horn-ail seems to be founded are heat or coldness of the horns. 
 These are the principal, and, in fact, only symptoms which the 
 unlearned expounders of a popular malady have given us; but 
 every one ought to be aware that variations in the temperature 
 of a part so inferiorly organized as the horns are is no criterion 
 as regards the nature of the disease which occasions, in this 
 vicinity, merely an increase or decrease of temperature. The 
 actual disease which occasions a loss or increase of temperature of 
 the external surface of the body, horns included, may be, and 
 often is, located in either the brain, stomach, or bowels, and at 
 other times is the result of local congestions of the lungs and other 
 parts — mere effects — the results of preexisting disease ; therefore, 
 I contend that the term horn-ail, when used to express the con- 
 dition of parts sympathetically affected or aroused, throws no 
 lio-ht on the true nature of the disease under which the animal 
 labors. 
 
 I shall contend that neither the augmentation nor decrease in 
 the temperature of the horns constitutes actual disease of the same, 
 but may indicate a loss of equilibrium in the circulation of blood. 
 If the horns are at fever-heat, and the surface of the body be cool, 
 we know that the brain or its membranes may be actively or 
 passively congested. On the other hand, should the horns and 
 the extremities be cold, it goes to prove that the animal is the sub- 
 ject of internal congestion or disease. But why locate it in the 
 horns, when in the animal economy are found so many hundred 
 parts, sections, and divisions of parts, more important, sensitive, 
 and of vastly more consequence to the preservation of vital integ- 
 rity, than the horns? The variations in the temperature of the 
 horns and other parts of the body, which the horn-ail theorists 
 neglect to notice, enter into a class of symptoms from and by means 
 of which an educated surgeon makes up an intelligent and correct 
 diagnosis, and, consequently, are only of value, in point of fact, in 
 
590 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 so far as they go to show the actual state of the whole animal 
 mechanism. The proposition admits of the following appropriate 
 and convincing illustration : A man is attacked with acute disease 
 of the liver, and almost always experiences a pain in the right 
 shoulder, a purely sympathetic affection. Now, it would be very 
 ridiculous for a physician to overlook the diseased condition of the 
 liver, and merely prescribe for the sympathetic shoulder-lameness, 
 and call it " shoulder-ail." Such ignorance is calamitous, but does 
 not often occur when the educated physician is employed ; otherwise 
 it does, and many such cases are quite fresh in my memory. Now, 
 instead of prescribing local agents, as some have done, in view of 
 mitigating sympathetic local pain, would it not be more in accord- 
 ance with reason and science to administer medicinal agents, such 
 as are calculated to restore the liver to a natural physiological con- 
 dition ? A man who thus ignorantly prescribes falls into the same 
 error with him who would refer all diseases of neat stock to their 
 horns or tails, merely because the parts are not in their natural 
 physiological condition, owing, as I have said, to actual disease 
 seated elsewhere. Thus the symptoms are mistaken for the dis- 
 ease, and the treatment, in so far as boring, sawing off horns, and 
 curtailing the caudal appendage is concerned, is highly injurious, 
 barbarous, and, in these enlightened times, deplorable. 
 
 It requires no argument to convince many men that horn-ail is 
 a very prevalent disease, for the false doctrine has been promul- 
 gated, and has received attention from men whose domains extend 
 from Maine to California. The error has been sown broadcast, 
 and has acquired such hold on the minds of some that it will take 
 many years to root out the evil. One writer on this subject, be- 
 lieving that horn-ail is a sort of national disease, recommends the 
 barn -yard faculty (for no regular physician will heed his advice) 
 to carry gimlets in their pockets, so that they may be armed and 
 equipped to encounter and subdue that which is more imaginary 
 than real. 
 
 I have made examinations of the bodies of cattle, subsequent to 
 death, said to have died of horn-ail. Among them were evident 
 traces of softening of the brain ; and this is a feature of disease 
 very often present, as I shall attempt to show, in many of the so- 
 called cases of horn-ail. Softening of the brain is a disease of so 
 grave a character, that any morbid symptoms attending the same, 
 as local heat or coldness of horns, might compare in the ratio of a 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 591 
 
 mole-hill placed beside a mountain. Softening of the brain is 
 the ultimatum of a grave disease occurring in that organ ; and if 
 the owners of live stock are disposed to believe that horn diffi- 
 culty is the most preponderant and alarming, and they can sleep 
 soundly in the belief that no danger threatens, then, " If igno- 
 rance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." I can not indorse this sen- 
 timent, however; for, in this day of intellectual maturity, no one 
 has a right to be a dunce in his chosen profession, nor a fool, to 
 thwart the intentions of those who would substitute light for 
 darkness. 
 
 Softening of the brain is always preceded by acute, and, subse- 
 quently, chronic, inflammation of the same or its investing tunics, 
 and constitutes the last stage of disease ; so that the days of such 
 a subject are numbered, and the man of gimlet and ignorance, 
 armed with his munitions of warfare, treats the disease at long 
 odds. He pockets the fees but loses the case. His patient, on 
 which a too confiding owner has foolishly permitted him to prac- 
 tice his cruelty and legerdemain, dies, and he knows not the why 
 nor the wherefore. 
 
 But, in order to convince the reader of the follies of the above 
 practice, I offer the following illustration, from a reliable source. 
 The case was diagnosed and treated as horn-ail. I quote from the 
 " Southern Planter : " 
 
 " After death, examined the head. Crest between horns per- 
 fectly hollow. All the little divisions and offshoots of bone which 
 are usually found in the cavity were removed, in a greater or less 
 degree, and there were only the white of egg matter and pus. The 
 horns, also, entirely hollow ; one of them filled with nearly a pint 
 of lymphy and purulent matter. The cavity extending to the 
 orbit of the eye, thence communicating with the nostrils, especially 
 on one side. The brain, which lies in very near contact with this 
 cavity of the crest (which we may as well call the frontal sinuses), 
 was softened and fallen, in one hemisphere, into a thick mush. A 
 small part only of this half was of healthy consistency, preserving 
 its form or vessels entire. The other half (hemisphere) was not 
 softened, but the vessels were very full of blood, and the mem- 
 branes exhibited signs of intense inflammation. No other region 
 or organs examined." 
 
 In regard to this quotation I remark: It is very natural that 
 the frontal sinuses should be hollow; for, if they were solidj the 
 
592 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 weight of the head would be enormous ; and I can readily per- 
 ceive the wisdom of the Divine Artist in thus adapting the parts 
 for the convenience of the animal, and relieving him of what, had 
 it been otherwise, must have been a burden, and would have re- 
 quired powerful muscles to support the head. The bones about 
 the head are divided into two plates, separated by numerous vacui- 
 ties or cells ; but, unlike those of the horse, they extend through 
 the whole of the bone — nay, penetrate even through the parietal 
 and occipital bones. Hence it happens that the frontal sinuses (so 
 these cavities are called in cattle as well as the horse) extend from 
 the angle of the eye to the very foramen through which the brain 
 escapes from the skull — nay, to the very tip of the horn. Hence 
 the parts may be said to be hollow ; and it is well that every farmer 
 should know this, for some suppose them solid, and are very much, 
 surprised to find them hollow. On making a section of the horn, 
 from tip to base, it will be found partly hollow, " having sinuses 
 that extend almost to its tip." The lymphy and purulent matter 
 found within the frontal sinuses and those of the horn, together 
 with the softening of one hemisphere of the brain, proved that the 
 parts were all involved in disease ; but then the disease never had its 
 origin in the horn. The brain, or perhaps its membranes, were 
 the primary seat of the affection, and, after softening, (decompos- 
 ing,) involved the surrounding parts in ruin. " The other half 
 of the brain was not softened, but the vessels were full of blood, 
 and the membranes exhibited signs of intense inflammation." 
 Probably this was the state of affairs in the diseased hemisphere 
 in its early stage, and some physical impediments to the return of 
 blood from the brain had induced cerebral appolexy. The animal 
 was in a plethoric state, " very fat." There was too great redun- 
 dancy of blood — -just the subject for such disease. Softening of 
 the brain, I think, would be a better designation of the disease 
 than "horn-ail." 
 
 The editor of the " Planter," in a subsequent number of his 
 journal, remarks: "The notion that this disease originates in the 
 horn itself seems to us to be an error, resulting from that back- 
 ward mode of reasoning which confounds symptoms with disease. 
 The disorder in that organ, ' the horn,' should rather seem to be 
 secondary. No less erroneous do we deem the opinion, held by 
 some, that the horn becomes frost-bitten, and then putrifies. 
 Though its whole inner surface is exceedingly vascular, yet it is 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 593 
 
 perfectly protected by the almost insensible horny covering in 
 which it is cased throughout, except only a very minute ring at 
 its base, whose pulsations are the most accurate index of the pulse ; 
 and that ring, hardly wider than a thread, can not be affected by 
 cold. When it is considered that the horn is a substance of lower 
 vitality than the hoof, which never becomes frost-bitten, even 
 though chilled by an iron shoe, reason should teach us that it can 
 not be injured by cold." 
 
 A similar case occurred in the experience of the editor of the 
 " Planter," which " ran to a speedy and fatal termination." Upon 
 dissection of the head, the left hemisphere of the brain was found 
 completely " broken down," or disorganized ; the base of the left 
 horn was slightly implicated. The introduction of a gimlet, there- 
 fore, into the horns of cattle thus affected, and afterward cramming 
 in pepper, turpentine, and other foreign bodies, can not possibly 
 reach the disease nor benefit the animal, but is apt to do much 
 harm ; for puncture of the lining membrane of the frontal sinuses, 
 which generally takes place when the instrument is introduced 
 near the base of the horn, is attended with danger, both as regards 
 inflammation and hemorrhage ; and it is just as unwise to fill the 
 parts with pepper, turpentine, etc., in view of cure, as it would be 
 if one of our own race were concerned. 
 
 I now have an impression that the reader, like myself, has 
 come to the conclusion that, in the generality of cases occurring 
 among neat stock, the disease christened horn and tail-ails, is lo- 
 cated elsewhere. Yet some persons contend that the practice, 
 which I denominate as unscientific and barbarous, saves some of 
 the afflicted animals. I have doubts about the treatment saving 
 them. They may survive it ; for it is well known that both men 
 and animals often recover after an unfavorable prognosis is made, 
 and they will also survive very severe injuries, fractures, punc- 
 tures, and formidable wounds, etc. ; so that health returns, in such 
 cases, in spite of the violence opposed to it. Hence, if an animal 
 should be restored to health, after having been compelled to sub- 
 mit to the fashionable barbarities of horn-boring, that is no proof 
 of the utility of the means used. 
 
 If we could only collect all the facts in the case of an animal 
 
 said to be the subject of horn-ail, we should probably discover 
 
 that, in four cases out of five, the animal's stomach was the seat of 
 
 the original difficulty, for the stomach is more frequently deranged 
 
 38 
 
594 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 than any other organ of the body; and it often occurs in this 
 way: A man has a cow, an ox, or a lot of cattle, which he in- 
 tends to bring to market, in view of exchanging them for dollars 
 and cents. He puts them through (as the moderns have it) the 
 fattening process, furnishing them with a superabundance of 
 carbon, in the form of meal and other nitrogenous equivalents. 
 The result is an accumulation of adipose tissue; the animal be- 
 comes fat, and, consequently, plethoric. The accumulation of fat 
 offers an impediment to the free and full play of the heart, lungs, 
 and diaphragm; and, should the subject be a pregnant cow, she 
 is liable, a few hours after the period of parturition, to be attacked 
 with milk or puerperal fever, or convulsions ; therefore the lia- 
 bility to disease in more important structures than the horns is a 
 matter that I seriously urge our itinerant cattle doctors to consider. 
 
 Neat stock are often the subjects of catarrh, (or "hoose," as it is 
 termed,) nasal gleet, etc. In either case, a profuse discharge occurs 
 from the surface of the nasal membrane, extending to the frontal 
 sinuses, up to the very tip of some horns. This is often called 
 horn-ail, and the gimlet is brought into requisition, and, on with- 
 drawing it, some of the " matter " may possibly escape from the 
 orifice ; hence the gimlet is said to do good. This I deny ; for 
 the more rational way of favoring the discharge of the matter 
 would be to steam the nostrils, and adopt such other means as the 
 nature of the case may seem to require. 
 
 Even granting what some contend for — namely, that an abscess 
 occasionally forms in one of the nasal cavities — then it would not 
 be proper to bore the horns, for the pus must necessarily be in- 
 closed within a sac, which the gimlet may rupture. Then the 
 morbid matter escapes into the frontal sinuses, and is apt to set 
 up diseased action on the tissue with which it comes into contact. 
 If it be ever necessary to puncture an abscess of this character, it 
 should be done by way of the nostrils. Even should the animal 
 labor under any disease located within the horns, the introduction 
 of a gimlet would be a very unsafe remedy, as all veterinary sur- 
 geons are ready to testify. It is a dangerous business to puncture 
 a membrane so highly organized as that found within the frontal 
 sinuses,* especially when so rude an instrument as a gimlet is 
 
 * The gimlet, before it enters the lining membrane of the parts (termed 
 schneiderian), must necessarily puncture a highly vascular membrane (termed 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 595 
 
 used. The instrument must lacerate the parts, and induce severe 
 inflammation and suppuration ; consequently, it is better calcu- 
 lated to produce disease in this region than to cure one existing 
 there. 
 
 I have examined many animals after their horns have been 
 bored, and have always found an undue degree of heat in the 
 cranial region ; throbbing pulsations about the base of the horn, 
 and a general disturbance of the functions; sometimes an accu- 
 mulation of pus within the cavity. Then, again, internal hem- 
 orrhage, effusion, etc., of blood, are apt to occur after boring the 
 horns; and every intelligent physician would be unwilling to 
 incur the risk attending it. Many a valuable animal has been 
 lost by hemorrhage, following fracture, puncture, and sawing off 
 the horns. 
 
 Horn-ail is said to be so prevalent among neat stock, that the 
 farmer (in the imaginative mood) fears it as he would the plague. 
 And the only remedy for this lamentable state of ignorance is for 
 farmers to use their reason, godlike and rational, and avail them- 
 selves of the experience of those competent to diagnose disease by 
 its concomitant and persistent symptoms. We are now in pos- 
 session of facts showing that the introduction of a foreign body 
 (a gimlet) may induce a formidable disease; therefore, it should 
 never be used. 
 
 Among the diseases mistaken for horn-ail I name indigestion ; 
 and this disease is almost as prevalent among neat stock as it 
 proves to be among the members of the human family in this 
 country. Loss of cud, or a cessation of rumination, is one of the 
 principal symptoms of acute indigestion. I made an autopsy, in a 
 case of this character, only a short time ago, and found the aboma- 
 sum, or fourth compartment of the stomach, enormously distended 
 with food, and, on removing the same, the mucous membrane 
 readily peeled off. I particularly pointed out to the owner 
 of the animal the pathological appearances as they occurred ; 
 but, as he had made up his mind, and the neighbors confirmed 
 his opinion that the animal was the subject of horn-ail, he still 
 believes that the trouble first commenced in the horns, which had 
 been bored in several places. 
 
 periosteum), the external covering of the bony column, and inflammation and 
 suppuration may be the consequence, ending in altered structure. 
 
596 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 I am not contending that the vascular membrane within and 
 without the osseous structure of the horns and contiguous parts 
 enjoys immunity from disease. It is subject to it, as are other 
 parts, precisely identical in function and structure. But I am 
 exposing a false theory, which confounds functional and organic 
 diseases with their symptoms or manifestations. 
 
 A local disease of the horns is not unusual. For example, a 
 blow in the region of the base of the horn often occasions a local 
 affection ; and this is not to be wondered at, when we know that 
 the parts in this region are merely defended by a thin cuticular 
 envelope, and, therefore, offers but little protection to the subtis- 
 sues. This region is denominated by brutal men the " tender 
 spot;" and, in view of subduing a restive animal, they aim their 
 bludgeons in this direction, with terrible effect. Local injuries 
 of this character, and those occurring in the savage encounters 
 which horned animals frequently engage in, the boring of their 
 horns, and sawing them off, etc., are accidents and processes more 
 or less operative in exciting a local affection.. 
 
 A local disease of this character admits of the following dem- 
 onstration ; namely, percussion. Percussion is the art of striking 
 various parts of the body, with a view of ascertaining the seat of 
 disease. Every substance, when thrown into sonorous vibration, 
 produces a sound the tone of which is peculiar to itself, and every 
 change which takes place in the composition of that substance, or 
 in the arrangement of its component parts, is accompanied by a 
 corresponding change in its tone. If we strike a solid body, it 
 emits a solid sound; strike an empty one, and it emits a hollow 
 sound. In like manner, if we strike a healthy horn, we get a 
 sound of hollowness. When the horn and frontal sinuses are 
 occupied by matter, we elicit a dull sound, without vibration. 
 The difference between the sound elicited from an empty barrel 
 and that from a full one, or the sound from a solid post and that 
 from a hollow one, when struck with a hammer, is not more re- 
 markable than in the cases of healthy and diseased horns. By 
 the same means we diagnose diseases of the chest. We are, there- 
 fore enabled, with absolute certainty, to determine the presence of 
 pus within the horns; and, keeping in view the history of the 
 case, which it is our business to inquire into, we can generally tell 
 whether or not such abscesses result from local injury or disease 
 within the parts, or if it be the sequence of some other disease. 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 597 
 
 Treatment. — In regard to the treatment of an abscess located in 
 the region of the base of the horns, the proper method is to tre- 
 phine the skull, which operation can only be performed by a vet- 
 erinary surgeon. 
 
 Tail-ail. 
 
 In view of sustaining the respectability of veterinary science and 
 my own professional reputation, I would inform the reader that 
 tail-ail is an imaginary disease, appearing only in localities which 
 the apostles of true veterinary science have never visited. The 
 supposed aifection is said to induce partial or complete paralysis 
 of the hind extremities, and, contrary to the principles of science 
 and the testimony of several veterinary writers, this condition is 
 often termed tail-ail. The faulty theory is, a soft spot is found at 
 the end of the tail, (this is a feature of every healthy cow's tail, 
 when it has not been docked,) which takes the strength out of her 
 back, and produces paralysis. The remedy is either to amputate 
 the caudal appendage, or slit open the soft spot and stuff in tar, 
 pepper, salt, or whatever remedy Neighbor So-and-so recommends. 
 It seems a pity that the poor animals I am now writing about can 
 not, like their masters, receive the benefits resulting from the in- 
 vestigations of scientific men in improved methods of treating dis- 
 ease. However, it is gratifying to know that the errors of the 
 past are fast " dying out," and that the days of ignorance are 
 numbered. 
 
 The tail is sometimes the seat of a local affection arising from 
 blows, etc., or it may be the seat of a cutaneous disease ; but neither 
 one nor the other can be of so grave a character as to produce 
 paralysis of the posterior limbs. The soft extremity of the tail 
 may also occasionally become congested, or else oedematous (drop- 
 sical). But these states of the part would not justify a man in 
 cutting off the tail ; for the limbs are often found in the same con- 
 dition, and no one would ever think of lopping them off, for the 
 remedy would be worse than the disease ; and, so far as the tail is 
 concerned in being the seat of local congestion, or oedema, there is 
 no disease at all, and, therefore, does not require local treatment. 
 But I am not discussing the probabilities of diseases of the tail. 
 This is not my purpose. I only aim to show the folly of making 
 the cow's tail the indicator of the various diseases of her body, 
 and, also, that of confounding a disease of the nervous system 
 
598 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 •with a slight congestion of the tail ; and, further, the folly of ar- 
 guing that the cow's strength is taken out of her back, etc., because 
 the end of her tail is soft. If the tails of neat stock, or those of 
 any other animals, become diseased, in the name of humanity let 
 them be prescribed for ; but I do hope that those who read this 
 article will never be caught prying into the end of the above use- 
 ful appendage for the purpose of demonstrating that which never 
 existed. 
 
 Almost all animals said to have the tail-ail are laboring under 
 various forms of disease remote from the tail, and, however dili- 
 gent men may be in performing their barbarous operations on the 
 same, the disease under which the animal suffers, perhaps located 
 either in the brain, spinal marrow, liver, or pancreas, entirely un- 
 suspected, may progress to a fatal termination, while an uneducated 
 cow-leech is amusing himself by taking unwarrantable liberties 
 with the uncomplaining animal's tail. I am often told that ani- 
 mals, after being thus operated on, get well. Very likely. Some 
 animals will endure the most cruel torture, and I once saw a cow, 
 in apparent health, who a fortnight previous drank a pint of white 
 paint. Such cases I look upon as nothing more nor less than lucky 
 escapes. 
 
 I shall close this article by introducing a selection from 
 " You att on Cattle." Mr. Youatt, when treating of palsy, thus 
 alludes to "tail-ill," or "tail-slip": 
 
 " In many parts of the kingdom palsy is traced to a most ridicu- 
 lous cause. The original evil is said to be in the tail, and all 
 maladies of this kind, involving the partial or total loss of motion 
 in the hind limbs of the animal, are classed under the name of 
 tail-ill, or tail-slip. Our friend, Mr. Dick, of Edinburgh, has 
 taken up this subject, in a very interesting point of view, in the 
 fourteenth number of the ' Journal of Agriculture,' and the public 
 are much indebted to him for dispelling a false, injurious, and 
 cruel superstition. The farmer and the cow-leech believe that the 
 mischief passes along the cow's tail to the back, and that it is on 
 account of something wrong in the tail that she loses the use of her 
 legs ; and then some set to work and cut the cow's tail off, while 
 others, less cruel or more scientific, make an incision into the under 
 surface, and allow the wound to bleed freely, and then fill it up 
 with a mixture of tar and salt, and we know not what. * * * 
 Mr. Dick, with a kind consideration for which he deserves much, 
 
DISEASES OF THE BONES. 599 
 
 credit, condescends to reason the case with these foolish people; 
 and what he says is so much to the purpose, that we can not refrain 
 from introducing it here : ' The disease, in ordinary cases, is said 
 to consist in a softening about the extremity of the tail, and is to 
 be distinguished by the point of the tail being easily doubled back 
 upon itself, and having, at this doubling, a soft and rather crepi- 
 tating kind of feel. But what is the real state of the case ? The 
 tail is lengthened out to the extent of about three feet, and is 
 formed like a common whip. Toward the extremity the bones 
 terminate gradually, becoming insensibly smaller as they proceed 
 downward. At this part is said to be found a soft place (the tail- 
 slip). Beyond this, again, a firm cartilaginous portion is found, 
 covered with hair, to brush off the flies within its reach. Now, 
 why have we the long columns of bones — the termination with a 
 soft space of a few inches — this thickened, hard, cartilaginous part 
 at the very extremity, and that extremity covered with hair, but 
 with a view to form a whip, to drive off, with the greatest possible 
 effect, the insects which wound and torment the animal ? ' " 
 
 After such testimony as the above, I firmly believe that the 
 readers of this work will never be caught in the foolish act of lo- 
 cating paralysis at the extremity of the caudal appendage. 
 
SECTION XXV. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE BRAIN. 
 
 Inflammation of the Brain and its Membranes — Sturdy in Cattle — Shaking 
 Palsy-— Hydrophobia. 
 
 Inflammation of the Brain and its Membeanes. 
 
 IT makes but little difference, so far as our method of treatment 
 is concerned, whether the brain or its membranes be the seat 
 of inflammation ; for the treatment, in both cases, must be the same, 
 and the difference, in a pathological point of view, can not be very 
 great between a disease of the brain and its investing membranes, 
 although each may have peculiarities of appearance. The affection 
 is generally sudden in its attack, and it is often accompanied by 
 symptoms of frenzy, and the animal sometimes becomes frantic, 
 and decidedly mischievous. Soon, however, alterations in the 
 structure of the parts take place, as softening, effusion, etc., and 
 then the animal dies. 
 
 In regard to the treatment, I must confess that it is much 
 easier to write about it than accomplish it. In cases when de- 
 lirious fits occur, accompanied by convulsions, which make it dan- 
 gerous to approach the animal, I have no remedies to offer; the 
 case is beyond the reach of art. I may, however, add that the 
 terminations of this disease are different. They depend on the 
 intensity of the malady and the structural susceptibility. The 
 disease is generally treated on the antiphlogistic plan : cold water 
 to the head, active cathartics, and counter-irritation on the region 
 of the spine. 
 
 Causes. — The causes of a disease of this character are often 
 obscure, yet I have known it to occur as a symptomatic affection. 
 I examined the carcass of an ox, a short time ago, that died of 
 (600) 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN. 601 
 
 what the owner termed " mad staggers." I found the brain highly 
 congested, and several adhesions between it and its membranes. 
 There were also large patches, intensely red, on the lining mem- 
 brane of the third and fourth apartments of the stomach. I was 
 informed by the owner that the animal died twenty-four hours 
 from the time of its first attack. The disease probably originated 
 on the digestive surfaces, in consequence of the irritating nature 
 of the food — moldy hay and tough corn-stalks, with a sprinkling 
 of damaged meal and brewer's grains. 
 
 Symptoms. — The symptoms of symptomatic disease of the brain 
 are as follows : Dullness, loss of appetite, staring of the coat ; and, 
 if the animal be a milch cow, diminution in the quantity of milk 
 is observed ; the extremities are cold, and the animal grates its 
 teeth ; the respiration is at first tranquil, and the pulse slow but 
 full ; the patient will frequently be seized with a kind of epileptic 
 fit, which lasts but a' few minutes, during which time some of them 
 will exhibit the most violent symptoms, such as bellowing hide- 
 ously, pawing the earth, and running at any thing within their 
 reach ; they will also break out into profuse perspiration, and press 
 their heads forcibly against the wall, even to such an extent as to 
 break oif their horns. Many are seized with violent tremblings 
 and twitchings, and, toward the latter period of the disease, the 
 respiration becomes extremely laborious, the jaws are firmly closed, 
 convulsions succeed each other rapidly, and death shortly closes 
 the scene. 
 
 Treatment. — Give the animal two drachms of fluid extract of gel- 
 seminum in a gill of water, twice daily, until the pulse and respira- 
 tions become more natural. Give occasional enemas of soap-suds, 
 and keep the head and spine sponged often with cold water. So 
 soon as the inflammatory symptoms subside, discontinue the gel- 
 seminum, and administer, daily, doses of 
 
 No. 110. Fluid extract of golden seal 1 oz. 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda |- oz. 
 
 Water 1 pt. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Sturdy, or Cerebral Parasites. 
 
 The brain, and its investing membranes, are often infested with 
 a species of entozoa, termed ccenurus. They consist of a parent 
 
602 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 sac, or membranous tunic, from which, externally, germination 
 takes place. This mode of multiplication of this group of para- 
 sites differs from that which is observed in the hydatid (fluke), in 
 which it occurs internally. 
 
 Symptoms. — The symptoms will depend altogether upon the 
 number and size of the parasites. In their early state they take 
 up but little room, and do not occasion any very marked symp- 
 toms ; yet, if the animal could only speak, we might be informed 
 that he was the subject of headache. As the parasite or parasites 
 increase in size, they produce pressure on the brain, which makes 
 the animal appear giddy, confused, nervous, and desirous of sep- 
 arating itself from the herd; and it is in consequence of these 
 peculiar symptoms making their appearance, when no other form 
 of disease is present, that the term " sturdy " is applied, which is 
 simply used to denote the presence of cerebral parasites. 
 
 Treatment. — When once these parasites have fairly taken up 
 their abode in the cranial cavity of an ox, I fear there is very 
 little help. An operation, such as that alluded to by the writer 
 of the appended article, may, once in awhile, prove successful, yet, 
 in my opinion, the remedy is about as bad as the disease; there- 
 fore I recommend prevention rather than attempts at cure. The 
 preventive remedies are salt, sulphur, and charcoal, equal parts. 
 This is a specific for all parasites. About a table-spoonful of the 
 mixture, given occasionally in the food, will prevent the germi- 
 nation of many forms of parasites. 
 
 The following interesting translations are by Mr. Gamgee : 
 
 " Sturdy in Cattle. — No less than seven bladders of the ccenurus 
 were found in the left hemisphere of the cerebrum, in an old cow 
 affected with the sturdy. Between the dura mater and the cranial 
 parieties there were several transparent vesicles, about the size of 
 a pea, embedded in the substance of the bones. The left hemis- 
 phere of the cerebrum only weighed three drachms and a scruple 
 less than the right, although the former contained all the blad- 
 ders. Hering could not find any heads of the ccenurus on the 
 interior of the sacs, and he held them to be yet undeveloped 
 hydatids. — Bepertorium fur Thoerheil, p. 21. 1855: Stuttgart. 
 
 " In the second volume of the Milan ' Veterinary Journal/ at 
 page 52, is a case of sturdy, recorded by Patellani. It occurred 
 in a two-year old animal, that had shown, for several days, at- 
 tacks of madness, and in one of these it had broken a horn off. 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN. 603 
 
 Patellani found her lying senseless on the ground ; the head, bent 
 on one side; the forehead, hot, and painful on percussion; the 
 sound produced, hollow. » On examination after death, the mem- 
 brane of the brain was found injected, and in the right ventricle 
 of the cerebrum were hydatids with several heads. 
 
 " The trephine has, of late years, been much recommended in 
 cases of cerebral hydatids in cattle ; and in Bavaria and Wurtem- 
 berg it has frequently been employed, and often with good results. 
 At the Clinique of the Munich Veterinary School, in the month 
 of November, 1854, a year-old heifer was presented, with expan- 
 sion of the right frontal bone. There were symptoms of giddi- 
 ness, with turning toward the right side, dullness, etc. Ramoser 
 found, on percussing the seat of the disease, that the sound was 
 most hollow to the left. The case was observed for forty-three 
 days, during which time the symptoms became more severe ; the 
 animal was trephined, and about two ounces of serum passed out, 
 followed by the bag of the parasite. The wound would have been 
 closed with a clay plaster, but the animal had to be slaughtered 
 the following day. The membranes of the brain were inflamed, 
 especially to the right, and blood was extravasated on its surface. 
 The expansion, thinning, and even perforation of the upper part 
 of the right lateral ventricle, showed that the bladder was lodged 
 in the ventricle itself, as had been seen the previous year, in 
 another case that had been operated upon. Death was then 
 attributable to the far-advanced stage of the malady, and to the 
 abrupt collapse of the parietes of the ventricle, after contraction 
 of the bladder." — Milnchen Jahresber, fer 1854-5, p. 13. 
 
 The following is from the pen of Mr. John Gamgee, (Edin- 
 burgh,) on sturdy in sheep, in which much useful information 
 relative to parasites is given : 
 
 " The more inquiries made, the more accurate will the conclusion 
 arrived at by scientific men appear, that dogs and sheep must live 
 together for certain parasites to extend their ravages with effect. 
 On all the sheep-farms I visited last summer, sturdy was com- 
 plained of, and on all such farms there were dogs. Such was the 
 case at Cairnton, Mill of Kincarnardine, on Glendye, and in other 
 localities. Mr. Falconer, of Balnakettle, a gentleman of great 
 experience, and other farmers, assured me that there has been 
 more giddiness in sheep within the last two or three years than 
 they had ever witnessed before, and the losses, in consequence, 
 
604 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 are sometimes greater than by that fatal malady " braxy." This 
 clearly does not depend on a large number of dogs being kept; 
 but there are many conditions affecting the propagation of para- 
 sites, and if destructive agencies were not as universal as the 
 productive, much more effectually would vermin and parasites 
 multiply and spread their baneful influence, to the detriment of 
 mankind. It is accidental circumstances that affect the develop- 
 ment of diseases of animals. If every germ produced by a single 
 tape-worm, in a limited period of time, were to take effect, it 
 would be quite sufficient to exterminate the flocks of Great Brit- 
 ain; but, I repeat, the laws established to procure the multipli- 
 cation of any animal are counteracted by an infinity of uncon- 
 trolled, but, perhaps, not uncontrollable, agencies. The latent 
 vitality of the eggs of such "parasites is extremely difficult to 
 destroy, and, to use the words of one of Kuchenmelster's review- 
 ers, after months of exposure to warmth and moisture, the pulpy 
 and putrid debris of segments of the taenia solium yield ova which 
 show no sign of any approach of degeneration or decay. And the 
 writer of this review has been struck by the remarkable way in 
 which the size and structure of these ova allow them to elude all 
 precautions that may be taken against their mechanical dispersion. 
 In spite of every attempt to insure their destruction, by steeping 
 the specimen glasses he may have used in strong acids, and by 
 afterward bathing them in the flame of a spirit-lamp, he has once 
 or twice found the characteristic ova appear most unaccountably 
 in healthy and diseased tissues of secretions of the human body, 
 which he has subsequently examined with these glasses. The 
 dissolution of the parent tissues ultimately sets free the eggs con- 
 tained in their interior, to be carried by the winds and waves 
 wherever accident may determine. How vast a number of them 
 miscarry is evident when we attempt to take the census of a single 
 tape-worm ! Or imagine the million of eggs such a parent foists 
 upon society during the years it may inhabit a given animal. 
 What becomes of these abortive germs, how long they retain any 
 vitality, and what are the circumstances that may rob them of it 
 are questions we can not answer, save by the conjecture that their 
 albuminous and fatty materials are either applied to the soil in a 
 decomposed form, or are consumed as food by various of the 
 minute intervertebra that throng the surface of the earth and the 
 waters. But the more fortunate minority of these eggs, the des- 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN. 605 
 
 tiny of which is to eat instead of being eaten, after many and long 
 wanderings of this passive nature, are, at length, engulfed by some 
 unconscious animal in company with its food, and, through its 
 alimentary canal, attain the locality of their second form of exist- 
 ence. During this passive emigration, the worm has retained its 
 previous size (l-700th of an inch) and shape. But its thick wall 
 bursts and sets free the inclosed embryo, which is an ovoid body, 
 of nearly equal size, armed with six hooklets at one extremity. 
 Impelled by instinct to begin its active migration, the embryo 
 pierces the first portion of its path by bringing together the an- 
 terior pair of hooks, so as to form with them a kind of wedge- 
 shaped stiletto, and now drags itself forward in the same direc- 
 tion by means of the succeeding pairs of hooks, which it uses like 
 a person who, in attempting to get out of a bow-window, thrusts 
 himself forward by his elbows. In this way the minute embryo 
 penetrates the body it inhabits, and only increases its efforts on 
 reaching the place its instinct recognizes as suitable for its abode, 
 prior to the next series of changes it has to undergo. Streaks of 
 reactive inflammation and exudation generally indicate the minute 
 channel by which the embryo thus traverses the wall of the digest- 
 ive canal, in its course to the liver or other organs. The migra- 
 tion of a taenia is probably a passive process. Various facts suggest 
 it to be so — " a true locomotion, effected under the impulse of an 
 instinct, and by means of certain special organs. The germs of 
 parasites are evidently carried through the system in the stream 
 of circulating blood, and they do not always travel themselves 
 through the interstices of tissues. 
 
 Sturdy was long considered as dependent on a simple accumu- 
 lation of water on the brain, generally affecting one side. Loecke 
 had observed, in 1780, that the water-bladders on the brain of 
 giddy sheep were animals ; and Fabricus (Harvey's master) was 
 the first to assert the same respecting the cysticercus of the pig. 
 Albildguard, the founder of the Copenhagen Veterinary School, 
 observed that a tape-worm (the bothriocephalus latus) which ex- 
 isted in the abdominal cavity of the stickle-back, and in the 
 intestinal canal of certain water birds, never had eggs in the 
 former but only in the latter situation; and that from the first- 
 mentioned creature it passed into the second, he ascertained by 
 direct experiments with ducks, which he fed on banstickles. 
 Goetze, in 1782, had perceived the great resemblance between the 
 
606 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 head of the hydatid of the liver of mice and rats, the cysticercus 
 fasciolaris, and of the tape-worm of the cat (taenia crassicollis.) 
 The cercarise was first studied by Miiller, and lastly by Bejanus, 
 in 1818, who recognized them as parasitic in certain snails, in- 
 closed in bags. M. Wagner and Von Siebold and Steenstrup 
 fancied they had discovered the change cercarise underwent to 
 become true fluke-worms. Ehrenberg, in 1852, disputed Steen- 
 strup's accepted metamorphoses, and only gives the resemblance 
 of the tailless cercarioe, with a trematode worm. Dr. Kuchen- 
 meister, of Sittau, instituted ingenious experiments to settle these 
 hypotheses. He made dogs and cats swallow hydatids, which de- 
 veloped into tape-worms in the intestines. From the hydatids of 
 the liver of cats and mice the taenia crassicollis in the intestines 
 of the cat arose, and from the cysticercus of the hare and rabbit 
 the taenia serrata in the intestine of the dog ; so that if the water- 
 bladder is lost, the head of the worm attaches itself to the head 
 of the mucous membrane, the rings constituting the body of the 
 tape-worms, including the organs of reproduction, and they are 
 thus formed. By repeated experiments, made by several eminent 
 zoologists, the deductions were confirmed." 
 
 Shaking Palsy. 
 
 Shaking palsy is a condition of the animal economy known 
 to medical men as irregular or abnormal nervous action. It gen- 
 erally occurs in cows of the nervous temperament, whose digest- 
 ive organs are deranged; and, so far as my experience goes, the 
 disease is confined to imported stock, of the Alderney breed. I 
 lately attended an Alderney cow, the property of Mr. Chenery, 
 at the " Highland Stock Farm/' Belmont, Mass. 
 
 Symptoms. — The patient was suddenly attacked with symptoms 
 of irregular nervous action of the muscles of the chest and fore- 
 legs, simulating shaking palsy. The membranes of the eyes were 
 highly injected; pulse, jerking in unison with the irregular mus- 
 cular action; external surface, extremities, and horns, quite chilly; 
 respirations, normal ; pulse small and languid. 
 
 Treatment. — I gave the patient three drachms of fluid extract 
 of golden-seal, and the same quantity of fluid extract of camomile 
 flowers. The spine and fore extremities were then irritated by the 
 application of tincture of capsicum. On visiting the animal, the 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN. 607 
 
 next day, I found her in better condition. The tremulous motion 
 had somewhat subsided, and I pronounced her out of danger. She 
 finally recovered without much subsequent treatment. 
 
 It is my opinion that this case had its origin in derangement 
 of the digestive organs and constipation ; for, after the exhibition 
 of the tonics (" bitters/') which aroused the action of the stomach, 
 the animal passed an immense quantity of black, fetid excrement. 
 The quantity was so great that it occasioned remarks on the sub- 
 ject from all who visited her. 
 
 Hydrophobia. 
 
 There are generally some circumstances connected with a case 
 of hydrophobia which aiford a clue to its real nature. It often 
 happens that evidence conclusive is furnished that the animal has 
 been bitten by a rabid dog. If this be the case, all doubts are at 
 an end. 
 
 Symptoms. — In the early stages of the disease, there may be 
 nothing in the symptoms to excite suspicion as regards the true 
 character of the affection; they may merely denote approaching 
 illness ; but if the animal has been bitten by a rabid dog, or any 
 other animal, and has become inoculated with the virus, which is 
 usually communicated through the medium of the saliva, then 
 any slight deviation from health, as shown by suspension of ru- 
 mination, or by any other abnormal condition which may attract 
 the attention of the farmer, is the precursor of the dreadful 
 malady which is to follow. The most marked symptoms of hy- 
 drophobia are, protrusion of the eyeballs; the conjunctivial mem- 
 brane is very much reddened, and, in fact, all the visible surfaces 
 of the eyes, nostrils, and mouth are much inflamed. The animal 
 is ripe for mischief, bellows occasionally, will paw and tear up the 
 ground with its horns, and, on the least excitement, will become 
 more dangerous than a rabid dog, trying, however, to do injury, 
 to friend or foe, with its horns rather than with its teeth. The 
 rabid cow or ox will drink water, if it can swallow ; in fact, it gen- 
 erally suffers from intense thirst ; but the fact is, the poor creature 
 can not swallow a drop. The least attempt at deglutition induces 
 spasms of the larynx, and puts the animal into the most distress- 
 ing agony. It is not the sight of water that puts a rabid animal 
 into convulsions, as some persons suppose; for in the early stage 
 
608 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 of the disease, when the membrane of the larynx is not much 
 affected, they will drink freely. 
 
 Treatment. — It is well known that the poison of all rabid ani- 
 mals resides in the saliva, consequently they can not be handled 
 and drenched without fear of danger ; for if a small quantity of 
 the saliva comes in contact with an abraded surface or sore, the 
 unfortunate individual is just as much in danger as if he had 
 been bitten. The only remedies that seem likely to be of any 
 service are the plantain leaf (plantago major) and lobelia. Take 
 four ounces of each of these herbs, and infuse them in two quarts 
 of boiling water ; when cool, strain through a fine sieve, and ad- 
 minister at once. If at the end of a few hours the patient has 
 not improved, it will be advisable to destroy him. 
 
 The following interesting case occurred in the practice of Mr. 
 G. Lewis, of Monmouth, England : 
 
 " I was requested to see a cow, the property of an extensive 
 farmer near this town. Upon my arrival he gave me the follow- 
 ing history of the case: ( On the 15th ult., the calf from this cow, 
 tied in an out-house, was severely bitten in the nose and mouth 
 by a dog, it was believed, although none was seen. But the cattle 
 which were in the same meadow were in a very excited state, 
 lowing and bellowing, as also the calf; and, upon the arrival of 
 the shepherd, who hastened to the spot, he found the calf much 
 torn, and the cow with blood upon her nose. The calf, from this 
 period until the 27th, could not take its milk in the natural man- 
 ner, and was obliged to be drenched. But from the above date, 
 the wounds having healed, and the animal apparently recovered 
 from the injuries it had received, it was turned to the cow, and 
 took its milk in the usual way, which it continued to do up to the 
 31st, at which period the teats of the cow were bitten by the calf. 
 From this date the calf became very ill, appeared to have sore 
 throat, made a very peculiar noise, a kind of half bellow and 
 roar, continued to get worse, and died on the 3d inst.' I did not 
 
 see him, but such is the description given to me by Mr. J , 
 
 and I know that it is a faithful one. My attention was now 
 directed to the cow. She was observed yesterday to separate her- 
 self from the others, and to bellow occasionally; but this morn- 
 ing she was seen to foam greatly at the mouth, and appeared 
 much excited. The other cattle, also, would not associate with 
 her, but kept at a respectful distance, with their heads and tails 
 
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN. 609 
 
 erect. She was now brought to the house, at which time I first 
 saw her. She was standing ; the eyes were half-closed ; she ap- 
 peared to be in a kind of stupor, or half comatose state ; extrem- 
 ities, natural temperature ; respiration, natural. She was looking 
 rather thin ; she was always a remarkably quiet creature, but now 
 the least noise appears greatly to agitate her. The human voice, 
 or the slightest movement, is sufficient to cause her eyes to glare, 
 and set her bellowing, which ends in something between a growl 
 and a roar. A person whistling, or the bark of a dog, produces 
 fearful excitement. These paroxysms also appear to come on 
 spontaneously. At their termination, the eyes again become half- 
 closed, the abdominal muscles tremble, the respiration is slightly 
 quickened, and the pulse is quick and tremulous. I remarked 
 that some water might be brought. Upon presenting the same 
 she plunged her nose into the bucket, but could not swallow, and 
 the effect was fearful to behold. 
 
 I informed Mr. J as to the nature of the case, stating that 
 
 I had no hesitation in pronouncing it to be a case of hydropho- 
 bia ; but, as he did not wish to have her destroyed, and was very 
 anxious that I should give her something, and watch the case, I 
 merely ordered a purgative, combined with a little febrifuge med- 
 icine, at the same time pointing out the propriety of being cau- 
 tious while administering the medicine, and the probable imprac- 
 ticability of it, which was verified. 
 
 September 14. — All the symptoms of yesterday are aggravated 
 intensively. The eyes have still a heavy appearance, when sud- 
 denly they appear like two brilliants. I observe that the spasm 
 is more severe, and that she bites the wood-work of her stall. 
 
 September 15. — Much worse; the cornea of the left eye, in its 
 center, is become opaque, and appears as though nitrate of silver 
 had been applied to it. She sometimes lies down, but gets up 
 again and roars. Upon a person present putting his foot near 
 her mouth, she made an effort to seize it, uttering a growl. She 
 died this evening. 
 
 " Post mortem examination, seventeen hours after death. — The 
 brain — its substance appeared healthy. The pia mater showed 
 intense inflammation in small patches; its vessels generally were 
 very fully congested. The larynx showed traces of intense in- 
 flammation, as also did the membrane lining of the trachea, 
 throughout its entire length, and was most beautifully spotted, 
 39 
 
610 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 as was also the lungs, pleura pulmonalis, pericardium, and heart. 
 The coats of the first and third stomachs parted upon the slightest 
 touch, in patches. The abdominal viscera, also, was similarly 
 spotted, as was the diaphragm, etc., although not so thickly as the 
 respiratory organs." 
 
 SPECIMEN OF AN A.LDEUNEY BULL. 
 
SECTION XXVI. 
 
 THE LIVER AND ITS DISEASES. 
 
 Description of the Liver — Secretion of Bile; its Uses, etc. — Gall-bladder- 
 Inflammation of the Liver — Hydatids — Jaundice, or Yellows. 
 
 Description of the Liver. 
 
 THE liver is the largest gland in the body. Unlike the liver 
 of a horse, it has a large reservoir for the reception of the 
 bile, called the gall-bladder. In form it is irregular, being convex 
 anteriorly, or toward the diaphragm, with which it is in contact, 
 and concave on its posterior surface, or toward and in the vicinity 
 of a part of the stomach. It is composed of two lobes. That 
 on the right side is the larger. The central portion of the gland 
 is the thickest, and it gradually becomes thin toward its borders. 
 The mass consists of a vast number of minute lobules, varying in 
 size and form, containing a net-work of biliary ducts connected 
 with their main trunks, and a large number of biliary cells; and 
 each is connected, in like manner, with three blood-vessels ; namely, 
 the hepatic or nutrient artery of the liver ; the vena porta, which 
 returns the venous blood after it has circulated through the intes- 
 tines ; the hepatic vein, which carries back the blood received from 
 both the other sources. It will be seen, therefore, that the venous 
 blood, which is brought to the liver by the vena portse, is intended 
 for the elimination of bile ; therefore this vessel seems to act in 
 the double capacity of vein and artery ; for, as a vein, it receives 
 blood from the abdominal viscera ; as an artery it ramifies through 
 the liver, forms a capillary net-work, and then secretes the bile. 
 From this capillary net- work, which can be traced to the center 
 of the minute lobules, the hepatic vein takes its origin, collecting 
 the blood from the capillary net-work. It then unites with other 
 
 (611) 
 
612 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 radicles to form the main trunk, by which it is delivered into the 
 vena cava. 
 
 The branches of the hepatic artery are principally distributed 
 upon the walls of the hepatic ducts, and upon the trunks and 
 branches of the portal and hepatic veins, supplying these and the 
 contiguous parts with the necessary amount of arterial blood for 
 their nourishment, as well as that of the whole gland. 
 
 The investing membrane of the liver, from which prolongations 
 extend into its substance, is termed Glisson's capsule. 
 
 The liver derives its nerves and nervo-vital power from the 
 great sympathetic and eighth pair. 
 
 The liver is confined to its situation by ligaments, which get 
 the name of broad, lateral, coronary, and round. The round lig- 
 ament is the remains of the umbilical vein of the fetus. The 
 others are continuations or duplicatures of the peritoneum. 
 
 Secretion or Bile; its Uses, etc. 
 
 The bile is secreted from the capillaries of the hepatic artery, 
 by minute glands found on the surface of the biliary ducts. It 
 then passes through the biliary pores and branches of the hepatic 
 duct. By this duct it is conveyed to the ductus communis chole- 
 dochus (union of the cystic and hepatic ducts), from whence, in 
 part, it passes by the cystic duct to the gall-bladder. When needed 
 in the duodenum, it returns by the cystic duct, and mixes in the 
 ductus communis choledochus with fresh bile from the hepatic 
 duct, and then passes into the duodenum. The bile having en- 
 tered the intestine, mixes with the aliment and pancreatic juice. 
 The pancreatic juice changes the digested aliment into a brown 
 mass, termed chyme, and then emulsifies it. After being emulsi- 
 fied, a portion of the chyle is taken up by the lacteals and enters 
 the receptaculum chyli. In a healthy state of the system, should 
 any bile escape with the chyle, it is absorbed by the mesenteric 
 glands, and returns to the liver by the vena portse. 
 
 Gall-bladder. 
 
 The gall-bladder is a pear-shaped bag connected with the con- 
 cave and posterior surface of the liver, by the above vessels and 
 cellular membrane. It has four coats, termed peritoneal, cellular, 
 
THE LIVER AND ITS DISEASES. . 613 
 
 musclar, and villous. The villous coat is the internal one, and is 
 thrown into numerous minute folds, arranged in a reticular form, 
 filled with small ducts, or follicles, and glands. The latter secrete 
 a fluid for the protection of the internal surface. 
 
 Inflammation of the Liver. 
 
 Cattle and young stock, when fed too high, or when allowed to 
 luxuriate in a rich meadow, are often attacked with an acute dis- 
 ease of the liver. 
 
 Symptoms. — The principal symptoms of this malady are yellow- 
 ness of the .membrane which lines the eyelids, and covers that part 
 known as the "white of the eye." The visible surfaces of the 
 mouth are also of a yellow tinge. In addition to the above symp- 
 toms, the animal is feverish, thirsty ; mouth and base of the horns, 
 hot ; pulse, accelerated ; breathing, rather laborious ; rumination 
 is suspended, and the animal is said to have " lost its cud." Some 
 fullness will also generally be observed on the right side, in the 
 region of the liver, and the animal will occasionally turn its head 
 in that direction, as if it were the seat of pain, which is probably 
 the case ; yet the most reliable symptoms, in a disease of this char- 
 acter, are a yellow tinge of the visible surfaces, accompanied by 
 febrile symptoms. 
 
 Treatment. — The most rational method of treating this disease 
 is to endeavor to mitigate the inflammatory diathesis, and restore 
 the normal function of the liver. In view of accomplishing these 
 desirable results, I recommend the following prescription : 
 
 No. 111. Glauber salts 16 oz. 
 
 Powdered mandrake 2 dr. 
 
 The salts should be dissolved in one quart of tepid water ; then 
 add the mandrake, and drench the animal by means of a common 
 porter-bottle. This drench should be poured down the oesopha- 
 gus in a gradual manner, so as to prevent its being received into 
 the rumen, or paunch. 
 
 The patient should, if possible, be dieted on green fodder. If 
 such can not be procured, some sliced cabbage, turnips, or carrots 
 may be substituted. A tea-spoonful of mandrake should be given 
 daily in the food, until the visible surfaces assume their natural color. 
 A curable case will generally yield under the above treatment. 
 
614 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 This disease sometimes runs into a chronic type, and is known 
 by the yellow color of visible surfaces, dull, sleepy appearance of 
 the subject, and absence of those acute symptoms which are inva- 
 riably present in the inflammatory stage. A chronic disease of this 
 character may exist for months and even years without interfering 
 very essentially with the general health. Finally, however, the 
 liver undergoes alterations in structure, becomes hardened or in- 
 durated, or else it becomes tuberculous, or is the seat of hydatids, 
 and the fluke-worm is often found in the ducts. The treatment 
 for chronic disease of the liver is as follows : 
 
 No. 112. Powdered iodide of potassium 2 dr. 
 
 Powdered golden seal 4 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Divide the mass into six equal parts, and give one in a little 
 water, every morning, on an empty stomach. The medicine may 
 be continued for some length of time without the least danger. If 
 this treatment does not benefit the animal, the case is probably 
 incurable. 
 
 Hydatids. 
 
 Hydatids, commonly known as " flukes," consist of a sac or 
 vesicle filled with fluid. To the naked eye it appears as a simple 
 enveloping cyst ; but on examining it more closely, by means of 
 the microscope, it shows many tunics or coats, and these are the 
 rudimentary cells in various stages of growth. According to Car- 
 penter, these rudimentary developments project more and more 
 into the parent cell, and, at last, become detached from its wall, 
 and lie loosely within it. Shortly before this separation, however, 
 the young hydatid is seen to contain smaller cells, which increase 
 in size along with it. This increase continues until the new brood 
 thus formed entirely fills the cavity of the parent, and a further 
 increase causes the rupture of the sac and the escape of the progeny • 
 and these, in their turn, undergo the same evolution, becoming 
 parent hydatids in distinct cysts, and setting free their contained 
 cells as a subsequent generation. These cystic entozoa are never 
 found in the alimentary canal, but are always embedded in the 
 liver, brain, or glands of organs. They obtain their food by ab- 
 sorption from the inner surface of the investing membrane. Hy- 
 datids infest the various organs of the bodies of all mammalia, 
 and, although they are said to possess an independent existence 
 
THE LIVER AND ITS DISEASES. 615 
 
 while residents of the organ or organs which they inhabit, they 
 die immediately when removed from their chosen habitation. 
 
 " The principal genera of cystic entozoa are, cysticercus, coenurus, 
 echinococcus, to which may be added acephalocystis. Several spe- 
 cies of cysticercus are enumerated, but the most common are cys- 
 ticercus tenicollis and cysticercus cellulosus. The former (taenia 
 hydatagenia, hydatis globosa) is met with frequently in the peri- 
 toneum and pleura of ruminating animals and pigs. It is often 
 generated in the disease called rot, where another entozoon, the 
 distoma, or fluke-worm, is met with in the biliary ducts (liver). 
 The cysticercus cellulosis is found generally lodged in the tissues 
 of the muscles. It occurs sometimes in man, but more frequently 
 in animals, particularly in the hog, where it causes the disease de- 
 nominated measles. Of the genus coenurus (hyclatis polycephalus), 
 the species cerebralis is found in the brain of sheep, oxen, and 
 other ruminating animals. These hydatids on the brain of sheep 
 cause the disease called sturdy, or giddiness. The hydatids be- 
 longing to the genus echinococcus are considered, by some, as va- 
 rieties of the acephalocyst. They are commonly called granular 
 hydatids, from the presence of numerous granules which float in 
 the fluid of the cyst, or adhere to its walls. There are two species 
 of echinococcus. One, echinococcus hominis, has been met with 
 in the brain and abdomen of man, in a few instances ; the other, 
 echinococcus veterinorum, occurs in the hog and other animals. 
 
 Hydatids occur much less frequently in the brains of cattle in 
 Great Britain than in other countries, as Youatt has correctly said, 
 in his treatise on the ' Diseases of the Ox.' It occurs only in the 
 young animals. Indeed, it obeys the same laws that guide the 
 development of the coenurus in the sheep ; and it is a well-estab- 
 lished fact that it is only when animals are growing that the germs 
 for the propagation of the bladder- worms will be taken up, and 
 carried to parts probably through the blood. 
 
 The success attending the trephine, in cases of hydatids in the 
 brain of the ox, is very great and encouraging ; and not only have 
 I read interesting and convincing records on this subject, but, in 
 conversation with skillful and experienced veterinarians, I have 
 learned that trephining is an operation often to be relied upon." * 
 
 The liver is sometimes enormously enlarged, in consequence of 
 
 *Pan, in the "London Field." 
 
616 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the presence of a numerous progeny of the fluke-worm. The fol- 
 lowing ease, contributed to the " Veterinarian " by Surgeon J. B. 
 Gregory, will serve to illustrate this matter. The morbid parts 
 referred to were sent by Mr. Gregory to the editor of the " Vet- 
 erinarian," who makes the remarks inclosed in brackets : 
 
 " The morbid parts I send were taken from a well-bred, short- 
 horned cow, six years old, estimated to weigh, when fat, one hun- 
 dred and twenty-five stones of eight pounds. She was purchased 
 in August last, with a warranty to calve in November following. 
 On September 2d her owner called on me, and wished me to give 
 her some medicine, as he thought she was not quite recovered from 
 the effects of being driven sixteen miles. The medicine I sent had 
 a beneficial effect, as the cow's appetite returned, and she appeared 
 to be quite well again. After this I heard no more of her until 
 the 6th of January last, when I was requested to go and give my 
 opinion as to her being in calf, it being two months beyond the 
 time she was expected to calve. I found that her appetite and 
 rumination were natural, the pulse regular, and the kidneys and 
 bowels acting well. There was, however, a peculiar expression of 
 her countenance, that told of continuous pain. Her eyes, also, 
 were sunk in their orbits, and she had a frequent and troublesome 
 cough. Her skin, likewise, had lost its pliancy, and she was sadly 
 out of condition, but no yellowness of the mouth or eyes was pres- 
 ent. I first examined her abdomen externally, by percussing the 
 right side, with a view of determining her pregnancy; but the 
 body my hand came in contact with was too large for, and had 
 not the feel of, a foetus. As the cow had occasionally been observed 
 to strain, I was now induced to examine her per vaginum, when 
 I found the os uteri to be indurated and unyielding. I could also 
 distinctly feel a round and hard substance, about the size of a large 
 cricket-ball, and which I supposed to be the right ovary ; the other 
 one, however, I could not find. I told the owner that the cow was 
 not in calf, unless it were extra uterine, and that, in all probability, 
 the mass we could feel from the outside was a tumor within the 
 abdomen. I also added that medicine could do no good in such a 
 case. He at once decided on having her killed, which afforded me 
 the opportunity of making a post mortem examination. All the 
 viscera were healthy, with the exception of those I send. The 
 liver, as you will see, is the organ principally affected. It weighed, 
 when first removed, one hundred and forty-six pounds. Its great 
 
THE LIVER AND ITS DISEASES. 617 
 
 size led to its encroaching on the space occupied by the other vis- 
 cera, all of which were more or less compressed. It did not adhere 
 to the side of the abdomen, but was firmly attached to the dia- 
 phragm, and also, in places, to the intestines. In my examination 
 I had the assistance of Mr. Hearn, M. R. C. V. S., who was re- 
 cently your pupil, and who has, I believe, also written to you on 
 the subject. The cause of the enlargement of the liver is evident 
 enough, being produced by hydatids, but I leave to you to describe 
 the variety to which they belong. I have attended post mortem 
 examinations of many cattle since 1828, but never met with any 
 thing like this before. 
 
 [The description given by Mr. Gregory leaves us but little to 
 say respecting this extraordinary enlargement of the liver, as 
 stated by him. The sole cause of its increase in size was due to 
 the presence of an immense number of hydatids in the substance 
 of the organ. These entozoa belonged to the variety designated 
 the acephalocystis endogena, and each cyst contained within it a 
 considerable quantity of the so-called echinococci. In the ' Trans- 
 actions of the Veterinary Medical Association/ for 1842-3, a simi- 
 lar case is recorded as occurring in a pig, which is illustrated by a 
 colored plate, and which may be said to depict equally as well 
 the condition of the liver of the animal in question.]" 
 
 Jaundice, or Yellows. 
 
 This disease is of very common occurrence among horned crea- 
 tures. The stall-fed animal is, probably, more subject to it than 
 those otherwise fed. From this the reader will infer that it is 
 more likely to occur in the winter or spring than at any other 
 season, which is the case. In order to prove this, let any one 
 visit our markets, and note the color of the fat of beef, and he will 
 notice the yellow appearance of almost all the beef offered for sale. 
 There may be some exceptions, yet this feature of fat is a sure 
 sign that the animals, while living, were not entirely free from 
 functional derangement of the liver. This peculiar color, how- 
 ever, is very rarely, if ever, found to pervade the brain, humors 
 of the eye, or the milk during lactation. 
 
 Occasionally a yellow tinge of the visible surfaces (membranes 
 of the mouth, nose, and eyes) appears very suddenly, and is sup- 
 posed to originate from sympathetic action of the brain upon the 
 
618 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 liver ; yet it may arise in the same sudden manner, in consequence 
 of gastro-intestinal irritation, produced by the introduction of 
 poisonous plants and rough food, such as corn-stalks and sugar- 
 cane, into the stomach. Jaundice, in a very protracted form, often 
 owes its origin to the presence of biliary calculi. So say the au- 
 thorities ; but I have examined many gall-bladders after death, 
 yet have never succeeded in finding any ; and I have inquired of 
 many slaughterers, and am informed that they never observed any 
 stones in the gall-bladder ; yet, in various alkaline districts of this 
 country, I presume biliary calculi may be as common as in the 
 chalky regions of the old world. According to concurrent testi- 
 mony, the presence of biliary calculi in the gall-bladder of an ox 
 does not interfere much with the general health ; but they occasion 
 a jaundiced appearance, a general eye-sore, which renders yellow 
 beef unacceptable to the palate of an epicure, and the shrewd 
 butcher declines to deal in any thing yellow, except pure " dust." 
 I know of no symptoms by which the presence of biliary calculi 
 can be detected prior to death. 
 
 The following paragraph occurs in " Youatt on Cattle," and 
 may throw some light on the subject : 
 
 " Sometimes, they (calculi) enter the duct (the cyst) which con- 
 veys the bile to the intestines. They are likely to do this on ac- 
 count of their swimming on the surface of the fluid which the 
 bladder contains. The cystic duct is large at its union with the 
 bladder. It is a continuation of the neck of the bladder, and the 
 gall-stone may be easily pressed into the commencement of the 
 tube ; but it has scarcely entered it before its passage is obstructed 
 by the folds of the inner coat of the duct. These assume a semi- 
 lunar form, with the edges projecting toward the bladder, and they 
 act as partial valves, retarding the progress of the bile, so that it 
 may not all be pressed out at once, but gradually escape as the 
 process .of digestion may require. The gall-stone being thus im- 
 pacted, violent spasmodic action takes place in the muscles of the 
 duct, occasioned by the irritation of its continued pressure. It is 
 fortunate, however, that, although the muscles of these ducts act 
 with some power, the obstruction is usually, with no great diffi- 
 culty, overcome. The duct distends ; as it distends these valvular 
 folds lie closer to the sides, and no longer oppose the passage of the 
 calculus, which is pressed on until it reaches the common duct. 
 The caliber of this tube is larger, and, unless the calculus is of con- 
 
THE LIVER AND ITS DISEASES. 619 
 
 siderable bulk, no farther difficulty occurs until it reaches the 
 opening into the duodenum, which, being situated in the center of 
 a muscular prominence, acting as a valve, and preventing the pas- 
 sage of all matters, whether fluid or solid, from the intestine into 
 the ducts, a new difficulty is opposed to the progress of the gall- 
 stones, and there is some return of pain, and, in a few cases, the 
 pain is evidently more intense than in the early stage. At length, 
 this sphincter muscle of the duodenum dilates, the calculus enters 
 the intestinal canal, the pain ceases, and the natural color of the 
 skin returns. In this species of jaundice, we have, in addition to 
 the yellow skin, the heaving of the flanks, the hard, concentrated 
 pulse, the diminished appetite, the insatiable thirst, and the other 
 symptoms of fever. Then, too, we have the alternate cold and 
 heat of the ears, the roughness of the coat, the urine becoming 
 first of a transparent yellow, and then opaque red, saffron-colored, 
 or brown, and the sediment brown. The bowels are constipated, 
 the feces seldom evacuated, and, when appearing, are hard and 
 black." 
 
 Treatment — "When occasioned by the presence of gall-stones, the 
 animal should have a daily drench, composed of 1 
 
 No. 113. Hydrochloric acid 2 dr. 
 
 Water 1 quart. 
 
 Every other day, give three drachms of fluid extract of man- 
 drake. This will arouse' the liver to healthy and vigorous action 
 and will remove from the intestinal canal all irritating substances. 
 
 When jaundice is occasioned by either functional or organic dis- 
 ease of the liver, I generally give the following : 
 
 No. 114. Fluid extract of mandrake 1 oz. 
 
 Powdered hyposulphite of soda \ oz. 
 
 Water 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Let this dose be given every morning, before feeding, for five 
 or six days, or until the visible surface of the mouth becomes of a 
 more natural color. In the day time the animal should be turned 
 out to grass, if the season permits. 
 

 f^^s 
 
 
 ^&\W^z 
 
 PPil^v.:* 
 
 fHH 
 
 SECTION XXVII. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 
 
 Exanthemata, oe Eruptive Fever — Mange — Foul in the Foot — "Warts — 
 Gadflies — Yoke Galls — The Hair of Cattle an Epidermic Appendage — 
 Pemphvgis or Vesicular Eruption — Cracks in the Heels of Cattle. 
 
 Exanthemata, or Eruptive Fever. 
 
 EXANTHEMATA is the name given to a contagious (some- 
 times epizootic) or eruptive fever which occurs among cattle. 
 The following cases will probably give the reader a good idea of 
 the cause and nature of the malady now under consideration : 
 
 An unusual and alarming disease having made its appearance 
 on the premises of Mr. Waterman, at Warsaw, I was requested 
 to visit the place, in view of ascertaining, if possible, the nature 
 of the disease, its cause, and treatment. On arriving at the place 
 designated, I learned that disease and death had run riot, making 
 terrible ravages among a herd of cattle which, only a few weeks 
 ago, numbered eight hundred, but are now reduced to six hun- 
 dred. The loss of two hundred fine animals in the course of a 
 few weeks was a calamity calculated to alarm the husbandmen in 
 the whole neighborhood. 
 
 From information obtained on the premises, I learned that no 
 disease of the kind had ever prevailed there, nor in the regions 
 where the cattle had been purchased, but the most positive evi- 
 dence seemed to show that the malady had a spontaneous origin 
 on the premises of the proprietor. Some of the animals were 
 purchased in Missouri, and, when they arrived at Warsaw, were 
 as poor as Pharaoh's " lean kine," splendid specimens of skin and 
 bone. The dietary arrangements of the establishment were not 
 calculated to benefit their condition, their principal food being 
 " slop " from the distillery. It was not the intention of the owner 
 (620) 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 621 
 
 to feed this large herd of cattle exclusively on "swill," but his 
 stock of hay having become exhausted, and the roads being in 
 very bad condition, it was impossible to obtain a supply of the 
 same. In consequence the function of rumination, or remastica- 
 tion, was suspended. The hot " swill " from the distillery failed 
 to distend the complex stomach of the animal to a healthy ca- 
 pacity; it operated so as to produce a lax state of the bowels, 
 amounting, in a large number of cases, to actual diarrhea, or 
 liquid stools having an offensive odor. The constant discharge 
 from the bowels of liquid feces augmented the debility of the 
 "lean kine." They became afflicted with a mortal malady, or 
 enzootic affection, which ran like wild fire through the whole 
 herd. It manifested itself, first, in a condition of anemia; then 
 depilation of the hair took place; the external surface of the 
 body, in many cases, presented a raw surface, and the animals 
 seemed to be crazy to rub themselves against any fulcrum that 
 would mitigate their intolerable itchiness. Many of them got 
 down on the floor, and, by contact, abraded the external surface 
 of the body in many places, so that the raw flesh was exposed, 
 and, in some cases, the hip bones protruded. It was noticed that 
 whenever an animal thus affected got down on the floor, death 
 invariably closed the scene. Some of the creatures thus having 
 the finger of Death upon them were charitably put out of their 
 misery, by killing them outright. 
 
 It appeared to be of an exanthematous character, and conta- 
 gious. The proof of its contagiousness seemed to be evident, from 
 the fact that the whole herd were affected with precisely the same 
 pathological symptoms ; namely, depilation of hair, debility, erup- 
 tions on the surface of the body, anemia, diarrhea, etc. I might 
 be mistaken about the contagious element of the disease, but give 
 my readers the facts, and leave them to form their own opinions. 
 It may be that the evils to which the animals were subjected, and 
 which was operative in implanting the malady in the system of 
 the first victim, was operative, and produced the same in all the 
 rest of the herd ; but I have no proof of a positive character to 
 offer in favor of either theory. 
 
 I had supposed that the skin disease was, like itch, dependent 
 on the presence of parasites located under the scarfskin ; but in 
 the use of a good magnifying power, the supposed parasites were 
 not discernible, but beneath the scarfskin, in the integuments and 
 
622 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 subtissues, were observed a multitude of minute local beds of 
 lymph, from which sprang the superficial local malady on the 
 skin. Incrustations, or scales, solitary and in clusters, formed 
 wherever the deeper-seated integuments were affected; and in 
 some cases, when the scabs were rubbed off, the parts looked red 
 and inflamed, and some persons contended that the animals had 
 the red or mad itch. Almost every person who saw the animals 
 declared that itch was the disease ; but, knowing that itch is due 
 to the presence of parasites, and failing to detect any, I could not 
 so name the malady. 
 
 I examined very carefully the external surface of the body, yet 
 could not detect either lice or parasites to account for the intoler- 
 able itchiness which was present, more or less, in the whole herd. 
 From all the evidence I was enabled to obtain during a brief 
 visit, I was forced to the conclusion that the cutaneous affection 
 was of an exanthematous character, and resembled eczema. 
 Nearly all the animals were in a state of debility ; all had daily 
 been losing flesh, and those which I had examined after death 
 were anemiac (bloodless). Their muscles were pale, like those of 
 a calf when bled to death. Their stomachs and intestines were 
 void of food ; the hot swill seemed to have found no resting-place 
 in the digestive cavities, but ran through them like a dose of 
 cathartic medicine. The internal organs of those animals I ex- 
 amined presented no signs of disease, except that they were pale 
 and bloodless. 
 
 Causes. — The causes of the disease may be summed up as fol- 
 lows : Debility, from insufficient nutritive food ; the filthy condi- 
 tion of the' cattle-pens and surroundings ; herding of too many 
 animals together in a small space ; want of pure air, exercise, and 
 muscle-making nitrogenous fodder. 
 
 • Treatment. — I informed the proprietor of the establishment that 
 no medicinal remedies would be of any avail unless the exciting 
 causes were removed, and suggested that the afflicted animals be 
 allowed the use of their limbs and lungs on dry ground, in the 
 open air, within an extensive inclosure, and that they should be 
 allowed a bounteous supply of hay, corn, and corn-stalks; then 
 medicinal remedies of a tonic, stimulant, and alterative character, 
 which I prescribed, might prove beneficial. For the local affec- 
 tion, I prescribed linseed oil, petroleum, lime-water, and sulphur. 
 Several applications of this compound were made, and the subjects* 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 623 
 
 were much benefited thereby. Many of the affected animals, 
 however, were in such a deplorable condition that I urged the 
 owner to have them destroyed, as a deed of charity. 
 
 Mange. 
 
 This disease is too well known to need any particular descrip- 
 tion from me. It is due to the presence of parasites ; hence it can 
 be communicated by contact or touch, and is, therefore, conta- 
 gious. This latter fact suggests the propriety of removing the 
 diseased animals from the healthy ones. 
 
 Treatment. — Let the animal have a table-spoonful of sulphur in 
 the food, for three or four days in succession ; in the mean time, 
 anoint the affected parts daily with a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 115. Cod-liver oil 6 oz. 
 
 Sublimated sulphur 2 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Apply by means of a sponge. 
 
 In the course of four or five days, wash the surface of the body 
 with warm water and soap, and then give the body a thorough 
 sponging with the following : 
 
 No. 116. Lime-water 1 qt. 
 
 Sublimated sulphur » . . 2 oz. 
 
 The above treatment generally cures the most inveterate cases. 
 
 Foul, in the Foot. 
 
 In cases of this character the animal is dead lame, and often an 
 intolerable stench arises from the parts between the claws. This 
 is followed by the discharge of sanious and, finally, purulent 
 matter. In this stage astringents and antiseptics are indicated; 
 therefore I recommend the following : 
 
 No. 117. Tincture of matieo 2 oz. 
 
 Pyroligneous acid 1 pt. 
 
 Glycerine 4 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Saturate a small piece of sponge with a portion of the above, 
 and introduce it between the "cleft" of the foot; the hoof and 
 contiguous parts are then to be bathed with the preparation ; and, 
 
624 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 finally, in view of keeping the sponge in place, and to produce a 
 good effect on the external parts, a narrow bandage must be ap- 
 plied, so as to encircle the hoof. If any heat or tenderness exist, 
 the bandage should be kept moist with cold water. 
 
 Warts. 
 
 Warts, as they occur on cattle, are of three kinds. One makes 
 its appearance upon the skin, and consists, in part, of an increased 
 development of the epidermis or scarfskin; the next kind origi- 
 nates under the epidermis, and, as it grows, elevates the same ; the 
 latter, however, is nothing more than a common encysted fibrous 
 tumor, without organization. This can readily be removed by 
 cutting down upon it, and dissecting out the cyst or sac which 
 enshrouds it. The epidermic wart sometimes has a very broad 
 base, and, in order to remove it, a double-armed ligature must be 
 sent through it, so that it can be tied in two equal halves. Oc- 
 casionally this kind of wart is pendulous — has a contracted neck 
 at its base. This may be encircled by a single ligature, and, in 
 the course of thirty-six hours, will fall oif. The third kind of 
 wart is a sort of fungous excrescence — not horny or hard, like 
 the two former, but possessing great vascularity, and, when 
 rubbed or bruised, they often bleed profusely. I lately removed 
 one from the inferior jaw of an ox, which bled very profusely 
 after the removal, and did not cease until a hemostatic had been 
 repeatedly applied. The hemostatic was powdered matico leaves, 
 which coagulated the albumen of the blood. There is great dan- 
 ger in removing warts of this kind. The following case, occurring 
 in the practice of Surgeon Cartwright, will illustrate the prop- 
 osition : 
 
 "On the 1st of June, 1846, I removed several warts from the 
 linea alba of a year-old heifer, belonging to Samuel Worthington, 
 Esq. I cast her, and cut them off with the knife, and did not 
 apply any thing to the wounds, as they did not bleed an ounce. 
 I could see one or two large blood-vessels on the surface of the 
 wounds. We loosed her from the hobbles, and then tied her up, 
 and the wounds soon left off bleeding. Gave her an aperient, 
 and left her for the night. 
 
 The next morning she was found down, and could scarcely get 
 up from loss of blood, which continued to issue through a large 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 625 
 
 band that was passed round her. I was immediately sent for, 
 but was gone to Liverpool. They, in consequence, applied to a 
 druggist, who sent some alum-water, which stopped the blood. 
 In a day or two I saw her, but, as a scab was then forming on the 
 wounds, I did not meddle with it; soon afterward the parts were 
 cicatrized. 
 
 . There is no doubt but that, after she was left, she commenced 
 licking the wounds, and so brought on the secondary hemorrhage. 
 The person who looked after her believes that, had not something 
 been done at the time, she would have bled to death. From this 
 and other cases that I have seen, I think it absolutely necessary 
 that we should guard against the animals licking themselves, and 
 perhaps it would be quite as well to apply the cautery to the 
 parts, after removing the warts, or subsequently." 
 
 When a large surface is occupied by warts which do not possess 
 any definite necks, they must be cut off close to the skin, and the 
 surfaces thus exposed should be touched with strong pyroligneous 
 acid, and then sprinkled with powdered bloodroot. 
 
 Warts on the teats are to be removed by ligaturing them at 
 their base, by means of saddler's silk, or horsehair. If securely 
 tied, so as to obstruct circulation, they drop off in the course of 
 thirty-six hours. Any sores which may occur in consequence of 
 the removal of warts, can be healed by covering them once or 
 twice daily with a small quantity of glycerine. 
 
 Gadflies. 
 
 The gadfly is known to naturalists as the oestris bovis. It punc- 
 tures the integument of cattle, and then deposits its ova, or eggs. 
 In this situation the ova mature, until they are capable of enjoy- 
 ing an independent existence. They then make their exit through 
 the external outlet, fall to and burrow into the ground, and remain 
 there until the period of their metamorphosis takes place, when 
 they assume the form of winged insects. In this form they mul- 
 tiply the species by the deposit of their ova. They probably occa- 
 sion much irritation ; and, in view of getting rid of them, -I usually 
 puncture the tumor, by means of a thumb-lancet, and squeeze out 
 the parasite. 
 
 The following paragraph is from the pen of Guntheb. ; and I 
 urge the reader, if he be the owner of live stock, to give them an 
 40 
 
626 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 occasional dose of sulphur ; for I contend that no living creature 
 can ever be infested with parasites when its system is saturated 
 with sulphur : 
 
 " The gadfly not only persecutes healthy oxen, by its bites, dur- 
 ing summer, but also deposits its eggs in their skin, which give 
 rise to tumors on the back and other parts, in which the larvae 
 become developed. They live there on the succulent fluid which 
 the soft parts secrete, and make their escape thence in the follow- 
 ing spring, in order to become metamorphosed. The greater the 
 number of tumors, the more is the strength of the animal dimin- 
 ished by the pain and suppuration. For this reason we should 
 endeavor to free the animal, as soon as possible, from these larvse 
 pests, by frequently washing these tumors with camphorated brandy 
 or forcibly compressing them, which either crushes the insect or 
 forces it to make its exit. When they have attained the size of a 
 filbert, an incision must be made into the part, which is then to be 
 covered with a pitch plaster. A few doses of sulphur are to be 
 given internally. We are told that those oxen which have taken 
 sulphur for a long period of time are not infested by gadflies." 
 
 Yoke Galls. 
 
 The exciting cause is local irritation occasioned by the yoke. 
 Treatment. — So soon as an abrasion is discovered on the neck, 
 the animal should be excused from duty for a few days. The 
 abraded part should be lubricated two or three times daily, with 
 a small quantity of glycerine. In most cases, however, a few ap- 
 plications of tincture of aloes and myrrh will produce a healthy 
 action, and thus restore the parts to soundness. Should there be 
 no abrasion, yet some tumefaction, heat, and tenderness, a cold- 
 water bandage, renewed as occasion seems to require, will, in most 
 cases, have the desired effect. Occasionally the integuments are so 
 bruised as to induce induration (hardening). Local induration in 
 $the neck is a'morbid condition of parts, known to the farriers of 
 old as " sit-fast." The treatment consists in smearing the part 
 with a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 118. Iodine \ dr. 
 
 Simple ointment 7 dr. 
 
 Powdered bloodroot 1 dr. 
 
 Mix. 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 627 
 
 A few applications of a portion of the above will have the effect 
 of removing the sit-fast, or eschar, when a healthy granulating 
 surface will appear. 
 
 Some animals, owing to a peculiarity of constitution, will 
 "chafe," as the saying is, in those parts which come in contact 
 with the yoke, and no human foresight or mechanical contrivance 
 can prevent it ; therefore, in view of protecting the parts against 
 the local irritation and its consequences, I recommend the follow- 
 ing liquid cuticle: 
 
 No. 119. Collodion, ) ^ , , 
 
 Castor oil j Equal parts. 
 
 After washing the abrasion with soap and water, wipe dry, and 
 smear it all over with a portion of the above invaluable liquid 
 cuticle. 
 
 The Haik of Cattle is an Epidekmic Appendage. 
 
 According to Cabpentek, hair is an epidermic appendage, al- 
 though not developed upon the external surface, but in the interior 
 of a follicle (sac or fold) formed by a depression of the true skin. 
 This follicle is lined by a continuation of the epidermis (scarfskin), 
 the cells of which are developed in peculiar abundance from a spot 
 at its deepest portion, the dense exterior of the cluster thus formed 
 being known as the " bulb of the hair," while the softer interior 
 is termed its pulp. Although the hairs of different animals vary 
 in the appearances they present, we may generally distinguish two 
 elementary principles corresponding with those which we meet 
 with in the stem of a feather ; namely, a cortical resembling bark, 
 and a medullary resembling marrow. The fullest development 
 of both substances is seen in the spine hairs of the hedgehog, and 
 in the quills of the porcupine, which are but hairs on a magnified 
 scale. The cortical envelope of hairs is a continuation of the outer 
 scales or layers of the epidermis that lines the follicles, while the 
 medullary is derived from the deeper stratum, whose cells are pro- 
 duced in usual abundance at its coecal (blind) extremity ; and it is 
 by the constant development of new cells at this point that the 
 continual growth of the hair is kept up. 
 
628 dadd's veterinary medicine and surgery. 
 
 Pemphigus, or Vesicular Eruption. 
 
 In the United States, (at least in the East,) pemphigus is of rare 
 occurrence, yet it has made its appearance in Texas and in the 
 Western States. The following symptoms, which usually accom- 
 pany this eruptive affection, may enable the reader to recognize it. 
 
 Symptoms. — The breathing is generally hurried and sonorous, 
 accompanied by a slight cough ; the animal shivers, which is oc- 
 casioned by deranged and irregular nervous action ; the integument 
 in the regions of the neck, shoulders, anus, loins, and haunches is 
 elevated by effusion into the cellular tissue ; the cuticle, or external 
 tunic of the body, is the seat of watery bladders, varying in size 
 from a Beverly bean to a walnut ; in other parts of the skin a 
 serous or watery fluid may be observed to dribble from the hair. 
 The ears are drooping and moist, and their temperature is much 
 elevated ; the base of the horns are hot, and the whole external 
 surface of the body is in the same condition ; the visible surfaces — 
 namely, those of the eyes, mouth, and nose — are highly injected 
 with a reddened yellow tinge ; the tongue is swollen or tumefied, 
 and an abundance of saliva flows from the mouth ; the pulse will 
 often run up to 80, yet may be imperceptible at the jaw; the 
 spinal column presents a convexity, or is arched upward ; the 
 urine is scanty and dark-colored, and the feces are of a lighter color 
 than usual, showing very conclusively that the function of the 
 liver is impaired. As the disease advances, the serous tumors 
 burst, exposing broad excoriated patches. 
 
 Treatment. — Let a portion of the following mixture be applied 
 to the surface of the body, morning and evening : 
 
 No. 120. Glycerine 2 oz. 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda 2 oz. 
 
 Rain-water 1 pint. 
 
 Mix well together. After this lotion has been applied a few 
 times, a decided improvement in the skin will be apparent. 
 
 A few daily doses of the following medicine must also be given : 
 
 No. 121. Fluid extract of poke-root 3 dr 
 
 Chlorate of potass 4 dr. 
 
 Water -| pint. 
 
 A few years ago a vesicular epizootic broke out among cattle 
 and milch cows at Stratford-on-Avon, England, the symptoms of 
 which are thus described by J. Tombs, V. S. : 
 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 629 
 
 " The symptoms were, increased pulsation ; copious discharge of 
 saliva from the mouth; respiration, disturbed. These symptoms 
 continued for two or three days, when a tremendous inflammation 
 of the integuments and cellular tissues set in, around the coronets 
 at the heels and between the hoofs, causing exceeding lameness 
 and excruciating pain. The swelling quickly extended to the fet- 
 locks. The poor beasts lay down the greater portion of their 
 time — panted and perspired profusely, with occasional deep groan- 
 ing. At this stage of the disease the mouth improved. When 
 made to get up, they could hardly walk, and soon lay down again. 
 The beating of the heart could be distinctly heard several yards 
 off. In some, all four feet were affected ; in others, the fore-feet ; 
 others, the hind feet, and in some one fore-foot. Suppuration took 
 place in the integumentary and cellular membranes, five or six 
 days subsequently to the original attack, which process afforded 
 great relief. In the interim they became emaciated, and lost their 
 milk. In a day or two after, extensive sloughing supervened of 
 the integuments of the coronets and heels, and between the hoofs, 
 leaving the pedal and coronary bones bare, with deep sinuses. 
 The putrid parts, while sloughing, emitted an unbearable stench. 
 Granulations of new flesh soon formed, which became prominent 
 and luxuriant, forcing the hoofs wide apart. At this period of the 
 complaint the urgent and painful symptoms considerably lessened ; 
 the animals could then hobble out of the yard into a grass-field 
 close by, where they were prior to the attack. The milk, flesh, 
 and strength began to return, and the lameness slowly diminished, 
 as the thickening of the integuments and cellular membrane be- 
 came absorbed. New hoofs formed, which in some grew irregu- 
 larly, and caused great tenderness for some length of time." 
 
 Cracks in the Heels of Cattle. 
 
 Cracked heels are generally more prevalent in the horse than 
 cow ; yet as I have had an opportunity of seeing and prescribing 
 for a few cases of this character, I shall give the reader the benefit 
 of my experience, so that, when cases of this character do occur, 
 the farmer may know what to do. Some persons suppose that un- 
 cleanliness is the sole cause of cracks. This is not the case ; the 
 subjects are predisposed to a humory condition and congestion of 
 the feet. 
 
630 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Treatment. — The part must first be sponged, or, rather, washed, 
 with tepid water, slightly alkalized with a small quantity of car- 
 bonate of soda. I prefer soda instead of soap. The latter is apt 
 to irritate the parts; and there exists no dirt nor morbid matter 
 which can hot be removed by an alkaline wash. After cleansing 
 the parts, apply a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 122. Pyroligneous acid 2 oz. 
 
 Kerosene 1 oz. 
 
 Olive oil 3 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Apply by means of a piece of sponge. The parts should be 
 dressed once per day, and oftener if necessary. The edges of the 
 crack sometimes become inverted. In this case procure a small 
 piece of linen, form it into a pad, and, after smearing its surface 
 with a portion of the above preparation, apply it so as to press the 
 lips of the gap together, and then bind it on. 
 
 If the disease be constitutional, which may be inferred from the 
 fact that the animal is said to be " subject to it " in the winter, 
 then a few doses of alterative medicine may be given. The fol- 
 lowing forms a very excellent stimulating alterative : 
 
 No. 123. Iodide of potassium \ oz." 
 
 Water 1 quart. 
 
 Tincture of sassafras 4 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Give a wine-glassful every morning, before feeding-time. 
 
SECTION XXVIII. 
 
 VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 
 
 Castration — Enzootic Milk Sickness, or Trembles — Improved Method of 
 Milking — Diseased Thymus Gland— Cords in Young Calves — Steamed and 
 Cooked Food for Stock — Cheap Fodder for Cows — Black Tongue — Frac- 
 tured Bones — Fractured Radius of a Calf — Light in Barns — Diarrhea 
 in Calves — Sprains or Strains — Spaying Cows. 
 
 Castration. 
 
 IL"ABOR under an impression that the husbandmen of this 
 country commit some awful mistakes in the theory and prac- 
 tice of castration. The usual practice is to castrate the calf from 
 one to three months after birth. This is evidently done to the 
 manifest injury of form, size, and muscular development. The 
 operation may tend toward fattening the animal, and improving 
 the epicurean quality of its meat ; and it may render the animal 
 docile, and thus increase his usefulness ; but his strength, stamina, 
 and endurance are compromised by early castration. If animals 
 are needed as working oxen, they should not be castrated until 
 they have attained the age of three or four years. At these peri- 
 ods the muscles of the neck and chest have undergone remarkable 
 developments, and the animals have strength and endurance to 
 make really valuable oxen for work ; whereas, if castrated at too 
 early a period, the muscles of the forward parts are always defect- 
 ive, lank, and lean. I am aware that there are difficulties in the 
 way of keeping bulls up to the age here indicated ; yet the experi- 
 ment has been tried, in this country and elsewhere, to the entire 
 satisfaction of the parties that made the experiments ; therefore, I 
 recommend farmers not to castrate calves intended for work-oxen 
 until their muscular system is well developed ; and even in view 
 of obtaining good beef, and developing the propensity to fatten, 
 
 (631) 
 
632 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 I should let the calves remain uncastratecl for six months or more. 
 It has been urged, by some writers, that the danger of castration 
 is less in young than adult animals. This may be correct, yet I 
 apprehend but little danger in castrating either a horse or bull at 
 any age, provided the creature is in the enjoyment of health, and 
 the operation be properly performed. 
 
 In many parts of France the bull-calf is castrated by means of 
 a curious species of torsion, termed bistournage. The animal is 
 thrown and secured. The operator places himself behind the ani- 
 mal, and opposite to the tail ; he seizes the testicles with both his 
 hands, and pushes them violently upward and downward several 
 times, in order to destroy their adhesion to their coverings. He 
 continues this manipulation until he thinks that he has produced 
 sufficient lengthening of the cords, and dilatation of the bag itself. 
 He then pushes up the left testicle as nearly as possible to the 
 ring, leaving the right one low in the bag; he seizes the cord 
 of the right testicle between the finger and thumb of the left 
 hand, about an inch above the testicle, and, grasping the bottom 
 of the scrotum with his right hand, he turns the testicle, and 
 pushes it forcibly upward, until he has reversed it, and its inferior 
 extremity is uppermost. Some little practice is required in order 
 readily to effect this. Then, the right hand holding the testicle 
 while the left hand raises the cord, the testicle is turned round 
 from right to left four or five or six times, until there is a degree 
 of tension and difficulty in the turning, which indicates that the 
 spermatic vessels are so far compressed or obliterated as to be 
 deprived of the power of secreting or conveying the seminal fluid. 
 The testicle is by this means brought up nearly to the abdominal 
 ring, where it is retained by turning the scrotum over it, while 
 the left testicle is brought down, reversed, and turned in the same 
 manner. Last of all, in order to prevent the untwisting of the 
 cords and the descent of the testicles, the operator grasps the bot- 
 tom of the scrotum in his left hand, and, holding one end of a 
 piece of cord, eighteen inches in length, and about as large as a 
 •quill, between his teeth, and having the other end in his right 
 hand, he makes with it several turns round the scrotum with con- 
 siderable firmness below and close to the testicles, yet not so tightly 
 as quite to stop the circulation of blood through the bag. This is 
 taken away at the end of the second day, after which the testicles 
 will remain fixed against the abdomen, and will gradually wither 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 633 
 
 away. The animal is usually bled after the operation, and half 
 of its allowance of food taken away. 
 
 I lately castrated two horses, at the respective ages of twelve 
 and seventeen years, and they have both done well; yet, if they 
 had been " prepared," as the books recommend, I might have lost 
 both animals ; and I verily believe that the once popular method 
 of physicking (prostrating) animals before castration has been the 
 cause of many unnecessary deaths. 
 
 In castrating bullocks, I apply a ligature around the whole 
 cord, for it is not always safe to merely ligature the spermatic 
 artery, as the reader will perceive by reading the following para- 
 graph : 
 
 Herring has observed that, after tying the spermatic artery, 
 without difficulty, in two places, and cutting between them, the 
 spermatic cord being then cut across two inches below, arterial 
 hemorrhage sometimes ensued. It is easy to account for blood 
 flowing through the spermatic veins, after this operation, by a 
 retrograde circulation in the wide vessels; but, as regards the 
 arterial hemorrhage, Herring was in doubt, until, after several 
 injections of the spermatic cord, he found that the spermatic ar- 
 tery often divides into two nearly equal branches ; if but one be 
 tied, on removing the testicles, the other division bleeds. Her- 
 ring afterward injected several testicles and spermatic cords of 
 bulls, and found an extraordinarily rich net-work of veins, which 
 differs in many points' from the pampiniform plexus of the sper- 
 matic cord in man, horse, dog, etc. In the spermatic cord of the 
 horse, we observe the artery making a large number of curves on 
 itself until it reaches the testicle ; and from the latter organ arise 
 numerous veins, which coil upward, but now join in several 
 branches which pass up with the artery, anastomosing at inter- 
 vals, and forming a net-work, the meshes of which are in the 
 shape of parallelograms. In the bull, on the contrary, the veins 
 are exceedingly numerous, and spin round the artery like the ten- 
 drils of a climbing plant round a wire ; and this is seen high up 
 in the abdomen, so that, in successful injections, the spermatic ar- 
 tery is completely hidden. 
 
 Some persons may object to the plan of applying a ligature 
 around the whole cord, and Youatt speaks of it as a cruel op- 
 eration. I can not conceive how there can be any more cruelty 
 in it than when the " clams " are used. The pressure on the cord 
 
634 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 is the bame ; and all the difference is, I use saddler's silk instead 
 of wooden clams. I have castrated a great number of animals, 
 at all ages, by means of a ligature around the cord, and have never 
 met with loss or accident. 
 
 Method of Castration. — There is very little danger in castrating 
 a young calf, and it is very rare that a surgeon is ever called upon 
 to perform the operation ; yet I would advise persons who are in 
 the habit of castrating these young animals to make free openings 
 into the scrotum and inner covering of the testicles. This inner 
 covering is called tunica vaginalis. If too small an opening be 
 made, the swollen cord will be imprisoned by the divided edges 
 of the tunica vaginalis, which will untimately end in hardening 
 or scirrhosity of the end of the cord, or else there will be scrotal 
 abscess. A large opening into the scrotum and tunic is necessary, 
 in order to postpone union of the external parts, until the tissues 
 above and within have healed. 
 
 When castrating bullocks, I either secure them in the trevis 
 and partly etherize them, or else cast them with the hobbles (see 
 cut of instruments), and render them completely insensible by 
 ether. I then grasp the scrotum, between the belly and testicle, 
 and make an incision on one side and at the lower part of the 
 scrotum sufficiently large to allow the testicle to escape. The 
 testicle then hangs by the cord. A ligature is then passed around 
 the latter, which must be tied tight enough to compress the blood- 
 vessels and prevent after-bleeding. The cord is then divided, and 
 one end of the string may be cut very close to the knot, so that a 
 slight pull will untie it. The other testicle is to be proceeded with 
 in the same manner, and the operation is complete. It is proper, 
 however, to return the cord within the inner tunic, or covering of 
 the testicle, and one end of the ligature is left long enough to hang 
 out of the wound. In the course of a week, if the ligatures do 
 not come away, a slight pull will detach them. 
 
 I never make use of any dressing, except when a bad odor arises 
 from the parts. The best remedy, under such circumstances, is 
 diluted pyroligneous acid, in the following proportions : 
 
 No. 124. Pyroligneous acid 3 oz. 
 
 Water 15 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Let the parts be well cleansed, night and morning, with a por 
 tion of the above. Should any undue amount of swelling ensue, 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 635 
 
 the parts are to be rubbed occasionally with an ounce or two of 
 sweet spirits of niter. 
 
 I find that exercise operates favorably in preventing scrotal 
 swelling, which is a condition of the parts known to surgeons as 
 local effusion (dropsy) ; and, as exercise at pasture always tends to 
 reduce these kinds of swellings, I generally, if the weather per- 
 mits, place the castrated animal under the care of " Doctor Green, '"' 
 (a good pasture,) where the patient can vitalize its blood with pure 
 air, promote the integrity of the whole system by voluntary exer- 
 cise of the muscles, and partake of herbage calculated to benefit the 
 whole animal economy. 
 
 Enzootic Milk Sickness, or Trembles. 
 
 The cause or origin of enzootic milk sickness (commonly de- 
 nominated " trembles ") is a subject of much speculation. Various 
 are the opinions and conclusions of medical and non-medical men. 
 It has been asserted that a creeping vine, known to luxuriate in 
 forest regions, Occasions the disease. The theory is that this vine, 
 or vegetable parasite, is matured in the latter months of summer, 
 or the first autumnal, at which season of the year the grass becomes 
 dry and tough, when the cattle resort to the timbered land for 
 sustenance, feeding upon the (supposed) vine ; and as the animal 
 is (without satisfactory evidence) susceptible to its (imaginary) 
 influence, it often sickens and dies; yet, strange to relate, many 
 animals located in the same regions escape the pest. And, in 
 order to sustain this faulty theory, we are informed that the lucky 
 creatures who live and die at a respectable bovine age know 
 enough to give the poisonous plant the go-by. This is nothing 
 more than mere speculation, for the disease very frequently occurs 
 when the ground is covered with snow. 
 
 Dr. Graff informs us that the general appearance of the in- 
 fected districts is somewhat peculiar. "The quality of the soil 
 is, in general, of an inferior description. The growth of timber 
 is not observed to be so luxuriant as in situations otherwise simi- 
 lar, but is scrubby, and stunted in its perfect development, in 
 many instances, simulating what, in the West, is denominated 
 ' barrens.' " 
 
 Now, it is possible that these barrens do not furnish a sufficient 
 amount of carbon, in the form of food, for the metamornhoses of 
 
636 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the tissues ; and if we take into consideration that the animal re- 
 ceives, during the day, while in search of this food, a large supply 
 of oxygen, and at the same time the waste of the body is increased 
 by the extra labor required to select sufficient nutriment — it being 
 scanty in such situations — then it follows that this disproportion 
 between the quantity of carbon in the food and that of oxygen 
 absorbed by the skin and lungs must induce a diseased or abnor- 
 mal condition. The animal is sometimes fat, at others lean. Some 
 of the cows attacked with this disease were fat, and in apparent 
 health, and nothing peculiar was observed until immediately pre- 
 ceding the outbreak of the fatal symptoms. The presence of fat 
 is generally proof positive of an abnormal state ; and, in such 
 cases, the liver or spleen is often diseased. The blood then becomes 
 loaded with fat and oil, and is finally deposited in the cellular tis- 
 sues. The reader will now understand how an animal accumulates 
 fat, notwithstanding it be furnished with insufficient diet. All 
 that I wish to contend for is, that in such cases vital resistance is 
 compromised. We are told that, in the situation alluded to, veg- 
 etation was stunted, etc. ; and knowing that vegetables are com- 
 posed of nearly the same materials which constitute animal organ- 
 ization — the carbon or fat of the former being deposited in the 
 seeds and fruits, and that of the latter in the cellular structure — 
 then we can arrive at but one conclusion ; namely, that any loca- 
 tion unfavorable to vegetation is likewise ill-adapted to preserve 
 the integrity of animal life. 
 
 In connection with this, it must be remembered that, during the 
 night, the soil emits excrementitious vapors, which are taken into 
 the animal system by the process of respiration. In the act of 
 rumination, vapor is also inclosed in the globules of saliva, and 
 thus reaches the stomach. Many plants which, during the day, 
 may be eaten with impunity by cattle, actually become poisonous 
 during the night ! This, I am aware, will meet with some oppo- 
 sition, to combat which I quote from Liebig : 
 
 "How powerful, indeed, must the resistance appear which the 
 vital force supplies to leaves charged with oil of turpentine or 
 tannic acid, when we consider the affinity of oxygen for these 
 compounds ! This intensity of action, or of resistance, the plant 
 obtains by means of the sun's light, the effect of which, in chem- 
 ical actions, may be, and is, compared to that of a very high tem- 
 perature (moderate red heat). During the night an opposite 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 637 
 
 process goes on in the plant. We see, then, that the constituents 
 of the leaves and green parts combine with the oxygen of the 
 air — a property which in daylight they did not possess. From 
 these facts we can draw no other conclusion but this: that the 
 intensity of the vital force diminishes with the abstraction of 
 light ; that with the approach of night a state of equilibrium is 
 established, and that in complete darkness all those constituents 
 of plants which, during the day, possessed the power of sepa- 
 rating oxygen from chemical combinations, and of resisting its 
 action, lose their power completely. 
 
 A precisely similar phenomenon is observed in animals. The 
 living animal body exhibits its peculiar manifestations of vitality 
 only at certain temperatures. When exposed to a certain degree 
 of cold, these vital phenomena entirely cease. The abstraction of 
 heat must, therefore, be viewed as quite equivalent to a dimi- 
 nution of the vital energy. The resistance opposed by the vital 
 force to external causes of disturbance must diminish, in certain 
 temperatures, in the same ratio in which the tendency of the ele- 
 ments of the body to combine with the oxygen of the air increases. 
 
 It is obvious that the cause of the generation of force — namely, 
 the change of matter — is diminished, because, with the abstraction 
 of heat, as in the plant by abstraction of light, the intensity of the 
 vital force diminishes. It is also obvious that the momentum of 
 force in a living part depends on its proper temperature, exactly 
 as the effect of a falling body stands in a fixed relation to certain 
 other conditions; for example, to the velocity attained in falling. 
 When the temperature sinks, the vital energy diminishes; when 
 it again rises, the momentum of force in the living parts appears 
 once more in all its original intensity. The production of force 
 for mechanical purposes, and the temperature of the body, must, 
 consequently, bear a fixed relation to the amount of oxygen which 
 can be absorbed in a given time by the animal body. 
 
 The quantities of oxygen which a whale and a carrier's horse 
 can inspire in a given time are very unequal. The temperature 
 as well as the quantity of oxygen is much greater in the horse. 
 The force exerted by a whale, when struck with the harpoon, his 
 body being supported by the surrounding medium, and the force 
 exerted by a carrier's horse, which carries its own weight and a 
 heavy burden for eight or ten hours, must both bear the same 
 ratio to the oxygen consumed. If we take into consideration the 
 
638 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 time during which the force is manifested, it is obvious that the 
 amount of force developed by the horse is far greater than in the 
 case of the whale. 
 
 In climbing high mountains, where, in consequence of the res- 
 piration of a highly rarefied atmosphere, much less oxygen is con- 
 veyed to the blood, in equal times, than in valleys or at the level 
 of the sea, the change of matter diminishes in the same ratio, and 
 with it the amount of force available for mechanical purposes. 
 For the most part, drowsiness and want of force for mechanical 
 exertions come on ; after twenty or thirty steps, fatigue compels us 
 to a fresh accumulation of force by means of rest (absorption of 
 oxygen without waste of force in voluntary motions.)" 
 
 In the situations alluded to we generally find poisonous and 
 noxious plants, with an abundance of decayed vegetable matter. 
 An English writer has said : " The farmers of England might 
 advantageously employ a million, at least, of additional laborers 
 in clearing their wild domains of noxious plants,* which would 
 amply repay them in the superior quality of their produce. They 
 would then feel the truth of that axiom in philosophy, ' that he 
 who can contrive to make two blades of grass, or wholesome grain, 
 grow where one poisonous plant grew before, is a greater bene- 
 factor to the human race than all the conquerors or heroes who 
 have ever lived.' " 
 
 The noxious plants found in such abundance in the Western 
 States are among the principal causes, either directly or indirectly, 
 of the great mortality among men, horses, cattle, and sheep. The 
 hay would be just as destructive as when in its green state, were it 
 not' that, in the process of drying, the volatile and poisonous prop- 
 erties of the buttercup, dandelion, poppy, and hundreds of similar 
 destructive plants found in the hay, evaporate. It is evident that 
 
 *The American farmers are just beginning to wake up on this subject, and 
 before long I hope to see our pasture lands free from all poisonous plants. Dr. 
 Whitlaw says: "A friend of mine had two fields cleared of buttercups, dande- 
 lion, ox-eye, daisy, sorrel, hawk-weed, thistles, mullein, and a variety of other 
 poisonous or noxious plants. They were dried, burnt, and their ashes strewed 
 over the fields. He had them sown as usual, and found that the crops of hay 
 and pasturage were more than double what they had been before. I was fur- 
 nished with butter for two summers, during the months of July and August. 
 The butter kept for thirty days, and proved, at the end of that time, better than 
 that fresh churned and brought to the Brighton or Margate markets. It would 
 bear salting at that season of the year." 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 639 
 
 if animals have partaken of such plants, although death in all cases 
 do not immediately follow, there must be a deficiency of vital resist- 
 ance, or loss of equilibrium, and the animal is in a negative state. 
 It is, consequently, obvious that when in such a state it is more 
 liable to receive impressions from external agents ; in short, is more 
 subject to disease, and this disease may assume a definite form, reg- 
 ulated by location. It has been observed, also, that in the infected 
 districts the water is not of the best kind, neither is it very abund- 
 ant; hence, in consequence of its insufficiency or unwholesome 
 character, the equilibrium of health may become disturbed. 
 
 A loss of vital resistance may also be the result of exposure. 
 It has been observed that cattle which have been housed regularly 
 have escaped the attacks of this malady, and that, when suffered 
 to run at large, they were frequently seized with it. Therefore we 
 may conclude that the indirect causes of milk sickness, or trem- 
 bles, are any thing that disturbs the general health. 
 
 Now, let us suppose that one or a combination of the preceding 
 causes has operated so as to produce an abnormal state in the 
 system of a cow. She is then suffered to remain in the unhealthy 
 district during the night. While there, exposed to the emanations 
 from the soil, she requires the whole force of her vital energies to 
 ward off chemical decompositions, and prevent encroachment on 
 the various functions. A contest commences between the vital 
 force and chemical action, and, after a hard conflict, in their in- 
 cessant endeavors to overcome each other, the chemical agency 
 obtains the ascendency, and disease of a putrid type (milk fever) 
 is the result. The disease may not immediately be recognized, 
 for the process of decomposition may be insidious ; yet the milk 
 and flesh of such an animal may communicate the disease to man 
 and other animals. It is well known that almost any part of ani- 
 mal bodies in a state of putrefaction, such as milk, cheese, muscle, 
 pus, etc., communicate their own state of decomposition to other 
 bodies. Many eminent medical men have lost their lives while 
 dissecting, simply by putrefactive matter coming in contact with 
 a slight wound or puncture. Dr. Graff made numerous experi- 
 ments on dogs, with the flesh, etc., of animals which died of milk 
 sickness. He says: "My trials with the poisoned flesh were, 
 for the most part, made on dogs, which I confined; and I often 
 watched the effect of the poison when administered at regular in- 
 tervals. In the space of forty-eight hours from the commence- 
 
640 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 ment of the administration of either the butter, cheese, or flesh, I 
 have observed unequivocal appearances of their peculiar action, 
 while the appetite remains unimpaired until the expiration of the 
 fourth or fifth day." From the foregoing remarks, the reader 
 will agree with me that the disease is of a putrid type, and has a 
 definite character. What is the reason of this definite character? 
 All diseases are under the control of the immutable laws of Na- 
 ture. They preserve their identity in the same manner that races 
 of men preserve theirs. Milk sickness of the malignant type 
 luxuriates in* the locations referred to, for the same reasons that 
 yellow fever is peculiar to warm climates and consumptions to 
 cold ones, and that different localities have distinct diseases; for 
 example, ship fever, jail fever, etc. 
 
 Before disease can attack and develop itself in the bodies of 
 men or animals, the existing equilibrium of the vital powers must 
 be disturbed ; and the most common causes of this disturbance I 
 have already alluded to. In reference to the' milk, butter, cheese, 
 etc., of infected animals, and their adaptation to develop disease 
 in man, and in other locations than those referred to, I observe 
 that when a quantity, however small, of contagious matter is in- 
 troduced into the stomach, if its antiseptic properties are the least 
 deranged, the original disease (milk sickness) is produced, just as 
 a small quantity of yeast will ferment a whole loaf. The trans- 
 formation takes place through the medium of the blood, and 
 produces a body identical with, or similar to, the exciting or con- 
 tagious matter. The quantity of the latter must constantly aug- 
 ment ; for the state of change or decomposition which affects one 
 particle of the blood is imparted to others. The time necessary 
 to accomplish it, however, depends on the amount of vital resist- 
 ance, and, of course, varies in different animals. In process of 
 time the whole body becomes affected, and, in like manner, it is 
 communicated to other individuals; and this may take place by 
 simply respiring the carbonic acid gas or morbific materials from 
 the lungs of diseased animals in the infected districts. 
 
 My principal object is to show what are the causes of this 
 malady, so that the farmer can prevent its occurrence, for the 
 treatment is very unsatisfactory. A writer in the " Atlanta Med- 
 ical Journal " informs us : 
 
 " Where stock cattle, for instance, are kept pent up until after 
 the morning's dew, they are never affected, though they are pas- 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 641 
 
 tured where it is known to abound. Again : if food, in the form 
 of bundles of*liay, or fodder, or sheaves of oats, has been cast on 
 the surface of the earth where it was suspected to exist, fed to 
 calves or a calf, during the morning, while wet with dew, the 
 result is the death of the animal. Facts like these are, to my 
 mind, evidence conclusive of its origin in the form of vapor. But 
 let it originate from whence it may, it is only known in timbered 
 land, and there disappears, after being once cleared, cultivated, 
 and seeded with tame grass, which shows, again, if of a telluric 
 source, that the toxical agent lies near the surface, and is de- 
 stroyed by being shifted from its lurking-place." 
 
 Symptoms. — The principal symptoms are irregular, nervous ac- 
 tion; trembling, tremors, spasms, and, lastly, convulsions. The 
 other symptoms are such as are noticed in affections of a low 
 typhoid type. The pulse is quickened, yet small; the tongue 
 slightly swollen, and coated with a brown fur ; the urine is high- 
 colored, and the bowels are constipated; the membranes of the 
 eyes are reddened, and the breath has a bad odor. 
 
 Treatment. — If the bowels are constipated, I should give an 
 aperient, composed 01 
 
 No. 125. Glauber salts 10 oz. 
 
 Powdered ginger 1 dr." 
 
 Grolden seal • 1 dr. 
 
 Tepid water .....«, 1 quart. 
 
 Then let the whole length of the spine be well rubbed with two 
 two or three ounces of oil of cedar. Should the breath or excre- 
 ments have a very bad odor, the following must be given : 
 
 No. 126. Pyroligneous acid 2 oz. 
 
 Glycerine 4 oz. 
 
 Water 1 quart. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Dose, a wine-glassful three or four times daily, until an improve- 
 ment takes place. 
 
 To relieve the nervous irritation and trembling, I give two 
 drachms of tincture of Indian hemp, in a little water, twice daily. 
 The patient is to be kept on oatmeal gruel, the quantity to be 
 regulated according to actual necessity. A curable case will be 
 very likely to improve under the above treatment ; if it fail, the 
 owner will have the satisfaction of knowing that the patient was 
 not destroyed by meddlesome medication. 
 41 
 
642 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Improved Method of Milking^ 
 
 The first process in the operation of milking is to make the 
 cow's acquaintance, and give her to understand that the milker 
 approaches her with none other than friendly intentions ; for if he 
 swears, scolds, or kicks her, she is likely to prove refractory, and 
 may, possibly, give the uncouth and unfeeling milker the benefit 
 of her heels, which, in my opinion, he is justly entitled to. 
 
 Before commencing to milk the animal she should be fed, or 
 have some kind of fodder. In the enjoyment of the mastication 
 of the same, her attention is withdrawn from the milker's opera- 
 tions, and the milk is not " held up," as the saying is, but is yielded 
 freely. The milker should not sit off at a distance, like a coward, 
 but his left arm should be in close contact with the leg of the cow, 
 so that she can not kick. If she make the attempt when the 
 milker is in close proximity with the cow's body, the former merely 
 gets a push instead of a blow. Before commencing to milk, the 
 teats are to be washed with cold water in warm weather, and warm 
 water in winter. The object is to remove accumulated dirt, which 
 otherwise would fall into the milk-pail, to the disgust of persons 
 who love pure milk and hate uncleanliness. Here is a chance for 
 improvement. 
 
 The best milker is a merciful man. The udder and teats are 
 highly organized and very sensitive, and these facts should be taken 
 into consideration, especially when milking a young animal, for 
 the parts are sometimes excessively tender, and the hard tugging 
 and squeezing which many poor sensitive creatures have to endure 
 at the hands of some thoughtless, hard-fisted man, are really dis- 
 tressing to witness. A better milker than even a merciful man is 
 a woman. The principal part of the milking in private establish- 
 ments in foreign countries, is done by women ; and in these United 
 States there are thousands of capable women out of employment 
 that might be advantageously employed, in private and dairy es- 
 tablishments, as milkmaids. Therefore, in view of improvement 
 in the art of milking, I advise farmers to learn their wives, daugh- 
 ters, and female domestics how to strip the cows. An indolent 
 person (slow coach) should never be suffered to touch a cow's teats. 
 The process, to say the least of it, is painful ; therefore, the best 
 milker is the one that can abstract the milk in the quickest time. 
 Finally, milk the cow dry. The last of the milk is the most val- 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 643 
 
 uable, yet Mr. Hurry-up can not spare time to attend to this mat- 
 ter ; consequently he loses the best of the strippings, and actually 
 ruins the cow as a milker. 
 
 Diseased Thymus Gland. 
 
 The thymus gland, commonly known as the sweetbread, is 
 usually found, after adult life, in the region of the thoracic duct, 
 just within the anterior or front part of the chest ; yet the greatest 
 activity and development of this gland is during foetal life. This 
 is one of the glands which, according to Goodsir, is an involuted 
 portion of the germinal membrane, acting as the first assimilating 
 organ possessed by the fetus ; hence, as soon as the animal is bom, 
 and the legitimate organs of digestion are called into operation, 
 the thymus dwindles away, and, in some cases, almost disappears. 
 Occasionally, however, it becomes enlarged, and has to be removed 
 by a surgical operation. The following instructive case occurred 
 in the practice of W. Lyon, V. S., and appeared in the " London 
 Veterinarian :" 
 
 " I beg to forward for your inspection a tumor, being the largest 
 of two which were removed on the 15th instant from under the 
 cervial vertebrae of a yearling quey, and which, although now con- 
 siderably shrunk and dry, weighs forty-nine ounces, and measures 
 twenty-three inches in its greatest circumference. It rested upon 
 the oesophagus, trachea, blood-vessels, and sternal muscles, except- 
 ing when the animal's head was depressed ; so much so, that had 
 the same degree of pressure been made on the gullet, by a tumor 
 existing elsewhere, as within the chest, permanent hove, etc., would 
 have been produced. 
 
 The operation consisted in an incision through the integuments 
 of the off-side of the neck, over and parallel to the course of the 
 vessels, which exposed part of the levator humeri ; the next incis- 
 ion being made right through that muscle, in the direction of its 
 fibers, which brought to view part of the great tumor, exposing 
 also the sub-scapulo-hyoid muscle, which was considerably but 
 favorably displaced by the pressure of the lesser tumor, which in- 
 clined to the off-side. The remaining incisions were made, with 
 care, through numerous ligamentous-like bands and cellular mem- 
 brane, by which the tumor was attached to the inter-vertebral and 
 other muscles. The lesser tumor, which was more superficial, was 
 
644 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 then removed in the same manner, after having been very useful 
 in keeping the said sub-scalpulo-hyoid muscle out of the way. 
 Both tumors seemed to be indifferently supplied with blood. Ex- 
 cepting the cutaneous veins, which yielded less than an ounce of 
 blood, there were no blood-vessels divided; hence no artery nor 
 vein required to be taken up. A few interrupted stitches were 
 put in, and as the quey had necessarily to stand during the opera- 
 tion, there being only one man and a boy present at its commence- 
 ment, orders were given to let go the under-jaw, when the animal 
 immediately sprang over a four-foot wall. I have not seen her 
 since, but have learned that she is doing well. 
 
 I need make no remark on the origin, progress, structure, locality, 
 and treatment of such tumors, such being already well-known to 
 veterinary practitioners. Farmers, however, would do well (now 
 that the disease is very common) to feed off cattle so affected or 
 predisposed, when it is possible to do so, and not to breed from such 
 stock, as it is generally difficult and sometimes impossible to re- 
 move the tumors when once formed. It would also be for their 
 interest to pay less attention to the direct treatment, by intrusting 
 that in the hands of a practitioner, and to attend more to the neg- 
 ative treatment, such as blood-letting, avoiding refrigerants, such 
 as nitrate of potash, and all other medicines that tend to diminish 
 the fibrine of the blood, particularly all mercurial preparations, 
 and, in general, to avoid every thing formerly used in the treat- 
 ment of scrofula in the human subject. But this they will not 
 always attend to when any thing is wrong with any of their cattle. 
 They must not merely get direct treatment, but, without due dis- 
 crimination, they must share and share alike." 
 
 Cords in Young Calves. 
 
 A disease to which the above name is given occasionally appears 
 among young calves. It is an inflammatory affection, and particu- 
 larly manifests itself in contractions of the ' sinews (tendinous 
 structures) ; hence the name, " cords." "White contends that 
 calves are most liable to be affected by this disorder during the 
 first days or weeks after they are dropped. If they outlive five or 
 six weeks, they are seldom in any danger. Calves that suck their 
 mothers are not so liable to the disease as those which are reared 
 by hand. The greatest number of calves that fall a sacrifice to 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 645 
 
 this disease, if not the whole of them, are those which are closely- 
 confined to the house from their birth, without ever being exposed 
 to the free, open air. It is a well-known fact that calves which 
 are dropped and remain in the fields are in little or no danger. 
 Mr. Lawrence, in his " Treatise on Cattle," observes, that " a 
 complaint called the cords has recently destroyed a number of 
 young calves in Scotland, both such as have been calved abroad 
 and under shelter. Those which are brought up by hand are most 
 liable, and the most dangerous period is the first week or two after 
 birth." 
 
 Treatment. — As a preventive I should give the new-born calf 
 (provided we have no discharge from the bowels) a wine-glassful 
 of castor-oil ; yet if the mother yield milk, and the calf imme- 
 diately after birth imbibes the same, there is no need of giving any 
 medicine. The object in giving castor-oil is to purge off the me- 
 conium — first excrement. The first flow of milk, however, will 
 meet the emergency, and it is only in cases of suspended lacteal 
 secretion, or in cases of acute garget, when the cow can not yield 
 milk, that I recommend the castor-oil. Should the oil purge the 
 calf too actively, twenty drops of the oil of anise-seed or pepper- 
 mint, may be given in half a pint of flour gruel. Should the 
 animal be dangerously attacked, and the contractions of the tendi- 
 nous structures violent, let the little creature be placed in a warm 
 bath for a few minutes ; then give him a good rubbing with coarse 
 towels, after which he will probably do well. 
 
 Steamed and Cooked Food for Stock. 
 
 In view of fattening neat stock, and augmenting the quantity 
 of milk in dairy cows, I recommend the use of steamed and cooked 
 food. It has been satisfactorily proved that fat cattle of the best 
 quality, may be produced by feeding them on boiled food. 
 
 Dr. Whitlaw says : " On one occasion, a number of cows were 
 selected from a large stock, for the express purpose of making the 
 trial ; they were such as appeared to be of the best kind, and those 
 that gave the richest milk. In order to ascertain what particular 
 food would produce the best milk, different species of grass and 
 clover were tried separately, and the quality and flavor of the 
 butter were found to vary very much. But what was of the most 
 importance, many of the grasses were found to be coated with 
 
646 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 silicia, or decomposed sand, too hard and insoluble for the stom- 
 achs of cattle. In consequence of this the grass was cut and well 
 steamed, and was found to be readily digested ; and the butter 
 that was made from the milk much firmer, better flavored, and 
 would keep longer without salt than any other kind. Another 
 circumstance that attended the experiment was that, in all the 
 various grasses and grains that were intended by our Creator as 
 food for man or beast, the various oils that enter into their com- 
 position were so powerfully assimilated or combined with the 
 other properties of the farinaceous plants, that the oil partook of 
 the character of essential oil, and was not so easily evaporated as 
 that of poisonous vegetables ; and experience has proved that the 
 same quantity of grass, steamed and given to the cattle, will pro- 
 duce more butter than when given in its dry state. This fact being 
 established from numerous experiments, then, there must be a 
 great saving and superiority in this mode of feeding. The meat 
 of such cattle is more wholesome, tender, and better flavored than 
 when fed on the ordinary food. 
 
 " A mixed diet (boiled) is supposed to be the most economical 
 for fattening cattle. ' A Scotchman, who fattens one hundred and 
 fifty head of Galloway cattle annually, finds it most profitable to 
 feed with bruised flaxseed, boiled with meal or barley, oats or 
 Indian corn, at the rate of one part flaxseed to three parts meal, 
 by weight — the cooked compound to be afterward mixed with 
 cut straw or hay. From four to twelve pounds of the compound 
 are given to each beast per day.' The editor of the ' Albany Cul- 
 tivator ' adds : ' Would it not be well for some of our farmers who 
 stall-feed cattle to try this or a similar mode? We are by no 
 means certain that the ordinary food (meaning, probably, bad hay 
 and corn-stalks) would pay the expense of cooking ; but flaxseed 
 is known to be highly nutritious, and the cooking would not only 
 facilitate its digestion, but it would serve, by mixing, to render the 
 other food palatable, and, by promoting the appetite and health 
 of the animal, would be likely to hasten its thrift.' " 
 
 An article on steamed food for stock lately appeared in the col- 
 umns of the "Mark Lane Express." It does not sustain my 
 theory exactly, yet the closing paragraph proves all I contend for 
 at the commencement of this article. It is my opinion that, in 
 order to test the real value of steamed over raw food, the experi- 
 ments must be conducted with great care, and be continued for 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. • 647 
 
 some time, during which it must not be expected that the animal 
 will thrive in health and flesh, unless it have an occasional meal 
 of its more natural food in its raw state. What I mean by the 
 " real value " of steamed food, is its usefulness in the animal econ- 
 omy, as a co-agent with the unsteamed articles of fodder; and, 
 considerable discretion will be needed in making selections among 
 articles of food, some of which might be improved, or, rather, 
 rendered more acceptable to the palate and convenient for masti- 
 cation, while others might be deteriorated by the same process. I 
 select the following from the above source : 
 
 "" As to steaming food for cattle, there is considerable difference 
 of opinion among theoretical writers. Among practical men there 
 is little difference of opinion, especially where experiments have 
 been individually undertaken. The late Mr. Howden, of Law- 
 head, East Lothian, undertook a series of experiments on feeding 
 cattle with steamed food. Lots of cattle of similar age and breed- 
 ing were selected and divided. Those cattle fed on turnips and 
 potatoes, given raw, made rather greater progress than those fed 
 on the prepared food, equal quantities being given. The differ- 
 ence was slight ; still it was perceptible, the rate of progress being 
 tested by girthing the animals, and the condition generally, by 
 handling. The experiments were carried on for more than one 
 season, with nearly the same result. A lot of young cattle, a year 
 and a half old, fed on boiled beans, made very rapid progress, and 
 left a profit beyond payment for their food consumed. They were 
 cheap when purchased, and the value of beef was at the time rela- 
 tively high with that of lean cattle. Of course, the straw was not 
 prepared, either by steaming or cutting into chaff. Other exper- 
 iments with steamed food have been, from time to time, undertaken 
 in that county, and with nearly the same result. In every case 
 that came under our observation, the preparing of food by steaming 
 and boiling was, after a time, given up. In feeding dairy stock 
 when in milk, steaming and boiling food is known to be profita- 
 ble ; but the health of the animal sometimes suffers, compared 
 with that of cows kept partly on raw and partly on prepared 
 food." 
 
648 • dadd's veterinary medicine and surgery. 
 
 Cheap Fodder for Cows. 
 
 Straw contains much farinaceous aliment. The attention of 
 agriculturists in France has recently been directed to the discov- 
 ery of a method of converting straw into a kind of bran. The 
 discovery has been claimed by two individuals. The first is a 
 miller, near Dijon, who, it is said, on trying the mill-stone of a 
 new mill, discovered the possibility of converting straw into a 
 nourishing food ; the second, M. Joseph Maitre, of Villotte, near 
 Chatillon. This distinguished agriculturist, known for the purity 
 and perfection of his breeds of sheep, conceived the idea of con- 
 verting into farina not only the straw of wheat and other grains, 
 but of hay, trefoil, lucern, sanfoin, etc. His efforts have been 
 perfectly successful, and his discovery arrived at, not by chance, 
 but by long experiment and research. The aliment which he has 
 produced is said to be a complete substitute for bran. It is given 
 to sheep and lambs, who consume it with avidity, and may be 
 given to all other graminivorous animals as a grateful and sub- 
 stantial food. We know, in this country, that the mere chopping 
 of straw adds greatly to its powers, by facilitating mastication 
 and digestion. We may believe that a more perfect comminution 
 of its parts will produce a corresponding effect, and extend very 
 widely the uses of straw and other fodder as a means of feeding 
 our domestic animals. This sort of aliment is very excellent, 
 when combined with a sufficient amount of nutrimental matter, 
 for animals whose systems lack the requisite amount of phos- 
 phates and phosphoric acids. A milch cow, for example, whose 
 lacteal vessels yield, in the form of milk, the above equivalents, 
 may be benefited by an occasional feed of straw meal. 
 
 Black Leg, or Anthrax. 
 
 Various are the names given to an affection of the above kind. 
 Some persons call it inflammatory fever, gangrene, etc. Then 
 again it gets its name from the region in which it first appeared. 
 So, if it first appears in the region of the thigh, it is called quarter 
 ill, quarter evil, black quarter, joint murrain, etc. ; hence it ap- 
 pears to have as many names as there are locations for it. 
 
 The Nature of Black Leg. — Youatt, and other orthodox vet- 
 erinary writers contend that this affection is a pure inflammatory 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 649 
 
 fever, yet, at the same time, they admit that cattle of all descrip- 
 tions, ages, and conditions are subject to it. Now, I think it will 
 be very difficult to prove that inflammatory fever can attain a 
 very high grade in the system of an animal in poor condition. 
 The very reverse is the case ; for disease of a low typhoid type, 
 and those which are known to run a rapid course, are apt to 
 pounce upon animals having but little vital resistance — being out 
 of condition, as the saying is. 
 
 In my opinion, this is an epizootic affection, and, like most epi- 
 zootics, its pathology must necessarily be obscure. In applying 
 the terms black leg, black quarter, etc., to this affection (epizootic 
 or enzootic) leads us into error in supposing that it is merely a 
 local affection, limited to a certain part, when, in fact, it is a gen- 
 eral affection, showing itself in various parts of the economy at 
 the same time. For example, in the early stage, when a limb or 
 part is swollen and distended with gas, the various organs and 
 functions of the body are more or less disturbed. Even in the 
 early stage the respirations are short and quick ; pulse, accelerated 
 (a mere fluttering action, scarcely perceptible) ; the coat stares ; 
 rumination is suspended; the bowels are constipated, and the 
 nervous system is affected; for the beast staggers, and soon be- 
 comes comatose ; death frequently takes place in the course of from 
 twelve to twenty-four hours. It will be perceived, therefore, that 
 the local affection is not proportionate, in degree or extent, to the 
 severity and magnitude of the general symptoms ; therefore it is 
 a general disease. 
 
 The autopsy clearly indicates the ravages which this epizootic 
 or enzootic makes on the general economy. Youatt informs us 
 that " the chief appearances after death will be venous congestion 
 every-where. It affects both of the pleura, the whole substance 
 of the lungs, brain, and peritoneum ; the intestines and stomach 
 are also affected. Therefore what we perceive externally, in the 
 form of tumors, emphysema, ulcers, sloughing, and mortification 
 are only the symptoms of a general malady. Mr. Ernes informs 
 us, through the pages of the " Veterinarian," that " black quar- 
 ter" (which is the same as 'black leg') is neither more nor less 
 than that dreadful malady of horses and cattle called by the French 
 charbon. Anthrax would, perhaps, be the better appellation, see- 
 ing its characters are a hard, circumscribed tumor, exceedingly 
 painful, with tension and burning heat in the subcutaneous eel- 
 
650 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 lular tissue. This is often depressed in its center, and sometimes 
 preceded by a small opening. 
 
 According to authorities, "the tumor of black leg, though small 
 at first, suddenly increases in size, sometimes to that of a child's 
 head. Gangrene soon supervenes, beginning in the center and 
 extending to the circumference, which rapidly converts the whole 
 into an eschar of a black color, similar to a piece of charcoal ; 
 hence its name — charbon. The eschar is sometimes several inches 
 in diameter, and is almost always either preceded or accompanied 
 by bladders, which form a sort of areola around it. There is also 
 always an oedematous swelling, more or less considerable, owing 
 to an emphysematous state, and an infiltration of serum or sero- 
 gelatine into the cellular tissue, which crackles on pressure, caused 
 by the presence of gases. The danger and rapidity of the disease 
 are such that, when an animal is attacked, after a violent access 
 of fever, it falls a sacrifice to it in a few hours, rarely exceeding 
 twenty-four or thirty-six. All animals are subject to it, but the 
 herbivorous more so than others. It is either epizootic or enzootic ; 
 the first is the most destructive." 
 
 I now consider the point settled regarding the nature of the 
 disease ; namely, it is an epizootic or enzootic affection, and, of 
 course, is subject to the same laws which govern diseases of this* 
 type. This will explain the otherwise unaccountable variations 
 which are observed in the symptoms of the affection when pre- 
 vailing in different localities, and it also enables us to account for 
 the great losses which Messrs. Shortfeed and Overfeed are con- 
 tinually encountering. The fact is, all overfed animals may be 
 ranked as gluttons, and all half-starved animals furnish a savory 
 morsel for the great epizootic pathological glutton, which, like the 
 epidemic one that, hovering around the city of New Orleans, a 
 few years ago, destroyed several thousands of its inhabitants ere 
 it touched a single sober citizen. When this disease ranges in a 
 single locality, it is supposed to have a spontaneous origin. Then 
 the term enzootic is applied to it; and if it prevail among the 
 cattle of an extensive region, then it is called epizootic. 
 
 Causes. — The causes of this affection are as obscure as those of 
 cholera, influenza, potato rot, etc. They seem to appear inde- 
 pendent of local causes, occur at uncertain intervals, prevail for 
 indefinite periods, and run their course in a short space of time. 
 It is supposed by some persons that a disease of this character and 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 651 
 
 nature is propagated by contagion or infection. How far it is 
 engendered in these ways I am not prepared to decide. There 
 must, however, have been a time when the disease did not exist, 
 but must have arisen from a concurrence of natural causes ; and 
 if these were adequate to its production at an anterior period, they 
 must be so at the present time. I shall, therefore, abandon all 
 further speculation in this direction as unprofitable, for there is 
 evidently no direct cause, but various are the predisposing, ex- 
 citing, indirect, and morbid causes. The only way that I know 
 of to prevent this malady is to keep the cattle in a physiological 
 condition, by paying proper attention to breeding, feeding, rear- 
 ing, and housing; for animals in a perfectly healthy state are 
 certain to enjoy immunity from this and other diseases. 
 
 I have noticed, at various times, articles in agricultural papers 
 on the prevention of black leg, which, in the name of common 
 humanity I am compelled to notice. The one I have thought 
 proper to select reads as follows : 
 
 "Preventive. — Take spring calves in the month of October; cut 
 a small incision in the hollow above the foot. On the top of the 
 flesh a small blue vein appears ; take a crooked instrument, in the 
 shape of an awl, and put the point under the vein, raise it up so 
 that it can be cut, and take about an eighth of an inch out of the 
 vein. Don't sew up the incision. It must be done on all the 
 four feet. I have cut many hundreds, and have known of thou- 
 sands being cut, and never knew of one dying with the above 
 disease after being cut." 
 
 Now, I am not disposed to scold or find fault, nor question the 
 intentions of men who recommend or practice such outrageous 
 barbarities under the guise of doctoring sick animals, but I wish 
 to remind the intelligent reader that cattle have nerves to feel, 
 and are as keenly sensible to pain as we are; therefore all un- 
 necessary operations, even should they have received the seal of 
 antiquity, ought to be avoided. This is the age of progression. 
 The lamp of veterinary science is illuminating the mystified halo 
 which has hitherto surrounded our barn-yard practice ; and before 
 the barbarities of bygone days are practiced on our domestic ani- 
 mals, let us be satisfied that we are using rational means for the 
 recovery of the sick, such as science and common sense confirms. 
 Just as rational would it be, if it were at all rational, to take an 
 infant and divide one of the posterior veins of both feet, in view 
 
652 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 of preventing disease common to adult life, which, after all, might 
 never occur, the little creature not being predisposed thereto. 
 
 Let any one just study, the anatomical structure of the foot of 
 an ox, and he will learn that the vein which we are recommended 
 to sever and amputate from is called the coronary, and is engaged 
 in returning blood from the vast venous plexuses of the foot, 
 which requires to come in contact with the lungs for purification 
 and oxygenation. Any impediments, such as severing a vein, 
 which interrupts the free circulation or return of blood to the 
 heart and lungs, can not be beneficial, but otherwise. It will be 
 seen that the vein is nothing more than an elastic hollow tube, a 
 mere vehicle, through which the blood courses; therefore it can 
 not be supposed to have any specific power over other parts of the 
 organization in warding off disease. 
 
 I shall not trouble the reader with any further remarks on the 
 subject of irrational and barbarous prevention; for I presume 
 that the introduction of the foregoing paragraph will answer all the 
 purposes intended. Among physicians the disease is known as 
 hoematosepsis ; and our experience is that it usually occurs among 
 young stock, and generally in well-bred animals in high con- 
 dition, or in native stock in low condition; yet it may occur in 
 the system of any bovine, as the result of sudden change in the 
 quality of the food. 
 
 Treatment. — It is an unfortunate occurrence that this disease 
 should ever have been classed as an inflammatory affection, for 
 the error has led to a system of practice disastrous as the cattle 
 plague. The following paragraph from Youatt will serve to 
 show the orthodox method of treating inflammatory fever, and 
 will also explain the reason why a great proportion of the ani- 
 mals treated die : 
 
 "The very name of the disease (inflammatory fever) indicates 
 the mode of treatment. In a case of excessive vascular action, 
 the first and most important step is copious depletion. As much 
 blood must be taken as the animal will bear to lose; and the 
 stream must flow on until the animal staggers or threatens to fall. 
 Here, more than in any other disease, there must be no foolish 
 directions about quantities. As much blood must be taken away 
 as can be got; for it is only by the bold and persevering use of 
 depletory measures that a malady can be subdued that runs its 
 course so rapidly. Purging must immediately follow. The Ep- 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 653 
 
 som salts are here, as in most inflammatory diseases, the best 
 purgative. A pound and a half, dissolved in water or gruel, and 
 poured down the throat as gently as possible, should be our first 
 dose; and no aromatic should accompany it. If this does not 
 operate in the course of six hours, another pound should be 
 given; and after that, half-pound doses, every six hours, until 
 the effect is produced." 
 
 It is a wonder to me how any creature can survive such bar- 
 barous treatment as this ; yet, even at the present day, just such 
 doctrines are taught in the schools and practiced on cattle, to the 
 disgrace of science and shame on those men who perpetrate the 
 wickedness. Blood-letting and purging can have no good effect 
 on a disease like this, so prostrating, and which runs its course to 
 mortification so rapidly. Such a wretched system of practice has 
 always failed, and ever will fail. 
 
 That form of treatment which reason and experience suggests 
 is the best. For example, it would naturally occur, to the mind 
 free from the prejudice of veterinary orthodoxy, that a disease 
 which runs into sloughing and mortification in a few short hours 
 must require life-sustaining agents; hence I recommend a very 
 different mode of treatment from that heretofore practiced. I 
 commence the treatment thus : 
 
 No. 127. Spirits of hartshorn 4 dr. 
 
 Tar-water 1 qt. 
 
 Tincture of bloodroot 1 oz. 
 
 Mix the hartshorn and tar-water first ; then add the bloodroot. 
 Drench (dose No. 1). The object in giving the hartshorn is to 
 decarbonize the blood, and impart healthy stimulus to the nutri- 
 ent system of blood-vessels and nerves ; and this agent will do it. 
 
 Should the animal show any lameness in the back or hind quar- 
 ters, apply the following : 
 
 No. 128. Oil of cedar 2 oz. 
 
 Sulphuric ether 2 oz. 
 
 Tincture of capsicum 1 oz. 
 
 Cod-liver oil 6 oz. 
 
 First, mix the two oils; then add the ether, and shake them 
 thoroughly ; lastly, add the tincture. The object in applying this 
 preparation is to arouse capillary action, and thus prevent the en- 
 gorgements, which, according to the best authorities, are every- 
 where found. 
 
654 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Four hours after administering " dose No. 1 " drench the pa- 
 tient with the following: 
 
 No. 129. Liquid tar 1 oz. 
 
 Glycerine 4 oz. 
 
 Thin gruel 1 qt. 
 
 If the urgency of the case demands it, this dose may be re- 
 peated, at intervals of four hours, until symptoms of improve- 
 ment are observed. The tar is a powerful antiseptic, and prevents 
 decomposition, emphysema, and mortification. 
 
 All sores and ulcers must be dressed with pyroligneous acid 
 and kept constantly sprinkled with powdered bloodroot. All 
 abscesses must be punctured with a thumb-lancet, their contents 
 evacuated by pressure, and syringing them with soap-suds; and 
 their cavities must be crammed with fine flour. Should any sores 
 or ulcers be observed about the muzzle, mouth, or throat, tincture 
 of matico is the remedy, or liquid tar. One ounce of the same 
 may be introduced into the mouth of the patient ; it will surely 
 do good. If the patient be weak and debilitated, tonics are indi- 
 cated ; golden-seal, in two-drachm doses, may be incorporated in 
 the food, in direct ratio to the urgency of the case. 
 
 Black Tongue. 
 
 This epizootic has raged very extensively, at different times, in 
 North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Several per- 
 sons have died from drinking milk from cows thus diseased. It 
 appears that domestic cattle are not alone the sufferers, but that 
 in Florida, particularly, the deer perish from the same disease in 
 large numbers ; and, according to a letter in the Savannah " Re- 
 publican," dogs, and the buzzards in Burke County, Georgia, that 
 have eaten the flesh of cattle that have died of the black tongue, 
 have perished from the effects of such poisonous diet. The cause 
 of this malignant disease does not seem to have been yet ascer- 
 tained, though by many it is attributed to the rust, which, in vari- 
 rious parts of the Southern States, as elsewhere, has affected the 
 grain crops, and, it is said, in some places, the grass also. The 
 cattle are attacked by stiffness, and walk as though foundered, 
 while froth is discharged in large quantities from the mouth; 
 they can eat nothing, fall away rapidlv, and the tongue and gums 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 655 
 
 become dreadfully swollen, and turn black, and death speedily 
 releases them from their agony. 
 
 Treatment — The rapid progress which usually attends this 
 dreadful epizootic calls for prompt and energetic treatment. It 
 is evidently a congestive disease, and very apt to run into the 
 typhoid stage and end in sudden death. The moment an ani- 
 mal is suspected to be the subject of this malady, he should be 
 drenched with 
 
 No. 130. Table salt 12 oz. 
 
 Warm water „ 1 qt. 
 
 Tincture of capsicum 2 oz. 
 
 This medicine will act as a powerful antiseptic and stimu- 
 lating tonic, thus preserving the animal tissues against putres- 
 cence; and at the same time it relieves the venous congestion. 
 If, on applying the hand to any part of the body, a crackling 
 sound is elicited, the animal is then said to be emphysematous, 
 which signifies an accumulation of gas beneath the skin. The 
 patient should then be immediately drenched with 
 
 No. 131. Pyroligneous acid 2 oz. 
 
 Pure oil of sassafras 28 drops. 
 
 Linseed tea 1 qt. 
 
 Mix the oil with the latter, then acid the acid. After having 
 drenched the animal, apply a portion of the following to the tume- 
 factions, or emphysematous region : 
 
 No. 132. Soft soap 4 oz. 
 
 Oil of sassafras -| oz. 
 
 Dissolve the sassafras in two ounces of alcohol. 
 
 Tincture of capsicum 2 oz. 
 
 Tincture of Peruvian bark 1 pt. 
 
 Mix, and rub the external surface with a portion of the same. 
 
 The swollen tongue should be frequently covered with fine salt ; 
 and the moment there appears any improvement, tonic medicines 
 should be given. One ounce of the fluid extract of camomile 
 flowers may be given, twice daily. This remedy will give tone 
 to the system and restore the appetite. 
 
 Fractured Bones. 
 
 Fracture of bones, occurring among neat stock, is generally 
 considered as a justifiable cause for their destruction; but I object 
 
656 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 to this summary mode of disposing of unfortunate yet valuable 
 animals; for the truth is many are killed that might be saved. 
 The trouble of managing, and the expense of treating cases of 
 fracture, often deter husbandmen from performing a duty incum- 
 bent on them in view of protecting their property ; but the trouble 
 and expense are mere trifles when the usefulness of a valuable ani- 
 mal is involved. 
 
 The remedy in case of a simple fracture of bones, under the im- 
 proved system of practice, is neither tedious nor expensive. The 
 bones unite very readily, if kept in contact, and the unity is 
 secured by means of starched bandages. Where there is any 
 laceration of the soft parts, and the bone is broken into, several 
 pieces, the better way is to put an end to the sufferings of the 
 creature, for recovery is impossible. The following case will give 
 some idea of the method of treating simple fractures. An animal 
 under treatment for fracture, may be placed in the trevis, if neces- 
 sary ; but I prefer to let the patient have its liberty in a box stall. 
 The limb opposite to the fractured one will have to sustain more 
 weight than usual ; therefore I try to prevent swelling and stiff- 
 ness by occasional hand-rubbing, or by bathing it once or twice 
 daily, with a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 133. Oil of wormwood 1 oz. 
 
 Alcohol 2 oz. 
 
 New rum 2 qt. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 The following case of fracture of the radius I extract from my 
 note-book : 
 
 This was a case of simple fracture of the radius (bone above 
 the knee) of a calf about six months old, the property of a gentle- 
 man residing in Brookline. The accident was occasioned in con- 
 sequence of the animal getting his leg entangled in a fold of chain, 
 the latter being used for the purpose of confining him, in the day 
 time, to a grazing spot. The fracture was crosswise of the long 
 diameter of the bone in the central region ; namely, midway be- 
 tween its superior and inferior extremities. No laceration of the 
 soft tissues, nor comminution of bone. The diagnostic symptom 
 was crepitis (crackling noise). 
 
 Treatment. — The bones were brought in apposition, and secured 
 by means of slips of pasteboard and starched bandages; and, in 
 order to keep them from slipping downward, they were sewed to 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 657 
 
 a broad belt, which passed over the inferior cervial region, in the 
 form of a figure 8. The animal did not appear to like this con- 
 trivance, or else he liked to lick the starch, for he soon commenced 
 to nibble the wick-yarn with which it was marled on, and so 
 loosened the bandage that, in the course of a few hours, it slipped 
 below the carpus. So soon as this occurred I was again sum- 
 moned to visit the patient. I now procured some thick tar, and 
 with it smeared the limb to the extent which was to be covered 
 by bandage. The bandage was composed of common sheeting, 
 three inches wide, three yards long, and this was also well tarred, 
 and, after being neatly applied, was secured by means of the many- 
 tailed, tarred bandage. This had the desired effect ; for, however 
 well the animal might have liked the taste of starch, he apparently 
 had no relish for tar. The bandage remained undisturbed. 
 
 The accident happened on the 18th day of August, 1857; on 
 the 4th day of October the osseous union was complete. The 
 bandage had been removed some time prior to the latter date, yet 
 the condensed tar was allowed to remain on the skin for some time. 
 In a few months his limb was just as symmetrical as the other, 
 and no one but a skillful surgeon would ever discover that the 
 bone had been fractured. 
 
 Light in Barns. 
 
 Barns should be so constructed, by the insertion of windows in 
 various parts of the building, that they shall be as " light as day." 
 A " dark " barn is only a suitable black-hole for some vicious an- 
 imal ; it is the very worst location for any thing that breathes. 
 Sir A. Nylie (who was long at the head of the medical staff in 
 the Russian army) states that the cases of disease on the dark side 
 of an extensive barrack, at St. Petersburg, have been uniformly, 
 for many years, in the proportion of three to one to those on the 
 side exposed to a strong and uniform light. Humboldt has also 
 remarked that among bipeds the residents of South America, who 
 wear very little clothing, thus allowing the cutaneous, as well as 
 the orbital surfaces to receive a free ray of light, enjoyed immunity 
 from various diseases which prevailed extensively among the in- 
 habitants of dark rooms and underground locations; and so ex- 
 cellent an authority as Linnaeus contends that the constant ex- 
 posure to solar light is one of the causes which render a summer 
 42 
 
658 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 journey through high northern latitudes so peculiarly healthful 
 and invigorating. Dr. Edwards has also remarked that persons 
 who live in caves or cellars, or in very dark or narrow streets, are 
 apt to produce deformed children ; and that men who work in 
 mines are liable to disease and deformity. Light, therefore, is a 
 condition of vital activity; and, in view only of preserving the 
 sight of animals, it is absolutely necessary that, while they are in 
 the barn, their optics shall have free access to the sun's rays. 
 
 If a cow were in the same condition as a polype, with no organs 
 of vision, who shuns light, a dark barn might prove to be its earthly 
 paradise; but as the cow has special organs of vision, evidently 
 susceptible to the influence of light, and the integrity of its organ- 
 ism, or a part of the same, depending entirely on the admission 
 of light, it is absolutely necessary that barns should be constructed 
 accordingly. 
 
 Diarrhea in Calves. 
 
 Diarrhea is a very prevalent disease among calves. The suck- 
 ing calf is liable to be the subject of this affection whenever the 
 general health of the parent is impaired. In such cases the mother 
 is to be treated instead of the calf. She, probably, is the subject 
 of a deranged condition of the digestive organs, which can easily 
 be remedied by the administration of a few doses of the following : 
 
 No. 134. Pulverized charcoal ~) 
 
 Carbonate of soda j- equal parts. 
 
 Pulverized ginger J 
 
 Dose, two ounces daily, to be incorporated with the food ; or it 
 can be given as a drench, by adding a pint of scalded milk. 
 
 The disease occasionally occurs in consequence of weaning the 
 calf (in view of husbanding the cow's milk), and feeding the juve- 
 nile on improper food. This kind of diarrhea must be treated as 
 follows : 
 
 No. 135. Phosphate of lime 1 oz. 
 
 Carbonate of soda 2 dr. 
 
 Scalded milk 1 pt. 
 
 Mix the same, and administer by means of a drenching-horn 
 or bottle. It may be divided into " broken " doses, or may be 
 given at once, as a single dose. 
 
 If the above remedies fail in arresting the diarrhea, I should 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES.' 659 
 
 give three drachms of tincture of matico, every four hours, until 
 the patient showed some signs of improvement. 
 
 Sprains or Strains. 
 
 Sprains or strains are generally occasioned by unnatural dis- 
 tension of parts, or rupture of cellular structure, which connects 
 muscles or tendons. They are generally accompanied by heat, 
 tenderness, and lameness. Working oxen are more liable to 
 sprain than cows, because, when used in the yoke for draught, 
 they are as liable to strain or rupture parts as horses, by sudden 
 exertions, or violent efforts of the muscles to guard against a sud- 
 den slip and fall. The slightest strain will sometimes occasion 
 lameness, because the parts concerned are composed of minute 
 fibers and cells, delicately organized ; and a portion or the whole 
 of such minute tissues are easily injured. In bad cases of strain, 
 considerable tumefaction or swelling is observed. This is occa- 
 sioned by the presence of serum, or water, in the cellular tissues 
 beneath the skin. If proper means are adopted, this fluid can be 
 taken up by the absorbent vessels, so as to leave no enlargement; 
 but if the case be badly treated, the enlargement becomes organ- 
 ized into a permanent, hard mass, which is known to medical men 
 as induration. 
 
 Treatment. — The very best and cheapest remedies in the early 
 stages of strain are rest and cold water. This very soon lessens 
 the vascular excitement ; and, if there is no laceration, the animal 
 will soon get well. It will be necessary to shower the sprained 
 spot two or three times per day, until the acute symptoms have 
 subsided. Then a common bandage may be applied. This should 
 be wet with vinegar occasionally. Should the strained part be very 
 painful, I would foment with infusion of hops — a handful of hops 
 to a quart of boiling water, to be applied when cool. If this does 
 not relieve the pain, let the part be occasionally sponged with a 
 small quantity of sulphuric ether or chloroform. 
 
 Bronchocele. 
 
 Bronchocele is a disease known in common parlance as swelling 
 in the throats of cattle. When it occurs among members of the 
 human family it is denominated goitre ; yet it is my opinion that 
 
660 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 bronchocele occurring among cattle, and goitre in man, are very 
 different affections. For example : Bronchocele occurring in cattle 
 is curable, and, so far as I have been able to ascertain, is confined 
 to the thyroid glands, although in a protracted state of the mal- 
 ady, the surrounding tissues may become so involved as to render 
 the case incurable. Goitre, as I understand it, is a diffuse tumor 
 occupying the anterior part of the neck, occurring principally 
 among the inhabitants of the Alps, and is considered incurable. 
 Medicine and external applications seem to have little if any effect 
 on it, and its removal by operation is generally fatal. The follow- 
 ing cases are offered in support of my argument as to curability : 
 
 A couple of cows, the property of Mr. Humphrey, of Brook- 
 line, Mass., were observed to be the subjects of an enlargement in 
 the thyroid region, which gradually increased up to the size of a 
 man's fist. At this period 1 was requested to see them. The an- 
 imals were natives ; their ages, seven and eight ; in fair condition, 
 and yielding the usual quantity of milk. The only fault the owner 
 had to complain of was that their appetites were not so good as 
 usual, and he merely consulted me for the purpose of ascertaining 
 what could be done for the thyroid tumors. On making careful 
 examination of both animals, there was very little of abnormal 
 action to be perceived, either internally or externally. The pulse 
 was regular ; respirations, normal ; the surface of the body, com- 
 fortably warm ; coat, glossy ; nothing unusual about the feces nor 
 urine ; and all I could say about the cases was, that they were 
 mild forms of hypertrophy of the thyroid glands (enlargement 
 without change of structure). The tumor in one animal occupied 
 the right side of the thyroid region ; in the other it was found in 
 the left; both immovable, yet having no morbid adhesions to 
 skin nor subtissue. 
 
 Treatment. — The owner being unwilling to incur the expense of 
 professional attention, and desiring to treat them himself, under 
 advice, I accordingly prescribed as follows : Each animal to have 
 daily ten grains of iodide of potassium in half a gill of water. 
 The tumor to be anointed daily with a portion of the following : 
 
 No. 136. Simple ointment 2 oz. 
 
 Iodide of potassium 2 dr. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 During a period of seven days each animal got seventy grains 
 of iodide of potassium, and by inunction received one drachm each. 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 661 
 
 According to the testimony of Mr. Humphrey, the remedy was 
 effective; for at the end of two weeks the tumors had disappeared, 
 and the animals were on the high road to health. 
 
 Spaying Cows. 
 
 Before I commence to point out the method of spaying, it may 
 be proper to allude briefly to the female organs of generation. 
 
 Uterus, or Womb. — This is a hollow, musculo-membranous or- 
 gan, united to the front part of the vagina, and terminating beneath 
 the anus, in what is known as the lips of the pudendum. The 
 womb is destined for the reception of the fcetus. It is situated 
 within the cavity of the pelvis, between the region of the bladder 
 and that of the rectum, and is an organ capable of extraordinary 
 distension. 
 
 The womb is divided into body, horns, neck, and mouth. The 
 body is the oblong, cylindrical part, growing out of the front part 
 of the vagina, in the center of which it terminates, internally, by 
 the mouth of the womb, termed by physicians the os uteri. The 
 front part of the body of the womb, by branching into two divis- 
 ions, forms the horns. They diverge laterally (sideways) toward 
 the front part of the pelvis, and, finally, terminate in oval extrem- 
 ities, (fallopian tubes,) and, lastly, the testes, or ovaries. The part 
 termed the neck protrudes backward into the vagina, and is only 
 perceptible when the parts are unimpregnated. 
 
 The uterus and ovaries are partly covered, and confined to the 
 sides of the pelvis by a portion of the peritoneum, called broad or 
 lateral ligiments, which also inclose within its folds the fallopian 
 tubes. 
 
 The ovaries are two soft bodies, about the size of a walnut, and 
 resembling somewhat in form the testicles of the male. They are 
 filled with little vesicles, or bladders, which can be seen through 
 the surface texture, containing a small quantity of a whitish yel- 
 low fluid. These yellow bodies, or spots, termed corpora lutea, 
 are supposed to contain the ova. The cicatrices, or marks left in 
 the region where the vesicles have burst, denote the number of 
 times the animal has been impregnated. The contents of the 
 ovarian vesicles, from one or both testicles, are discharged into the 
 uterus through the fallopian tubes, and the same is vitalized by 
 the male semen in the act of copulation; so it will be perceived 
 
662 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 that the uterus has two inlets, coming from the ovaries, and one 
 outlet, which is the lips of the vagina. 
 
 The arteries which supply the uterine organs with blood are 
 named vaginal, uterine, and spermatic. The vaginal is derived 
 from the internal iliac; the uterine, from the external iliac; and 
 the spermatic comes directly from the great aorta. 
 
 This brief description of the form, function, and location of the 
 uterine organs may possibly prove of some value to the husband- 
 men of this country, who are not expected to be posted on the 
 subject, and can not spare the time to familiarize themselves with 
 the technicalities of the schools, yet have intelligence enough to 
 comprehend plain matters of fact. 
 
 On the Selection of Animals for Spaying. — If the animal be in- 
 tended for milking purposes, a good milker must be selected, for 
 the operation will not transform a poor milker into a good one. 
 She must necessarily be in possession of those constitutional pecu- 
 liarities which have been observed to prevail in animals renowned 
 as first-class milkers. The operation will, without doubt, improve 
 the quality of the milk, yet may not, under all circumstances, in- 
 crease the quantity, although the French dairymen contend that 
 " the cow will be found to give as much milk after eighteen months 
 as immediately after the operation ; and there was found, in quan- 
 tity, in favor of the spayed cows, a great difference." About three 
 years ago I spayed a cow, the property of a gentleman residing in 
 Southboro'. She continued during this period to yield her usual 
 quantity of milk, yet gradually accumulated fat, so that she was 
 known in the neighborhood as the " fat cow." When in this con- 
 dition, the daily yield of milk gradually decreased, and the owner 
 at last sold her to the butcher. I learned from parties who bought 
 the meat that it was of superior quality even to that of an ox or 
 steer, and commanded a higher price. Among other animals that 
 I have spayed several have run to fat, as the saying is, and at the 
 end of from eighteen months to three years, fell into the hands of 
 the butcher as first-rate beef. I am, therefore, inclined to think 
 that if animals are predisposed to fatten easily, they will not remain 
 uniform milkers beyond the above period ; yet, from a report made 
 by the Rheims Academy, I learn that this liability to fatten was 
 not observed in the environs of Paris, where, in some milking 
 establishments, one hundred and fifty cows are kept, all spayed 
 except fifteen or twenty. It may happen, however, that in conse- 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 663 
 
 quence of their not being permitted to go to pasture, and their 
 artificial food not of the best quality, and perhaps scanty, they do 
 not. have enough adipose matter to spare and store away in the 
 fat-cells, as is the case with stall-fed animals in private establish- 
 ments, where only one or two are kept. 
 
 In view, therefore, of securing a permanent milker, I should 
 select a cow of compact muscular organization (native breed), hav- 
 ing little, if any, predisposition to accumulate fat. She must be a 
 good milker, and the mother of at least three calves. The best 
 period for spaying is in the spring, when the unimpregnated ani- 
 mal is in her full flow of milk. If the object of spaying be to 
 furnish the market with fat, tender, juicy meat, then I should se- 
 lect animals, barren or otherwise, that keep in good condition on 
 a small quantity of food. The operation may be performed at any 
 period, from the age of three months to nine or more years. 
 
 Mode of Operation. — The principal authority on the modus 
 operandi of spaying is M. Morin, a celebrated French veterinary 
 surgeon. I am not in the habit of performing the operation ac- 
 cording to his directions, yet the reader may desire to know how 
 it has been performed in a country where the results have been so 
 remarkably successful ; therefore I introduce the following quota- 
 tions : 
 
 " Having covered the head of the cow to be operated on, we 
 place her against a wall provided with five rings, firmly fastened 
 and placed as follows: The first corresponds to the top of the 
 withers ; the second to the lower anterior part of the breast ; the 
 third is placed a little distance from the angle of the shoulder ; the 
 fourth is opposite to the anterior and superior part of the lower 
 region, and the fifth, which is behind, answers to the under part 
 of the buttocks. We place a strong assistant between the wall and 
 the head of the animal, who firmly holds the horn in the left hand, 
 and with his right the muzzle, which he elevates a little. This 
 done, we pass through and fasten the end of a long, strong, platted 
 cord in the ring to the lower part of the breast ; we bring the free 
 end of the cord along the left flank, and pass it through the ring 
 which is below and in front of the withers; we bring it down 
 along the breast, behind the shoulders and the angle of the fore- 
 leg, to pass it through the third ring; from there we pass it 
 through the ring which is at the top of the back ; then it must be 
 passed around against the outer angle of the left hip, and we fasten 
 
664 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 it, after having drawn it tightly to the posterior ring, by a simple 
 bow-knot. The cow being firmly fixed to the wall, we place a 
 cord, fastened by a slip-noose, around the hocks, to keep them to- 
 gether in such a manner that the animal can not kick the operator. 
 The free end of the cord and the tail are held by an assistant. 
 The cow, thus secured, can not, during the operation, move for- 
 ward nor lie down ; and the veterinary surgeon has all the ease 
 desirable, and is protected from accident. 
 
 M. Leorant advises that an assistant should hold a plank or bar 
 of wood obliquely under the teats and before its limbs, to ward 
 off the kicks ; but this method is not always without danger, both 
 to the operator and the animal, because, at the commencement — 
 that is, when the surgeon makes the incision through the hide and 
 the muscles — the cow makes such sudden movements, and tries 
 so frequently to strike with its left hind foot, that it may happen 
 that, upon every movement, the plank or the bar may be struck 
 against the operator's legs. On the other hand, although the de- 
 fense may be firmly held by the assistant, yet it may happen that, 
 in spite of his exertions, he sometimes may be thrown against the 
 operator, by the movements she may attempt, and there may be 
 an uncontrollable displacement of the plank or bar ; and then it 
 may happen that she becomes wounded, and, at the same time, 
 prevents the operation ; while, by the mode we point out, there is 
 no fear of accident, either to the operator or the beast. In case 
 of the want of well-provided rings, we may use a strong palisade, 
 a solid fence, or two trees, at suitable distances apart. Across we 
 fix two strong boards of wood, separated from each other, accord- 
 ing to the size of the cow. 
 
 There is another means of confining them that we have em- 
 ployed for some time past, where the cows were very strong and 
 irritable, more simple than the preceding, less fatiguing to the 
 animal, less troublesome to the operator, and which answers per- 
 fectly. It consists in leaving the cow almost free, covering her 
 eyes, holding her head by two strong assistants, one of whom 
 seizes the nose with his hand, and strongly pinches the nostrils 
 whenever the animal makes any strong movement during the 
 operation ; in causing another assistant to hold the two hind legs, 
 kept together by means of a cord passed above and beneath the 
 hocks. This assistant also holds the tail, and pulls it whenever 
 the animal seeks to change its place. 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 665 
 
 The cow being conveniently disposed of, and the instruments 
 and appliances, (such as curved scissors, upon a table, a convex- 
 edged bistoury, a straight one, and one buttoned at the point, 
 suture-needle filled with double thread of desired length, pledgets 
 of lint of appropriate size and length, a mass of tow in pledgets, 
 being collected in a shallow basket held by an assistant,) we place 
 ourselves opposite to the left flank, our back turned a little toward 
 the head of the animal ; we cut off the hair which covers the hide 
 in the middle of the flanks, at an equal distance between the back 
 and hip, for the space of thirteen or fourteen centimeters in cir- 
 cumference. This done, we take the convex bistoury, and place 
 it open between our teeth, the edge out, the point to the left ; then, 
 with both hands, we seize the hide in the middle of the flank, 
 and form of it a wrinkle of the requisite elevation, and running 
 lengthwise of the body. 
 
 We then direct an assistant to seize, with his right hand, the 
 right side of this wrinkle. We then take the bistoury, and cut 
 the wrinkle at one stroke through the middle. The wrinkle hav- 
 ing been suffered to go down, a separation of the hide is presented, 
 of sufficient length to enable us to introduce the hand. Thereupon 
 we separate the edges of the hide with the thumb and fore-finger 
 of the left hand, and, in like manner, we cut through the abdom- 
 inal muscles, the iliac (rather obliquely) and the lumbar (cross), 
 for a distance of a centimeter from the lower extremity of the 
 incision made in the hide. This done, armed with the straight 
 bistoury, we make a puncture of the peritoneum, at the upper 
 extremity of the wound ; we then introduce the buttoned bistoury, 
 and move it obliquely from above to the lower part, up to the 
 termination of the incision made in the abdominal muscles. The 
 flank being opened, we introduce the right hand into the abdo- 
 men, and direct it along the right side of the cavity of the pelvis, 
 behind the paunch and underneath the rectum, where we find the 
 horns of the uterus. After we have ascertained the position of 
 these viscera, we search for the ovaries, which are at the extrem- 
 ity of the cornua, or horns (fallopian tubes) ; and when we have 
 found them, we seize them between the thumb and fore-finger, 
 detach them completely from the ligaments that keep them in 
 their place, pull lightly, separating the cord and the vessels (ute- 
 rine or fallopian tubes) at their place of union with the ovarium, 
 by means of the nails of the thumb and fore-finger, which presents 
 
666 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 itself at the point of touch ; in fact, we break the cord, and bring 
 away the ovarium. 
 
 We then introduce the hand again in the abdominal cavity, and 
 proceed in the same manner to extract the other ovarium. This 
 operation terminated, by the assistance of a needle we place a suture 
 of three or four double threads, waxed, at an equal distance, and at 
 two centimeters or a little less from the lips of the wound. Passing 
 it through the divided tissues, we move from the left hand with 
 the piece of thread ; having reached that point, we fasten with a 
 double knot. We place the seam in the intervals of the thread 
 from the right, and, as we approach the lips of the wound, we 
 fasten by a simple knot, being careful not to close too tightly the 
 lower part of the seam, so that the suppuration, which may be 
 established in the wound, may be able to escape. The operation 
 effected, we cover up the wound with a pledget of lint, kept in its 
 place by three or four threads passed through the stitches, and all 
 is completed. It happens sometimes that, in cutting the muscles 
 of which we have before spoken, we cut one or two of the arte- 
 ries, which bleed so much that there is no necessity for a ligature 
 before opening the peritoneal sac, because if this precaution be 
 omitted, blood will escape into the abdomen, and may occasion 
 the most serious consequences." 
 
 Improved Method of Spaying. — I cast the cow, by means of the 
 hobbles (see cut of instruments), on her right side. I then apply 
 to the nostrils a sponge, saturated with concentrated sulphuric 
 ether. When the animal is completely unconscious, I slacken the 
 casting-rope, so as to free the limbs and prevent any pressure on the 
 walls of the abdomen. By so doing, I secure room enough to intro- 
 duce a hand and arm, for the purpose of searching for the ovaries. 
 
 The first stage of the operation consists in pinching up a fold 
 of the skin on the left side, midway between the prominent bone 
 of the haunch or pelvis, and the last or posterior rib, about four 
 inches below the transverse processes of the lumbar (back) ver- 
 tebrae. Having divided the integuments to the extent of about 
 five or six inches, I make a similar incision through the abdom- 
 inal muscles, until the peritoneum (lining membrane of the ab- 
 dominal cavity) is exposed. This membrane is then punctured 
 by means of a beak -pointed bistoury, into which puncture I insin- 
 uate a knife having a probe point, and then divide the peritoneum 
 to the extent of the external incision. 
 
 
VARIOUS OPERATIONS AND DISEASES. 667 
 
 The second stage of the operation commences with the intro- 
 duction of the operator's right arm, lie kneeling down in close 
 contact with the cow's back. The hand is then passed within the 
 brim or cavity of the pelvis. Having found the deep-seated or 
 right ovary, it must be removed by laceration. I find that the 
 best and most expeditious way is to slip the other hand into the 
 abdominal cavity; then, with the right hand, I seize the broad 
 ligament at the base of the ovary ; my left then clasps the ovary, 
 and in this way, by using trifling force, the ovary is detached or 
 torn away. The left ovary is then to be sought for, and an as- 
 sistant depresses the edges of the incision. At the same time the 
 operator, having a firm hold on the ovary, brings it into view, 
 so that it can be removed by means of a pair of blunt-pointed 
 scissors. 
 
 The third stage of the operation is the process of uniting the 
 abdominal muscles, by means of stitches or sutures. A curved 
 needle, armed with four or five threads of shoemaker's twine, well 
 beeswaxed, is to be passed through the abdominal muscles, with- 
 out penetrating the peritoneum, (lining membrane of the abdom- 
 inal cavity,) at interrupted distances of one inch, more or less. 
 Each suture is to be securely tied ; one end of the same is to be 
 cut close to the knot, the other is left long enough to protrude 
 through the integumental incision. The skin, or integument, is 
 then to be closed by means of ligature or metallic wire, leaving a 
 small orifice at the inferior or lower region of the external incision, 
 for the escape of morbid matter. This completes the operation. 
 In the course of a week or ten days the deep-seated ligatures may 
 be pulled away, and when the integument is well united, tlie ex- 
 ternal stitches may also be removed. The wound is healed by 
 Nature, and scarcely, if ever, requires any sort of dressing. 
 
SECTION XXIX. 
 
 REMARKS ON THE CATTLE PLAGUE* 
 
 DISEASES of all kinds are attributable to predisposing and 
 exciting causes. The majority of maladies require a com- 
 bination of agencies to induce them ; but there are some which 
 can only be developed by one unchangeable and specific means, 
 which we designate contagion. A sheep can only become scabby 
 by the scab-insect creeping on its body, and there multiplying. 
 A dog only becomes rabid by the virus of another rabid animal 
 entering its system ; and scientific men are agreed that an animal 
 can only be seized with rinderpest as the result of direct or indi- 
 rect communication of the rinderpest virus from a diseased to a 
 healthy animal. These are accepted truths which somewhat shock 
 the minds of people unacquainted with the mysterious operations 
 of Nature. The question occurs to most persons whether, under 
 extraordinary circumstances, these contagious maladies are not 
 generated de novo. All we can say is, that as yet no one has dem- 
 onstrated that in the steppes (Russian plains) cattle can be placed 
 under such circumstances, apart from being subjected to the in- 
 fluence of contagion, as can induce the disorder. The disease is 
 always there, roving to and fro, winter and summer, among cattle 
 of all kinds, sometimes killing many, and at other times attack- 
 ing few. My belief is, after searching in vain for evidence of the 
 spontaneous development of the rinderpest in Asiatic or Euroj^eau 
 Russia, that the malady (just like human small-pox) is never de- 
 veloped, per se, out of nothing, but is propagated in obedience 
 to immutable laws, such as those which operate in perpetuating 
 Small-pox in man. There are periods of recrudescence which are, 
 
 * Condensed from Mr. John Gamgee's late great work on the Cattle Plague. 
 (668) 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 669 
 
 to a great extent, accounted for by periodic and extraordinary- 
 movements of stock, as in times of war, or by an activated cattle 
 trade; but neither cold nor heat, rain nor drought, storms nor 
 severe frosts, affect the propagation of the malady, except in so far 
 as they affect the movements of people and the traffic in cattle. 
 
 The predisposition said to exist in the cattle of the steppes (the 
 special idiosyncrasy which has been spoken of) is observed, during 
 outbreaks in Western Europe, to manifest itself in rendering the 
 disorder less severe, far less malignant, in the cattle of Russia 
 than in any other known breeds. Jessen tells us that foreign 
 stock in Russia, acclimatized and bred there, succumbs from at- 
 tacks of the disease as rapidly as in its native country. Thus 
 Devon cattle imported into Russia, bred there, for years continue 
 to indicate a terrible susceptibility, and are rapidly exterminated 
 when the disease is communicated to them by accidental contact 
 or artificial inoculation. It is difficult to understand that these 
 animals, manifesting an extraordinary susceptibility, should not, 
 as it is proved they do not, suffer from spontaneous manifesta- 
 tions of the disease, which have been regarded as likely among the 
 less susceptible herds of the steppes. I do not believe that the 
 flesh and blood of the Russian cattle are impregnated with this 
 malady, nor that they inherit it as human beings do scrofula; and 
 I am strongly disposed to regard the specific poison of the cattle 
 plague as obeying the same laws of reproduction as those which 
 we know regulate the development of the virus of variola. 
 
 We are asked again, How did the first case occur? We must 
 give an Irishman's answer, and ask, How did the first case of 
 human small-pox or hydrophobia occur? We can prove abso- 
 lutely nothing as to their primary origin, and all we can say is, 
 the most careful observations show that the transmission and pro- 
 creation of certain animal poisons, including that of the cattle 
 plague, obey laws similar to those which govern the transmission 
 and procreation of living organisms. Some day we may know 
 more of the vitality of animal poisons. We now know that their 
 destructive operations are not more extraordinary, and the reasons 
 for their existence not more unfathomable, than those of many 
 parasitic plants and animals which seem to live and to multiply 
 by undeviating processes of generation, only to shorten the exist- 
 ence of the higher orders of the animal or vegetable kingdoms. 
 
 It is strange, but true, that the poison of the steppe murrain 
 
670 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 may be compared to any living organism which only requires a 
 favorable habitat for its indefinite increase. Just as the scab- 
 insect lives and breeds almost exclusively on the skin of a sheep, 
 so does the cattle-plague virus grow in quantity only when it 
 meets with conditions favorable to its fructification in the systems 
 of bovine animals. This statement is not affected by the occa- 
 sional appearance of the disease among goats, sheep, and other 
 animals ; for we well know, after the experience of centuries, that 
 whatever animals may be in a country, whenever the horned 
 stock has succumbed the disease vanishes. It does, indeed, inflict 
 some damage on the flocks of sheep; but its slow and imperfect 
 propagation among them indicates that it needs a more favorable 
 nidus for its perfect and complete development. 
 
 If all known facts seem to favor the view that the Russian mur- 
 rain owes its origin to contagion alone (even in Russia), no one 
 having a knowledge of the subject believes that any other cause 
 can induce it beyond the confines of that country. Numberless 
 outbreaks, traced without doubt to contagion, and the certainty 
 with which the early slaughter of diseased animals extinguishes 
 any manifestation of the malady, even in countries where it ap- 
 pears often, have tended to discard from our minds the possibility 
 of any spontaneous development of the plague over the European 
 continent, in the new world, which it has never visited, or in the 
 islands of the globe. It is singular, and it is very instructive, 
 that the disease should alone be kept up in a country such as 
 Russia. The conditions there are all in favor of the perpetuation 
 of contagious maladies; and it is important to mention that even 
 small-pox in sheep is preserved in Europe by its constant presence 
 and frequent recrudescence in Russia. 
 
 The view of the purely contagious nature of rinderpest is ma- 
 terially strengthened by the definite knowledge of the origin of 
 all diseases, which, undoubtedly, originate spontaneously in vari- 
 ous parts of the world. The Siberian boil plague, which has been 
 confounded with the steppe murrain, is one of those enzootic dis- 
 orders due to excessive heat in the broad plains of Siberia, and 
 especially in certain spots where an elevated temperature oper- 
 ating on retentive and ill-drained soils, produces a malady which 
 certainly acquires contagious properties, but which ceases with 
 the advent of cold and the washing of miasmata into the earth. 
 The Siberian boil plague springs suddenly into existence, is projt- 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 671 
 
 agated a certain distance, but can not spread far, after the manner 
 of purely contagious disorders, which are not influenced by sea- 
 sons or weather. I could mention many similar instances, were 
 it necessary, and there is none better than that virulent blood 
 disease which has gone on increasing of late in this country, in 
 districts where farmers grow the largest crops by liberally dis- 
 tributing manure on fertile soils. That disease is splenic apo- 
 plexy, which has been studied on the Northumberland hills, in the 
 fens of Lincolnshire, and the Somersetshire pastures. Professor 
 Voelckee traced, in his laboratory, one of the potent causes in- 
 ducing this malady in the west of England, and proved how wrong 
 it was to give animals water charged with the products of organic 
 waste, such as nitrates and other salts. The Russian cattle plague 
 never did and never can appear here but as an imported pesti- 
 lence. All who have seen this disease must, at all events, admit 
 its highly infectious and contagious character. The air surround- 
 ing a diseased animal is impregnated with volatile poison, and 
 every part of the animal's system is charged with the same prin- 
 ciple, but in a tangible form capable of being carried on the point 
 of an inoculating needle, and of being plunged with effect into the 
 tissues of a healthy ox. Admitting, therefore, that contagion is 
 the great and all-potent exciting cause, it may be well to enter 
 into details on two points. We must first discuss whether certain 
 conditions directly affecting an animal render its system more 
 than ordinarily susceptible to the disease; and, secondly, what 
 external conditions favor the propagation of the virus. 
 
 Causes. — Individual susceptibility or idiosyncrasy affects the 
 communication of the disorder to some, though to a very limited 
 extent. We no doubt have the striking illustration of the Rus- 
 sian ox, which is often attacked in a mild manner ; and so we find 
 in this country that a herd is killed out in five days, and another, 
 of a very similar kind, is not killed out in a month, and several 
 animals do not suffer at all. This fact is partially explained by 
 the poison sometimes growing weaker as it passes from herd to 
 herd. We witness this with all poisons ; and hence the great im- 
 portance of guarding against fresh importations of virus, even 
 during the prevalence of the steppe murrain in a country. The 
 broader the area over which the poison can meet with favorable 
 conditions for its development, the greater the tendency to severe 
 recrudescence during an outbreak. 
 
672 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 There are some unaccountable instances of constitutional im- 
 munity, and animals in this country have appeared to withstand 
 the disease with effect, or it has attacked them so mildly as scarcely 
 to be observed. This, it is true, is extremely rare, but has been 
 observed sufficiently often to indicate that, whatever may be the 
 cause, one animal is very susceptible, and another less so, to attacks. 
 We can not ascertain the special predisposition until the effects of 
 contagion on an animal have been witnessed. 
 
 Age exerts no influence on the disease. Kersting has, how- 
 ever, said that, as the result of inoculation, young calves and cows 
 suffer most severely. Lean or fat oxen are also badly affected; 
 but animals in moderate condition, and at maturity, seem to bear 
 up best against the disease. As to the influence of sex, it would 
 appear that, as with other contagious maladies, cows yielding milk 
 are very susceptible. Pregnant animals readily catch the disease, 
 but probably not so readily during gestation as at the period of 
 calving. 
 
 The conditions under which animals are kept do not seem to 
 have much influence on the character and rapid spread of the dis- 
 order. We believe that, as a rule, the disease will be most speed- 
 ily propagated where animals are congregated in a shed under one 
 roof. Indeed, numerous instances have occurred of animals, by 
 being separated, escaping the disease ; and, although it is virulent 
 enough in the open air, the cases do not follow each other quite so 
 rapidly as where the cattle are housed. A proof of the aggrava- 
 tion of the disease among housed stock is its general manifestation 
 where sheep are constantly penned with cattle, and the common 
 escape of these animals when they only mix with oxen or cows in 
 the open air. Dr. Maresch, who first described the cattle plague 
 in sheep with accuracy, showed that the malady was only rife in 
 flocks housed with bovine animals. The question then arises, 
 Does the housing affect the constitution of animals, or does it 
 simply concentrate the poison *? It is not improbable that it acts 
 in both ways. Every one agrees that the depressing effects of bad 
 ventilation, of breathing an impure atmosphere, tend to aggravate 
 and accelerate the malady, though there are not wanting cases to 
 prove the exact contrary. The same is observed in other con- 
 tagious diseases ; and I have known two herds of heifers, belong- 
 ing to the same owner, one housed and the other in the fields, 
 seized with pleuro-pneumonia about the saLae time. The housed 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 673 
 
 herd, by no means kept cleanly, suffered little, while few survived 
 in the open fields. I am a great believer in fresh air, wholesome 
 food, and pure water; but there is absolutely nothing to prove that 
 animals die more readily from the cattle plague where the venti- 
 lation is imperfect, and the food and water far from being of the 
 best quality. 
 
 It is understood that the poison of the cattle plague comes from 
 abroad, and there are those who think that it may be the result of 
 confining cattle for days and nights together in crowded ships, 
 surrounded with dirt, ill-fed, and supplied with an insufficient 
 quantity of water. Vivid descriptions have been written of the 
 heat, fetor, and steaming sweat which rises from the holds of ships 
 engaged in the cattle traffic. We are asked if it be possible that 
 animals should be thus ill-used without suffering from any or all 
 diseases ; and the foot and mouth disease, pleuro-pneumonia, and 
 the cattle plague, which differ in intensity, but not in character, 
 have each been ascribed to these general causes. It is certain that 
 maltreatment is not invigorating. It may lead to suffocation or 
 severe constitutional disturbance ; but, in spite of all the mis- 
 management in bringing cattle across the sea, no case of specific 
 disease has, to my knowledge, ever thereby been induced. How- 
 ever much the animals may suffer, they can only die of the cattle 
 plague with varying rapidity when that plague is brought among 
 them by a diseased beast or infected materials. The same remarks 
 apply to markets, farm-yards, and town cow-sheds. The filthier 
 these places are, the greater, undoubtedly, the facilities for infection ; 
 but no amount of filth ever produced a specific outbreak of lung 
 disease or rinderpest. We concentrate the poison in foul places, 
 but we do not create it. 
 
 We can, with some show of reason, attribute to steam-power the 
 outbreak of contagious diseases in this and other countries during 
 the last quarter of a century. But steam has operated in facili- 
 tating locomotion, and in placing distant parts in regular and rapid 
 communication with each other. Before countries were intersected, 
 as they now are, by railways, it took several days to transport ani- 
 mals a distance of one hundred miles. It is, of course, better to 
 move an animal in a pure van or truck than to walk it along roads 
 where its feet may plunge in excrement, or its lungs inhale the 
 breath of any sick animal passing, and which, by some strange 
 fatality, is sure to be approached. Cattle are inquisitive, and 
 43 
 
674 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 sheep flock toward sheep ; so that if they meet animals of their 
 kind, and especially sick ones, they are sure to run up to them 
 and smell about, and thus endanger their own lives. 
 
 The excrement which drops from animals affected with rinder- 
 pest, and which are driven or placed in trucks or vans, is highly 
 charged with poison. It readily communicates the disease, as has 
 been proved by myself and others, by inoculation ; and it is well 
 known that if a cow places its foot in a mass of this excrement, 
 the chances are that it will be inoculated. The intestinal gases 
 have been collected and then discharged by the diseased animal, 
 so that, if healthy cattle inhale these gases, the probability is that 
 they will contract the disease. The discharge from sick animals 
 generally, and their manure in particular, are very apt to secure 
 an indirect contagion. The greatest care should, therefore, be ex- 
 ercised not to disseminate the poison by such means. Food which 
 has been mouthed or breathed on by sick cattle is capable of com- 
 municating disease, and this should always be kept in mind. It 
 is not easy to determine if water, under the same circumstances, 
 has a contagious effect. Some persons have supposed that if ani- 
 mals with the Russian plague drink from a river whose waters run 
 through other farms or districts, the disease may be carried by the 
 stream to great distances. This I do not believe, inasmuch as 
 water is a great purifying and diluting agent, and even all the 
 poison that a large herd of cattle may drop into a river can have 
 no effect, as it passes on in an enormous mass of water, which ef- 
 fectually weakens and destroys it. The case is different if animals 
 are made to drink out of a common pail or trough ; for, in such 
 a case, it is not so much the water that carries the virus as the 
 sides of the vessel containing that water. It may be noted, how- 
 ever, that cattle of different farms often stand for hours together 
 in a stream at only a few yards apart ; and here, as in the drink- 
 ing-trough, the virus contained in the discharges may reach 
 healthy animals unchanged, and thus lead to their contamination. 
 
 In countries or districts where contagious diseases prevail among 
 cattle and sheep, we find that slaughter-houses are favorable for 
 their dissemination. This is due to the fact that plague-stricken 
 animals are taken there for slaughter, are sometimes kept alive for 
 hours, or even days, and, when killed, much that is charged with 
 virus escapes in surface-drains, or on an open causeway, so that, 
 within a certain radius, there is a chance of contaminating healthy 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 675 
 
 stock. One way in which the cattle plague may be carried from 
 diseased cattle or from a slaughter-house is unquestionably by flies, 
 which, after resting on the carcass or offal of sick animals, fly 
 about, rest again on the animal, especially on any wounded parts, 
 and thus produce a direct inoculation. Any place in which many 
 animals affected with rinderpest are slaughtered, must charge the 
 surrounding neighborhood with enough poison to kill large num- 
 bers of cattle. The hides and meat of diseased animals carry the 
 infection. In Hungary I am told that one common cause of rin- 
 derpest outbreak on a farm is the hawking about of the flesh of 
 animals slaughtered during an attack of the disease. If the water 
 in which such meat is washed be thrown into a yard to which cattle 
 have access, an outbreak is almost sure to follow. Jessen speaks 
 of cattle becoming infected by drinking the water used in soaking 
 or washing salt meat. Slaughter-houses and the traffic in hides 
 and meat are probably not so active in favoring the spread of the 
 rinderpest as cattle-dealers' farms, and the changes of stock which 
 necessarily occur there. The grazing of cattle in neighboring fields, 
 feeding them on the road-sides, driving them along paths through 
 fields where there is a right of way, are all potent circumstances 
 in the dissemination of rinderpest. 
 
 No one doubts that dogs which feast on the carcasses of diseased 
 animals are very liable to carry infection. I have been consulted 
 more than once as to the probability of a pack of fox-hounds 
 carrying infection over a country by passing through fields con- 
 taining sick cattle, and afterward crossing healthy farms. It is 
 possible that a pack of hounds may carry much excrement charged 
 with organic poison from one field to another; therefore, in an 
 infected district hunting should, in my opinion, be discontinued. 
 Human beings, as well as quadrupeds, are accused of harboring 
 the poison and distributing it, and no doubt they do carry it, more 
 or less, if great care be not exercised. I have been assured that 
 in Russia one common cause of wide-spread outbreaks was the 
 practice of calling priests and people together to pray in the cattle- 
 sheds, that the plague might be stayed, and the assembled people 
 moving thence from farm to farm. Vicq d'Azyr demonstrated, 
 last century, that if clothes worn by attendants on diseased cattle 
 were placed on sound stock, three animals out of six would be 
 seized with the disease. 
 
 Without entering into further details, I may state that the 
 
676 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 causes here enumerated as affecting the transmission of the cattle 
 plague are not imaginary but real. Enough to mention that 
 farmers and others, who have any thing to do with rinderpest, 
 must regard it as a purely contagious and specific disease, inca- 
 pable of spontaneous development, but most readily and certainly 
 communicable from diseased to healthy cattle, and sometimes from 
 cattle to sheep, or vice versa. 
 
 Symptoms. — The recognition of this disease is greatly facilitated, 
 especially when it first appears in a herd, by a knowledge of its 
 prevalence in any district or country. I mention this, as in many 
 diseases we have premonitory signs similar to those of the cattle 
 plague ; and it is especially when we know of its existence in or 
 near a country, district, or farm that the earlier symptoms are of 
 value. Indeed, when an outbreak is studied, great importance 
 should be attached to the period which elapses from the intro- 
 duction of a diseased animal, or other source of infection, to the 
 first appearance of sickness in a stock. Every specific fever has 
 its period of incubation — that period during which the poison is 
 insidiously attacking the system of a manor animal — and there 
 is no more distinct feature of the cattle plague than its latent 
 stage. From four to seven clays is the usual period of incubation. 
 It often extends . to a week, but very rarely, indeed, beyond the 
 eighth day. Some say it may be as short as twenty-four hours,* 
 and others that it occasionally extends to twenty-eight days. 
 There are no reliable facts in proof of these extremes, but there 
 is a large amount of evidence to show that an animal may be re- 
 garded as absolutely free if it does not show signs of disorder 
 within ten days after having been exposed to the contagion. In- 
 deed, recent inquiries and observations would lead one to regard 
 the incubative stage as not often exceeding six days, though the 
 earlier or premonitory signs of an attack are not apparent to non- 
 professional observers. I consider this point of the greatest im- 
 portance in relation to the subject of veterinary inspection, and 
 one affording scope for many experiments as to the facilities 
 offered for the prevention of the disease, by recognizing sickness 
 in animals before they become dangerous from the discharge of 
 that poison which is the cause of the propagation of the malady. 
 Whenever medical treatment may have to be tried, it is at this 
 early period that good results may be anticipated. 
 
 A delicate thermometer indicates an elevation of temperature in 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 677 
 
 the earliest stage of the disease varying from one to four degrees. 
 The elevation precedes the acceleration of the pulse and every 
 other symptom. It is not uncommon to find it in healthy ani- 
 mals varying one or two degrees at different periods of the day, 
 so that reliable observations can only be made on a number of 
 cattle at the same time, obeying in all the same conditions as to 
 the instrument used, the part in which the observation is made, 
 whether it be the rectum or vagina, and the length of time the 
 instrument is inserted, etc. Sometimes, when animals are excited 
 on a hot day, and are hurried into a shed from a field, the ther- 
 mometer may rise one or two-tenths more than usual ; but if a 
 whole stock be examined, any animals suffering, however slightly, 
 from the disease, indicate an elevation amounting even to five or 
 six degrees. Such an exaltation of temperature is generally in- 
 compatible with health, and the only exception yet known to this 
 rule is that observed during oestrum or sexual excitement; the 
 temperature then rises three or four degrees, and the same may 
 be seen just after parturition. A number of experiments prove: 
 
 First. That the temperature is much exalted when the pulse 
 indicates slight or no variation from the normal standard. 
 
 Secondly. That there are variations in the frequency of the pulse 
 and the temperature during the course of the disease. 
 
 Thirdly. A sudden lowering of temperature usually, if not al- 
 ways, precedes death. In the cases quoted above, where the tem- 
 perature last taken is marked as high as 105° and 104°, death did 
 not take place until ten or twelve hours after the last observation. 
 
 Fourthly. With the lowering of temperature before death there 
 is a greatly increased frequency of pulse, varying from 120 beats 
 per minute to such a rate as to render observations almost im- 
 possible. 
 
 When animals recover, the temperature decreases gradually till 
 it reaches its normal standard. There is an absence of very 
 marked and sudden change. The transition from sickness to con- 
 valescence occurs steadily and with regularity. 
 
 I consider it impossible to over-estimate the importance of 
 thermometric observations such as those referred to, and, although 
 similar results may be obtained in the investigation of other dis- 
 eases, it is evident that the thermometer affords unerring as well 
 as early evidence of an animal sickening, recovering, or about to 
 die. No other indication is so unmistakable and satisfactory; 
 
678 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 and though there are other febrile diseases associated with an 
 early elevation in temperature, it must be admitted that, taken 
 with the history and symptoms of the case, the accuracy afforded 
 by thermometric observations is of the highest moment. 
 
 The visible premonitory signs consist in shivering, muscular 
 twitchings, and uneasiness. In some cases there is dullness, and 
 in others excitement amounting even to delirium and associated 
 with remarkable sensitiveness. There is often a short, husky 
 cough ; the appetite is irregular, capricious, and then entirely lost ; 
 rumination ceases; the animal grinds its teeth, yawns, arches its 
 back, and draws its legs together under its body ; the eyes, nose, 
 and mouth are dry, red, and hot ; the extremities are cold, though 
 the internal heat is high; constipation, as a rule, exists; and 
 secretion is generally arrested, as indicated in milch cows, by the 
 milk at once ceasing to flow. The respirations are often, but not 
 invariably, increased in frequency ; expirations succeed the inspi- 
 rations tardily, and with each there is a low moan; the temper- 
 ature continues to rise, though the animal's skin becomes rigid, 
 and indicates functional derangement by a staring coat, dryness,, 
 and eruptions. t 
 
 The redness of the visible mucous membranes, especially of the 
 gums, lips, papillae on the inside of the cheeks, is partial, pale, and 
 patchy at first. Dr. Weber has spoken of the aphthous eruption 
 of the mouth, the aphthae being of circular or indefinite form, 
 covered with whitish-yellow granular exudation, which adheres 
 very slightly and is easily removed. He also speaks of the red- 
 ness of the papillae of the cheeks as always beginning at the apex. 
 Jessen has published a pamphlet on the appearance of the buccal 
 membranes, which he describes as sometimes consisting in small, 
 round nodules (seldom larger than a millet-seed), still covered 
 with epithelium when discovered, through which a yellowish or 
 yellowish -gray material can be distinguished. Within twenty- 
 four hours the epithelium gives way and the contents become 
 visible. The result is a superficial lesion, which soon heals. In 
 other cases the nodules become confluent, and form a considerable 
 enervated ulcer, with irregular margins. The so-called aphthae 
 are described by Jessen as small vesicles due to raising of the 
 epithelium, and either contains a clear watery or a turbid fluid, 
 and leave behind round, flattened excoriations, with even edges. 
 My observations, in a considerable number of cases, have shown 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 679 
 
 that on the inner surface of the lips, on the inside of the nostrils, 
 and other parts of the mucous membrane, there are at first scarcely 
 visible whitish opaque specks, about the size of a small pin's head. 
 These are the starting-points for the softening and desquamation 
 of epithelium, which results in the dirtyish-yellow, flaky appear- 
 ance in some of the worst cases. 
 
 When a number of milch cows has to be examined, one of the 
 first symptoms to look for is redness, and a mottled appearance 
 of the lining membrane of the vulva and vagina. Animals in 
 apparently perfect health, eating well, ruminating, yielding a full 
 quantity of milk, are seen to have a reddened condition of the 
 mucous membrane of the external organs of generation. The 
 redness of the vagina also occurs in animals that have recently 
 calved, and it is important to guard against this source of fallacy. 
 In many cases the continuous rigors, and singular muscular 
 twitchings of the face, ears, and neck, may be regarded as char- 
 acteristic. They are not, however, so typical as the discharge 
 from the eyes and nose, which soon appears, and which, from 
 being glary and watery, changes shortly to a turbid secretion. 
 No symptoms can better illustrate the care required in diagnosis 
 than the discharge both from the eyes and nose. A marked 
 symptom is restlessness, lying down and rising again; sometimes 
 looking round to the flank, and by drawing the hind legs forward, 
 denoting more or less colic or abdominal pain. Animals often lie 
 on the left side, with the head stretched across the right flank. 
 Severe diarrhea sets in, and the animal becomes very thirsty. 
 Emphysematous (windy) swellings are apt to form at this period, 
 and there are exacerbations (violent) of all the symptoms toward 
 night-time. The discharges are all fetid, especially in severe 
 cases. The urine is rather scanty, and generally, if not always, 
 albuminous. This stage lasts about three days. The symptoms 
 increase in severity. The dysentery is aggravated, and the animal 
 becomes extremely weak ; it stands and walks with difficulty, and 
 lies much. The pulse becomes feeble and indistinct at the jaw; 
 it beats from 90 to 130 per minute. The discharge from the eyes, 
 nose, and vagina increases; the cough becomes less audible and 
 soft. On the buccal and schneiderian membranes, as well as in 
 the clefts of the feet, there is a deep redness, with flaky discharge 
 of epithelium. The muzzle, angles of the mouth, and membrane 
 round the nasal orifices are sometimes ulcerated, with a greenish- 
 
680 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 yellow and somewhat dense granular and epithelial deposit. On 
 opening the mouth, a similar change about the base of the tongue 
 and on the inside of the lips is often found. The coldness of the 
 extremities, or of the body generally, the stupor or drowsiness, 
 quick breathing, and fetor of the exhalations, with spasmodic 
 action of the alse nasi, jerking respiration, and moaning, are among 
 the most unfavorable symptoms. The feces, at first dark, become 
 slimy, charged with masses of detached epithelium, are very fetid, 
 and are more or less tinged with blood. The urine acquires a 
 dark color, due to the coloring principles of bile. Cows abort, 
 and all symptoms of sensibility or consciousness gradually dis- 
 appear. 
 
 I have seen many cases which presented, from the earliest mo- 
 ment, great disturbance of the organs of respiration. A hacking 
 cough, depressed and protruded head, spasmodic action of the nos- 
 trils and flanks, indicate serious pulmonary lesions. Emphysema 
 takes place, and usually begins in the anterior lobes. Dr. Weber 
 remarks that the anterior intercostal spaces become somewhat 
 fixed, whereas the posterior true ribs are raised with an effort, 
 and sink rapidly. On percussion, the thorax is found to be very 
 resonant, and this resonance becomes greater as the emphysema 
 increases. On auscultation, rales of various pitches are heard, 
 either accompanying the vesicular murmur or superseding it. The 
 heart's sounds become inaudible, and impulse imperceptible on 
 the left side. As death approaches, the mucous membranes often 
 acquire a leaden hue ; the erosions (ulcerations) are marked, and 
 blood-spots, or ecchymoses, occur. The partially open and dark 
 red or otherwise discolored aspect of the inner surface of the lips 
 or the vulva can not fail to be noticed at this stage. The invol- 
 untary evacuation of excrement, extreme fetor of all discharges, 
 tendency to tympanitis, muscular twitching, lowering of temper- 
 ature, and increasing listlessness betoken the approach of death. 
 
 In some cases there are signs of improvement about the third 
 day, and then a relapse occurs. Animals may become quite con- 
 valescent; but still the gastric or intestinal lesions advance, and 
 when least expected, a fortnight or three weeks after marked im- 
 provement, alarming symptoms supervene, severe diarrhea occurs 
 with the return of other discharges, and the animal soon sinks 
 and dies. 
 
 In favorable cases we find a cutaneous eruption on various parts 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 681 
 
 of the skin, especially on the neck, back, and teats, not unlike 
 cow-pox. There are instances of severe illness and death with 
 tjiis eruption, and, indeed, in bad cases, we sometimes find a dirty- 
 yellow appearance of the skin of the back, and a desquamation of 
 epidermis, which indicates a morbid process of the skin, similar 
 to that affecting the mucous membranes. The surface of the skin 
 over the neck and withers is often moist or greasy from an abun- 
 dant sebaceous secretion. There are no vesicles, and an entire 
 absence, as a rule, of pustules. Convalescence is indicated by a 
 certain vivacity, return of appetite, equable temperature of the 
 body and extremities, restored secretion of milk, moist muzzle, 
 and other well-known signs of health. 
 
 As with other fevers, we find in the rinderpest a marked peri- 
 odicity in its manifestations. Improvement in the morning, vio- 
 lence of symptoms at night ; a distinct subdivision of an attack 
 into stages, and, from the date of the crisis, either sudden aggra- 
 vation or gradual abatement of alarming symptoms. There are, 
 at times, chronic cases, as in lung disease, and animals get into a 
 hectic state, out of which they can not be rallied. It is, therefore, 
 evident that the duration of the malady varies. I have seen ani- 
 mals dead in the evening which had only indicated active signs 
 of the complaint for the first time during the early part of the 
 same day. As a rule, death occurs from the third to the sixth day. 
 
 Symptoms in the Sheep. — The cattle plague among sheep is 
 characterized by comparatively mild symptoms, and frequently 
 speedy restoration to health. In 1857, Dr. Kreutzer first de- 
 scribed the symptoms of the cattle plague as observed on a sheep 
 which had been inoculated on the 1st of October. The period of 
 incubation lasted till the 9th, and was followed by general dis- 
 turbance, discharge from eyes and nose, prostration, moaning and 
 diarrhea. The animal died on the 13th. Dr. Maresch observed 
 the disease more carefully from 1860 to 1863, and since then much 
 information has been obtained. The period of incubation extends 
 usually to seven or eight days ; languor and dullness appear, with 
 redness and prominence of the conjunctiva at the inner angle of 
 the eye. There is a yellow discharge which trickles down the 
 face, and a viscid phlegm flows from the nostrils; the head droops, 
 and there is grinding of teeth ; the appetite is diminished and 
 capricious; rumination, suspended; feces, thinnish, and partly 
 adhering to the hind legs and tail ; there is an occasional cough, 
 
682 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 with frequent pulse and labored breathing; the pulse rises from 
 120 to 160 beats per minute. Ewes not unfrequently abort, or 
 bring forth weakly lambs, which afterward rally. It is not at all 
 unusual for the disease to cease at this period, and the animals to 
 recover rapidly. In other cases the diarrhea increases; there is 
 painful straining, or tenesmus, panting respiration, very feeble 
 pulse, and the animal sinks. Great weakness, awkward gait, and 
 somewhat severe nervous or convulsive symptoms mark fatal 
 cases, when death occurs about the fourth, fifth, or sixth day from 
 the commencement of the disease. When a case takes the more 
 usual and favorable turn, there is more liveliness, improved appe- 
 tite, restored rumination, less discharge from the eyes and nose, 
 and diminished frequency of pulse and respirations. The animals 
 are quite Convalescent in from ten to fourteen days. In some 
 cases, such as those observed by Dr. Leicht in 1860, the disease 
 is more rapid. The animals stagger, lie down much, shake their 
 heads, have a dense discharge from the eyes, are subject to diar- 
 rhea, and die, sometimes, within twenty-four hours of the first 
 appearance of premonitory signs. 
 
 There are as great variations in the symptoms in sheep as there 
 are among cattle. Some cases differ from those described above, 
 as the animals stand, are dull, and keep apart from the flock ; there 
 is no appetite, no rumination; constipation at first, followed by 
 diarrhea ; arched back ; elevated temperature of the skin ; eyes 
 sunken and discharging ; from the nose a quantity of dense, gray- 
 ish-yellow, flaky matter drops, and the mucous membranes of the 
 mouth and nose are reddened, showing erosions and desquamations 
 of epithelium; the breathing and pulse are accelerated; there is 
 pain on pressing the loins, and, at last, general prostration. 
 
 Special Symptoms in cases of Cattle Plague coupled with Pleuro- 
 pneumonia. — The animals seized with the two diseases at once 
 are observed to suffer from greater prostration and more labored 
 breathing at the outset. The short grunt of lung disease begins 
 early ; there is a spasmodic action of the nostrils, and, on auscul- 
 tation, the impervious condition of the portion of the diseased lung 
 is ascertained. Any one acquainted with the two diseases can read- 
 ily recognize such cases. 
 
 Special Symptoms in cases of Cattle Plague coupled with the 
 Foot and Mouth Disease. — It is more difficult to diagnose rinder- 
 pest in its earliest stages when epizootic aphtha has attacked a 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 683 
 
 herd. Smacking of the lips, eruption, and salivation exist; biit 
 the greatest reliance is to be placed in the usual lameness and 
 morbid condition of the feet in foot and mouth disease, as also the 
 usual eruption on the teats, and tendency to congestion and in- 
 flammation of the udder. When the cattle plague advances, there 
 is the shivering, discharge from the eyes and nose, the diarrhea 
 and prostration not usually seen in epizootic aphtha. 
 
 The Nature of the Cattle Plague. — From all that has been said 
 in the preceding pages, it is evident that the murrain of the steppes 
 is not typhus, nor is it the typhoid or enteric fever which we ob- 
 serve in man. Not only is it distinct in its origin, progress, and 
 essential nature from any known contagious disease of the human 
 subject, but it is, undoubtedly, a specific bovine fever, manifesting 
 all its characteristic features in horned cattle alone, though expe- 
 rience has proved that there are circumstances under which the 
 plague may be communicated to the buffalo, goat, sheep, deer, 
 gazelle, zebu, yak, auroch, ibex, and other wild ruminants. One 
 experiment, performed by myself, proves the communication of the 
 disease to the deer ; but it is remarkable that until the recent out- 
 break of rinderpest in the gardens of the Paris Acclimatization 
 Society, in the Bois de Boulogne, it was not known that the ma- 
 jority of wild ruminants could catch the disease and suffer from 
 it in a virulent form. It never attacks men, horses, dogs, and, 
 indeed, the great majority of warm-blooded animals; and it is 
 worthy of special remark that the virulent animal poison, which 
 is the active agent in the development and propagation of the 
 malady, originates in the system of the ox, is perpetuated in 
 countries where herds of cattle abound, and is not to be found 
 where bovine animals are wanting. The history of the cattle 
 plague clearly indicates that the disease has been always recognized 
 as attacking horned stock almost exclusively, and that it spreads 
 from country to country through the trade in cattle or the trans- 
 port of oxen in the rear of armies. The poison does pass through 
 the system of some ruminants besides those of the bovine race, but 
 it appears to be deprived of much of its force until it returns to 
 members of the ox tribe. 
 
 The cattle plague is not a local disorder ; it is not an affection 
 of any special organ or group of organs. It is a systemic disease 
 a fever in which the mucous membranes and skin are specially 
 implicated. There are important local and characteristic mani- 
 
684 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 festations, usually most marked in the mouth, fourth stomach, and 
 intestines, in the organs of generation, and frequently in the re- 
 spiratory passages. It is, however, something different, and some- 
 thing more than an inflammation of the breathing, or digestive, 
 or generative systems. The cell growth, fatty and molecular dis- 
 integrations, desquamation, and discharge of the epithelial and 
 epidermic cells, are typical of this disease. In this way it can 
 only be classified among general diseases, with fevers of a specific 
 kind, and which originate from specific causes, run a definite 
 course, manifest a singular periodicity in their progress, and have 
 a marked tendency to destroy life. 
 
 The pathological process, observed from first to last, indicates 
 an early development of severe febrile disturbance. All the func- 
 tions are modified. The temperature of the body fast rises ; gen- 
 eral functional disturbance soon follows, and the blood loses its 
 watery parts and soluble albumen, indicating, also, a large increase 
 in the proportion of blood-corpuscles and fibrine to serum. The 
 process of assimilation is checked ; the large reservoirs in which 
 the food is prepared for true gastric and intestinal digestion be- 
 come torpid ; the rumen, reticulum, and omasum retain a large 
 quantity of solid food, and their movements are stopped ; the 
 fourth stomach ceases to secrete gastric juice, its epithelium is 
 thrown off, a morbid cellular deposit clogs the gastric glands, and 
 the proper preparation of aliment for intestinal digestion can no 
 longer occur. The intestine is the seat of inflammation and ex- 
 travasation; its contents indicate the drain of the blood of its 
 soluble albumen and other products; the intestinal epithelium is 
 rapidly ejected, and, in some cases, many of the glands become 
 clogged with a deposit similar to that which is found in the folli- 
 cles of the gastric mucous membrane. A free suppuration is no- 
 where witnessed, but discharges flow from the mucous membranes, 
 and are highly charged with epithelial cells and the specific virus 
 of the disease. The rapidity and completeness of the general 
 functional disturbance is indicated not only by the checked pro- 
 cess of assimilation, the nature of the intestinal contents, and the 
 general implication of the mucous membranes, but it is recognized 
 on an examination of the albuminous and dark-colored urine, the 
 disposition to early putrefaction, fetor of the secretions, etc. All 
 shows that the cattle plague poison speedily induces in the system of 
 a susceptible animal changes which defy the successful use of medi- 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 685 
 
 cine, and which must inevitably result in death. Like most ani- 
 mal poisons, the rinderpest virus is reproduced with marvelous 
 rapidity in, and discharged abundantly from, the bodies of sick 
 animals. The breath of a sick ox inspired by a healthy animal, 
 and the solid products of the disease, seem to be alike capable of 
 inducing the malady ; and antidotes are applied too late when an 
 attempt is made to reach the poison in the animal's system. I 
 know of no antidote to be used internally. Agents are employed 
 which, when directly mixed with the virus, kill it; and caustic 
 alkalies, mineral acids, chlorine, iodine, carbolic acid, creosote, 
 the alkaline permanganates, and other oxidizing or decomposing 
 agents, render it perfectly inert. I have no faith in our ever 
 reaching the virus with effect in the living animal. We must 
 not even expect too much from the system of treating certain 
 symptoms during the progress of the disease, which is frequently 
 confounded by the unskilled with the effectual treatment of the 
 disease itself. A large proportion of animals seized must always 
 die. A certain percentage will always recover, and this depends 
 on the severity of the attack, the constitutional resistance of the 
 animals seized, and the consequent extent and rapidity of the 
 morbid changes which occur. 
 
 Treatment. — The steppe murrain is essentially one of those dis- 
 eases for which prevention is better than attempted cure. Urgently 
 enforcing this doctrine has cost me the good opinion of some, who, 
 without duly considering the importance of slaughtering the dis- 
 eased and infected animals for the protection of many untainted 
 herds, argue that it is not scientific to exterminate the malady by 
 destroying diseased animals. The cattle plague can be prevented 
 and can be extinguished, at comparatively small cost and with the 
 greatest certainty, in countries such as England. Whatever ten- 
 tative trials are made as to treatment, this fact must ultimately 
 reveal itself, that it is impossible to deal with outbreaks of rinder- 
 pest by administering drugs. I hold it to be eminently scientific 
 to act on our knowledge of the cause of any disease ; and, know- 
 ing, from lengthened experience, how easily disseminated and ma- 
 lignant cattle plague virus is, it has been my duty to insist on its 
 early and complete destruction, so that it should never reach the 
 systems of herds of animals, in which, when it has once entered, 
 it can not be counteracted by any known antidote. 
 
 The cattle plague is not so deadly in its effects as equine glan- 
 
686 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 ders, cancer, or well-developed human phthisis; but no known 
 remedy restores an animal once severely attacked, and the admin- 
 istration of medicine is, as a rule, not required to save the small 
 percentage which may recover. As, however, the malady has been 
 suffered to spread, veterinarians are called upon to adopt means 
 of cure. With a view, therefore, to indicate what has been sug- 
 gested and what may be attempted, I shall draw attention to the 
 following points: 
 
 Precautions to be observed so as to prevent the 
 spread of disease from a herd under treatment. 
 
 Hygienic management. 
 
 Medicinal agents used. 
 
 Methods of treatment suggested at various times in 
 this country and abroad. 
 
 Precautions to be observed so as to Prevent the Spread of Disease 
 from a herd under Treatment. — Diseased cattle should be placed for 
 treatment in warm and detached buildings where proper ventila- 
 tion, drainage, and facilities for feeding can be obtained. They 
 should not be left in the fields, and are best kept entirely in the 
 house until perfectly recovered. The sheds should be kept clean, 
 frequently disinfected, and every particle of urine and excrement 
 must be disinfected by means of chlorinated lime. People attend- 
 ing the stock must be kept there for that purpose, and not allowed 
 to rove about and go on other farms, or to fairs and markets. All 
 dogs should be tied up, and every attention paid to cleanliness 
 with other stock and in farm-yards generally. Dirt and negli- 
 gence are great propagators of the cattle plague. It is impossible 
 to be too clean or too careful in avoiding the carriage of tainted 
 objects from an infected to a healthy farm or district. 
 
 Hygienic Management. — This is of far greater importance than 
 any medicine or system of medication hitherto recommended ; and 
 I have to direct the attention of my professional brethren to sev- 
 eral points of incalculable importance. It is not desirable to have 
 many animals in the same shed when under treatment, and several 
 attendants are essential, so that proper care be taken of the cattle. 
 When a large stock has to be treated, the labor and trouble is 
 enormous; it will not do, therefore, to trust to a few attendants, 
 who get tired and faint-hearted over their work, especially when 
 the number of animals recovering is not large. If possible, it is 
 undoubtedly best to have the animals loose ; but this can only be 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 687 
 
 secured where isolated cases are under treatment. "With forty or 
 fifty beasts sick at one time, loose boxes can not usually be obtained ; 
 and it is not desirable to keep many sick animals loose in a yard. 
 As a rule, in winter all the animals should be clothed, lightly, but 
 sufficiently, so as to favor cutaneous exhalation. The shed is best 
 kept at a proper and never-varying temperature, not exceeding 
 58° Fahrenheit. Proper ventilation is indispensable to recovery, 
 and heat must not be purchased at the expense of atmospheric 
 purity. Clothe the animals rather than close the aperatures made 
 for the purposes of ventilation. In order to secure purity of the 
 atmosphere, every attention should be paid to sweeping away ex- 
 crement and washing the stalls thoroughly by means of common 
 soda and water. The use of chlorinated lime is not to be advocated 
 where stock is under treatment, as the chlorine gas induces great 
 disturbance, irritation of the respiratory passages, and a trouble- 
 some cough. I prefer cleanliness and abundance of fresh air where 
 the cattle are actually diseased, to any system of disinfectants, and 
 the chlorinated lime is best used to disinfect the manure-heap and 
 other objects outside the shed containing the sick. The food al- 
 lowed to animals varies much according to circumstances. During 
 the various stages of acute disease it should be given sparingly. 
 At first linseed tea or linseed gruel, well boiled, may serve as a 
 laxative, with or without medicine. Linseed is not to be con- 
 tinued when purging begins ; well-boiled oatmeal gruel should then 
 be substituted for it. The oatmeal gruel, which is perhaps the 
 best nutritive material to be given from first to last, is made by 
 taking a peck of meal for every three or four animals, and adding 
 some cold water. Boiling water is then mixed and stirred with the 
 whole, until it acquires a proper consistency to be poured through 
 a towel or sieve; and thus all the coarser and more indigestible 
 portions of the meal are removed. The gruel is boiled for at least 
 ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, and is used warm. About 
 half a gallon of it may be given three or four times daily ; and if 
 the cattle drink it voluntarily, so much the better. Badly-made 
 oatmeal gruel irritates the stomach and intestines, and aggravates 
 the diarrhea. When animals are severely affected they do not 
 eat ; but if they have any appetite, well-boiled mashes should be 
 made for them. Of these we can suggest a great variety, such as 
 steeping barley for a time, throwing off the water, adding fresh, 
 and boiling the barley; the whole is then allowed to rest for 
 
688 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 awhile, and bran is mixed with it, as well as a certain quantity 
 of well-boiled turnips. The mash must be moderately salted. 
 The barley may be replaced by brewer's grains, and a moderate 
 quantity of bean or peasemeal — say half a pound of the latter 
 morning and night. One of the best managers of cows I ever 
 knew made, for every sick animal that would eat, a mash of four 
 handfuls of bran, four of brewer's draff, one pound of peasemeal, 
 and two pounds of well-boiled mashed turnips. This was given 
 thrice daily to each animal. Cattle have been fed on milk, soups, 
 etc., but not with the same benefit as with vegetable food which 
 was properly cooked, and not allowed to get sour. Great modera- 
 tion in diet is essential. The sick cattle must have cold water to 
 drink in small quantities, and at least every two hours. Their 
 mouths are parched, and .great benefit is derived from frequent 
 allowances of fresh water, which may be acidulated with a little 
 vinegar, or given alone. All animals under treatment must" be 
 kept scrupulously clean, and are benefited by brushing, washing, 
 hand-rubbing, bandaging the legs, etc. As a means of insuring 
 cleanliness and action of the skin, I think it is very probable that 
 the hot-air bath, when at hand, may be of great service, as also 
 the vapor bath or the wet packing, used occasionally. 
 
 Medicines, — The plan principally adopted in the treatment of 
 cattle suffering from steppe murrian has consisted in giving so- 
 lutions, mixtures, and powders, either alone or in food. There 
 are various ways, however, which might be resorted to, and per- 
 haps with benefit, and which would effectually set aside some of 
 the uncertain and often injurious administration of draughts. In 
 order to explain myself fully on this subject, I shall consider the 
 various methods by which remedies may be given internally. 
 
 Administration by the Mouth. — It is often possible, in the early 
 stage of disease, and in favorable cases when appetite returns in 
 the later stages, to give animals tasteless or palatable drugs in 
 food, and this is by far the best plan. The frequent, troublesome, 
 and somewhat dangerous drenching to which sick cattle are sub- 
 jected, should, if possible, be dispensed with. I have seen so 
 many animals tormented and injured by the administration of 
 medicines, treacle, gruel, and other liquids, that I venture to 
 make a few remarks on the operation of giving a draught. In 
 the first place, glass bottles are dangerous ; and nothing is so use- 
 ful as a horn of proper shape, or a tin instrument made in the 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 689 
 
 shape of a horn, with its mouth well rounded off. The operator 
 should go up to the right side of the animal, pass his hand over 
 the face into the angle of the mouth on the left side. The head 
 is bent round, not elevated, except to a very slight extent ; and if 
 the person giving the draught plants his feet well on the ground, 
 with his back against the animal's shoulder, he can steady him- 
 self well, and, holding the horn or other instrument charged with 
 the draught in his right hand, he can pour it by degrees into the 
 animal's mouth. It has often pained me to see sick cattle seized 
 by the nose, and, with their heads drawn up and necks stretched 
 out, required to gulp down a quantity of liquid which can not be 
 conveniently swallowed in such a position. Often have I seen an 
 animal get worse after such treatment, and the passage of medi- 
 cine into the windpipe and lungs was not unfrequently the cause 
 of aggravated symptoms. One great objection to the adminis- 
 tration of draughts when an animal is suffering from the cattle 
 plague is, that they accumulate in the rumen, do not reach the 
 true stomach until the diarrhea, inseparable from the disease, sets 
 in, and then the accumulated drugs exert a most prejudicial in- 
 fluence. It is incredible how long a vast amount of medicine, 
 and very acrid, irritating medicine, too, may remain unchanged, 
 unabsorbed, and inactive in the paunch of an ox, which is usually 
 full of vegetable food throughout the progress of an attack of the 
 plague. 
 
 Administration by the Rectum. — Injections, given carefully with 
 an enema funnel, have the benefit of creating little disturbance, 
 and the power of solution and absorption of remedies is probably 
 as great, if not greater, in the rectum during this disease as in 
 the stomach and small intestine. Simple warm- water injections, 
 cathartic, stimulating, sedative, and even nutritive enemata, de- 
 serve a fair trial, and as much good may be anticipated from them 
 as from the administration of draughts. 
 
 Subcutaneous Injections. — Various medicinal agents have been 
 effectually introduced into the system by being injected into the 
 open tissue beneath the skin. This plan can be adopted if such 
 remedies as tincture of aconite, solutions of belladonna, of various 
 alkaloids, and other agents which do not irritate and inflame the 
 tissue, are used. 
 
 Injection into Veins. — The principal object in view in resorting 
 to this operation would be to try the effect of injecting about a 
 44 
 
690 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 pint or a quart of water, at 100° Fahrenheit, after abstracting a sim- 
 ilar quantity of blood from one of the jugular veins. The operation 
 should be tried in the early stage of the disease, and the result 
 usually observed is purgation, action of the kidneys, and free ex- 
 halation from the skin. The system might thus be prepared for 
 any further course of treatment. The operation is simple, and 
 unattended with bad results. 
 
 External Applications. — The method of applying heat, cold ru- 
 befacients, and blisters to the surface of the skin is too well known 
 to deserve any lengthened description. Dashing cold water over 
 the body, and then using towels and wisps of hay to dry and warm 
 the animal, has been often recommended. The vapor bath, by 
 covering the animal, head excepted, with woolen rugs, fixed out 
 by sticks, etc., and then heating the air between the rugs and the 
 skin by a spirit or gas-lamp, has been suggested. If mustard 
 poultices are used, they should be large, warm, and applied with 
 a rug to the body, so as to be kept on for three or four hours. 
 Rugs dipped in boiling water, wrung out thoroughly, and applied 
 to the abdomen, have been resorted to. 
 
 Inter nal Remedies. — A close observation of the treatment adopted 
 by empirics has led me to the conclusion that no remedy, or class 
 of remedies, can be regarded as absolutely efficacious in any real 
 case of rinderpest. Some animals recover despite the mode of 
 treatment, but the majority die. I shall here notice some of the 
 principal remedial agents used by myself and others under va- 
 rious heads. 
 
 Most veterinarians consider that the over-distended stomachs 
 and the marked constipation should be relieved. From the fact 
 that the omasum is loaded with dry food, even in the later stages 
 of cases attended by great diarrhea, it is believed by some that 
 smart and early purging is desirable. Full quantities of Epsom 
 salts, linseed oil, and even croton oil, have been given, and a very 
 common result of drastic cathartic doses is to induce an early and 
 very fatal diarrhea. There are more advocates for mild laxatives, 
 such as treacle, small and repeated doses of sulphate of soda, sul- 
 phur, and oil. I have treated many cases successfully without 
 attempting to relax the bowels, and have certainly had as much 
 success then as when either mild or active purgatives have been 
 prescribed. A purgative which may be used advantageously is 
 the following : 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 691 
 
 No. 137. Sulphate of magnesia 12 oz. 
 
 Sulphur 4 oz. 
 
 Spirits of nitric ether 1 oz. 
 
 Niter , -| oz. 
 
 Water 1 quart. 
 
 As this is not apt to induce much purgation, a bottle of linseed 
 oil may be given after it. Oil of turpentine, to the extent of two 
 or four ounces, has been given with a quart bottle of linseed oil, 
 and with good effect when no other purgative has been admin- 
 istered. 
 
 I think that injections have been too much overlooked in the 
 treatment of this disease. They may be given at first to move 
 the bowels, and various forms of medicated or nutritive injections 
 might prove of service. When the diarrhea comes on, and there 
 is some tenesmus, an injection may be given of one pint of starch 
 emulsion, containing one ounce of laudanum, to be repeated, if 
 necessary. It is desirable to guard against irritation of the rec- 
 tum as a result of frequent enemata. 
 
 Niter has been extensively used during the present outbreak, 
 and in considerable doses, with a view to aid in the elimination 
 of the virus. It is apt to weaken, and must be prescribed in 
 moderation. Tt has no specific action of value. Oil of turpen- 
 tine, which is a stimulant as well as diuretic, has been strongly 
 recommended by some, in ounce and two ounce doses. 
 
 Warm clothing, the application of heat to the skin by means 
 of heating the air, confined with woolen covers arranged round 
 the animal, and the internal use of liquor ammoniac acetatis, oil 
 of turpentine, and other agents calculated to excite perspiration, 
 have been most strongly advocated. I undoubtedly prefer to ex- 
 cite the action of the skin by raising the temperature of the air 
 rather than by the employment of internal remedies, which often 
 act feebly and very imperfectly on the lower animals. 
 
 Stimulants have had their strong advocates. I have given 
 whisky, brandy, spirits of wine, in two ounce doses, every two or 
 three hours, and some animals have recovered while others have 
 died. Carbonate of ammonia, in half ounce doses, has been largely 
 employed, and seems to agree as well as any thing with the sick 
 animals. Strong ale, porter, port wine, and other more or less 
 active beverages containing alcohol, have been principally used 
 when animals have been convalescent. 
 
 I have not resorted to sedatives to any great extent in this 
 
692 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 malady. Tincture of aconite, in thirty-drop doses, has been ad- 
 ministered at frequent intervals. Extract of belladonna and 
 considerable doses of opium have been chosen from among nar- 
 cotic remedies as affording the best chance of regulating, at dif- 
 ferent times, the condition of the bowels. 
 
 Nitrate of potash, chlorate of potash, and acetate of ammonia, 
 have been freely administered, and, in some cases, with apparently 
 good effect. These agents are almost exclusively relied on in 
 certain febrile disorders from their action on the blood, and the 
 favorable effects they induce in activating the secretion of the 
 skin, kidneys, and mucous membranes generally. They are ad- 
 ministered singly or combined, in moderate and repeated doses, 
 with or without carbonate of ammonia, and dissolved in a consid- 
 erable quantity of water. 
 
 Mineral and vegetable tonics are used with benefit in the con- 
 valescent state, and, if net given in large doses, so as to induce 
 derangement of the stomach and bowels, they accelerate the return 
 to health in a very decided manner. Vegetable tonics, such as 
 chinchona bark in decoction, or infusion of gentian, are given about 
 an hour before feeding-time, and serve to stimulate the appetite. 
 Of all the mineral tonics, sulphate of iron is the best, and should 
 be given in drachm doses in food. Preparations of iron have 
 been supposed to act powerfully as prophylactics, and for this 
 purpose I recommended them when I first recognized the exist- 
 ence of the disease in the country. 
 
 Mineral acids have claimed a great share of attention, and I 
 have been in the habit of using them freely. Hydrochloric acid, 
 largely diluted, has lately been vaunted as a specific. Sulphuric 
 acid has been more frequently used. Nitromuriatic acid is ser- 
 viceable in the convalescent stage. 
 
 Methods of treatment may be classified under two heads — Pre- 
 ventive and Curative Treatment. 
 
 Preventive Treatment. — A somewhat rational plan, recommended 
 from the commencement, was the daily administration of tonics, 
 in addition to proper feeding, ventilation, and use of disinfectants. 
 Iron has proved so useful in my own practice during outbreaks 
 of contagious diseases, that, in a circular entitled "Advice to 
 Owners of Cattle," dated the 3d of August, I said : " The ad- 
 ministration of tonics in moderation, and especially preparations 
 of iron, may be recommended for all cattle that have been acci- 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 693 
 
 dentally subjected to the contact of infected animals. All should 
 be done to support the animal's strength, that it may withstand 
 the disorder." Shortly afterward, the British Consul at Warsaw 
 brought to the notice of the British Government, in the month of 
 August, a remedy for the rinderpest, adopted with much success 
 in Poland, in 1857: "The putting of old iron into the troughs 
 from which the cattle drink, so as to produce a highly chalybeate 
 water. The efficacy of this mode of treatment is said to have 
 been discovered by the almost entire immunity from the disease, 
 in 1857, of the cattle on a farm where there was a chalybeate 
 spring." An observer recommends a plentiful supply of bruised 
 oak bark as a great preserver, and fresh-powdered carbonate of 
 ammonia, dissolved in about the proportion of a tea-spoonful to a 
 quart of the water supplied to the cattle, to keep their blood pure 
 and in a state to resist infection. Sulphurous acid and its salts 
 have been strongly advocated, and Dr. Druitt, Dr. Smart, Dr. 
 "Wilkinson, and others, have recommended daily doses of hypo- 
 sulphite of soda to healthy cattle in infected districts. The use 
 of vinegar has also been suggested. Two calves were placed 
 among a number of diseased cows, and had a wine-glassful of 
 vinegar in a pint of water twice a day ; they also had their eyes 
 and nostrils sponged with the same mixture, with complete suc- 
 cess. Tar-water, made of the best Barbae! oes tar and capsicum, 
 was also suggested. Hot tar was to be painted on the cribs and 
 mangers, and a little tar was to be smeared on each nostril, and 
 upon every foot, and between each hoof. 
 
 Curative Treatment. — It is difficult to classify the many extra- 
 ordinary methods of treatment suggested since the 1st of August 
 last for the treatment of steppe murrain. Advocates of hot-air 
 and vapor baths have been very positive in their statements, some, 
 like Mr. R. Monteith, insisting on the value of the first, and 
 others asserting their firm belief in the second, especially in com- 
 bination with other remedies. The vapor bath is an old method 
 of treatment, said to originate with the celebrated Thaer, the 
 father of scientific agriculture in Germany, who is reported to 
 have applied it with signal success during the murrain year of 
 1828. A large copper kettle is sunk in the earth and filled with 
 water. A strong fire is then kindled underneath the kettle, over 
 which perforated boards have been laid. When the water boils, 
 the sick animal is placed on the boards and covered with a woolen 
 
694 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 cloth, and a linen one above it. The animal is kept there from 
 half to one hour, then rubbed dry, kept warm, and allowed hay 
 and gruel. Great attention was paid to this method of treatment 
 by a Russian farmer, who explained it, in a letter to our Ambas- 
 sador at the Court of the Czar, Sir A. Buchanan, which was 
 forwarded in a dispatch to Earl Russell, on the 3d of October, 
 1865. Mr. Feuling, the gentleman in question, spoke confi- 
 dently of the value of the vapor bath ; and the faith in the remedy 
 increased when Mr. Graham, of Capellie, near Glasgow, detailed 
 recoveries under the following system. Mr. Graham adminis- 
 tered 
 
 No. 138. Sulphur 3 table-spoonfuls. 
 
 Niter 3 table-spoonfuls. 
 
 Ginger J table-spoonful. 
 
 Treacle 1 pound. 
 
 In warm water. 
 
 The animal was to be packed in three heavy horse-rugs, well 
 saturated with cold water, and three other rugs were wrapped 
 over them. In a letter to Sir Fitzroy Kelly, Dr. Druitt 
 enters somewhat fully into the kind of remedies which may be 
 found serviceable in the treatment of the plague, and his observa- 
 tions are condensed in the subjoined note: 
 
 "In any zymotic disease, the first question is, Can we stop it? 
 Can we put out the fire? Have we any medicines capable of 
 summarily checking the disease before it comes to the point at 
 which it is naturally spent? We wish we had, but have not. 
 Providence will show us the way some day, if we exert ourselves ; 
 but at present the only fevers which we can cut short are the ma- 
 larious ones — ague, remittent, jungle fevers, etc. — against which we 
 have quinine, arsenic, and other tonics. We have not at present 
 any remedies on which we can rely for cutting short any true 
 zymotic disease, such as small-pox, chicken-pox, measles, scarlet 
 fever, typhoid, typhus, whooping-cough, and all that other dreary 
 catalogue ; but if we are to make experiments on the rinderpest, 
 there are two or three glimmers of light to guide us. Supposing 
 that we seek for remedies for the early stage. To cut the disease 
 short, deliberate trials should be made — first, into the various 
 alkaloids, amorphous or crystallized, produced from chinchona 
 bark, of which quinine is the chief. But there are many others, 
 such as chinchonine, chinchonidine, and quinidine, which are got 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 695 
 
 from the bark, which may now, or will soon be, obtained abun- 
 dantly in India, and which are cheaper. We have just as much 
 reason, and no more, to expect these substances to cure the cattle 
 plague as the Spanish pilgrims had, three centuries ago, to expect 
 the bark to cure the Countess of Chinchon's ague. It was a fair 
 experiment, which succeeded. Certainly, large doses of these al- 
 kaloids ought to be well tried. If we give six doses, of ten grains 
 each, to a man weighing one hundred and sixty pounds, we ought 
 to -give in the same proportion per weight to a cow. Secondly, 
 there are various combinations of bitters, astringents, and aro- 
 matics, with stimulants. When they could get no Peruvian bark 
 on the continent, during the war with France, combinations of 
 alum, oak bark, gentian, and aromatics were used, with more or 
 less success, for their malarious fevers. Thirdly, there are certain 
 saline matters, such as nitrate of potass and chlorate of potass, 
 antimony, purgatives, etc., which have more or less virtue in al- 
 laying some feverish symptoms, but which are not to be relied on 
 in any zymotic or malarious disease. Lastly, there are stimulants 
 which may be tried in the commencement of the attack with the 
 hope of enabling the animal to shake oif the disease, even as a 
 glass of hot brandy-and-water, Turkish bath, and other excitants, 
 may, as I believe, enable man to shake off the earliest stage of 
 influenza. So far, then, as remedies are concerned which tend to 
 cut the disease short, experience bids us look for specifics among 
 the quinine group. And it is experience only that can teach us. 
 But, confessing that we are unable to deal with the disease in its 
 essence, there is a very great deal we can do in the way of miti- 
 gating its local effects— of keeping up the strength, of preventing 
 the patient being poisoned by the poisonous secretions generated 
 within her own system ; of checking exhausting discharges ; and 
 of rendering those secretions innoxious to other animals. It 
 must, however, be borne in mind that while we speak of the 
 different stages of the disease, and can always separate them in 
 idea, they may be all so crowded together that it may be necessary 
 to begin at the very outset with the treatment adapted for pre- 
 venting local ravages and intestinal infection. Now, the chief 
 local effects produced by the rinderpest are a softened, congested 
 state of the mucous membrane of the alimentary canal, with copi- 
 ous fetid discharge from the bowels ; and the most likely class of 
 remedies are those which will restrain this discharge, and so pre- 
 
696 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 vent it from draining the patient, and which shall deprive it of 
 its poisonous qualities, and thus hinder it from doing mischief to 
 the patient, or, if voided, from contaminating other animals. If 
 putrid excretions be poured out in the bowels of any animal, they 
 poison the animal's blood, cause all fresh food to be tainted, 
 and, when voided, they are the source of contagion to others. 
 Now, then, we seek a remedy which shall not be poisonous in 
 itself, which shall have tonic or nutritive virtues, which shall 
 restrain excessive discharges, and which shall have the power -of 
 deodorizing and disinfecting the contents of the alimentary canal. 
 Such a remedy is the tincture of sesquichloride of iron. The 
 mineral acids, well diluted — as the nitric, muriatic, and sul- 
 phuric — do in a lesser degree what the tincture of steel does. 
 Their influence in atonic diarrhea is marvelous; and we ought 
 to know their results in the rinderpest. Small quantities of 
 opium may be added. The trisnitrate of bismuth, in ounce doses, 
 would deodorize the alimentary canal, and soothe it and restrain 
 diarrhea. I have published cases showing how, in threatened 
 ulceration of the bowels, the human alimentary canal may be 
 quieted by adequate doses of this excellent drug. Sulphate of 
 potass, and other compounds of sulphurous acid, have great virtue 
 in checking fermentation, and have been proposed by Polli as 
 remedies in zymotic fevers. We want experiments with large 
 doses of these. But I suspect they are of more value as prevent- 
 ives than as curatives — to disinfect unwholesome water, to rinse 
 the mouths of animals exposed to contagion, and the like. There 
 is the class of creosotes — medicines, such as carbolic acid, which 
 check fermentation, act as antiseptics and deodorizers, and are 
 capital in certain cases of dyspepsia and diarrhea. Here, then, 
 we have half-a-dozen remedies, and the example I have given 
 from practice on man shows the precise method in which good 
 results are to be looked for. I reiterate again the necessity of 
 disinfecting the whole tract of bowels, of restraining discharge, 
 and of rendering the fecal matter innoxious to the patient and 
 her neighbors — all this, too, as a means of helping the patient to 
 live through her disease till its fury be overpast. Whisky, sweet 
 spirits of niter, beef-tea, and other nourishment, should be given 
 freely. There are other remedies, too, as yeast, in large quantities, 
 whose modus operandi is probably that of an antiseptic, and others. 
 Enough if I can succeed in inducing any one, who can do so with 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 697 
 
 safety, to make a resolute series of experiments on diseased ani- 
 mals." A veterinary chemist recommends : 
 
 No. 139. Chlorate of potash 1 oz. 
 
 Nitrate of potash 1 oz. 
 
 Strong muriatic acid 1 dr. 
 
 Powdered opium 1 dr. 
 
 Decoction of linseed 11 pints. 
 
 Mix together for one dose. 
 
 This, it is said, " can not fail to alleviate the trouble, if not 
 entirely ward off the disease, if given on the first symptoms, and 
 followed up three times a day." 
 
 The following prescription has also been recommended : 
 
 No. 140. Chlorate of potash ") 
 
 Common salt v Each 1 oz. 
 
 Niter j 
 
 Dissolve them in a pint of hot water, in which an ounce of 
 dilute hydrochloric acid has been mixed, and administer in a suf- 
 ficient quantity of their gruel for a dose. Mr. Moffat's pre- 
 scription consists of 
 
 No. 141. Chlorate of potash 3 dr. 
 
 Tartar emetic 5 gr. 
 
 Carbonate of iron 15 gr. 
 
 Mr. Crotch, M. A., recommended the injection of various an- 
 tisceptic and parasiticide salts into the circulation of the veins, and 
 the hyposulphite of soda, the permanganate of potash, or the per- 
 chlorate of soda are said to be well adapted to this purpose. Dr. 
 Carr speaks of a dozen cows cured " by removing the diseased 
 cattle from the shed and tethering them in a shaded spot in the 
 field, administering warm drinks of gruel or linseed tea, with aro- 
 matic seeds (fennel or caraway), an astringent, if diarrhea be 
 urgent, and blistering the throat. The mouth is frequently washed 
 with strong vinegar and water ; and vinegar is also administered 
 to the extent of a pint or more daily." 
 
 Dr. Smart's method of treatment has been described by him- 
 self as follows : 
 
 "General Principles of Treatment— -These are based upon a 
 knowledge of the pathology of the disease, and indicate the line 
 of treatment to be adopted in dealing with it. 
 
 1. The Animal Temperature is Lowered and Deficient. — This has 
 to be restored and maintained. To do so the affected animal is 
 
698 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 protected from all direct draughts of air, placed in a house or byre 
 with an equable temperature not under 70° Fahrenheit, and the 
 hide thoroughly cleaned and rubbed down, and a warm covering 
 kept on the animal throughout the progress of the case. 
 
 2. Tlie Stomachs are Loaded and Distended with Food. — This 
 condition, by preventing access of medicine and suitable nourish- 
 ment, presents a very great obstacle to treatment. But it also 
 indicates the line of treatment to be adopted at this stage ; namely, 
 to remove the hurtful accumulation as quickly as possible. This 
 must be done by mild purgation, suited to the already irritable 
 condition of the lining membrane of the stomach and bowels. 
 The medicines here indicated are gentle relaxants, combined with 
 diuretic action. 
 
 3. Extreme Vital Depression is characteristic of the Disease 
 throughout its entire Progress. — This is conjoined with a very 
 peculiar and rapidly-destructive change of some of the internal 
 structures. Stimulants to support the depressed vital powers, and 
 resist, as far as possible, this tendency to destructive dissolution, 
 are thus clearly indicated from the very commencement. And as 
 it is of importance to make the healthy organs subserve the pur- 
 pose of removing from the blood the morbid materials that may 
 exist in it and in the general system, stimulant treatment should 
 conjoin with it remedies fitted to excite the functional activity of 
 the two great eliminators of this class ; namely, the skin and kid- 
 neys. Hence stimulant, diaphoretic, and diuretic action are here 
 indicated. Regular milking of the diseased cow, in order to pre- 
 vent the retention in the blood of the elements of the milk, is, 
 also, on the same general principles, clearly indicated throughout 
 the entire course of the disease. 
 
 4. It almost appears an axiom to say that a properly-regulated 
 and rational system of nursing is in the* treatment of disease in 
 cattle, as in man, of very great importance to the comfort of the 
 sick, and as an aid to their recovery. In the present example, no 
 method of combating the malady can be of any use in which care- 
 ful nursing does not form the basis of every other effort to restore 
 health. It is not idle to repeat this, because, in any system of 
 treatment hitherto made public, the importance of this fact has 
 either been insufficiently recognized or entirely overlooked. Hence 
 arises the necessity of there being kind, skillful, and experienced 
 attendants, and a well-regulated dietary. 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 699 
 
 Remedies. — These are few, simple, and selected on the principles 
 above stated. My experience of their suitableness is every day 
 more established by fresh examples of their efficacy. There are 
 yet only three kinds of drugs which I found it requisite to em- 
 ploy. 1. Laxative, with diuretic action. This is principally 
 used in the early, but often required at other periods, in the prog- 
 ress of the disease. It is composed of 
 
 No. 142. Nitrate of potash ) , - 
 
 -r> j j r . V each 1 oz. 
 
 .rowdered ginger j 
 
 Powder of sublimed sulphur 2 oz. 
 
 Treacle 1 lb. 
 
 Water to make a quart, and well mixed. 
 
 This quantity is given night and morning, or, if requisite, oft- 
 ener, until scouring is produced. Afterward, an occasional bottle 
 will maintain the free movement of the bowels, without inducing 
 excessive action. As the vital powers sink rapidly, there should 
 be as little delay as possible in administering stimulants. I have 
 found the following mixture possessing stimulant, diuretic, and 
 diaphoretic properties, very efficacious: 
 
 No. 143. Carbonate of ammonia § oz. 
 
 Sweet spirit of niter j ^ ^ ^ 
 
 Spirit ot mindereris j * 
 
 Cold water 9 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 This dose, from the commencement of treatment, is adminis- 
 tered thrice a day during the entire course of the disease. When 
 prostration is great, it is sometimes needful to gi^ it from the 
 commencement, and to combine it with any other medicine that 
 may be given. In such cases, the doses may be reduced one-third. 
 When convalescence is fully established, a simple tonic hastens 
 recovery. I find none so good and safe as chinchona bark. The 
 best quality only should be used, and given in doses of one ounce 
 and a half of the powder. This tonic, in the early period of con- 
 valescence, is combined with the stimulant, and at a later period 
 with a quart of good, sweet ale, given once daily. It is best ad- 
 ministered at night. Two table-spoonfuls of laudanum may be 
 added at any time to any other medicine which the animal is get- 
 ting, or given in the food when it becomes requisite to control ex- 
 cessive diarrhea, or obviate straining. With this exception, there 
 are at present no other drugs employed. 
 
 Diet.— -It should be simple, and, until decided convalescence, 
 
700 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 well cooked, and given in small and regulated quantity. I use 
 the following full mash. It is composed of, 
 
 No. 144. Bran 4 handfuls. 
 
 Brewer's draff 4 handfuls. 
 
 Peasemeal 1 pound. 
 
 Mashed turnips (well boiled) ... 2 pounds. 
 
 Not too thick, and given night and morning. At midday a 
 drink of gruel is given, made with two pounds of oatmeal, well 
 boiled in six quarts of water. In addition to these, some raw tur- 
 nip (two pounds, for example, of greentops), and one pound of 
 hay, may be allowed in small quantities during the twenty-four 
 hours. To allay thirst, three to four quarts of water, previously 
 boiled and allowed to cool, is given in mouthfuls during the day. 
 This constitutes the full diet of a decided convalescent. Half of 
 this diet is, in most instances, during the acute course of the dis- 
 ease, too much. In all cases, the same kind of food and periods 
 of giving it are followed. There are some animals that, for a 
 time, refuse all food, not excepting gruel. In such cases the gruel 
 is administered by the bottle, thrice daily, along with or after the 
 medicine. The animal should get a little mash so soon as it takes 
 it voluntarily. It is often expedient to miss a meal, especially 
 whenever symptoms of an unfavorable indication appear. These 
 are not of unfrequent occurrence during the course of treatment. 
 Grass is given, and the quantity of hay and turnip increased as 
 there is progress toward more perfect recovery. 
 
 Symptoms #f Convalescence. — The more obvious indications are, 
 1. Recovery of appetite; 2. Greater animation; 3. Return of 
 breathing and pulse to their normal condition; 4. Increase of 
 milk; 5. Chewing the cud. The seventh, fourteenth, and twenty- 
 first days are critical periods in the progress of the disease. 
 
 Summary of Treatment. — 1. The animal is at once taken from 
 its ordinary food and separated from the rest. 2. Placed in a 
 well-aired byre, or house, free from draughts, and the temper- 
 ature of which is maintained at 70° or 75° Fahrenheit. 3. It is 
 to be well rubbed down, and thoroughly cleaned, and covered 
 with a good rug. 4. If there be constipation, begin with laxative, 
 and continue night and morning, or, if required, oftener, until 
 there is free scouring. 5. Let there be no delay' in giving the 
 stimulant, and, if needful, combine it with the laxative. 6. Defer 
 giving ale and bark until convalescence appears. 7. To obviate 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 701 
 
 straining or excessive purging, two table-spoonfuls of laudanum, 
 night and morning, may be added to other medicine. 8. Be care- 
 ful to avoid overfeeding, as an error in diet may prove fatal. 9. 
 See that the cow is well milked, night and morning, (even when 
 there is no yield,) during the course of the disease. 10. All the 
 droppings should be at once disinfected by solution of chloride 
 of lime, and quickly removed. 11. The affected animals should 
 be frequently and closely observed, and threatening indications 
 treated as they occur." 
 
 The Edinburgh Committee on the Cattle Plague, having been 
 authorized by the Royal Cattle Plague Commission to make obser- 
 vations and experiments in reference to the prevention and treat- 
 ment of the disease, considered it desirable, in addition to the 
 experiments on treatment which they proposed to institute them- 
 selves, to obtain a record of observations and experiments made 
 by as large a number as possible of qualified veterinary prac- 
 titioners throughout the country. With this view, they drew up 
 the following suggestions for methods of treatment of various 
 kinds, prophylactic and curative, which they were anxious should 
 be tested on an extensive scale: 
 
 " The Committee, before specifying the various methods of treat- 
 ment in detail, would premise a few general remarks, which they 
 consider to be applicable to all cases. 
 
 First, as to General Sanitary Measures, Disinfection, etc. — The 
 Committee content themselves with referring for full information 
 on these matters to the ' Supplement of the Report of the Royal 
 Cattle Plague Commission/ which is in the hands of all veteri- 
 nary inspectors. 
 
 Secondly, as to Food. — The Committee deem it desirable to 
 state it as their opinion that, as a general rule, at all stages of the 
 disease, and whatever treatment is used, food should not be pressed 
 on the affected animal. They believe that too much, even of the 
 softest food, is hurtful, the powers of digestion being so greatly 
 impaired by the disease. During the earlier stages, they believe 
 that the safest articles of diet are oatmeal gruel, barleymeal gruel, 
 with linseed tea, hay tea, or bran tea, and that little, if any, ad- 
 dition to these is needed. During convalescence it is also very 
 necessary that the food should be both sparing and of easy diges- 
 tion. The same diet as during the earlier stages may be con- 
 tinued, with the addition of mashes of well-boiled turnips or 
 
702 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 carrots, but in moderate quantity. When rumination commences 
 to be reestablished, a handful of sound hay, damped with salt and 
 water, may then be given in addition. 
 
 Thirdly, as to the Maintenance of the Heat of the Animal. — 
 The tendency to chill of the surface is a marked feature of the 
 disease, and it is very essential that the animal should be guarded 
 against cold. The byre should be kept heated up to a temper- 
 ature of sixty-five degrees. The animal should be thoroughly 
 rubbed down from time to time, and be kept covered with an 
 ample, clean rug, fastened on with a roller, or band of any kind. 
 
 Fourthly, as to the State of the Bowels. — In the early stages 
 they are apt to be constipated. To remove this condition mild 
 laxatives may be required, but strong purgatives of all kinds are 
 both unnecessary and unsafe. The best laxatives are either raw 
 linseed oil, in the dose of a chopin-bottleful (an English quart), 
 or from two to three ounces of flowers of sulphur, mixed up with 
 two pounds by weight of treacle and two chopin-bottlefuls of 
 water. These doses may be repeated cautiously, according to cir- 
 cumstances. Sometimes even in the early stages, but more fre- 
 quently when the disease has continued for some days, diarrhea 
 or scouring is apt to come on, and to prove irritating and ex- 
 hausting to the animal. The simplest and best treatment for this 
 symptom is one ounce of laudanum, mixed with a chopin-bottleful 
 of lime-water, repeated twice or even thrice a day if necessary. 
 
 Having thus premised these general recommendations, the Com- 
 mittee proceed to state, in detail, particular methods of treatment, 
 classified under the heads of 
 
 A. Diaphoretic and Stimulant Treatment. 
 
 B. Acid Treatment. 
 
 C. Restorative Treatment without Drugs. 
 
 D. Prophylactic Treatment. 
 
 A. Diaphoretic and Stimulant. — The Committee are anxious to 
 give a full trial to the method of exciting sweating by means of the 
 vapor bath. The method of using this agent is as follows : The 
 animal is to be placed in a stall inclosed on all sides, the height 
 of the inclosure being a few inches more than that of the animal. 
 Over the top of the box or inclosure thus formed is thrown a 
 tarpaulin, which should cover it completely, with the exception 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 703 
 
 that an opening Is left in it sufficient for the animal's head to pass 
 through. There is then to be placed on the floor of the inclosure, 
 under the animal, a tub containing boiling water, to the depth of 
 half a foot. A continuous evolution of steam is to be maintained 
 for half an hour by means of red-hot bricks thrown into the tub 
 one after another. Under the use of this steam bath, if properly 
 managed, the animal may be expected to become warm and to 
 perspire profusely. After each vapor bath the animal should be 
 washed with tepid water containing McDougall's disinfecting soap, 
 taking care to dry it well after the washing. It should then be 
 covered with an ample rug, kept, as already stated, closely applied 
 to its body by means of a roller, or band of any kind. The bath 
 may be repeated either on the same day or following days, accord- 
 ing to circumstances. During and after the bath the animal should 
 be allowed a draught of cold water, which helps to promote per- 
 spiration. The objects chiefly aimed at by the use of the vapor 
 bath are to promote the circulation at the surface, to relieve the 
 congestion of the mucous membranes, and to eliminate the poison 
 from the system. Combined with the vapor bath may be used 
 various other remedies not incompatible with it, but calculated to 
 aid its action. 
 
 Several of these remedies the Committee now proceed to men- 
 tion, it being, however, understood that only one of them is to be 
 used along with the bath in each case where the experiment is 
 made; they are not to be used together in the same case. 1. Oil 
 of turpentine. This may be administered in doses of four table- 
 spoonfuls, well shaken up with a chopin-bottleful of gruel, and 
 may be given twice a day. This remedy may be expected to act 
 beneficially by its powers of stimulating and of exciting perspira- 
 tion. It may probably, also, in most cases where it is used, super- 
 sede the necessity for giving any laxative medicine. 2. Infusion 
 of coffee. The method of preparing this remedy is by infusing 
 two ounces of ground roasted coffee, for a quarter of an hour, in 
 a chopin-bottleful of boiling water. It must, of course, be allowed 
 to cool somewhat before being administered, and may be given in 
 the above quantity every six hours. In addition to its stimulant 
 and nutritive qualities, the coffee may act beneficially in conse- 
 quence of the empyreumatic oil and caseine which it contains. 
 3. Carbonate of ammonia. This medicine, which has been found 
 in many cases to act beneficially as a powerful diffusible stimulant, 
 
704 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 may be administered three times a day, in doses of half an ounce, 
 either alone or preferably combined with three drachms of niter, 
 dissolved in a chopin-bottleful of gruel. 
 
 B. Acid Treatment. — This treatment is suggested in consequence 
 of the alkaline state of the secretions which is found to exist uni- 
 formly in the cattle plague. 1. Diluted muriatic acid is said to 
 have been successful in Holland. It may be given twice a day, 
 in doses of three drachms, mixed with a chopin-bottleful of gruel. 
 2. Vinegar. This may be used in doses of two ounces, mixed with 
 a chopin-bottleful of gruel, and may be given four times a day. 
 
 C. Restorative Treatment without Drugs. — This consists in car- 
 rying out in full the sanitary instructions of the Royal Cattle 
 Plague Commission: in regulating the diet according to the in- 
 structions already given, in keeping the animal warm, and in 
 administering two chopin-bottlefuls of good Scotch sweet ale three 
 or four times a day. It is desirable that this system should be 
 carried out in a certain proportion of cases, all drugs being rigidly 
 abstained from. 
 
 D. Prophylactic Treatment. — The Committee would further de- 
 sire to draw attention to the importance of experiments being made 
 as to the efficacy of prophylactic (protective) treatment, either in 
 preventing the development of the disease or modifying the in- 
 tensity of the symptoms when the disease becomes developed in 
 animals which have been exposed to the infection. In such cases, 
 of course, all the sanitary measures of the Cattle Plague Commis- 
 sion should be strictly carried out. There may also be given, at 
 the earliest possible period, prophylactic drugs, of which those 
 most deserving of trial seem to be, 1. Sulphite of soda, given 
 morning and evening, in doses of one ounce, dissolved in a bucket- 
 ful of water. 2. McDougall's solution, of which a wine-glassful 
 in a bucketful of water may be given twice a day. 3. A mixture 
 of half an ounce of sulphite of soda and two table-spoonfuls of 
 McDougall's solution, in a bucketful of water, may be given twice 
 a day. 
 
 Prevention of the Cattle Plague. — There is but one rational and 
 sufficient system whereby the Russian plague can be kept in check. 
 That is by preventing direct or indirect contact between animals 
 affected with the disease and those that are sound. All else is 
 valueless. This is clearly established if we consider how and why 
 we are losing the horned stock of Great Britain. 
 
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 705 
 
 We should have prohibited direct importation from Russia. 
 
 We should have established foreign stock-markets and slaughter- 
 houses. 
 
 We should not have trusted to the insufficient system of inspec- 
 tion at our ports and markets. 
 
 The disease should have been recognized earlier. 
 
 We should have killed the diseased and infected animals with 
 the greatest determination from the very first. 
 
 The Government should have acted promptly, without trusting 
 to the tardy development of public opinion and the hesitating 
 action of country magistrates, mayors, and others intrusted with 
 authority. 
 
 Greater reliance should have been placed in veterinary surgeons, 
 who, knowing the disease and the desperate measures it required, 
 could have saved the lives of thousands of valuable animals. 
 
 I did my best on the 29th and 31st of July, 1865, to rouse the 
 Government to a true sense of our position. I then advocated the 
 formation of a national association for the prevention of cattle dis- 
 eases, of a national insurance fund, and created some astonishment 
 when I said, on the 1st of August, that " the present calamity will 
 not fall on a class, as in the case of the cotton famine. It must 
 affect the nation throughout its length and breadth. It is too late 
 now to avert such a result, and, with a view to enable us to cope 
 with very extraordinary difficulties, there must be a general and 
 extraordinary cooperation among the people." I afterward advo- 
 cated the continental system, and said, " I quite agree with the 
 Austrian veterinarians, that to cure is, in this case, to kill, because 
 so long as sick and convalescent animals are kept about, the dan- 
 ger of propagating the malady is enormous. Kill by all means; 
 and if you can compensate, kill all that have been near a contami- 
 nated animal." 
 45 
 
SECTION XXX. 
 DISEASES OF SHEEP. 
 
 Improvement in Sheep — Rot, or Hydatids in the Liver — Yellows — Vertigo, 
 or Giddiness — Jackets or Blankets for Sheep — Foot-rot — Grubs in the 
 Nostrils — Ticks — Inflammation of the Eye — Inflammation of the Lungs — 
 Common Catarrh — Diarrhea and Dysentery — Constipation of the Bow- 
 els — Tympanites, or Windy Distension of the Intestines and Abdomen. 
 
 Improvement in Sheep. 
 
 NO country in the world is bettef calculated for raising sheep 
 than the United States. The diversity of climate, together 
 with the abundance and variety of the products of the soil, united 
 with the industry and perseverance of agriculturists, render this 
 country highly favorable for the breeding, maturing, and improving 
 the different varieties of sheep. The American people, as a nation, 
 are stronger intellectually than any other on the face of God's earth ; 
 consequently they are all-powerful, " for the mind is mightier than 
 the sword." Should this intelligent nation of husbandmen direct 
 their whole attention to the improvement of sheep, then in a few 
 years America shall outshine her more favored European rivals, 
 and her husbandmen shall feel proud of their improved stock. 
 What the American people have accomplished during the past 
 half century, in the arts and sciences, cultivation of the soil, etc., 
 is an earnest of what they can do in improving the constitution 
 and condition of live stock, provided they take hold of the subject 
 in good earnest. Let any one who is acquainted with the subject 
 of degeneration, its causes and fatal results, not only in reference 
 to the stock itself, but as regards the pocket of the breeder, care- 
 fully investigate the subject, and it will be perceived that there 
 still exists a fine field for improvement. Much has already been 
 accomplished in improving the different breeds in America, and 
 (706) 
 
DISEASES OF SHEEP. 707 
 
 our farmers deserve great credit for their praiseworthy efforts in 
 endeavoring to raise fine stock, and I presume their labors have 
 proved remunerative. 
 
 In order to show what a whole community of stock-raisers can 
 accomplish, in view of improvement, when they have an eye single 
 to the object, I here introduce some of the results attending such 
 an enterprise, conducted by a single individual — Mr. Bakewell. 
 
 "His breeding animals were, in the first place, selected from 
 different breeds. These he crossed with the best to be had. After 
 the cross had been carried to the desired point, he confined his se- 
 lections to his own herds or flocks. He formed in his mind a 
 standard of perfection for each kind of. animals, and to this he 
 constantly endeavored to bring them. That he was eminently 
 successful in the attainment of his object can not be denied. He 
 began his farming operations about 1750. In 1760 his rams did 
 not sell for more than two or three guineas per head. From this 
 time he gradually advanced in terms, and in 1760 he let some for 
 twenty-five guineas a head for the season. Marshall states that, 
 in 1786, Bakewell let two-thirds of a ram (reserving a third for 
 himself) to two breeders for a hundred guineas each, the entire 
 services of the ram being rated at three hundred guineas for the 
 season. It is also stated that he made that year, by letting rams, 
 more than one thousand pounds. In 1789 he made twelve hun- 
 dred guineas by three ' ram brothers/ and two thousand guineas 
 from seven, and, from his whole letting, full three thousand guineas. 
 Six or seven other breeders made from five hundred guineas to a 
 thousand each by the same operation. The whole amount of ram- 
 letting of BakewelPs breed is said to have been not less that year 
 than ten thousand pounds (forty-eight thousand dollars). 
 
 It is true that still more extraordinary prices were obtained for 
 the use of rams of this breed after Mr. Bakewell's death. Pitt, in 
 his ' Survey of Leicestershire/ mentions that, in 1795, Mr. Astley 
 gave three hundred guineas for the use of a ram of this breed, en- 
 gaging, at the same time, that he should serve gratis twenty eAves 
 owned by the man of whom the ram was hired, making for the en- 
 tire use of the ram that season four hundred and twenty guineas. 
 In 1796 Mr. Astley gave for the use of the same ram three hundred 
 guineas, and took forty ewes to be served gratis. At the price 
 charged for the service of the ram to each ewe, the whole value for 
 the season was five hundred guineas. He served one hundred ewes. 
 
708 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 In 1797 the same ram was let to another person at three hundred 
 guineas, and twenty ewes sent with him, the serving of which was 
 reckoned at a hundred guineas, and the ram was restricted to sixty 
 more, which brought his value for the season to four hundred 
 guineas. Thus the ram made, in three seasons, the enormous sum 
 of thirteen hundred guineas. 
 
 We have nothing to do, at present, with the question whether 
 the value of these animals was not exaggerated. The actual su- 
 periority of the breed over the stock of the country must have 
 been obvious, and this point we wish kept in mind. This breed 
 of sheep is continued to the present day, and it has been remarked, 
 by a respected writer, that they will ' remain a lasting monument 
 of Bakewell's skill.' As to their origin, the testimony shows them 
 to have been of mixed breed, though no breed is more distinct in 
 its characters, or transmits its qualities with more certainty ; and 
 if we were without any other example of successful crossing, the 
 advocates of the system might still point triumphantly to the 
 Leicester or Bakewell sheep. 
 
 But what are the opinions of our best modern breeders in regard 
 to the practicability of producing distinct breeds by crossing? 
 Robert Smith, of Burley, Rutlandshire, an eminent sheep-breeder, 
 in an essay on the ' Breeding and Management of Sheep/ for which 
 he received a prize from the Royal Agricultural Society, (1847,) 
 makes the following remarks: 'The crossing of pure breeds has 
 been a subject of great interest among every class of breeders. 
 While all agree that the first cross may be attended with good 
 results, there exists a diversity of opinion upon the future move- 
 ments, or putting the crosses together. Having tried experiments 
 (and I am now pursuing them for confirmation) in every way pos- 
 sible, I do not hesitate to express my opinion that, by proper and 
 judicious crossing through many generations, a most valuable 
 breed of sheep may be raised and established ; in support of which 
 I may mention the career of the celebrated Bakewell, who raised 
 a new variety from other long-wooled breeds, by dint of persever- 
 ance and propagation, and which have subsequently corrected all 
 other long-wooled breeds.' " 
 
DISEASES OF SHEEP. 709 
 
 Rot, or Hydatids in the Livee. 
 
 This parasite, which affects the liver of sheep, is known as the 
 fluke, (fasciola hepaticum,) and is usually found in the biliary- 
 ducts. Rot, in its advanced stage, is a disease of a very formida- 
 ble character, and its associations closely resemble dropsy. A 
 serous fluid accumulates beneath the skin, hence some people call 
 it the water rot. 
 
 Causes. — Wet pastures, and exposure to storms and changes of 
 weather, with innutritious diet, are the exciting causes of this 
 malady. 
 
 Treatment. — If flukes are present, it is evident that, in order to 
 strike at the root of the malady, we must get rid of them, which 
 can only be effected by bringing about a healthy condition of the 
 system. Nothing that can be done by the application of medicine 
 will act on them to affect their vitality. It is only by strengthen- 
 ing the animal powers that we are enabled to give sufficient tone to 
 the system to throw off the flukes. For that purpose many advocate 
 salt. Salt is an excellent stimulative to the digestive organs, and 
 may also be of service in restoring the biliary secretion, from the 
 soda which it contains. So well is its stimulative action known, 
 that some individuals always keep salt in the troughs containing 
 animals' food. That this is a preventive they have good proof, 
 seeing that it matters not how much the soil might be in salt 
 marshes, no sheep are ever attacked by rot in them, while those 
 sent there infected very often come back free. Salt, therefore, 
 must not be neglected. But then comes the question, can they 
 not do something more? I believe they can. They must throw 
 tonics into the system, especially those that are obtained in the 
 mineral kingdom. I should prefer the sulphate of iron (iron is 
 found in animal matter). It is one of the constituents of the 
 blood, and, used in the form of sulphate, it gives a greater tone 
 and energy to the frame than in any other form. Its use, there- 
 fore, ought never to be neglected in the earlier stages of the dis- 
 ease. I have already alluded to the fact that, when the liver does 
 not perform its functions, a greater effort is made by the kidneys 
 to depurate the blood. The kidneys should, therefore, be stimu- 
 lated. But I must not be supposed to advise the exhibition of 
 diuretics, which would induce debility, but of medicines, which 
 would give strength to the frame, and, at the same time, act on 
 
710 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the kidneys, for which purpose nitric ether is an agent which 
 ought to be employed. The principles I wish to lay down are, 
 to husband the animals' powers by placing them in a situation 
 where they shall not be exposed to the debilitating effects of cold 
 storms ; to supply them with nutritious food, and such as contains 
 but a small quantity of water; and to mix salt with the water; 
 and likewise to administer sulphate of iron, and occasional doses 
 of nitric ether.* 
 
 Yellows. 
 
 This term is used by shepherds to designate disease of the liver. 
 
 Symptoms. — The affected animal has a peculiar languid appear- 
 ance, frequently shaking the head, as if parasites were in the nos- 
 trils ; the head is pressed against any elevated ground, sometimes 
 against the fence or a post; the animal moves lazily along, with 
 its nose almost touching the ground ; the membranes of the eyes 
 and nose have a yellow tinge ; the same is true of the skin ; a 
 marked yellowness is observed on the insides of the thighs and 
 anus. As the disease advances these morbid appearances are aug- 
 mented. The patient grates its teeth ; stands with the head pendu- 
 lous, almost touching the ground ; then soon falls, and dies without 
 • a struggle. 
 
 The autopsy reveals the following : The liver has a mottled ap- 
 pearance, and its structure is easily broken down ; the gall-blad- 
 der is usually full of dark-colored, tarry-looking bile; kidneys, 
 stomach, and intestines, tolerably healthy. Should any urine be 
 found in the bladder, it will be of a dark color. The heart is pale 
 and flabby ; the lungs, healthy, yet the chest usually contains a 
 quart or more of dark-colored serum. On removing the skin, 
 the surface of the body is yellow (jaundiced). 
 
 Treatment. — Remove the diseased animals from the flock and 
 put them in a dry shed. Then prepare the following: 
 
 No. 137. Fluid extract of leptandra (Culver's 
 
 root) 1 pound. 
 
 Powdered hyposulphite of soda 6 oz. 
 
 Water 1 quart. 
 
 Dissolve the soda in the water, then add the leptandrin. Dose, 
 one ounce (fluid) twice daily. Let the affected animals have salt ; 
 grass should also be cut and placed before them. 
 
 * Professor Simonds. 
 
DISEASES OF SHEEP 711 
 
 Vertigo, or Giddiness. 
 
 > 
 
 "Vertigo, or giddiness, is a disease of the nervous system, occa- 
 sioned, most frequently, by a parasite located in the brain. The 
 parasite is named csenarus cerebralis, and belongs to the species 
 known as hydatids. Lambs from the age of two months, or from 
 four to twelve months, are, when predisposed, apt to become the 
 subjects of it. The disease is very apt to end in organic disease 
 of the brain and spinal marrow. 
 
 The disease is of hereditary origin, and comes from faults or 
 defects in one or both parents, and also from the too early prac- 
 tice of breeding, which often obtains in some sections of country. 
 In order to guard against the disease, we must put out of the breed- 
 ing-fold both males and females that have shown any signs of the 
 disorder, and not breed from the ewes under the age of thirty 
 months, nor from rams until they have attained their second year. 
 
 Treatment. — In the treatment of the disease, our object is to give 
 tone to the system, and saturate the blood with some agent (sul- 
 phur) which is known to be obnoxious to parasites in general. 
 Take of 
 
 No. 138. Sulphur 1 pound. 
 
 Powdered sulphate of iron 6 oz. 
 
 Powdered poplar bark 1 pound. 
 
 Let this be thoroughly mixed, place it in a stoppered bottle, and 
 keep it in a dark place. Mix a table-spoonful daily in bran, and 
 place it in the feed-trough, or mix it in a table-spoonful of syrup,, 
 and administer it by means of an iron spoon. 
 
 Some persons contend that turnips, when fed to sheep, are apt 
 to produce hydatids. On this subject, and on that of protecting 
 sheep from the inclemencies of the weather, the following article is 
 offered : 
 
 Jackets, or Blankets for Sheep. 
 
 A writer in a late number of the " London Agricultural Gazette" 
 says : " We find, on examining our mortality tables for the last 
 twelve months, that out of six hundred Cheviot and black-faced 
 Evehogs, the number of deaths has been but sixteen. Be it re- 
 membered, also, that, with the exception of about a score, none of 
 these ever tasted a turnip, but fared with the ewes on the hill. 
 Since we commenced the use of jackets, (small blankets,) we have 
 
712 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 especially noticed an extraordinary diminution of the cases of 
 Sturdy/ or water in the head. Hydatids in the brain are gen- 
 erally understood to be induced by long-continued heavy rains, 
 cold winds, and general privation. Any one conversant with 
 sheep must have observed the wool along the back parts in such 
 a way as fully to expose the skin. The connection between the 
 spine and the brain is obvious, and it can not be wondered that 
 hydatids (little sacs filled with water) should be formed in the 
 brains of sheep much exposed to severe storms, without due shel- 
 ter. Hence the advantage of covering their backs with some ma- 
 terial which will protect them, in a great measure, from the chilling 
 effects of wind and rain. The material used is woollen, the size 
 being twenty-three inches by fifteen. We lately purchased some 
 coarse blankets that made excellent covers, each jacket costing 
 fourpence. The rams were put with the ewes on the 2 2d of No- 
 vember, and we allow forty-five to each male." 
 
 The above remarks, from a flockmaster of large experience, in 
 reference to the cause of hydatids, or what we should call water in 
 the brains of sheep, are interesting in a medical and physiological 
 point of view. We know one breeder in Vermont who covers 
 the back of each sheep with a half yard of common sheeting/ 
 painted, to shed rain. The practice is founded in reason, and is 
 likely to extend, literally making cotton tributary to the produc- 
 tion of wool. The growers of the former staple will not object if 
 every sheep in the United States and Europe has a cotton "jacket;" 
 for one that will answer every intention can be made cheaper of 
 cotton than of wool. The comfort of domestic animals at the 
 South is sadly and most expensively neglected. 
 
 Foot-rot. 
 
 Causes. — General debility, exposure in wet pastures, contagion, 
 foul habit of body. 
 
 Symptoms. — The animal is observed to limp in one or both of 
 the fore or hind legs. Sometimes the whole four are affected. 
 The parts are hot, tender, and swollen, and exude a fetid fluid. 
 The animal is now incapable of walking, and, if not speedily re- 
 lieved, death ensues. This form of rot is contagious, so that, if 
 the diseased animals are not separated from the healthy, the latter 
 soon become infected. To propagate malignant rot, it is quite 
 
DISEASES OF SHEEP. 713 
 
 sufficient that a flock should pass over a place which has a little 
 before been walked over by a diseased sheep. 
 
 Treatment. — Endeavor to ascertain the exciting cause, and, if 
 possible, remove it. If the disease has assumed a putrid type, 
 the superfluous horn may be removed. The parts are then to be 
 washed with * 
 
 No. 139. Pyroligneous acid 4 oz. 
 
 Water 3 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 A piece of lint is afterward to be saturated with the above, and. 
 applied as a dressing, and changed as occasion may require. 
 
 The local remedy will avail but little unless we sustain the 
 living powers, and thus improve the secretions. Our usual rem- 
 edies are, 
 
 No. 140. Powdered golden seal 1 oz. 
 
 Powdered sulphur \ oz. 
 
 Powdered charcoal 1 oz. 
 
 Powdered sassafras 1 oz. 
 
 Powdered assafetida 2 dr. 
 
 Flaxseed 2 lbs. 
 
 Mix, and give a table-spoonful twice a day in the food. 
 
 If I were writing exclusively for my medical brethren, I should 
 recommend them to treat the disease according to its indications. 
 The above agents will, however, generally prove efficacious, (even 
 in the hands of the non-medical,) provided due attention be paid 
 to the wants of the animal, and such additional assistance be ren- 
 dered as common sense will suggest. Supposing a number of ani- 
 mals to be affected, it would occupy too much time to treat them 
 singly ; hence I recommend that they be made to walk slowly, or 
 linger for some time in a wooden trough, the floor of which may 
 be covered, to the depth of one inch, with the following : 
 
 No. 141. Linseed oil 2 pt. 
 
 Pyroligneous acid 4 pt. 
 
 Kerosene 1 pt. 
 
 In the above proportions, the required quantity may be pre- 
 pared. 
 
 Grubs in the Nostrils-. 
 
 Grubs in the nostrils are occasioned by the gadfly, which de- 
 posits her ova in the nostrils of sheep. After a short time the 
 ova bring forth parasites in the larvseal state ; the latter migrate 
 
714 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 within the interior of the nostrils, causing the sheep much pain 
 and annoyance. When the larvse are capable of exercising an 
 independent existence, they undergo the same evolution which 
 obtains in the case of the bot parasite ; namely, they burrow into 
 the earth, and finally become metamorphosed into the gadfly. 
 
 Wt seems that the gadfly selects its subjects, and the weakest 
 and most unpromising of the flock are usually its victims ; hence 
 close attention to the requirements and condition of a flock may, 
 to a certain extent, act as a preventive. Some farmers, in view 
 pf preventing the attacks of the gadfly, smear the noses of their 
 sheep with common tar. Others plow up a piece of land where 
 sheep are pastured, into which they thrust their noses, and then, 
 for the time being, they baffle the gadfly. I do not think it would 
 be good policy to attempt, either by mechanical or medicinal means, 
 to dislodge the parasites ; for the remedy might be worse than the 
 disease. When the ova have arrived at maturity, the sheep them- 
 selves aid in the dislodgment with acts of snorting, sneezing, and 
 coughing. 
 
 Ticks. 
 
 These troublesome parasites may easily be got rid of by dip- 
 ping the sheep in an infusion of tobacco. A compound tobacco 
 sheep-dip is now manufactured, and can be obtained at the drug 
 stores, with full directions for use. 
 
 Inflammation of the Eye. 
 
 Inflammation of the eye is very readily detected by an acute 
 redness which pervades the lining membranes of the eyelids and 
 that which affords a partial covering to the eyeball. The afflicted 
 animal keeps the eyelids partly closed; an effusion of tears runs 
 over the lower angle of the eye ; there is intolerance to light, and 
 the animal appears to suffer considerable pain. 
 
 Treatment. — Separate the patient from the flock, and bathe the 
 eye occasionally with the following lotion : 
 
 No. 142. Sugar of milk 1 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of hops 1 dr. 
 
 Rain-water 6 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Should the disease run on to cataract, the sight can not be 
 restored. 
 
DISEASES OF SHEEP. 715 
 
 Inflammation of the Lungs. 
 
 Inflammation of the lungs is usually the result of exposure ; or 
 it may arise in consequence of herding too many sheep together; 
 sometimes it makes its appearance without any perceptible cause. 
 An impure atmosphere, however, may be set down as the ordinary 
 exciting cause of this malady. 
 
 Treatment. — Place upon the tongue ten drops of fluid extract 
 of gelseminuin, morning and evening. Dissolve one ounce of 
 chlorate of potass in half a pint of flaxseed tea, and give it daily 
 as a drench until the animal improves. Let the patient be placed 
 in a secluded spot, under cover, and if the case is curable, health 
 will soon return. 
 
 The most marked symptoms of pneumonia are panting and 
 heaving at the flanks, quickened respiration, discharge from the 
 nose, and cough. There is also a cessation of rumination. In 
 short, the same symptoms prevail in this disease as in pneumonia 
 of cattle. 
 
 Common Cataeeh. 
 
 This affection prevails most extensively among sheep that have 
 been exposed to rains- and unpleasant weather. The disease mani- 
 fests itself in the form of a defluxion from the nostrils of a mUco- 
 serous discharge, accompanied by frequent sneezing, and occasional 
 cough. As soon as the disease is discovered, the affected animals 
 should be placed in comfortable quarters. Then prepare the 
 following drench: 
 
 No. 143. Composition powder 2 oz. 
 
 Boiling water 1 <!*• 
 
 Pour the boiling water on the powder; let the mixture stand 
 in a warm place for an hour; pour off the clear liquor, and add 
 two ounces of sugar of milk. Dose : A wine-glassful once or twice 
 
 daily. 
 
 Malignant epizootic catarrh may be treated in the same man- 
 ner, with the addition of one ounce of chlorate of potass per day, 
 which can be dissolved in the above drench. 
 
716 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Diarrhea and Dysentery. 
 
 Curable cases of the above character are brought to a favorable 
 termination by using the following drench : 
 
 No. 144. Finely pulverized animal charcoal .... 1 oz. 
 
 Scalded cow's milk 1 gill. 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda 1 dr. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 The above constitutes a dose. It may be repeated as often as 
 the emergency seems to require; but should the subject be a young 
 lamb one-half the above quantity will suffice. 
 
 Constipation of the Bowels. 
 
 Constipation is almost always the result of a deranged condition 
 of the digestive organs. A deranged condition of the liver, for 
 example, will result in costiveness, for which I recommend the 
 following drench : 
 
 No. 145. Glauber salts 2 oz. 
 
 Fluid extract of leptandra 1 tea-spoonful. 
 
 Thin gruel \ pt. 
 
 Dissolve the salts in the gruel, and drench the animal with the 
 same. 
 
 Tympanites, or Windy Distension of the Intestines 
 and Abdomen. 
 
 This disease is very easily recognized by the bloated appear- 
 ance of the animal. It is occasioned by the food running into 
 fermentation and generating gas. The following remedy is a sure 
 cure for tympanites, administered as a drench : 
 
 No. 146. Hyposulphite of soda 4 dr. 
 
 Fluid extract of golden seal .... 1 dr. 
 
 Fluid extract of ginger 2 dr. 
 
 Water 1 wine-glassful. 
 
SECTION" XXXI. 
 DISEASES OF SWINE. 
 
 Effects of Impure Air on Swine — Measles in Pork — Quinsy — Hernia, or 
 Rupture — Intestinal Worms — Hog Cholera — Trichina Spinalis. 
 
 The Treatment of the Diseases of Swine. 
 
 THE nature of the most common diseases incidental to swine, 
 and the treatment of the same, are subjects of great impor- 
 tance to those engaged in raising this description of property, and 
 it is very gratifying to know that farmers are anxious to obtain 
 reliable information on such subjects. It is only of late years that 
 any special attention has been given to swine pathology in this 
 country, either by farmers or surgeons, and in former years the 
 treatment of swine diseases was extremely barbarous, and consisted 
 of little else than of splitting their ears, cutting off their tails, and 
 dosing them with poisons. Such treatment must have been any 
 thing but pleasant to the poor brutes, and very unsatisfactory in 
 its results. 
 
 Swine, in certain periods in the history of the world, have been 
 denominated "unclean creatures, of gross habits," etc. If they 
 are unclean and of gross habits, their owners gave them their first 
 lesson, and are more to blame than the animal. How can it be 
 expected that they shall exhibit better habits while confined in 
 miserable quarters and filthy localities, where they are often com- 
 pelled to wallow knee-deep in mud and excrement, dragging out 
 a woful existence in the midst of a perfect hot-bed of filth, often 
 respiring an atmosphere concocted from the decomposition of 
 rotten excrements within their pest-hole, or local habitation. And 
 the food that such poor creatures are compelled to devour, what 
 shall I say of that? It is too beastly to describe, yet the cravings 
 
 (717) 
 
718 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 of an appetite, not naturally morbid, induce the animal to convert 
 his stomach into a living cess-pool. Some persons appear to have 
 an idea that any system of management is good enough for hogs ; 
 hence how can we expect that animals thus neglected and misused 
 shall improve, either in habits or condition? Hence, if domes- 
 ticated swine have lost their natural instincts, and acquired gross 
 and filthy habits, the blame should fall where it belongs. Hus- 
 bandmen know, from experience, that if young pigs are properly 
 provided for and kept in comfortable quarters, and not too nu- 
 merously herded, they will refuse to partake of the horrid garbage 
 which their city cousins, occupying a down-cellar locality, are, 
 from sheer necessity, compelled to devour, and they will exercise 
 the same sagacity in the selection of nice morsels as tha wild ori- 
 ginals have been known to manifest. 
 
 The ancients were led to believe that " the use of swine's flesh 
 was an abomination, and its touch pollution." This was, and 
 is, a mere theory, unsustained by facts — the result of prejudice; 
 for the Egyptians, Jews, and Mohammedans, who considered the 
 flesh of swine as the exciting cause of leprosy and tape-worms, 
 were the greatest sufferers, yet they never touched pork. On 
 perusing the records of the Jewish historians, we are informed 
 that the strangers sojourning in the camp of the Egyptians, par- 
 took freely of pork, yet no cases of scrofula nor leprosy appeared 
 among them; yet the followers of Moses, who, from prejudice 
 or antiquated religious custom, abstained from pork, were the 
 greatest sufferers from the terrible diseases known as scrofula and 
 leprosy. Pork is the principal article of food among the Ro- 
 mans, Greeks, Chinese, natives of the Archipelago Islands, and 
 the negroes inhabiting the burning regions of Asia ; also the 
 more refined and straight-haired inhabitants of Northern Asia 
 partake freely of pork. 
 
 The people of England consume an immense amount of pork, 
 as do also the people of this country. Our soldiers in and out of 
 camp, and when on the march, devour pork, both cooked and un- 
 cooked, with impunity ; hence, if pork is really the cause of leprosy, 
 scrofula, or tape- worm, we might expect to see many lepers in this 
 country, and an equal number of unfortunate individuals infested 
 with tape-worms ; but we all know that the converse is the case, 
 and many American physicians inform me that leprosy and tape- 
 worm are very rare afflictions in this country ; so that the uncom- 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 719 
 
 plaining and much-abused creature that I am writing about, has 
 been most awfully slandered and ill-used. 
 
 I contend that the flesh of swine, when the animal has been 
 judiciously fed, is nutritive, wholesome, and palatable, and in 
 its excellency is considered a great delicacy. Like other sub- 
 stantial food, however, it does not agree with some persons; but 
 the fault is not in the pork, but in the stomach of the invalid, who 
 should not taste that which disagrees with him. Still, it would 
 appear to be in perfect harmony with retributive justice, if the 
 diseases alluded to were the result of man's criminal neglect of a 
 class of animals that should claim his care and protection. 
 
 I have alluded to the condition of swine, such as are kept in 
 cities. What shall I say of those which are kept and fed at the 
 slaughter-houses in Chicago and at Cincinnati ? We are all con- 
 versant with the facts in the case ; they are too notorious to need 
 repetition. I only urge those who have the power and will to 
 inaugurate a reform where reforms are most needed. Credit is 
 due, however, to our farmers, who pay much attention to the 
 raising and welfare of swine. The errors I complain of are not 
 so prevalent in the country as in our large cities. I contend that 
 the hog does not thrive so well in the city as in the country. He 
 was never cut out for a citizen ; he never chews tobacco, nor does 
 he " smile." He is one of Nature's pets, and- thrives best on roots 
 and fruit, in the universal sty. The city air does not vitalize his 
 blood — does not agree with him. Down-cellar locations, and 
 narrow, filthy pens, are abominations. They tend to toughen 
 muscle and to tubercularize, often sending thousands of otherwise 
 valuable animals into a galloping consumption, from which the 
 knife of the butcher rescues them. 
 
 Effects of Impure air on Swine. 
 
 A great proportion of the diseases which afflict swine are, no 
 doubt, caused by bad management, and the crowding of them 
 together on a limited space, where they must necessarily breathe 
 a highly-contaminated atmosphere. It is one of the chief causes 
 of pulmonary apoplexy, and other pneumonic affections which are 
 so notoriously prevalent. I have often seen a lot of swine disem- 
 barked from the cars the subjects of congestion of the lungs, the 
 external surface of the bodies of some being as blue as indigo, (quite 
 
720 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 livid,) showing very conclusively that their blood was highly 
 charged with carbon ; that either for want of pure air, or from 
 temporary incapacity of the lungs, in consequence of crowding too 
 many animals together, the lungs failed to oxygenize the blood, 
 and thus they suffered. Swine require pure fresh air as much as 
 we do for the vitalization of their blood, and can no more live 
 without it than did the unfortunate individuals that perished in 
 the Black Hole of Calcutta. Under such circumstances, whether 
 the animals be confined in close cars or in filthy pens, it makes 
 but little difference — they are liable to become diseased; and it 
 often happens that when certain forms of disease are engendered 
 spontaneously in this way, other animals exposed to the infection 
 are attacked, and thus we have an epizootic, which is sure to com- 
 mit sad havoc ere it dies out or can be arrested. It is probable 
 that bad air, inferior diet, and crowding animals into filthy loca- 
 tions have more to do with the production of the so-called " hog 
 cholera " and the well-known pleuro-pneumonia than some persons 
 are apt to realize. If this be true, and I think it is, then our hus- 
 bandmen must see the necessity of paying great attention to the 
 hygienic management of swine. The latter are generally the most 
 neglected and despised of all our domestic animals, except when 
 they are of aristocratic breed, and owned by amateurs of means, 
 or when they are designed for " home-fed pork." Now, if it pays 
 the amateur and lover of " home-fed " to give the animal that at- 
 tention and care which he not only requires, but is entitled to, then 
 a similar course of practice must increase the gains of those who 
 raise their animals for the market. 
 
 Pure air, good food, plenty of space, and comfortable quarters 
 are the best preventives of disease that I know of. Much better are 
 they than all the drugs in the country ; and when the animal be- 
 comes sick, without proper attention to hygiene, medicine is not 
 worth a straw. It is well-known to the scientific farmer that 
 when swine are crammed on a limited portion of land whence 
 they derive their food, without regard to the laws which govern 
 the distribution of living beings throughout creation, disease and 
 death run riot, and the bodies of such animals are almost sure to 
 be infested with various kinds of parasites. 
 
 The same facts have been observed in regard to sheep, when 
 they are crowded and the land overstocked. It is the forerunner 
 of parasitic disease. An English writer, having considerable ex- 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 721 
 
 perience in the matter, contends that it is the crowding of sheep 
 on the low lands which has engendered " rot " and " scab," and 
 which causes thousands to die, with the respiratory organs filled 
 with strongyli, or the intestines with tape-worms. The Australian 
 farmers can testify to the ravages of the tape-worm in sheep as the 
 result of crowding land to an unnatural extent. On our vast prai- 
 ries, however, there may be no danger of overcrowding, yet it is 
 right that we should be conversant with the danger, in order to 
 avoid it in the future. 
 
 Majendib, the celebrated French physician, contends that 
 very many grave and fatal diseases are introduced into the system 
 through the respiratory organs : " And although we with difficulty 
 arrive at any certain knowledge of the miasms rising in marshy 
 grounds from the decomposition of putrid vegetable and animal 
 substances, there can be no doubt whatever of their entering into 
 the blood through the medium of the air, and so producing many 
 fatal diseases. In some countries, epidemic affections especially 
 rage with extreme intensity. In hot, humid climates, and espe- 
 cially on the sea-coast and borders of certain rivers, as, for instance, 
 the Gulf of Mexico, Vera Cruz, New Orleans, etc. Such causes 
 admit of demonstration, since, by introduction of them into the 
 blood experimentally, may be produced, though not exactly yellow 
 fever, symptoms bearing the greatest resemblance to it, with black 
 vomit and speedy death. Lower Egypt, where the plague for- 
 merly prevailed so alarmingly, owing to such causes, has been 
 rendered comparatively rare by the improved condition of the 
 country." 
 
 Measles in Pork. 
 
 Measles in the hog is identical with tape- worm in man. It has 
 been discovered that the hydatids of the hog, known as measles, 
 (named in the zoological system cysticercus cellulosa,) have exactly 
 the same head as the common tape-worm of man (taenia solium). 
 Many experiments have, from time to time, been made, setting the 
 matter beyond a doubt. Kuckenmeister, who wished to make 
 sure of the fact, made the experiment upon a criminal who was 
 soon to be executed, and, as was to be expected, with perfect suc- 
 cess. Measles taken from fresh pork, and put into sausages which 
 the criminal ate raw, at certain intervals, before his death, were 
 found again, in the post mortem examination, as tape-worms in 
 46 
 
722 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 his intestines, and in different stages of development, according to 
 the intervals in which the measles had been taken. Thus it was 
 discovered that all measles in swine are tape-worm larvse, which, 
 when swallowed with a portion of the animal in which they live 
 by another animal, develop the tape -worm. In zoology tape- 
 worms are named cestoidea. About two hundred different species 
 are described by naturalists, which vary much in size, the smallest 
 being barely visible to the naked eye, while the largest will some- 
 times measure one hundred feet in length. 
 
 Different species of animals are infested with different species 
 of tape-worms. They are found in the intestines of the horse, ass, 
 sheep, goat, dog, deer, antelope, rat, mouse, and many other ani- 
 mals and insects. All tape- worms are hermaphrodites ; the sexes 
 are not only united in the whole of the tape-worm, but each joint 
 of the compound parasite for itself has its own independent male 
 and female sexual organs, testicles, and ovaries. 
 
 Treatment. — Put into the food of each hog, daily, two drachms 
 of powdered sulphur, half an ounce of powdered poplar bark, and 
 half a table-spoonful of hue salt. The best method of preventing 
 measles in swine is to keep their lodging-places perfectly clean 
 and dry, and to allow them pure air and exercise. Their food 
 should be of a very nutritious quality. Swine may be suspected 
 to have measles when they do not fatten nor thrive well. 
 
 Quinsy. 
 
 This is a very common disease among swine, and affects the 
 lining membrane of the respiratory passages, which become in- 
 flamed and tumefied. This condition occasions great difficulty in 
 swallowing either fluids or solids, and the respiration is much 
 embarrassed; the neck appears to be stiff, and the nose is pro- 
 truded. A distressing cough is usually present ; the animal froths 
 at the mouth as if he were choking ; the glands in the region of 
 the throat are enlarged, and this adds to the difficulty in breathing. 
 
 Treatment. — A mild case of quinsy, unaccompanied with tume- 
 faction of the throat or the thyroid glands, may be cured by 
 transferring the animal to a warm pen where he can burrow in 
 clean straw. Let him have a mess of thin gruel three times daily, 
 into which stir half an ounce of powdered chlorate of potass. It 
 is not safe to drench an animal the subject of quinsy, for he may 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 723 
 
 choke to death ; therefore, if possible, the medicine must be incor- 
 porated with the food. In bad cases the throat must be lubricated 
 with cod-liver oil occasionally. Should the bowels be constipated, 
 a few ounces of Epsom salts or a couple of ounces of castor-oil are 
 indicated ; whereas a looseness or temporary diarrhea must be 
 held in check by means of pulverized anthracite coal, or else by 
 means of animal charcoal. These ingredients should be mixed in 
 scalded milk, and placed in a clean trough. It is very evident, 
 however, that, in the absence of pure air, comfortable quarters, 
 and good nursing, medicine will have but little if any effect. 
 
 Quinsy mostly owes its origin to exposure, fatigue in travel- 
 ing long distances, and to bad accommodations ; therefore proper 
 attention to the wants and comfort of these animals will act as 
 the best of preventives. 
 
 The wretched condition in which some of these animals are 
 compelled to exist, and the vile garbage which is often fed to them, 
 is the exciting cause of most of their maladies ; therefore such mat- 
 ters should command the attention of husbandmen. 
 
 Heenia, oe Ruptuee. 
 
 Pigs are very frequently born in a ruptured condition. The 
 disease is then called congenital, and scrotal when within the 
 scrotum. The disease consists of adhesion of a protruded portion 
 of intestine to the testicle after its descent into the scrotum. This 
 adhesion often takes place while the testicle is yet in the abdomen. 
 On the descent of the testicle into the scrotum the intestine de- 
 scends with it. 
 
 Treatment. — Secure the limbs, or engage some persons to hold 
 them ; then place the animal on a bench, and cut carefully over 
 the region of the enlargement until the testicle is exposed. Care- 
 fully dissect the intestine from the testicle ; remove the testicle in 
 the usual way ; then return the intestine within the abdomen. 
 Should the intestine be so large that it seems impossible to return 
 it, then enlarge the opening by means of a probe-pointed knife; 
 then raise the hind-quarters of the pig, and the bowel will return 
 into the abdominal cavity, after which take a couple of stitches 
 through the skin and superficial tissues, and the operation is fin- 
 ished. In a few days the stitches may be cut away ; there is no 
 need of any dressing. 
 
724 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Intestinal Worms. 
 
 When swine are infested with intestinal parasites they gener- 
 ally become unthrifty — will not fatten, yet have a voracious ap- 
 petite, and will devour greedily every thing that is placed before 
 them. 
 
 Treatment. — For solitary cases give the animal an occasional 
 dose of the following : 
 
 No. 147. Castor-oil 2 oz. 
 
 Oil of wormseed 1 dr. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 When a large number of animals are infested with intestinal 
 parasites, prepare the following : 
 
 No. 148. Pulverized anthracite coal 2 lbs. 
 
 Powdered poplar bark 1 lb. 
 
 " Powdered sulphur \ lb. 
 
 Powdered salt 4 oz. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Give a table-spoonful with the food twice daily, until the animal 
 takes on a more thrifty condition. 
 
 Inflammation of the Lungs (Pneumonia). 
 
 Inflammation of the lungs, or what may very properly be 
 termed apoplexy of the same, is a very fatal malady in swine, and 
 runs its course to a fatal termination very rapidly. 
 
 Symjjtoms. — The early symptoms are accelerated and laborious 
 respiration, shivering fits, cough, loss of appetite, and rapid wast- 
 ing of fat and flesh. 
 
 Treatment. — Dissolve half an ounce of nitrate of potass in about 
 a quart of thin gruel and set it before the patient ; if he refuse to 
 drink it, then a drench of the same must be given. In the mean 
 time place on the tongue ten drops (three times daily) of fluid 
 extract of gelseminum until the febrile symptoms have subsided ; 
 then give every morning half an ounce of hyposulphite of soda 
 until the animal is convalescent. Bleeding and purging, as re- 
 commended in ancient works, is sure death to the animal. 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 725 
 
 Hog Choleea. 
 
 The disease to which the name of " hog cholera " has been gen- 
 erally but improperly applied, has prevailed more extensively in 
 this country than most persons are aware of. The first appear- 
 ance of the disease, of which I have been able to find any notice, 
 was in Indiana, in the summer of 1856. It has continued, to a 
 greater or less extent, since that time in our Western and Southern 
 States, in nearly all of which it has, at some period, attained the 
 character of a wide-spread and fatal epidemic. Its victims in 
 those States are numbered by hundreds of thousands, if not by 
 millions. During the last five years this disease has been seen, 
 from time to time, in portions of the more eastern States, some- 
 times, as in Western New York in 1856, proving quite severe and 
 fatal in comparatively limited localities ; but in the Eastern States 
 it has, to a great extent, originated with and has generally been 
 confined to, hogs imported from the West. I think that in no 
 State east of Ohio has the disease prevailed extensively, or attained 
 the character of a wide-spread epidemic. In the vicinity of Provi- 
 dence, Rhode Island, it has prevailed to some extent, more par- 
 ticularly among large herds of swine, during each of the last five 
 winters, but has been mostly confined to hogs brought from the 
 West, and has usually disappeared with the approach of warm 
 weather. During the last winter it was more severe than in any 
 preceding, and was not confined to Western hogs. Neither did 
 the disease, as heretofore, cease with the cold weather, but it con- 
 tinued until August, having destroyed more than five hundred 
 hogs in Providence and in the adjoining towns during the first 
 seven months of the year 1861. I have also heard of its preva- 
 lence in various towns in Massachusetts during the same period. 
 
 It is evident that a subject of so great importance to the agri- 
 cultural interests of the community deserves attention. It is also 
 interesting to all classes of the community, on account of the re- 
 lations of this disease to epidemic diseases which afflict the human 
 race, and on account of its effects upon the supply of animal food 
 for cities. For these reasons I have, in connection with Dr. Col- 
 lins and other physicians of this city, made some investigations 
 upon the subject. We have visited and examined many sick hogs, 
 and have examined the bodies of some of them after death. I 
 have also made inquiries of those who have had the care of the 
 
726 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 hogs in relation to the symptoms, and have obtained information, 
 so far as' possible, from those who have seen the disease at the 
 West, where it has prevailed so extensively. The results of these 
 investigations I propose to give briefly as follows : 
 
 Symptoms. — The symptoms, as described by persons unaccus- 
 tomed to such observations, are extremely various. By combin- 
 ing the information obtained from others with the results of my 
 own observations, the symptoms, as seen during the life of the 
 animal, are nearly as follows : 
 
 1. Refusal of food. — This is the first symptom usually noticed 
 by those who have the care of the animals, though, as will be seen 
 hereafter, this symptom by no means indicates the beginning of 
 the disease. The refusal of food, after it is first noticed, generally 
 continues through the whole sickness, and food of every descrip- 
 tion is mostly refused. 
 
 2. Great thirst. — This is constant, and large quantities of cold 
 water will be swallowed if it can be obtained. Even after the 
 animal is unable to stand alone it will drink cold water with 
 eagerness. 
 
 3. After a time, the length of which varies very much, the ani- 
 mal begins to show signs of weakness; reels, staggers, and, in 
 attempting to walk, often falls down. 
 
 4. In most cases there is a diarrhea, with copious fluid dis- 
 charges of dark, bilious, and very offensive matters. In a few 
 cases there is no diarrhea, but evacuations of hard, black balls ; 
 but in some of these cases the fluid offensive matter is found in 
 the intestines after death. 
 
 5. In a few cases there is vomiting ; but this is not often severe, 
 nor is it continuous for any length of time. 
 
 6. The external appearance of the animal is at first paler than 
 usual; but toward the last of the sickness purple spots appear, 
 first on the nose and sides of the head. These extend along the 
 sides and belly, and between the hind legs ; after which the ani- 
 mal soon dies. 
 
 7. In many cases, perhaps a majority, ulcers are found on the 
 different parts of the body. These were particularly noticed on 
 the inside of the lips and gums, and on the feet, and were often 
 quite deep and excavated. In some cases these ulcers were seen 
 in the nostrils, and in one case there were extensive ulcerations in 
 the back part of the mouth, on the tonsils. 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 727 
 
 8. In some cases the legs are swelled, and the animal is lame; 
 sometimes the ears and sides of the head are swelled and red; 
 sometimes the eyes are sore and inflamed; sometimes swellings, 
 like carbuncles, are seen ; and, generally, the glands near the sur- 
 face seem to be enlarged. 
 
 9. In most cases the pulse is quickened, the breathing is hurried 
 and difficult, and there is much cough ; but in some genuine cases 
 there is no perceptible trouble with the lungs, and no important 
 signs of disease are found in them after death. 
 
 10. The duration of the disease in fatal cases, after the first 
 symptoms are noticed, is extremely variable. We have seen some 
 which have died within two or three hours ; others have lived 
 many days. It is difficult, however, to fix the time of the appear- 
 ance of the first symptoms. The first noticed is usually the refusal 
 of food ; but it is probable, indeed it is certain, that the sickness 
 is in progress for a considerable period before the animal refuses 
 food. Cases like the following are sometimes seen : A hog refuses 
 to eat ; it soon grows weak ; staggers in walking ; turns purple 
 on the sides and belly, and dies within two or three hours after 
 the first symptom is noticed. But, on examination after death, 
 extensive disease is found in the intestines, or in the lungs, or in 
 both, at a stage of development which must have required many* 
 days fo reach. 
 
 Such are the symptoms as obtained from inquiries and obser- 
 vations in this vicinity. Since the preceding description was writ- 
 ten, I have obtained a valuable article upon the disease, written 
 by Dr. Geoege Sutton, of Aurora, Dearborn County, Indiana, 
 and published in the "North American Medico-Chirurgical Re- 
 view/' for May, 1858. 
 
 Dr. Sutton made extensive and careful observations of the 
 disease as it prevailed in Indiana, and his articles comprise the 
 only published information I have been able to obtain in relation 
 to it. His description of the symptoms is as follows : " The hog 
 at first appears weak ; his head droops ; and sometimes, in a few 
 hours after these symptoms, diarrhea commences. There is fre- 
 quently vomiting. In some cases the discharges were serous and 
 clay-colored, sometimes dark, also bloody and mucous, resembling 
 those of dysentery. The urine at first was generally small in 
 quantity and high-colored, but as the animal recovered it became 
 abundant and clear. This was one of the symptoms by which 
 
728 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 the men, who were attending the hogs at the distillery, ascertained 
 that they were recovering. In a large number of cases the respir- 
 atory organs appeared to be principally affected, and there was 
 coughing, wheezing, and difficult respiration. In some instances 
 the animal lost the power of squealing, and the larynx was dis- 
 eased. There was frequently swelling of the tongue and bleeding 
 from the nose. In those cases where the respiratory organs were 
 the principal seat of the disease there was generally no diarrhea 
 or dysentery. In many instances the disease appeared to be prin- 
 cipally confined to the skin ; sometimes the nose, the ear, or the 
 side of the head were very much inflamed — the ear swollen to 
 twice its usual thickness. This inflammation would spread along 
 the skin sometimes over the eye, producing complete blindness. 
 Sometimes one or more legs were inflamed and swollen, and the 
 inflammation also extended along the body. The skin, where it 
 was inflamed, was red and swollen. Some had large sores on 
 their flanks or sides, from three to six inches in diameter. In one 
 instance, at the distillery, the inflammation extended along the 
 fore-leg, the foot became ulcerated and sloughed off, and the 
 animal recovered. Some appeared delirious, as if there was in- 
 flammation of the brain. Sudden changes in the weather, par- 
 ticularly from warm to cold, appeared to increase the fatality of 
 the disease." 
 
 The symptoms, as described by Dr. Sutton, are similar to 
 those observed in this vicinity, and the descriptions already given 
 are sufficient to enable any one to recognize the disease wherever 
 it prevails. It will be noticed that there is a very great variety 
 in the symptoms described, and that they affect nearly every part 
 of the animal. This would be expected from the nature of the 
 disease itself, as will be seen hereafter. 
 
 Post-mortem Appearances. — Having described the symptoms as 
 seen while the animal is living, I will now give, briefly, the ap- 
 pearances found on examination of the bodies after death. In the 
 course of our investigations, during the last winter and spring, 
 the bodies of nine hogs were carefully examined by Drs. G. L. 
 Collins, J. W. C. Ely, and E. T. Caswell, of Providence, in 
 the presence of several other physicians. A minute account of 
 each case was prepared by Dr. Collins, and published in the 
 "Transactions of the Rhode Island Medical Society," for 1861. 
 It will be sufficient for the objects of this paper to give a brief 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 729 
 
 synopsis of the diseased appearances which were found in these 
 examinations. 
 
 Lungs. — In two cases the lungs were healthy. In the remain- 
 ing seven cases one or both lungs were more or less inflamed, 
 having a liver-like appearance, called hepatization. In some cases 
 the inflammation was more advanced, and the substance of the 
 lungs was breaking down into a mass of disease. In all cases 
 where the lungs were inflamed there was also pleurisy, and the 
 lungs were adherent to the walls of the chest, the inflammation 
 of the lungs and the pleurisy together constituting true pleuro- 
 pneumonia. In two cases there were tubercles, or consumption 
 in the lungs ; but this is not uncommon in hogs, and is not sup- 
 posed to have any connection with the special disease we are con- 
 sidering. 
 
 Stomach. — The stomach and the small intestines were generally 
 healthy. The stomach was frequently distended with an offensive 
 mixture of food, and in one case the inner surface was ulcerated 
 to some extent. In two cases worms were found in the small in- 
 testines; but this was probably a mere accidental occurrence, and 
 had no necessary connection with the disease. 
 
 Large Intestines. — The inner coat of the large intestines was 
 generally inflamed and softened, with ulcerations to a greater or 
 less extent, and they were frequently so tender as to be easily torn 
 with the fingers. On account of their diseased condition, their 
 inner coat was frequently discolored. The inflammation and 
 ulceration of these intestines are probably the principal cause of 
 the diarrhea in this disease. 
 
 Kidneys. — These organs were, in every case, mtich more pale 
 and yellow than natural ; this condition was well marked. 
 
 The liver and bladder were generally healthy. In some cases 
 water was found in the cavity of the belly and of the chest, and 
 in the membrane surrounding the heart (heart-case). In two 
 cases numerous minute purple spots were seen upon the mem- 
 brane lining the walls of the belly. The urine was often changed 
 from the healthy condition, containing albumen and other dis- 
 eased products, not, however, noticeable to the eye. Ulcers upon 
 the feet and in the mouth were often found. The brain was not 
 examined, as there were no symptoms observed which seemed to 
 indicate disease of this organ. It may be, at times, affected, but 
 is probably more rarely so than the other organs of the body. 
 
730 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Such are some of the most important appearances which are 
 found on examination of the bodies of hogs which have died with 
 this disease. It will be noticed that three of the diseased con- 
 ditions I have described are prominent, important, and such as 
 would be readily recognized by the most ignorant observer. These 
 are, first, the pleurisy and 'inflammation of the lungs ; second, the 
 inflammation, ulceration, and softening of the inner coat of the 
 large intestines ; and, third, the pale and yellowish color of the 
 kidneys. One or more of these diseased conditions will be found 
 in every case, and in, perhaps, a majority of cases, they will all be 
 found in the same animal. 
 
 Dr. Sutton, of Indiana, in the article from which I have 
 already quoted, gives an interesting account of the post mortem 
 appearances in hogs dying from this disease. He examined the 
 bodies of sixty-seven hogs, and it is evident, from this article, that 
 he had the opportunity of observing the disease in a more malig- 
 nant form than it has presented in this vicinity. He mentions 
 every diseased condition that I have described, and also found 
 unmistakable marks of similar disease in almost every other organ 
 of the body. 
 
 With the description already given of symptoms and post mor- 
 tem appearances, most persons, even without medical knowledge, 
 will be able to recognize the disease. It remains for us to con- 
 sider, briefly, its nature, causes, prevention, and treatment. 
 
 Nature of the Disease. — The first question which arises in the 
 minds of most persons is this : What is the disease ? and the ques- 
 tion is asked with a special desire to have it answered by a definite 
 name. This can not be done. There is no name which would con- 
 vey, even to physicians, and certainly not to others, a precise idea 
 of the disease. But though there is no specific name by which it 
 can be called, the facts, as already given, can not fail to suggest, 
 at least to medical men, a correct idea of its nature. Sometimes 
 in the human subject, particularly when portions of the body are 
 undergoing the process of inflammation and suppuration, pus and 
 other diseased products are absorbed, and, entering into the circu- 
 lation, poison the blood and produce that condition of the system 
 known as pysemia. In such cases the general poisoning of the 
 system is shown by a low form of fever, great weakness and pros- 
 tration of the vital powers, frequently accompanied by vomiting 
 and purging, and often resulting in pleurisy, with inflammation 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 731 
 
 and deposits of matter in the substance of the lungs, superficial 
 swellings and abscesses, inflammation and suppuration in the joints, 
 and other diseased phenomena. So in severe forms of typhus or 
 ship fever, and in malignant cases of some other diseases, when 
 the whole system seems to be filled with a powerful poison and 
 utterly prostrated, the same or similar effects are seen. So in this 
 disease among hogs there seems to be a general poisoning of the 
 blood, producing local inflammations and ulcerations in various 
 parts of the system, though more frequently in some portions than 
 in others. 
 
 This, then, is a general disease of the whole system, resulting 
 from some poisoning of the blood ; and the pleurisy, the inflam- 
 mation of the lungs, the ulceration of the intestines, the superficial 
 ulcers and swellings, and other effects I have described, are only 
 the local effects or results of the general disease. The diarrhea, 
 which exists in a majority of cases, and on account of which the 
 name of " hog cholera " has been given to the disease, is probably 
 caused by the local inflammation and ulceration of the large intes- 
 tines. The name "hog cholera" is, therefore, entirely improper, 
 as it represents only one of the several prominent symptoms. The 
 disease might as correctly and as incorrectly be called a " pleuro- 
 pneumonia." 
 
 In this connection, it is proper to notice the similarity which 
 exists between this disease in swine and some epidemic diseases 
 which have prevailed among cattle. Some two thousand years 
 since a disease, to which the name of " murrain " was given, was 
 described by Virgil as " a highly inflammatory fever among cattle, 
 accompanied with tumors, carbuncles, ulcers, and purulent deposits 
 throughout the whole body." Any one who reads this and other 
 descriptions of murrain, as given in the " New American Cyclo- 
 pedia," can not fail to notice the striking similarity between that 
 disease among cattle and the disease among swine which we are 
 now considering. The same is true of the disease which has caused 
 so much excitement in New England, within the last two years, 
 under the name of " pleuro-pneumonia." Its symptoms and jiost 
 mortem appearances, so far as described in the reports I have seen 
 upon the subject, are very similar to those observed in the disease 
 among hogs which we have examined. The only case of the 
 disease called "pleuro-pneumonia" that I have seen was in the 
 vicinity of Providence, in July, 1861. Bi that case, in which a 
 
732 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 post mortem examination was made by Dr. Collins, it was the 
 unanimous opinion of the physicians present that there was a re- 
 markable similarity in the symptoms and appearances to those 
 observed in the hogs examined previously. 
 
 The conclusion to which I have arrived is, that the " hog chol- 
 era " I have described, the " murrain " of Virgil and of all ages 
 since, and the " pleuro-pneumonia " of New England, are similar 
 diseases, having the same general features, producing similar dis- 
 eased changes in the body, and are the result of similar causes. If 
 a definite name is required, the name of " murrain," which is de- 
 rived from a Greek word which means to waste or to weaken, is 
 the best. The names " hog cholera " and " pleuro-pneumonia " are 
 both improper, and give very erroneous ideas in relation to the 
 disease. 
 
 Causes. — In this and other similar diseases among animals, as 
 well as in epidemic diseases in the human race, the universal ten- 
 dency of the public mind is to ascribe their propagation to conta- 
 gion. Dr. Sutton, whom I have already quoted, says : " Although 
 this disease must occasionally have a spontaneous origin, yet, when 
 once produced, it will spread rapidly by contagion." The investi- 
 gations of the cattle disease in Massachusetts in 1860, and the action 
 of the Legislature in regard to it, seem to have been based upon 
 the theory that the disease was a "pleuro-pneumonia" only, and 
 that it was contagious. 
 
 If this be an epidemic or epizootic* disease, its causes are similar 
 in their nature and operation to those of other epidemics. The 
 following, then, according to my understanding of the subject, are 
 the causes not only of this disease among swine, but also of the 
 disease referred to among cattle, as well as of epidemics in the 
 human race : 
 
 1. An epidemic atmospherical poison. 
 
 2. The local conditions or circumstances adapted to receive and 
 propagate the poison existing in the atmosphere. 
 
 With regard to the first cause, the atmospherical poison, very 
 little is certainly known. It may be an animal or vegetable exist- 
 
 * The phrase "epidemic disease among animals" is incorrect, as the word 
 "epidemic" can properly be applied only to diseases of the human race. The 
 word "epizootic" has the same meaning with reference to diseases among ani- 
 mals that the word " epidemic " has with reference to diseases among men. 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 733 
 
 ence, or a chemical or electrical change in the atmosphere. Nor 
 do we know any thing of the differences in the condition of the 
 atmosphere by which such dissimilar epidemic and epizootic dis- 
 eases are produced at different times. But, judging from their 
 effects, we conclude that these primary causes of epidemics proba- 
 bly exist in the atmosphere ; that they progress over a greater or 
 less extent of country, in accordance with laws with which we are 
 not acquainted, and, lighting upon the earth, produce their effects 
 wherever they find the local conditions adapted to their propaga- 
 tion. 
 
 The local conditions, or causes of this disease among swine, 
 are more obvious and better understood. They are, briefly, im- 
 pure air, arising from the filth with which the animals are sur- 
 rounded, the location and want of ventilation of the pens in which 
 they are kept, the use of improper and unhealthy food, and the 
 want of pure water. Common sense shows that cleanliness, good 
 food, pure air, and pure water are as important to prevent disease 
 in hogs as in men, though the fact is generally ignored by those 
 who have the care of these animals. Another condition, though 
 not absolutely essential to produce the disease, has a very great 
 influence in increasing its severity and fatality. It is the crowd- 
 ing of large numbers of animals together. It is a well-established 
 fact that the severity and fatality of cholera, and of other epidem- 
 ics in the human family, is in direct proportion to the density of 
 the population. The coexistence of both the causes given — namely, 
 the atmospherical poison and the local conditions — is necessary for 
 the extensive development of the disease. When both these causes 
 are present in any locality, and healthy animals are brought into 
 the locality, a portion of them, and sometimes all, will contract 
 the disease. But this important fact is to be remembered, that 
 •both these causes may exist in a locality whethei any animals are 
 present or not. 
 
 Perhaps I have said more than some might think necessary in 
 relation to the causes of the disease ; but the subject is of the ut- 
 most importance in its relations to preventive measures. If this 
 and other similar diseases are not contagious, but arise from causes 
 which may, and do, originate and exist wholly independent of the 
 presence of animals, it is manifestly absurd to attempt, as has been 
 done in some cases, to prevent and eradicate them by the whole- 
 sale destruction of the animals. 
 
734 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Prevention. — Keeping in mind the causes of the disease as I 
 have given them, the measures necessary for prevention are obvious, 
 and may be stated in a very few words. They are, to remove, as 
 far as possible, the causes. The general cause existing in the at- 
 mosphere can not be removed, nor can it be avoided, except by the 
 removal of the animals beyond the limits of its existence, and this 
 is not usually practicable. But the local causes can, to a very 
 great extent, be removed, and without these the general cause can 
 not produce any very serious results. The hogs can be removed 
 from their filthy pens and can be kept clean ; they can be removed 
 from low ground to more elevated places; they can be separated 
 and isolated as far as possible ; they can be allowed an abundance 
 of pure air and of pure cold water ; and they can be supplied with 
 nourishing, healthy food. In a word, they can be placed in the 
 conditions which common sense shows to be essential to health, 
 whether of hogs or of other animals. When this is done, every 
 thing is done that is necessary or possible for the prevention of 
 this as well as of other similar diseases. 
 
 Treatment. — In the treatment of a disease of this character, we 
 have little to expect from the specific or direct action of medicine 
 of any kind. The most that we can hope to do is to support the 
 system so as to enable Nature to overcome the disease. In a hu- 
 man being, with a disease of a similar character, we should first 
 remove the patient to a healthy locality, and provide for an ample 
 supply of pure air and good nursing. This, faithfully done, would 
 be the most important step toward recovery. We should then 
 give, as the symptoms might require, beef-tea or broths, milk, 
 wine-whey, brandy, quinine, and other similar preparations, al- 
 ways remembering that the object is to sustain the animal powers 
 so as to enable the system to withstand the depressing effects of 
 the poison and free itself from its presence. 
 
 The treatment of hogs with this disease must be of .a similar 
 character. Stimulants and tonics of some description, with plenty 
 of pure air, pure water, and suitable nourishment must be given. 
 Chlorate of potash, in full doses, from its known effects on the 
 human subject, has been proposed as a remedy, but of its value I 
 am unable to speak. Powdered charcoal is undoubtedly of some 
 value, when scattered freely about the pens and given to some ex- 
 tent in the food. But, in the severer cases, treatment of any kind 
 is generally unsuccessful, and if successful would cost more than 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 735 
 
 the animal is worth. We might succeed, by the use of the reme- 
 dies named, and by careful nursing, in prolonging the life of the 
 diseased hog;»but success of this kind would hardly compensate 
 the trouble and expense necessary to secure it. But a large num- 
 ber of the milder cases will recover without treatment of any kind, 
 and in this, as in other epidemics of a similar nature, it will be 
 found that the first cases that occur will be very severe, and will 
 nearly all prove fatal ; while, after the epidemic has existed for a 
 time, the disease will seem to become more mild, and a much larger 
 proportion will recover. The important fact to be remembered is, 
 that it is for the interest of the owner of these animals to use every 
 possible means to prevent the disease, as prevention is of infinitely 
 more importance to him than treatment ; but if the disease becomes 
 established, it should be treated in a rational manner, not forget- 
 ting that Nature, when properly aided, will do infinitely more than 
 medicine for the cure. 
 
 Note. — The above valuable article on " Hog Cholera " is from the pen of Dr. 
 E. M. Snow and is the most reliable one ever published on this disease. 
 
 DR. DADD'S REMEDY FOR "HOG CHOLERA." 
 
 No. 149. Powdered anthracite coal 4 pounds. 
 
 Powdered ginger 1 pound. 
 
 Powdered sulphur \ pound. 
 
 Salt 7 ofc. 
 
 Phosphate of lime . , 1 pound 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Let each aifected animal have one handful of the above mix- 
 ture every day. Mix it in a pint of dry oatmeal. If the animal 
 refuses to eat it, liquefy the same with cow's milk, and give as a 
 drench. 
 
736 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 TRICHINA SPIRALIS. 
 
 The American people have been startled lately by the published 
 accounts of a new and terrible disease in Germany, and especially 
 in Saxony, which brings to mind some of the most dreadful plagues 
 of Egypt. The disease in question, termed Trichuriasis, caused 
 by the ravages on the human muscle of a minute worm, called Tri- 
 chinis Spiralis, coming so close upon the cattle disease, did, in- 
 
 TEICHINA SPIRALIS AND OVA, AS SEEN IN THE MUSCLES OF THE HUMAN SUBJECT, MAGNI- 
 FIED ABOUT TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY TIMES. 
 
 deed, to the ignorant, appear to justify some of the recent prophecies 
 of Dr. Cumming, but to the more intelligent, and especially to the 
 medical mind, it came as an old story. Singularly enough, the 
 worm which is now occupying the attention of German anatomists 
 was discovered as long ago as 1835, by Professor Owen. Both 
 Mr. John Hilton, a demonstrator of anatomy at Guy's, and Mr. 
 Thormald, the demonstrator at St. Bartholomew's, had, two years 
 previously, observed small white bodies interspersed among the 
 muscles of subjects under dissection, and that they were of a gritty 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 
 
 737 
 
 character was evident from the manner in which they turned the 
 edges of the knives. One of these specimens of affected muscle 
 was, in the year mentioned, given to Prpfessor Owen by Mr. 
 Paget, then a student, for inspection. These speckles the dis- 
 tinguished anatomist discovered, under the microscope, to be the 
 capsule of a very fine worm, which was seen coiled up closely 
 within it. From its hair-like fineness, its discoverer derived the 
 term Trichina, and from the spiral manner in which it was invaria- 
 bly found coiled up within its envelope, he added the word Spiralis ; 
 hence the name by which it is known. 
 
 TRICHINA SPIRALIS IN PORK, MAGNIFIED ABOUT TWO HUNDRED DIAMETERS. 
 AFTER AN ORIGINAL DRAWING BY MR. DRAPER. 
 
 An account of this newly-discovered parasite was published by 
 Professor Owen, in the " Transactions of the Zoological Society," 
 in 18.35, headed, "Description of a Microscopic Entozoon infest- 
 ing the Muscles of the Human Body." This paper gave a very 
 minute account of the creature, illustrated with drawings, and es- 
 tablished his claim to be the discoverer of one of our latest-found 
 inhabitants, which has made such a sensation in the world. The 
 discovery made much noise at the time throughout Europe, and 
 the Professor's paper drew the attention of the anatomists of Eu- 
 rope to the worm. But one or two cases were recorded of the 
 presence of the parasite in the human body, and the matter re- 
 mained in abeyance for some years, until the German professors 
 again drew attention to it, and completed our knowledge of its 
 method of introduction. Professor Luschka, of Tubingen, car- 
 47 
 
738 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 ried our knowledge of the worm, perhaps, up to the highest point 
 anatomically, and in the same year the method of transmission of 
 the worm from one animal to another was made out by a series of 
 experiments instituted by Herbst von Nachrichten. He gave 
 the flesh of a hedge-hog, which he knew to be infested with tri- 
 china, to young dogs, and speedily found that all their voluntary 
 muscles were full of these worms. But, although this important 
 step was made out, little notice was taken of it. His experiments 
 were repeated in Scotland and England, but the peculiar manner 
 in which the worm got into the muscle was yet undiscovered. 
 
 Kenker, in 1860, was lucky enough to supply this knowledge. 
 The body of a servant girl, who had died with many of the symp- 
 toms of typhus fever, came under the inspection of the anatomist. 
 He found her voluntary muscles to be full of trichinae ; and upon 
 inquiring into her case, he found that she had assisted in the mak- 
 ing of sausages about three weeks before she was taken ill, and 
 that she had eaten some of the raw meat a few days before her ill- 
 ness commenced. The butcher who had killed the pig, and sev- 
 eral members of the family, had been affected in the same manner 
 as the girl, but had recovered. The sausages and hams were ex- 
 amined, and were found to be full of worms, encapsuled, as it is 
 termed, or surrounded with an envelope; but in the girl the 
 worms were found among the muscles, in a free state. 
 
 From this evidence the manner in which the parasite obtained 
 entrance to the human body was fully made out. Pork (uncooked 
 pork) was the vehicle by means of which the parasite was enabled 
 to enter the human body. But, says the reader, why should pork 
 only be the means of conveying the entozoa to the human body ? 
 The reason is that the pig is the only animal eaten by man that 
 is partially a carnivorous feeder. It is supposed that the pig ob- 
 tains them from dead rats, which are often infested with these 
 worms, or other garbage. Birds, although carrion feeders, can 
 not, for some unknown reason, be infested with the worms. In 
 the horse, calf, and the young and old dog, says Dr. Thudichum, 
 the young trichinae are born, but they can not pierce the intestines, 
 and, therefore, can not immigrate into the flesh. Of course, it is 
 just possible that the worm may be conveyed, like the tape- worm, 
 through the medium of impure water. We are not likely to drink 
 this, but it often happens that fruit and vegetables are watered 
 from impure tanks, into which these creatures may have got. 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 739 
 
 It is certainly an objection to the modern system of watering 
 with liquid manure, that in this way the tape-worm, and possibly 
 the trichina, may find their way on to the vegetables which we 
 eat, and in this way we may be receiving noxious intestinal worms 
 into our system. For instance, some people water their strawber- 
 ries with liquid manure, not thinking of the little serpent that 
 may be hidden in the fruit. It is now known that, after entering 
 the alimentary canal, the parasite finds its breeding-ground, and 
 brings forth immense numbers of young, which immediately begin 
 to make their way through the coats of the intestines and migrate 
 into the muscles. 
 
 It is a singular fact that these disagreeable adventurers always 
 select the voluntary muscles, or those which are moved at our will. 
 The heart and kidneys, and those parts of the viscera which act 
 independently of the will, are scarcely ever affected. It is, in- 
 deed, a matter of dispute how the worms get distributed so gen- 
 erally over the body, some anatomists asserting that they make 
 their way directly by boring, as the ship-worm bores through 
 a piece of timber ; but Dr. Thudichum, who was appointed, in 
 1864, to investigate the subject, by the medical officer of the Privy 
 Council, asserts that they enter the circulation, and are, in this 
 manner, distributed equally over every part of the body. To use 
 his words: "Arrived in the capillaries (terminal blood-vessels), 
 they penetrate.their two-coated walls, separating the fibers as a man 
 separates the branches of a hedge, when creeping through it, and 
 are now either at once in muscular tissue, their proper feeding- 
 ground, or get into inhospitable tissues and cavities, and there 
 either perish or escape from them by a renewed effort at locomo- 
 tion, enter the circulation a second time, and ultimately perish 
 in the lungs, or arrive in some muscle to obtain a late asylum." 
 
 This hypothesis, certainly, seems the most reasonable, as it is in 
 agreement with the known means by which other entozoa migrate. 
 Arrived at the muscular tissues, it seems again questionable whether 
 the worm attacks the muscle only, or whether it is not deposited 
 in the intervals which occur between the bundles of muscles. 
 Letjckhart says they penetrate the sarcolemma, and eat the 
 muscular fiber itself. Dr. Thudichum says that he has never 
 seen but once the worm in the muscle, but always outside of it. 
 It is certainly a strange fact that, in many cases, persons attacked 
 with trichiniasis have not only perfectly recovered from its effects, 
 
740 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 but have become as strong as ever. It could scarcely have hap- 
 pened that the muscles of these patients had been fed upon by 
 vast colonies of worms, which would have inevitably destroyed 
 them beyond repair. The probability is that the worm finds its 
 way into all the tissues. Between the third and fourth week after 
 immigration, the trichina has become full-grown, and now it be- 
 gins to prepare its capsule. It becomes fixed to the spot in which 
 it is, solid matter is deposited around it, and, curled up, it lies im- 
 movable in its plastic capsule, and dies unless received again into 
 the alimentary canal of another animal, which, in this case, of 
 course, it never does. The presence of these encapsuled trichina? 
 in the muscles may cause irritation, but that speedily subsides; 
 and it is pretty clear that many persons suffer little harm from 
 them while thus curled up, as they have been found in the bodies 
 of subjects that have been dissected, and whose previous history 
 gave no evidence of their existence. 
 
 On the other hand, the disease, when severe, puts on many of 
 the characteristic symptoms of well-known diseases. The fever 
 caused by the presence of the parent worms in the intestines may 
 be, as, indeed, it often has been, taken for gastric fever. Then, 
 again, when the young worms are immigrating into the muscles, 
 the most excruciating agony seizes the patient. He can not move 
 a muscle without the utmost pain, and he lies generally upon his 
 back, with his legs a little apart, covered with perspiration. The 
 face and neck become tumid with a dropsical effusion, which 
 generally extends to the legs and abdomen. An attack of acute 
 rheumatic fever appears to have seized the individual, but for the 
 want of the heart symptoms. Again, the disease stimulates chol- 
 era and typhus, and, indeed, poisoning, in many of its symptoms ; 
 but those who have seen a genuine case of trichiniasis can not be 
 deceived, as the whole symptoms present are consistent with no 
 other disease. In cases of doubt, a piece of the living muscle has 
 been excised from the biceps muscle of the arm ; and this test is 
 almost certain to be conclusive, as the worm is distributed, in 
 severe cases, in profusion through every voluntary muscle of the 
 entire body. 
 
 Dr. Thudichum, speaking of a child who died of this disease, 
 says, in his report to Mr. Simon: "One preparation from the 
 biceps muscle of a child, four and a half years of age, which died 
 on the seventy-ninth day, contained the astounding number of 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 741 
 
 fifty-eight. Such a preparation was estimated to weigh one-fifth 
 of a grain, and, therefore, every grain of muscle contained, on an 
 average, one hundred trichinae. Now, assuming the weight of the 
 muscles of an adult to be only forty pounds, and assuming him to 
 be a victim of trichiniasis, and the parasites equally distributed 
 throughout his body, he would contain upward of twenty-eight 
 millions of these animals." The agony of this plague of worms 
 attacking the fine fibers of nerves distributed throughout the 
 frame can, from this estimate, be thoroughly understood in the 
 fever and weakness caused by the destruction of fiber, and the. 
 irritation is accounted for with equal ease. 
 
 The progress of the disease is pretty much as follows : During 
 the first stage, which lasts from a week to ten days, there is great 
 intestinal disturbance, caused by the presence of the parent trich- 
 inae in the intestines, giving rise, in severe cases, to alarming diar- 
 rhea, as may be expected. The second stage lasts a fortnight or 
 three weeks, seldom longer. During this time the immigration 
 of the young trichinae, hatched in the intestinal passage, is taking 
 place; hence the agony throughout the body, the dropsy in the 
 face, the hurried breathing, and the fever. Although the dropsy 
 becomes genuine, it in no manner depends upon kidney disease, 
 as that organ is never affected in any way. In the fourth week 
 the immigration has entirely ceased, and the worm is beginning 
 to be incapsulated. From this time the patient begins to recover, 
 the appetite improves, the pains become less, and, unless compli- 
 cations arise, as in other severe fevers, the patient gradually passes 
 into a state of health. Death may, however, take place at any 
 stage of the disease. At the great outbreak of this disease which 
 took place at Calbe, in Germany, it was observed to happen on 
 the fifth, eighth, fourteenth, twenty-first, and forty-second clays 
 of the illness. Death generally is brought about by exhaustion. 
 The exhaustive diarrhea which sometimes occurs, together with the 
 inability to take food, and the terrible agony, easily explains this 
 termination. 
 
 The difficulty connected with the treatment of this disease is 
 consequent upon the impossibility of knowing what is really the 
 matter in its early stages, when treatment is alone useful. In 
 regular outbreaks of the disease the physician is led to suspect the 
 evil in the beginning, and then it can be cut short by destroying 
 and expelling the parent worms before they have had time to col- 
 
742 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 onize the intestines with their young. But at the commencement 
 of an outbreak, or in isolated cases, the symptoms are too like 
 those of gastric fever to lead to a suspicion of the real nature of 
 the affection. 
 
 A prevention is far better than cure, and, happily, this can be 
 easily accomplished. As pork is the only means by which the par- 
 asite can enter the human frame, we have only to take care that we 
 eat it thoroughly cooked. The Englishman has a very strong prej- 
 udice in favor of doing his leg of pork well, however much he may 
 like beef and mutton underdone. The Germans are apt to suffer 
 desperate outbreaks of this disease because they are fond of smoked 
 sausages, in which no heat is applied to the meat. The severity 
 of the infection depends, indeed, upon the amount of cooking to 
 which the trichinous meat has been subjected, and the order in 
 which it is affected is as follows : Raw meat, smoked sausages, cer- 
 velat sausages, raw smoked ham, raw smoked sausage, fried sau- 
 sage, fried meat-balls, brawn, pickled pork, blood sausage, boiled 
 pork. As few people are likely to eat raw pork, there seems little 
 danger to be apprehended from the most dangerous item in the 
 list; but it is well to know that boiled pork is, in all cases, the 
 most harmless. The power of the worm to resist heat and cold is 
 very remarkable. They have been frozen to five degrees below 
 centigrade, and been thawed to life again. Ordinary vermifuges 
 are powerless against them. Their vitality is as great as the wheel- 
 worm, which seems almost indestructible. Let our friends, then, 
 take care never to touch the smallest portion of underdone pork, 
 and beware of German sausages, bolognas, and things of the same 
 kind, as they would beware of an assassin. 
 
 Before the discovery of the new disease, trichiniasis, several 
 epidemics occurred in Germany, which very much puzzled the 
 physicians. In two or three cases it was supposed that the per- 
 sons suffering had been poisoned in some mysterious manner, and 
 judicial inquiries were instituted without any result. More gen- 
 erally, however, the outbreaks were ascribed to rheumatic fever, 
 or typhus fever. It was observed, at the time of their occurrence, 
 that the outbreaks were confined to particular families, regiments, 
 or villages. The symptoms, then obscure, are now recognized as 
 those of trichiniasis; indeed, there seems to be little doubt that 
 they were outbreaks of this disorder. They all occurred in the 
 spring of the year, the time of pig-sticking in Germany, and the 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 743 
 
 very characteristic swelling of the face, in the absence of any kid- 
 ney disease, was observed. 
 
 The mortality arising from this disease is in direct ratio of the 
 severity of the attack, and this depends upon the number of 
 worms which may chance to be introduced into the body. One 
 pig is sufficient to cause an epidemic far and wide ; indeed, many 
 of those which have ravaged Germany within these last three or 
 four years have been traced to one trichinous pig. At the out- 
 break at Planen one person died out of thirty attacked. At Calbe, 
 where the epidemic was more severe, seven persons died out of 
 thirty-eight infected; at Hettstadt, where one trichinous pig in- 
 fected one hundred and fifty-eight persons, twenty-eight died. 
 From these facts the formidable nature of the infection may be 
 gathered. 
 
 If sudden epidemics can be traced to the action of an obscure 
 worm, may we not hope that many of our disorders, now obscure 
 in their origin, and, consequently, unmanageable and incurable, 
 will in time come to light, and be amenable to treatment ? Pos- 
 sibly some more subtle power even than the microscope will be 
 discovered, and give us the power of scrutinizing diseased condi- 
 tions, and finding out the agents so stealthily at work in bringing 
 the human machine to misery and premature death. 
 
 The following very interesting and valuable article on the sub- 
 ject of Trichina is translated from the German, expressly for this 
 work, by E. F. Brown, V . S., of Chicago : 
 
 The Trichina (Trichina Spiralis) was known to exist as early as 
 1832, and in 1835 received its name from Mr. Owen. It was 
 considered, until the year 1860, to be perfectly harmless. Autop- 
 sies revealed the parasite as a very small speck, surrounded by a 
 white, chalky capsule. In the Infirmary of Dresden, the servant 
 girl of a butcher died after suffering violent pains in the muscles. 
 The autopsy revealed numerous trichinae not surrounded by cap- 
 sules, hence they were not to be seen with the naked eye. After 
 this, closer inquiries were made into the nature and habits of the 
 trichina?. The result of the investigations proved that the trichinae 
 are generated in the hog, and introduced into our system, not with 
 the fat or liver, but with the lean pork ; and they are sometimes 
 found in capsules, and at others without them, and that the cap- 
 sules are very soon destroyed, after their introduction into the 
 
744 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 system, and thus the inclosed parasites are set free. The hyber- 
 nated trichinae grow very fast, so that they attain, in about three 
 days, twice their original length, and in the same ratio alter their 
 appearance. Nothing of their generative organs was then known, 
 but now the creatures can be plainly distinguished as male and 
 female. They enter iryto very productive marriages, because one 
 
 Explanation.— Fig. 1, Trichinous pork, as seen with the naked eye ; 2, Young minute trichinae 
 roving about, magnified forty diameters; 3, Trichinae in capsules, magnified forty diame- 
 ters ; 4, Female trichina ; 5, Male trichina, magnified two hundred diameters, (a) Head ; 
 (b) the tail. Near the female trichina is seen the ova and their young ones, just escaped 
 from the genital organs. 
 
 female brings forth, in a very short time, hundreds of live young 
 ones. These new-born trichinae do not resemble their producers, 
 for they are without any generative organs. They are very much 
 like the parasite when first introduced into our system with the 
 pork. 
 
 The young trichinae remain not at home, like the old ones, but 
 
DISEASES OF SWINE. 745 
 
 at once commence to travel. They break through the intestines 
 and enter the muscles known as the voluntary, where they con- 
 tinue their march until they have found, in the finest fibers, a place 
 fit for their encapsulation. On their journey to such locality they 
 can not be seen with the naked eye, but only by means of a micro- 
 scope. They wander in the shape as presented in fig. 2, straight, 
 or slightly bent. After they arrive at their destination, they curve 
 or bend themselves in various ways, and thus make their way into 
 the flesh fibers, and then they roll themselves up in their spindle- 
 formed nest, which is spiral in form, like a watch-spring. The 
 mass around the nest is, in the beginning, soft and transparent, 
 but by degrees it becomes converted into a hard, impenetrable shell. 
 These shells can be seen in the flesh with the naked eye. They 
 are the fine, white spots as seen in fig. 1. The trichina lives now 
 in a perfectly-closed sac, or lemon-formed capsule, and is perfectly 
 harmless. In this state, it seems that the trichina can exist in a 
 latent state, for many years. From some cause or other, the chalk 
 capsules get dissolved, and the hybernating parasites (until now 
 without any genital organs) become males and females, and produce 
 young ones, who live and act just as their predecessors — namely, 
 generate, travel, etc. Accordingly, we find in the human and 
 animal body (mostly in the hog) male and female trichinae, and 
 those in the stomach either straight or slightly bent. These new- 
 born trichinse, in the stomach and intestines, very soon become 
 muscle trichina?, to be encapsuled, like the hermit in his cell. 
 
 Every trichina is pointed at the mouth (a) and rounded at the 
 other end (6), the pelvis. Between both openings is the gullet and 
 intestines. The female trichina is about an eighth of an inch long, 
 and has in its hind part (b) a bag containing about sixty or eighty 
 balls (the ovary with eggs). Connected is a pipe conveying the 
 trichina?, which come from the ova as live parasites, by the vagina. 
 How long the parent can exist and generate can not be told, though 
 it is supposed that it exists for three or four weeks after giving 
 birth to the offspring. The male trichina is about half as large as 
 the female, and on its posterior end (6) is a prominence divided 
 into two flaps. His anterior construction shows the spermatic ves- 
 sels. The new-born trichina? without genitals are only to be seen 
 when well magnified. They are very small, and are those which, 
 after penetrating the intestines and the cellular texture of the ab- 
 domen and cavity of the chest, enter the muscles, to be encapsuled. 
 
746 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 The traveling trichina? (fig. 2) grow very fast on their journey. 
 Finding food on their way, they roll themselves up just as they 
 are about becoming encapsuled. In the course of a few weeks the 
 parasite has almost attained its full length, but, not having any 
 generative organs, it can not multiply. It is supposed that the 
 encapsulated trichinae can live for several years, whereas the parents 
 die in about six or eight weeks. 
 
 It is not denied that the trichinae are dangerous to the human 
 subject, but the danger only occurs when the parasites are very 
 numerous in the intestines and muscles. It is certain that a very 
 few small pieces of trichinous pork can introduce a great many 
 males and females into the system, that in a few days may send 
 millions of young parasites into our muscles. The more trichin- 
 ous food is eaten, and the more those parasites are introduced 
 into the system, and the longer they remain there, the greater must 
 be the suffering and danger. The parts affected or visited by the 
 trichinae are the stomach, intestines, and muscles ; and if this para- 
 site is once introduced in the animal system, it produces an incur- 
 able disease, for which there is no remedy. It is well for those 
 who are fond of pork to be very cautious, and cook it thoroughly, 
 because, if well cooked, the death of the parasite is sure. 
 
A LIST OF FLUID EXTRACTS, 
 
 RECENTLY INTRODUCED INTO VETERINARY PRACTICE, 
 
 By G. H. DADD, V. S., 
 
 WITH INSTRUCTION REGARDING THEIR ACTION, AND 
 THE QUANTITY TO BE ADMINISTERED. 
 
 THE introduction of medicines, in the form of Fluid Ex- 
 tracts, for the treatment of diseases incidental to domestic 
 animals is considered a very great improvement over the old 
 method of drenching by the pint or quart, to the great disgust of 
 the patient as well as the practitioner, and the great danger attend- 
 ing the administration of a large quanty of fluid which was neces- 
 sary when crude materials were used. In the use of fluid extracts 
 all danger is obviated and much labor saved, for the doses are 
 quite small, rarely exceeding one fluid ounce. This can be merely 
 placed on the tongue, the animal's head being slightly elevated, 
 and he swallows it without any difficulty or resistance. 
 
 The fluid extracts bear an exact relation to the crude materials — 
 that is, ounce for ounce — yet, from a variety of circumstances, they 
 may vary slightly from this standard. It is, however, the inten- 
 tion of the manufacturer to completely exhaust the active principle 
 of the crude material and render the medicine uniform in strength. 
 The fluid extracts used by the author are manufactured by Messrs. 
 Garrison & Co., manufacturing chemists, of Chicago. They con- 
 duct their evaporations at a very low temperature, by means of an 
 improved steam bath, and use only select drugs, thereby prevent- 
 ing the possibility of adulteration. I have used large quantities 
 of medicine manufactured by the above-named firm, and find them 
 
 (747) 
 
748 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 equal if not superior to any in the market; therefore I do not 
 hesitate to recommend them as efficient and reliable medicines. 
 The doses here recommended apply to both horses and cattle. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Chamomile. 
 
 (Anthemis Nobilis.) 
 
 This is a valuable tonic, and is used in cases of derangement of 
 the digestive organs. Dose, -from two to four drachms. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Arnica. 
 
 » 
 
 (Leopard s-bane.) 
 
 Arnica is chiefly used in veterinary practice as an external ap- 
 plication in the treatment of wounds, sprains, and bruises. It is 
 prepared as follows : 
 
 Fluid extract of arnica 4 oz. 
 
 Proof spirits (equal parts of water and alcohol) ... 1 pint. 
 Mix. 
 
 Apply a portion to the affected part two or three times daily. 
 Fluid Extract of Wormwood. 
 
 (Artemisia Absinthium.) 
 
 This is used as an anthelmintic for the expulsion of worms. 
 The dose is one ounce (fluid), to be given every morning for a 
 week, just before feeding-time. It not only has a tendency to ex- 
 pel worms, but gives tone to the digestive organs, and corrects a 
 morbid appetite. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Pleurisy Root. 
 
 (Asclepias Tuberosa.) 
 
 This is used in pleurisy and irritable sore throat. Dose, four 
 drachms, night and morning. The powdered root enters into the 
 composition of some of the most celebrated cough powders. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Male Fern. 
 
 (Aspidium Filix Mas.) 
 
 This is the celebrated remedy for the treatment of tape- worm, 
 which is sometimes to be found in the intestines of young colts. 
 
LIST OF FLUID EXTRACTS. 749 
 
 Dose, four drachms, to be given every morning, on an empty 
 stomach, for six or eight successive days, and longer if necessary. 
 
 Fluid Exteact of Buchu. 
 
 (Barosma Crenata.) 
 
 This is used exclusively for the treatment of diseases of the 
 urinary organs, retention of the urine, and for the treatment of 
 the various forms of dropsy. Its direct action is diuretic, yet it 
 also gives tone to the parts on which it acts. Dose, from four to 
 eight drachms. Should an animal be suffering from retention of 
 the urine, the diuretic action of the buchu may be augmented by 
 adding to it a small quantity (equal parts) of sweet spirits of niter. 
 For the treatment of spasm at the neck of the bladder, add to the 
 dose of buchu an equal quantity of tincture of assafetida. 
 
 Fluid Exteact of Indian Hemp (Foeeign). 
 
 ( Cannabis Indicus Sativus.) 
 
 This medicine acts as a narcotic and antispasmodic. Its use is 
 indicated in all diseases attended with pain and restlessness, but is 
 chiefly used for the treatment of tetanus or locked-jaw. Dose, 
 two drachms, to be repeated as occasion may require. 
 
 Fluid Exteact of Peince's Pine. 
 
 (Pipsissewa.) 
 
 Prince's pine is a very excellent tonic and diuretic in chronic 
 diseases of the urinary organs, and has been used with much suc- 
 cess in cases of local dropsy of the limbs, known as swelled legs. 
 Dose, from four to six drachms. 
 
 Fluid Exteact of Black Snakeeoot. 
 
 ( Cirnicifuga Eacemosa.) 
 
 This extract is considered a valuable agent for the treatment of 
 spasmodic affections, which arise in consequence of derangement 
 of some portion of the nervous system. It is an efficient remedy 
 in hysteria. 
 
750 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Colchicum. 
 
 (Colchicum Auiumnale.) 
 
 This extract is prepared from the roots and seeds of the plant. 
 It is celebrated for the treatment of rheumatism, inflammatory 
 diseases of the joints, and inter-articular lameness. Dose, one 
 drachm, two or three times per day. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Yellow Jessamine. 
 
 [Gelseminum Sempervirens.) 
 
 This agent is used as a sedative in the treatment of pleurisy and 
 pneumonia in the early or acute stage. It is also a powerful febri- 
 fuge, hence it is indicated in all acute fevers. It entirely dis- 
 penses with use of the fleam. Dose, from one to three drachms. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Witch-hazel. 
 
 (Hamamelis Virginica.) 
 
 Witch-hazel is used as a local astringent in the treatment of 
 "bog and blood spavin." It is prepared for use as follows : 
 
 Fluid extract of witch-hazel 6 oz. 
 
 Proof spirits 1 pint. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Apply a portion twice daily. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Hops. 
 
 (Humulus Lupulus.) 
 
 This preparation of hops is used as a tonic in general debility, 
 and as a narcotic in diseases of the nervous system. It is a relia- 
 ble remedy to induce sleep and relieve pain. Dose, from two to 
 four drachms, to be repeated as occasion seems to require. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Golden Seal. 
 
 [Hydrastis Canadensis.) 
 
 The golden seal is a pure tonic, and its use is indicated in all 
 cases of debility, loss of appetite, derangement of the digestive 
 organs, and torpidity of the liver. Dose, from two to four 
 drachms. 
 
list of fluid extracts. 751 
 
 Fluid Extract of Sassafras. 
 
 All the preparations of sassafras are more or less alterative. 
 The fluid extract is used in view of purifying the blood in diseases 
 of the skin, and in cases of chronic rheumatism. Dose, from four 
 to six drachms. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Culver's Root. 
 
 (Leplandra Virginica.) 
 
 This is employed, in the author's practice, as a substitute for 
 calomel, in the treatment of acute and chronic diseases of the liver. 
 Dose, from two to four drachms. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Lobelia. 
 
 Lobelia is a very valuable antispasmodic, and is useful in dis- 
 eases of a spasmodic character. The author has used it, with great 
 success, in obstinate cases of spasmodic colic. Dose, two drachms. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Bayberry. 
 
 (Myrica Cerifera.) 
 
 Bayberry is successfully used as a stimulant and astringent in 
 scours, diarrhea, and super-purgation. Dose, two drachms, to be 
 administered in a small quantity of milk porridge. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Poppy-heads. 
 
 (Papaver Somniferium.) 
 
 This is used as a narcotic, in all cases that seem to require the 
 exhibition of opium. It mitigates pain, induces sleep and rest, 
 and is much safer than crude opium. Dose, from two to six 
 drachms. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Poke-root. 
 
 (Phytolacca Decandra.) 
 
 This is used as an alterative in a disease occurring among cows, 
 known as " garget," or " caked udder." Dose, from two to four 
 drachms. 
 
752 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY! 
 
 Fluid Extract of Matico. 
 
 [Piper Angus tifolium.) 
 
 This is used as a styptic to bleeding wounds, internal hemor- 
 rhages, and chronic diarrhea. Dose, from four to eight drachms. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Cubebs. 
 
 This is a very valuable agent for the treatment of leucorrhea, 
 gleet, nasal gleet, or discharges from mucous surfaces. Dose, from 
 three to six drachms. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Black Pepper. 
 
 [Piper Nigrum.) 
 
 This is a carminative and stimulant to the digestive organs, 
 and is often used successfully in the treatment of stomach stag- 
 gers. Dose, from two to four drachms. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Mandrake. 
 
 [Podophyllum Pellatum.) 
 
 Mandrake is now used as a laxative and cathartic, in lieu of 
 aloes. About one ounce will usually purge a horse, if followed 
 up by sloppy bran-mashes. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Bloodroot. 
 
 [Sanguinaria Canadensis.) 
 
 This is used as an escharotic in the treatment of foul ulcers, 
 and fungus growths. It is used, also, as a gargle in suppurative 
 laryngitis, croup, putrid sore throat, etc. The gargle is prepared 
 as follows: 
 
 Fluid extract of bloodroot 4 oz. 
 
 Vinegar 1 pt. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 It is applied to the mouth and throat by means of a sponge, 
 affixed to a piece of rattan or whalebone. 
 
LIST OF FLUID EXTRACTS. 753 
 
 Fluid Extract of Valerian. 
 
 ( Valerian Officinalis.) 
 
 This is a very useful antispasmodic, and its use is indicated in 
 all cases marked by irregular nervous action and hysterical affec- 
 tions. Dose, four drachms. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Ginger. 
 
 (Zinziberis Officinalis.) 
 
 Fluid extract of ginger is one of the most valuable diffusible 
 stimulants to be found in the whole materia medica. The Ja- 
 maica ginger is preferable to any other ; it is used in cases of indi- 
 gestion, flatulency, etc. Dose, from three to six drachms. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Ginger enters into the composition of the cele- 
 brated colic drench, used by the author of this work and his 
 students, during a period of twenty -five years, with marked suc- 
 cess. The following is the formula : 
 
 Fluid extract of ginger ") each ^ . . , 1 \h fluid. 
 
 Fluid extract of golden seal. .J 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda 6 oz. 
 
 Dose, four ounces (fluid) every four hours, until relief is ob- 
 tained. 
 
 Eemedy for Wounds. 
 
 Apply a compress of several folds of cotton cloth, soaked in a 
 portion of the following : 
 
 Balsam fir 1 lb. 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda 2 oz. 
 
 Proof spirit. 1 pt. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 Remedy for Tedious Labor. 
 
 The natural labor-pains may be excited by administering: 
 fluid extract of ergot (ergota), two drachms, every half hpur, 
 until delivery is accomplished. The ergot operates with great 
 energy upon the contractile function of the uterus, of both mares 
 and cows, and to a certain extent prevents inordinate hemorrhage 
 after parturition. 
 
 48 
 
754 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Remedy for Hemorrhage in Performing Operations. 
 
 Apply, by means of a compress of linen or sponge, a small 
 quantity of persulphite of iron. This is the most valuable styptic 
 known to veterinary science. 
 
 Fluid Extract of Aconite. 
 
 (Aconitum Napellus — Monk's-hood.) 
 
 This medicine is used as a very powerful sedative and narcotic, 
 in all cases of active or inflammatory disease of the lungs or brain. 
 It is highly recommended by the professors of our art as a reliable 
 antiphlogistic in the treatment of acute affections. The dose is 
 from ten to twenty drops. This medicine is said to be very effi- 
 cacious in inflammatory rheumatism, and as a fine topical remedy 
 in localized painful affections, such as laminitis, myalgia, etc. 
 
 Hyposulphite of Soda. 
 
 The hyposulphite of soda is useful in all kinds of diseases known 
 as rinderpest, pleuro-pneumonia, typhoid affections, and in en- 
 zootic affections, and in all diseases caused by fermentation in the 
 blood, such as Texas fever, malignant scarlet fever, typhus, etc. 
 The hyposulphite of soda can be used with great success in the 
 treatment of the above and other affections of an enzootic origin, 
 yet I have found it more efficacious and reliable when prepared 
 as follows: 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda ~\ 
 
 Hypophosphate of lime. . . > each 1 oz. 
 
 Hypophosphate of potass. . ) 
 
 Fluid extract of ginger , . . . 2 oz. 
 
 Sugar of milk 1 oz. 
 
 Proof spirit 1 pt. 
 
 Dose, two ounces, two or three times daily. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 A GUIDE TO DIAGNOSIS; 
 
 COMPLETE INDEX OF SYMPTOMS 
 
 The following Index of Symptoms is arranged under four heads, 
 viz.: Diseases of Horses; Diseases of Cattle; Diseases 
 of Sheep; Diseases of Swine. Each part is arranged alpha- 
 betically, so that ready reference can be made to any symptom. 
 
 HOW TO USE THIS INDEX. 
 
 Animals when taken sick, not having the power of speech, can 
 not make known the seat of their disease, except by certain signs 
 or invariable symptoms. It therefore becomes of the highest im- 
 portance to be able to understand the mute language of the poor 
 dumb brute, and thus to find out what ails him, in order that the 
 proper means of cure may be speedily made use of. 
 
 An instance of the use to be made of this Index may be found 
 in the following case : " A horse is noticed to breathe faster than 
 usual, with evident pain ; back, arched ; legs, straddling ; head 
 often turned toward the loins ; urine, reddened and scanty." Now, 
 a reference to these symptoms, as arranged alphabetically, enables 
 us to turn directly to page 223, where " Inflammation of the Kid- 
 neys" is seen to be the disease we are looking for. 
 
 The same thing can be done in case a cow, sheep, or hog be the 
 victims of disease. 
 
 In observing symptoms, attention should be directed to the 
 
 (755) 
 
756 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 various parts of the body of the animal which give the earliest 
 warnings of disease. These are, usually, 
 
 The Eyes, Tongue, Muzzle, Throat, Pulse, Chest, Heart, 
 Breath, Breathing ; Discharges from the Mouth ; Dis- 
 charges from the Nostrils; The Skin, The Coat, The 
 Back, The Attitude, and General Appearance of the 
 whole Body. 
 
 EQUINE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Abdomen, distended with gas 188 
 
 do. pressure on, produces pain 198, 201 
 
 Acute rheumatism 333 
 
 " All in a heap " 350 
 
 Anus, scurfy, yellow accumulation around margin of 220 
 
 Anxiety 124 
 
 Appetite, little 289 
 
 do. loss of 116, 124, 201, 206, 223 
 
 Back, arched 223, 332 
 
 Back, muscles of, rigid 73 
 
 Back, roached 350 
 
 Belching, continually 183, 188 
 
 Belly, cold sweat on 112 
 
 do. dropsical swellings under 120, 397 
 
 do. striking of. 193 
 
 do. suddenly very much bloated 187 
 
 do. pressure on causes pain 201, 198 
 
 do. " tucked" up 74, 193 
 
 Blood from bowels 297 
 
 Body, becomes thin 299 
 
 do. cold 94, 112 
 
 do. covered with cold sweat 187, 188 
 
 Bowels, bloody, fetid discharge from 112 
 
 do. blood from, caused by straining 205 
 
 do. inactive 198 
 
 do. constipated 332 
 
 do. irregular J* J 220 
 
 Breath, hot and offensive 289 
 
 do. smells badly 208 
 
 Breathing, grunting 61, 62, 64 
 
 do. labored and quick 187 
 
A GUIDE TO DIAGNOSIS. 757 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Breathing, quick and grunting 120 
 
 do. quick and painful 223 
 
 do. oppressed and slow 63, 206 
 
 do. excited 78 
 
 do. oppressed and noisy 94, 179 
 
 do. croupy 97 
 
 do. difficult 101, 183 
 
 do. labored - 116 
 
 Chest, pressure on side of, gives pain 120, 332 
 
 do. dropsical swellings under . • • • 120 
 
 do. tinkling sound in, when ear is held close to 124 
 
 Chewing performed slowly. 75 
 
 Coat, staring 206 
 
 do. rough and unthrifty. 220, 275 
 
 Convulsions "4 
 
 Coughing, spasmodic 94 
 
 do. and laborious breathing 108 
 
 do. deep-seated and half suppressed 116 
 
 Cough, dry and hacking 2^0 
 
 Cramp of the muscles * • • • 70 
 
 Darkness, preferred. • • • • ' ° 
 
 Delirium ' ° 
 
 CO 
 
 Drowsiness 
 
 Dung, unusually dark-colored and hard 99 
 
 do. scanty 120 
 
 do. covered with yellow slime 22 " 
 
 ' 997 
 
 do. bloody 
 
 Ears kept in constant motion, one forward the other backward. . . 43 
 
 do. tips of, cold 97, 208 
 
 do. cold 
 
 no 
 
 Excretions, diminished 
 
 Extremities, cold 94 > 116 ' 208 
 
 112 
 do. dropsy of. * 
 
 Eye, tenderness iu one, with eyelids closed 
 
 do. copious flow of tears from 
 
 do. white of, slightly red 
 
 do. anterior chamber of, full of yellow matter 5b 
 
 do. pupil of, dilated M. 61, 64, 179 
 
 do. staring wildly 
 
 do. do. as if they would burst from sockets ° * 
 
 do. bloodshot 
 
 Eyes, squinting appearance of. 
 
758 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Eyes, dull 75 
 
 do. prominent 97 
 
 do. glassy and prominent 187 
 
 do. dropsical 397 
 
 Eyelids kept closed 46 
 
 do. swollen 46 
 
 do. internal surface of, red 46, 59, 201 
 
 do. profuse discharge of matter from 55 
 
 do. closed, with tenderness in one eye 56 
 
 do. half shut 75 
 
 do. lining of, white 206 
 
 do. do. bright yellow 212 
 
 Face, swelling of. 297, 397 
 
 Falling down suddenly on the road . . , 64 
 
 do. do. with a loud snorting sound 67 
 
 Fear and restlessness on approach of heavy vehicle 43 
 
 Feeling, loss of 64 
 
 Feed refused 178, 223 
 
 Feet, fore ones raised to an unnecessary height in walking 43 
 
 do. raised very high , 75 
 
 do. pawing with fore 190 
 
 do. fore ones hot and thrown forward 332 
 
 do. fore ones thrown forward 350 
 
 Feverish symptoms 158, 198 
 
 Flanks, bedewed with cold perspiration 97, 112 
 
 do. heaving at the 116, 125 
 
 do. head turned toward 190 
 
 do. tucked up 350 
 
 Flesh, quivering 350 
 
 Flesh, loss of. 299 
 
 Foaming at the mouth 67 
 
 Food, no desire for . 178, 223 
 
 Foot, pointing of. 330, 342 
 
 Fore-legs widely separated 116 
 
 do. beneath the belly 75 
 
 do. in the manger, kicking and tearing 78 
 
 Gait, heavy, slow, and unsteady 75, 289 
 
 do. short, tripping, and cautious 330 
 
 Groaning after passing urine 224 
 
 Gums, covered with slime 112 
 
 Hair, falls off in patches 275 
 
 do. do. in circular patches on shoulders and sides 291 
 
A GUIDE TO DIAGNOSIS. 759 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Hair of neck and legs elevated in blotches 289 
 
 do. rough, unthrifty, and not glossy 275, 299 
 
 Haw, swollen 46 
 
 do. shooting above, on raising the jaw 70 
 
 Head, depressed and bent to one side 59 
 
 do. hanging down. 183 
 
 do. held drooping 116, 208 
 
 do. kept elevated 43 
 
 do. kept near the ground 179 
 
 do. reposing on the manger 62 
 
 do. swollen and dropsical 397 
 
 do. tossed backward 61 
 
 do. turning of to the sides 120 
 
 do. turned to the belly 179 
 
 do. turned toward flanks 190, 223 
 
 do. violently thrust against the rack or wall 62 
 
 Health, general, slightly impaired 158 
 
 Heart, violent beating of 206 
 
 Heaviness and indolence following suddenly on activity 75 
 
 Heels, dry, horny scabs on 284 
 
 do. pinched in 330 
 
 do. ulcers on • • • • • 284 
 
 Hind limbs become suddenly too weak to support the body 66 
 
 Hock, enlargement at point of 322 
 
 do. do. on inside of. 323 
 
 Hock-joint, stiffness of 371 
 
 Itching, severe 291 
 
 Jaw, swelling under • 412 
 
 Jugular veins congested • 124 
 
 do. do. pulsate like an artery 124 
 
 Lameness in hind leg 370 
 
 Legs, cold - • • I"** 
 
 do. hind, dropsical 120 
 
 do. do. swollen ...;... 158 
 
 do. do. widely separated 224 
 
 do. straddling 223 
 
 do. tremble 206 
 
 Lethargy "" 
 
 Limbs, cold 97 
 
 do. swellings on 2 ^ « 
 
 do. violently convulsed 67 
 
 Lips, swelling of. 2 °7 
 
760 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Listlessness 206 
 
 Loins, pressure on causes pain and crouching 223 
 
 Look, fixed and stupid . . 75 
 
 Lying down and soon rising 112, 178 
 
 Motion, loss of. 64 
 
 do. tremulous of various parts of the body 64 
 
 do. unwillingness of 116 
 
 Mouth, bright yellow color of lining of 212 
 
 do. cold , 124 
 
 do. dried up Ill 
 
 do. dry and clammy 75 
 
 do. foaming at 67, 162 
 
 do. hot and clammy , 116 
 
 do. hot and dry 201 
 
 do. membranes of, pale 397 
 
 do. yellow tinge on the inside surface of 99 
 
 Movement, stiff 332 
 
 Neck, blotches on, after being driven 287 
 
 do. cold sweats on 112 
 
 do. muscles of, rigid 73 
 
 do. tumor or swelling on nape of 293 
 
 Nose, bleeding from 112 
 
 do. gluey matter from 156 
 
 do. lining of, pale 397 
 
 Nostrils, dilated 97 
 
 do. discharge from, streaked with blood 97 
 
 do. mucous discharge from 102 
 
 do. redness of lining membranes of Ill 
 
 do. scarlet blotches in 289 
 
 Pawing with fore-feet 63 
 
 do. do. slightly 198 
 
 Perspiration, profuse 78, 179 
 
 do. do. and chilly 183 
 
 Pulse, active 350 
 
 do. feeble 188 
 
 do. full, strong, and frequent 111,183 
 
 do. hard and quickened 223 
 
 do. nearly gone 94 
 
 do. quick and oppressed 178 
 
 do. slow and sluggish 63 
 
 do. small and quick 158 
 
 do. small and thready 97, 187 
 
A GUIDE TO DIAGNOSIS. 761 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Pulse, unnaturally strong 64 
 
 do. variable 116 
 
 do. wiry 74, 120 
 
 Reeling and falling, on being urged to move 59 
 
 Respiration quick and jerking 350 
 
 Restlessness 178, 201 
 
 Rolling 190, 205 
 
 Rolling and tumbling 179, 183 
 
 Rubbing, constant < 275 
 
 Shivering fit, followed by discbarge from nostrils 108 
 
 do. do. sligbt 116, 198 
 
 Shoulder, wasting of. 324, 330 
 
 Sides, blotcbes on, after being driven 287 
 
 Skin, coldness of 124 
 
 do. bot 201 
 
 Sleep, deep and snoring 64 
 
 Sleepiness ! 59, 62, 75, 212 
 
 do. witb general fever 78 
 
 Stamping and pawing continually 193, 205 
 
 " Star-gazing " 43 
 
 Steps, short and slow 332 
 
 Stomach, pain in 178 
 
 Strength, much reduced 178 
 
 Swallow, loss of power to 64 
 
 Sweating, cold 178 
 
 do. profuse 78 
 
 Tail, elevated and quivering 179 
 
 do. great inclination to rub against posts and fences 220 
 
 Tears, excessive flow of 46 
 
 Thighs, corded swellings on inside of 158 
 
 Teeth, covered with slime 112 
 
 Thirst, great 120, 223, 289 
 
 Throat, sore 108 
 
 Toes, walking on , 342 
 
 Tongue, foul '5 
 
 do has a horny feel, and turns brown 112 
 
 do. livid 94,187 
 
 do. leaden colored . , 17 J 
 
 do. of a bluish cast 205 
 
 do. slightly coated 99, 198, 208 
 
 Torpor 61 
 
 Tottering and dropping down 205 
 
762 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Turning, awkwardness in 75 
 
 Unconsciousness 61 
 
 Unsteadiness in moving 61, 208 
 
 Urine, of a dark yellow color 99 
 
 do. high colored 120, 332 
 
 do. scanty. 208 
 
 do. do. and red 223 
 
 do. frequent and painful discharge of 224 
 
 do. light colored, almos't transparent 230 
 
 do. has the smell of musty hay 230 
 
 do. bloody 237, 297 
 
 Vomit, continued efforts to 183 
 
 Vomiting, from both nostrils 187 
 
 Walking, leaning to one side in' 75 
 
 Windpipe, rattling sound in Ill 
 
 Wind, from the bowels 179, 190 
 
 BOVINE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 Abdomen, enlarged and pendulous 506 
 
 Appetite, loss of 434, 444, 447, 509, 545, 601 
 
 do. morbid, inclining to eat bones, stone, etc 572 
 
 do. small 619 
 
 Back, arched upward 628 
 
 do. slightly roached 533 
 
 Bag, inflamed and swollen 517 
 
 Bellowing, loudly 607 
 
 Belly, much enlarged 506 
 
 do. enlarged, with great pain in 489 
 
 do. pressure upon, produces pain 480 
 
 do. struck with hind feet 489 
 
 do. sudden and severe pain in 480 
 
 do. tucked up 480 
 
 Blood, from the rectum 482 
 
 do. voided in the urine , , 531 
 
 Body, surface of, hot 628 
 
 Bones, prominent 572 
 
 Bowels, constipated * 573, 619 
 
 do. large, watery discharges from 454 
 
 do. yellow or greenish do 483 
 
A GUIDE TO DIAGNOSIS. 763 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Breast-bone, pressure upon, gives great pain 545 
 
 Chest, sudden and irregular nervous action of the muscles of. . • . 606 
 
 Coat, staring 601, 649 
 
 Convulsions 641 
 
 Cough, painful 455 
 
 do. slight 444, 450 
 
 do. suppressed 455 
 
 Cramps 434 
 
 « Cud lost " 613 
 
 Debility 450, 506 
 
 Difficulty, in rising 506 
 
 Dullness 434, 533, 601 
 
 Dung, hard 480 
 
 do. do. and black 619 
 
 do. lighter colored than usual '..... 628 
 
 do. offensive odor from 449 
 
 do. streaked with blood 480 
 
 Ears, hot, drooping and moist 628 
 
 Emaciation . , - • ■ • 450 
 
 Expectoration • 450 
 
 Eyeballs protrude (" stick out") 607 
 
 Eyelids, much swollen 454 
 
 do. of one eye irritated and swollen 559 
 
 Eyes, pain and tenderness of 558 
 
 do. visible surfaces of, highly reddened 545, 607, 641 
 
 do. whites of, turned yellow 613 
 
 do. wild look from 509 
 
 Feet, cold 444 
 
 Fever 450, 455 
 
 Feverishness "-^ 
 
 Fits, epileptic, accompanied by loud bellowing arid pawing the 
 
 ground ""■*■ 
 
 do. do. with running at any thing in reach 601 
 
 Flanks, anxious gazing at, with moaning 482 
 
 do. heavingat 447,480,619 
 
 do. left one swollen and hard 471 
 
 Flesh, rapid loss of. 449 
 
 Foot, discharge of bad smelling matter from 623 
 
 Frantic 600 
 
 Frenzy 600 
 
 Giddiness and nervousness ""^ 
 
 Grunting, or moaning on being backed 455 
 
764 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Gums, eruptions on 464 
 
 do. swollen and black 654 
 
 Hair, coarse and standing straight up 572 
 
 do. rough 447 
 
 do. watery fluid dribbling from 628 
 
 Head, dashed recklessly on the floor 509 
 
 do. directed toward region of the heart , . . 545 
 
 do. drooping of 434 
 
 do. pressed forcibly against a wall 601 
 
 do. thrust forward 444 
 
 do. turned toward liver 613 
 
 Heart, deadened sound on applying the ear over 551 
 
 do. increased force of the beating of 545 
 
 Horns, chilliness of. 533, 606 
 
 do. heat about the base of 551, 613, 628 
 
 do. tearing up ground with 607 
 
 do. trying to injure every thing with 607 
 
 Jaw, (lower) enlargement at the angle of. 581 
 
 Jaws, angle of, gradual enlargement at 583 
 
 do. compressed 434 
 
 Jugular veins engorged 544, 545 
 
 do. do. undulating or " wavy " motion on 545 
 
 Kidneys, pressure over region of, causes pain 533 
 
 Legs, cold 444, 447, 601 
 
 do. fore ones, sudden nervous action of muscles 606 
 
 do. do. trembling 455 
 
 do. do. wide apart 444, 455 
 
 do. tremulous 480 
 
 Lie down, refusal to 444, 455 
 
 Liver, fullness in region of 613 
 
 Milk, quantity diminished 601 
 
 Motion, gives distress 544 
 
 Mouth, dry 447 
 
 do. foaming at 509, 654 
 
 do. hot and clammy 444, 509 
 
 do. hot and feverish 551, 613 
 
 do. increased flow of saliva from 454, 628 
 
 do. lining membrane of, pale and watery 506 
 
 do. lining of, very red 607 
 
 do. do. yellow 613 
 
 Muscles, nervous and spasmodic twitches of 509 
 
 Muzzle, dry 509, 533 
 
A GUIDE TO DIAGNOSIS. 765 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Neck, stiff. 449 
 
 Nervous action 641 
 
 Nose, glairy discharge from 447 
 
 do. lining of, pale and watery 506 
 
 do. do. reddened 447, 545, 607 
 
 do. thrust forward 440 
 
 Nostrils, food returned by the 452 
 
 do. matter from , 439 
 
 Pain, severe and constant, in the bowels 482 
 
 do. do. upon pressing breast-bone 545 
 
 Pawing 607 
 
 Perspiration, profuse, following a fit 601 
 
 Pulse, feeble and oppressed 544 
 
 do. increased force 545, 613 
 
 do. jerking 606 
 
 do. quick 444, 447, 454 
 
 do. do. yet small 641 
 
 do. violent, abrupt, and strong 551 
 
 Restlessness 489 
 
 Respiration, labored 444 
 
 Ribs, pressure between, gives great pain 455 
 
 Rigors, followed by acute inflammatory fever 545 
 
 Rumination, ceased 480, 482, 545, 551, 613, 649 
 
 Separation frOni the herd 602 
 
 Shivering fits , 444, 628 
 
 do. followed by inflammatory fever 545 
 
 Skin, tight and hard 572 
 
 do. yellow 619 
 
 do. watery bladders formed on 628 
 
 « Slobbering " 628 
 
 Snorting 447 
 
 Spasms «. 641 
 
 Spinal column curved in downward direction 506 
 
 Staggering 434, 480, 649 
 
 Stiffness 434, 654 
 
 Stomach, distended with gas 454 
 
 Suffocation 439 
 
 Surface of the body chilly 533, 606 
 
 Swallowing, loss of power of 452, 607 
 
 Tears, running down the face 454, 558 
 
 Teeth, grating of. 509, 601 
 
 Thinness 450 
 
766 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Thirst, intense , 607, 619 
 
 do. slight 613 
 
 Throat, glands of, enlarged 449, 659 
 
 do. soreness of 447 
 
 do. swollen and tender 440 
 
 Tongue, eruptions on 464 
 
 do. much swollen 454, 628 
 
 do. slightly coated 509 
 
 do. swollen and coated with brown fur , . . 641 
 
 do. do. and black 654 
 
 Trembling 434, 641 
 
 Tremblings and twitchings, violent 601 
 
 Tumors on various parts of the body, giving, when pressed, a 
 
 crackling sound 449 
 
 Udder, swollen, hot, and tender 509, 517 
 
 Urine, black 535 
 
 do. bloody 434, 531 
 
 do. difficulty in passing 533 
 
 do. flow of, suddenly arrested, with trembling of hind legs. . . 535 
 
 do. high-colored 641 
 
 do. reddened 533 
 
 do. scanty and dark-colored 628 
 
 do. yellow 619 
 
 Walking, crackling noise heard while 572 
 
 do. with stiffened joints 572 
 
 Wasting away 450 
 
 Wind, from the anus 489 
 
 DISEASES OF SHEEP. 
 
 Anus, inside of, turned yellow 710 
 
 Bloated appearance of body 716 
 
 Breathing, quickened 715 
 
 Cough 715 
 
 Eyelids, kept closed 714 
 
 Eyes, tears from lower corner of. 714 
 
 do. whites of, reddened 714 
 
 do. do. turned yellow 710 
 
 Flanks, heaving at 715 
 
 Head, frequent shaking of 710 
 
A GUIDE TO DIAGNOSIS. 767 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Head, pressed against fence or post 710 
 
 do. purple spots on 726 
 
 Lameness, in fore or hind legs 712 
 
 Lazy movements, with nose almost on the ground 710 
 
 Legs, hot, tender, and swollen, with offensive discharge from .... 712 
 
 Light, painful to the eyes 714 
 
 Nose, discharge from 715 
 
 do. lining of, turned yellow 710 
 
 Panting ' 715 
 
 Skin, turned yellow 710 
 
 Sneezing 715 
 
 Teeth, grating of. 710 
 
 Thighs, insides of, turned yellow 710 
 
 DISEASES OF SWINE. 
 
 Appetite, loss of 724 
 
 Breathing, quick and difficult 724 
 
 do. very difficult 722 
 
 Cough 724 
 
 do. distressing 722 
 
 Diarrhea, copious 726 
 
 Flesh, rapid wasting of. 724 
 
 Food, refusal of. 726 
 
 Mouth, frothing at, as if choking 722 
 
 Neck, stiffness of. 722 
 
 Nose, purple spots on • 726 
 
 do. stretched forward 722 
 
 Shivering fits 724 
 
 Staggering 726 
 
 Swallowing, very difficult 722 
 
 Thirst, great • • 726 
 
 Throat, swollen 722 
 
 Vomiting '2b 
 
 Walking, falling down in 726 
 
 Weakness, great 726 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 TABLES OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 
 
 APOTHECARIES' WEIGHTS. 
 
 20 grains make one scruple, marked 9j. 
 
 3 scruples do. drachm, do 3j. 
 
 8 drachms do. ounce, do gj. 
 
 12 ounces do. pound, do Ibj. 
 
 LIQUID MEASURES. 
 
 60 drops make one drachm, marked ^j. 
 
 8 drachms do. ounce, do §j. 
 
 20 ounces do. pint, do Oj. 
 
 8 pints do. gallon, do Cong. 
 
 ORDINARY MODES OP MEASURING LIQUIDS. 
 
 A tea-spoonful of liquid equals 60 drops, or one drachm. 
 A table-spoonful of do. \ ounce, ox four drachms. 
 
 A dessert-spoonful of do. 180 drops, ox three drachms. 
 A wine- glassful of do. 1-| ounces. 
 
 The doses vary in quantity in different animals. The amount to 
 be given in any case will be found clearly stated in the treatment of 
 each disease, whether of horses, cattle, sheep, or hogs. 
 (768) 
 
GLOSSARY 
 
 MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC TERMS. 
 
 Abnormal — Irregular. 
 
 Absorbents — Medicines used for absorbing ; also the vessels of the 
 
 body which suck up. 
 Acute — Sharp, severe. 
 Adipose — Fatty. 
 Adynamic — Debilitated. 
 Alae — Wings. 
 
 Alteratives — Medicines which change a disease for the better. 
 Anasarca — Dropsy of cellular membrane. 
 Anasarcous — Dropsical. 
 Anaemia — Bloodlessness. 
 
 Antiseptics — Medicines opposed to putrefaction. 
 Antispasmodics — Remedies opposed to spasms or convulsions. 
 Antiphlogistic — Opposed to inflammation. 
 Aperients — Medicines which open the bowels gently. 
 Aqueous — Watery. 
 Ascites — Dropsy of the belly. 
 Ataxic — Disordered. 
 
 Auscultation — Examination by sounding and listening. 
 Autopsy — Post-mortem examination. 
 
 Bifurcation — Division into two branches. 
 
 Bolus — A large pill. 
 
 Buccal Membrane — The lining of the mouth. 
 
 Canthus — Corner of the eye. 
 Capsule — Shell or case. 
 
 49 ? ( 769 ) 
 
770 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Carbonaceous — Containing carbon. 
 
 CARMlNATiVES^Medicines which relieve pain by expelling wind from 
 
 the bowels. 
 Cartilaginous — Composed of cartilage. 
 Cathartic — Loosening. 
 Cellular — Cell-like. 
 Cerebellum — The brain. 
 Cerebrum — The brain. 
 Chancrous — Cancerous. 
 Clinical — Relating to individual practice. 
 Coma — Stupor. 
 Comatose — Stupefied 
 Conjunctival Membrane — The membrane which lines the eyelids 
 
 and covers the eyeball. 
 Cornea — Transparent coat of the eye. 
 Cranial — Pertaining to the skull. 
 Cranium — Skull. 
 Crucial — Shaped like a cross. 
 
 Decarbonize — To purify by air. 
 
 Diagnosis — The art of telling the nature of diseases. 
 
 Diaphoretics — Medicines which promote perspiration. 
 
 Diathesis — Predisposition to certain diseases. 
 
 Dietetics — Regulation of diet. 
 
 Diuretics — Medicines which increase the flow of urine. 
 
 Duct — Canal. 
 
 Dynamic — Relating to the vital forces. 
 
 Emollients — Substances used to reduce inflammations. 
 Emphysema — Distention by gas or wind of certain portions of the 
 
 body. 
 Emunctories — Organs which carry off waste matters. 
 Encephalon — The brain. 
 Enema — Injection. 
 
 Enzootic — Endemic diseases among animals. 
 Epizootic — Epidemic among animals. 
 Equilibrium — Balance. 
 Equine — Relating to the horse. 
 Etiology — The doctrine of the causes of disorders. 
 Excrementitious — Useless. 
 
 Excretory — Relating to vessels which throw off useless matter. 
 Extravasation — Escape of a fluid of the body from its vessel into 
 
 surrounding parts. 
 
GLOSSARY OF MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC TERMS. 771 
 
 Exudation — Oozing through a membrane. 
 
 Fauces — The throat. 
 Fleam — Used in bleeding. 
 
 Graminivorous— Feeding on grass. 
 
 Hematosine — The red coloring matter of the blood. 
 
 Hemorrhage — Bleeding. 
 
 Hippiatric — Relating to diseases of the horse. 
 
 Histology — General anatomy. 
 
 Hydrocephalus — Water in the head. 
 
 Hygiene — Preservation of health. 
 
 Ichorous — Humory. 
 Idiopathic — Primary affections. 
 Idiosyncrasy — Peculiarity of constitution. 
 Indurated — Hardened. 
 Inguinal — Belonging to the groin. 
 Intercostal — Between the ribs. 
 Inunction — The act of rubbing in. 
 
 Lachrymal Glands — Those which secrete tears. 
 
 Lancinating — " Shooting." 
 
 Laxatives — Loosening medicines. 
 
 Lesion — Disorder. 
 
 Ligament — The substance which joins bones together. 
 
 Mammae — Breasts. 
 Masseters — Muscles of the jaws. 
 Morbid — Diseased. 
 Morbific — Producing disease. 
 
 Navicular — One of the bones of the foot. 
 Neuro-pathology — The nervous system in disease. 
 Nodulous — Like a knot. 
 Nosology — Classification of diseases. 
 
 (Edematous — Swollen. 
 •"Opaque — Not transparent. 
 Os calcis — Bone of the heel. 
 Osseous — Bony. 
 Ovoid — In form of an egg. 
 
772 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 Palatine — Relating to the palate. 
 
 Panzootic — An epidemic affecting animals generally. 
 
 Parasite — An animal which lives on another. 
 
 Parotid — Largest salivary gland. 
 
 Pathology — The study of the body in disease. 
 
 Pedicle — Narrow part of a tumor. 
 
 Petechial — Resembling flea-bites. 
 
 Phthisis — Wasting away. 
 
 Pituitary Membrane — Lining of the nostrils. 
 
 Pseudo-membranous — Relating to false membranes. 
 
 Pus — Matter. 
 
 Pylorus — Entrance into intestines. 
 
 Rale — A watery sound heard in sounding the chest in some diseases. 
 
 Sanative — Health-giving. 
 
 Schneiderian Membrane — The lining of the nostrils. 
 
 Sebaceous — Of the nature of suet. 
 
 Sedatives — Medicines which produce sleep. 
 
 Serous — -Watery. 
 
 Serum — Watery part of the blood. 
 
 Solvent — That which dissolves. 
 
 Sporadic — Scattered. 
 
 Submaxillary — Beneath the jaw. 
 
 Sudamina — Small eruptions. 
 
 Supra-renal — Above the kidney. 
 
 Thoracic — Relating to the chest. 
 
 Thyroid — Shaped like a folding door. 
 
 Tonics — Medicines which give tone and strength to the body. 
 
 Tubercular — Relating to tumors in the structure of an organ. 
 
 Tumefaction — Swelling. 
 
 Turbinated Bones — Bones of the nose shaped like a top. 
 
 Turgescence — Great amount of humors in any part. 
 
 Vascular — Full of blood-vessels. 
 
 Ventricle — Cavity. 
 
 Virus — Poison. 
 
 Vis a pronte — Force from the front, 
 
 Vis a tergo — Force of propulsion. 
 
 Viscous — Sticky. 
 
 Voice-box — Larynx. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 EQUINE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 A PAGES 
 
 Abdominal cavity, wounds of. 206 
 
 Abscess within the substance of the 
 
 brain 58 
 
 Absorbents, disease of. 156 
 
 Abstraction of blood 268 
 
 Acute cough 99 
 
 Acute disease of the laminae of the 
 
 foot 350 
 
 Acute disease of the eye 46 
 
 Acute rheumatism 333 
 
 Acute and general disease of the 
 brain, known as encephali- 
 tis 76 
 
 Advantages of in-and-in breeding. 315 
 
 Affections, typhoid 110 
 
 Age of horse, as known by his teeth. 127 
 
 Albuminous urine 235 
 
 Amaurosis 40 
 
 Amputations 260 
 
 Amputation of the penis 261 
 
 Anaemia 397 
 
 Analysis of the blood in glanders. 25 
 
 Anatomy of the lungs 90 
 
 Anatomy and physiology, impor- 
 tance of studying 315 
 
 Anatomy of the tail 394 
 
 Animals become parents too early. 312 
 
 Apoplexy, cerebral 64 
 
 Apoplexy of the spine 65 
 
 Apoplexy of the spleen 206 
 
 Artereotomy 268 
 
 Ascites, or abdominal dropsy 199 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Atrophy, or wasting of muscles in 
 the region of the shoulder- 
 blade 324 
 
 B 
 
 Back, galled 400 
 
 Big head and big jaw 362 
 
 Bladder, inflammation of. 224 
 
 do. stone in 224 
 
 do. rupture of 232 
 
 Bleeding, various modes of. 268 
 
 Blistering .■ 263 
 
 Bloody urine 237 
 
 Blood, the quantity found in the 
 
 body 402 
 
 Blood, its transfusion 404 
 
 Bog spavin 323 
 
 Bots, stomachic and hemorrhoidal.. 164 
 
 Bowed legs 381 
 
 Brain, abscess within its substance. 58 
 
 do. dropsy of. 60 
 
 do. acute disease of. 76 
 
 Breeding, and the principles of the 
 
 same 302 
 
 do. in-and-in 307 
 
 Brief exposition of the function of 
 
 the lungs 88 
 
 Bronchocele 103 
 
 C 
 
 Capped hock 322 
 
 Case of laryngitis in Patchen colt.. 94 
 (773) 
 
774 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Case of croup 97 
 
 Case of pleurisy and dropsy of the 
 
 chest 120 
 
 Case of meteorization 186 
 
 Casting, mode of 241 
 
 Castration, different methods of.... 243 
 
 Cataract 45 
 
 Catarrh, epizootic 106 
 
 Causes of disease 19 
 
 Cerebral hemorrhage 64 
 
 Chabert on polypus 102 
 
 Cholera, hog 
 
 Chorea, equine 81 
 
 Chronic rheumatism 336 
 
 Circulation of the heart 401 
 
 do. experiments on its ra- 
 pidity 403 
 
 Colic, flatulent 189 
 
 do. spasmodic... 193 
 
 do. treated by inhalation 195 
 
 Composition of the blood of a 
 
 healthy horse 25 
 
 Composition of the blood glandered 25 
 
 Condition, out of 299 
 
 Congenital glanders 24 
 
 Contagiousness of glanders..... 151 
 
 do. of strangles 413 
 
 Contraction of the hoof 344 
 
 Copeman on treatment of inflam- 
 mation 47 
 
 Copeman on meningitis 80 
 
 Cornea, opacity of..... 44 
 
 Corns 384 
 
 Cough, in its chronic and acute 
 
 stage 99 
 
 Croup, (cynanche trachealis) 95 
 
 Curry-comb, use and abuse of. 397 
 
 Curbs 319 
 
 Curing diseases, the best method of. 26 
 Curvation and disease of the spine. 361 
 Cystitis , 224 
 
 D 
 Death of a horse from ruptured 
 
 stomach 179 
 
 Dentition .' 127 
 
 Diabetes 229 
 
 Diet ,133 
 
 do. changes in, recommended 141 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Digestive organs, disease of 160 
 
 Disease, causes of. 19 
 
 do. hereditary causes of. 20 
 
 do. cases of 26 
 
 do. of the urinary organs 223 
 
 Diseases of the skin and sub-tis- 
 sues 274 
 
 Dislocation of the stifle 343 
 
 Division of the flexor tendons 259 
 
 Docking of the tail 395 
 
 Dropsy of the brain 60 
 
 do. of the abdomen 199 
 
 Dropsical limbs 287 
 
 Dun, F. on causes of hereditary 
 
 disease 20 
 
 E 
 
 Education, importance of. 32, 
 
 Elbow tumor 321 
 
 Encephalitis 76 
 
 Enteritis 201 
 
 Enlargement of the thyroid glands. 103 
 
 Epilepsy 66 \ 
 
 Epiglottis, spasm of. 90 
 
 Epizootic catarrh 106 
 
 Equine chorea, or stringhalt 81 
 
 Experiments by M. Magendie on 
 the brain and nervous sys- 
 tem 83 
 
 Experiments on the itch insect 277 
 
 Eye, acute disease of. 46 
 
 do. worm within 45 
 
 do. treatment of inflammation 
 
 (Copeman on) 47 
 
 Eyelids, foreign bodies within 44 
 
 F 
 
 Farcy 156 
 
 Fever, typhus 110 
 
 Films, or specks on the eye 44 
 
 Firing 262 
 
 Fistulous withers 295 
 
 Fits, epileptic G6 
 
 do. hereditary origin of 67 
 
 Flatulent colic 189 
 
 Flexor tendons, division of. 259 
 
 Food, effects of various kinds 137 
 
 do. quality required 138 
 
 Foot, management of, in the stable. 409 
 
INDEX. 
 
 775 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Foreign bodies within the eyelids.. 44 
 
 Founder, bleeding for the same 37 
 
 Fracture of the pelvis 376 
 
 Functional disease of the liver 211 
 
 Function of the pancreas 216 
 
 Fundament, falling of. 387 
 
 G 
 
 Galled back 400 
 
 Gamgee on splenic apoplexy 206 
 
 Gastritis 178 
 
 Giddiness, or vertigo 74 
 
 Glands, thryoid, enlargement of... 103 
 
 Glanders 147 
 
 do. congenital 24 
 
 do. analysis of the blood 25 
 
 do. can be communicated to • 
 
 man 147 
 
 do. contagiousness of 151 
 
 do. why the disease is so 
 
 called 155 
 
 Glass eye 40 
 
 Glottis, spasm of 90 
 
 Gohier on polypus 103 
 
 Goiter 103 
 
 Gorged or over-distended stomach.. 182 
 
 Grease 283 
 
 do. nature of. ?. 23 
 
 do. transmission of from horse 
 
 to man .* 285 
 
 Gutta serena 40 
 
 H 
 
 Hematuria 237 
 
 Heart, its .circulation 401 
 
 Heaves 125 
 
 Heels, disease of 283 
 
 Hemorrhage, cerebral 64 
 
 do.- spinal 65 
 
 Hemorrhoidal bots 164 
 
 Hemorrhoids, or piles 391 
 
 Hereditary origin of epileptic fits. 66 
 
 do. causes of disease 20 
 
 Herpes 299 
 
 Hide-bound 347 
 
 Hock, capped 322 
 
 Hoof, contraction of. 344 
 
 Hoof-bound 347 
 
 Horses, lice on 282 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Horse's foot, management of, in the 
 
 stable 409 
 
 Hydrocephalus 60 
 
 I 
 
 Importance of ventilating stables, 
 in view of preventing dis- 
 eases of the lungs 86 
 
 In-and-in breeding 307 
 
 Inflammation, nature of 38 
 
 do. its nature and treat- 
 ment 35 
 
 do. treatment of. 47 
 
 do. of the lungs 114 
 
 do. of the pericardium.. 123 
 
 do. of the stomach 178 
 
 do. of the peritoneum... 197 
 
 do. of the intestines 201 
 
 do. of the bladder 224 
 
 do. of the kidneys 223 
 
 Inflammatory laryngitis 92 
 
 Influenza, or epizootic catarrh 106 
 
 do. followed by acute dis- 
 ease of the brain 108 
 
 Inhalation, colic treated by the 
 
 Same 195 
 
 Intestines, strangulation of. 205 
 
 Intestinal canal, parasites infest- 
 ing the 217 
 
 Iodine, Morton on 105 
 
 Itch 274 
 
 do. insect, experiments on 277 
 
 K 
 
 Kidneys, inflammation of 223 
 
 Knees, sprung 381 
 
 L 
 
 Lameness from various causes 319 
 
 do. navicular 330 
 
 do. remarks on 385 
 
 Laminitis 350 
 
 Lampas 160 
 
 Laryngitis, suppurative and in- 
 flammatory 92 
 
 Leblanc, M., on tracheotomy 100 
 
 Legs, bowed 381 
 
 do. swelled 287 
 
 Lice on horses 282 
 
776 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Limbs, dropsical 287 
 
 Lithotomy, method of performing... 252 
 
 Liver, functional disease of 211 
 
 Locked-jaw 70 
 
 Lungs, anatomy of 90 
 
 do. function of 88 
 
 do. inflammation of 114 
 
 M 
 Magendie's experiments on ani- 
 mals 83 
 
 Malignant typhus 113 
 
 Management of the horse's foot in 
 
 the stable 409 
 
 Mange 274 
 
 Meningitis, Copeman on 80 
 
 Meteorization of the intestines 186 
 
 Morton on iodine 105 
 
 N 
 
 Navicular lameness 330 
 
 Navicularthrites 341 
 
 Nephrites 223 
 
 Neurotomy, mode of operating 256 
 
 Nicking 262 
 
 do. the tail .*.... 392 
 
 Niti'ate of potass, its uses 335 
 
 Nostrils, polypus within 101 
 
 O 
 Objections to in-and-in breeding 
 
 answered 314 
 
 (Esophagotomy 255 
 
 (Estrus equi 171 
 
 (Estrus, hemorrhoidalis 173 
 
 Opacity of the cornea 44 
 
 Operations, surgical 239 
 
 Ophthalmia 46 
 
 do. purulent 55 
 
 do. specific 56 
 
 Osteo porosis, known as big head 
 
 and big jaw 362 
 
 Out of condition 299 
 
 P 
 
 Pancreas and its function 216 
 
 Paraplegia 65 
 
 Parasites infesting the intestinal 
 
 canal 217 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Patchen colt, laryngitis, case of... 94 
 
 Pelvis, fracture of. 376 
 
 Penis, amputation of. 261 
 
 Peritonitis 197 
 
 Pericarditis 123 
 
 do. Woodger on 124 
 
 Peritoneum, inflammation of 197 
 
 Periosteotomy 258 
 
 Phlebotomy 270 
 
 Piles, or hemorrhoids 391 
 
 Pleurisy 119 
 
 do. and dropsy of the chest, 
 
 case of. 120 
 
 Pleurodynia, painful affection of *" 
 the pleura and muscles of 
 
 the chest 332 
 
 Poll-evil 292 
 
 Pneumonia 114 
 
 Polypus within the nostrils 101 
 
 do. Chaberton 102 
 
 do. Gohier on 103 
 
 Pricking the tail 392 
 
 Prolapsus ani (falling of the fun- 
 dament) 387 
 
 Prurigo 291 
 
 Pure water needed by horses and 
 
 cattle 398 
 
 Purulent ophthalmia 55 
 
 * Q 
 Quantity of blood in a horse's body. 402 
 Quarter crack 352 
 
 R 
 
 Remarks on veterinary science 19 
 
 Remedy for tape-worm 221 
 
 Retention of urine 229 
 
 Rheumatism, acute 333 
 
 do. chronic 336 
 
 Ring-bone 337 
 
 Ring-worm 291 
 
 Roaring 100 
 
 Rowelling 266 
 
 Rupture of the bladder 232 
 
 do. of the stomach 178 
 
 S 
 
 Saliva, amount of secretion 163 
 
 Salivation, spontaneous slavering.. 162 
 
INDEX. 
 
 777 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Sand crack 352 
 
 Scabies 276 
 
 Scarlatina 288 
 
 Scratches 283 
 
 Scrofula, its predisposition 24 
 
 Skin, diseases of 278 
 
 do. warts on 295 
 
 Slinging, mode of. 242 
 
 Spasm of the muscles of the glottis 
 
 and epiglottis 90 
 
 Spasmodic colic 193 
 
 Spavin 370 
 
 do. bog 323 
 
 Specific ophthalmia 56 
 
 Spinal hemorrhage 65 
 
 Spine, disease and curvature of.... 361 
 
 Splent 378 
 
 Splenic apoplexy.., 206 
 
 Sprung knees 381 
 
 Stables, importance of ventilating. 86 
 
 Staggers, Coleman on 63 
 
 Stifle out, dislocation of the stifle- 
 bone 343 
 
 Stomachic bots 164 
 
 Stomach, gorged 182 
 
 do. inflammation of 178 
 
 do. rupture of. 178 
 
 do. staggers 62 
 
 Stone in the bladder 224 
 
 Stringhalt 81 
 
 St. Vitus'sdance 81 
 
 Strangles 411 
 
 do. contagiousness of. 413 
 
 Strangulation of the intestines 205 
 
 Suppurative laryngitis 92 
 
 Suppression of urine 226 
 
 Surgical operations 239 
 
 Surfeit 286 
 
 Sweeny 324 
 
 Swelled legs 287 
 
 T 
 
 Tail, anatomy of 394 
 
 do. docking of. 395 
 
 do. nicking 392 
 
 Tape-worm, remedy for 221 
 
 Temporary teeth, remarks on 128 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Tetanus 70 
 
 Teeth, age of horse as shown by the 127 
 
 The principles of breeding 304 
 
 Thorough-pin 328 
 
 Toe sand-crack 354 
 
 Trachealis, cynanche 95 
 
 Tracheotomy 254 
 
 do. Leblanc on 100 
 
 Transfusion of blood 404 
 
 Tumor of the elbow 321 
 
 Twitch, use of 239 
 
 Typhus, or typhoid affections 110 
 
 do. malignant 113 
 
 Tympanitis 188 
 
 U 
 
 Urinary organs, disease of 223 
 
 Urination, profuse 229 
 
 Urine, suppression of 226 
 
 do. retention of 229 
 
 do. albuminous 235 
 
 do. bloody 237 
 
 Use and abuse of the curry-comb.. 397 
 
 V 
 
 Vapor bath 114 
 
 Varix, or bog spavin 323 
 
 Ventilation, importance of. 86 
 
 Vertigo 74 
 
 Veterinary science, remarks on.... 19 
 do. science, the relation it 
 bears to social sci- 
 ence 27 
 
 do. science, how to inaugu- 
 rate it 30 
 
 do. education, importance 
 
 of 32 
 
 W 
 
 Warts on the skin 295 
 
 Water, necessity of its purity 398 
 
 Withers, fistulous 295 
 
 Woodger on pericarditis 124 
 
 Worms 217 
 
 Worm within the eye 45 
 
 Wounds penetrating the abdominal 
 
 cavity 206 
 
778 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 BOVINE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 A PAGES 
 
 Abortion in cows 522 
 
 Abscess at the angle of the jaw.... 583 
 
 After-birth, removal of. 497 
 
 Anthrax 648 
 
 Aphthae 464 
 
 Apoplexy, pulmonary 453 
 
 B 
 
 Bile, its secretion and uses 612 
 
 Bladder, description of. 530 
 
 do. calculi within 534 
 
 Black water 535 
 
 Black leg 648 
 
 do. tongue 654 
 
 Bloat 468 
 
 Bone disorder 576 
 
 Bones, their mechanism, structure, 
 
 and composition 580 
 
 do. fracture of. 655 
 
 do. ulceration of. 585 
 
 Bowels, inflammation of 480 
 
 do. spasm of 490 
 
 do. constipation of. 491 
 
 Brain, inflammation of. 600 
 
 Bronchitis 442 
 
 Bronchial tubes, description of 442 
 
 Bronchocele 659 
 
 C 
 Cachexia ossafragia (the cripple).. 568 
 
 Calculi in the bladder 534 
 
 Calves, diarrhea in 658 
 
 Cancer of the eye 560 
 
 Caries, or ulceration of bones 585 
 
 Castration 631 
 
 Catarrh, common 447 
 
 do. epizootic 449 
 
 Cattle, dentition of 475 
 
 do. plague, remarks on 668 
 
 do. do. in Kentucky '... 433 
 
 Cerebral parasites 601 
 
 Chapped teats and chafed udder... 520 
 
 Cheap fodder for cows 648 
 
 Chronic diarrhea 484 
 
 Cleansing, or removal of the after- 
 birth 497 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Coats of the eye 554 
 
 Colic, flatulent 489 
 
 Constipation of the bowels 491 
 
 Constriction at the neck of the 
 
 uterus 503 
 
 Consumption : 450 
 
 Contagious pleuro-pneumonia 419 
 
 Cords in young calves 644 
 
 Cows, abortion in 522 
 
 do. spaying of. 661 
 
 Cracks in the heels 629 
 
 Croup 439 
 
 Cud, loss of. 478 
 
 D 
 
 Dentition of cattle 475 
 
 do. synopsis 477 
 
 Description of the larynx 441 
 
 do. of bronchial tubes 442 
 
 do. of the pharynx 453 
 
 do. of the pleura 455 
 
 do. of oesophagus 457 
 
 do. of the stomach 465 
 
 do. of the urinary sys- 
 tem 529 
 
 do. of the heart 540 
 
 do. of the eye 533 
 
 do. of the liver 611 
 
 Dilatation of the heart 544 
 
 do. of the jaw-bones 581 
 
 Diarrhea 483 
 
 do. chronic 484 
 
 do. in calves 658 
 
 Diseases of the generative oi'gans... 503 
 do. of the eye and its mem- 
 branes 553 
 
 do. of the bones 568 
 
 do. of the brain 600 
 
 do. of the liver 611 
 
 do. of the skin 620 
 
 do. of the udder, teats, etc.... 517 
 
 do. of the urinary organs 529 
 
 Diseased thymus gland 643 
 
 Disorder of bone 576 
 
 Distension of the rumen with food. 471 
 Dropsy of the womb 506 
 
INDEX. 
 
 779 
 
 E PAGES 
 
 Embryotomy 503 
 
 Endocarditis 551 
 
 Enteritis 480 
 
 Enzootic milk-sickness, or trem- 
 bles 635 
 
 Epizootic catarrh 449 
 
 do. aphthae 464 
 
 Eruption, vesicular 628 
 
 Exanthemata, or eruptive fever... 620 
 
 Exostosis 584 
 
 Eye, cancer of 561 
 
 do. coats of. 554 
 
 do. diseases of. 553 
 
 do. foreign bodies in 559 
 
 do. humors of. 553 
 
 do. inflammation of 558 
 
 do. muscles of. 555 
 
 F 
 
 Falling of the womb. 513 
 
 Fever, puerperal 507 
 
 do. eruptive 620 
 
 Flatulent colic 489 
 
 Food, ingestion of. 466 
 
 Foreign bodies in the gullet 457 
 
 Foul in the foot 623 
 
 Fractured bones 655 
 
 G 
 
 Gadflies 625 
 
 Gastro-intestinal inflammation 472 
 
 Generative organs, diseases of 503 
 
 Gullet, foreign bodies in 457 
 
 Gut-tie 485 
 
 H 
 
 Hsematuria 531 
 
 Hair of cattle as an epidemic ap- 
 pendage 627 
 
 Heart, description of. 540 
 
 do. " its function and diseases.... 543 
 
 do. dilatation of. 544 
 
 do. hypertrophy of. 550 
 
 Heels, cracks in 629 
 
 Hemorrhage, uterine 500 
 
 Hernia, orruptures 562 
 
 do. inguinal 563 
 
 do. strangulated 563 
 
 do. ventral 564 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Horn-ail 538 
 
 Hoose, or common catarrh 447 
 
 Hoven 453 
 
 Humor of the eye 553 
 
 Hydatids 614 
 
 Hydrophobia 607 
 
 I 
 
 Improved method of milking 642 
 
 do. method of spaying 666 
 
 Inflammation of the lungs 443 
 
 do. gastro-intestinal 472 
 
 do. of the bowels 480 
 
 do. of the eye 558 
 
 do. of the brain and its 
 
 membranes 600 
 
 do. of the liver 613 
 
 do. of the udder 517 
 
 Inflammatory affection of the hind 
 limbs after calv- 
 ing 527 
 
 do. affection of the kid- 
 neys 533 
 
 Internal ruptures in oxen 488 
 
 Invagination of intestines 481 
 
 Inversion of the vagina 521 
 
 J 
 Jaundice 617 
 
 Jaw-bones, dilatation of. 581 
 
 Jaw, abscess at its angle 583 
 
 K 
 
 Kentucky, cattle plague in 433 
 
 Kidneys, inflammation of 533 
 
 L 
 
 Labor, signs of. ".. 492 
 
 do. natural 492 
 
 do. unnatural 493 
 
 Laceration of the vagina 522 
 
 do of the oesophagus 459 
 
 Laryngitis 439 
 
 Larynx, description of. 441 
 
 Light in barns, necessity of 657 
 
 Liver, description of. 611 
 
 do. inflammation of. 613 
 
 Loss of cud 478 
 
 Lungs, inflammation of 443 
 
780 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 M PAGES 
 
 Maminites 517 
 
 Mange 623 
 
 Milking, improved method of. 642 
 
 Milk sickness 635 
 
 Muscles of the eye and eyelids 555 
 
 N 
 Natural labor 492 
 
 
 
 (Esophagus, description of. 457 
 
 do. laceration of. 459 
 
 (Esophagotomy, operation of 458 
 
 Ophthalmia 558 
 
 Origin of pleuro-pneumonia in 
 
 Massachusetts 419 
 
 Oxen, internal ruptures in 488 
 
 P 
 
 Palsy, shaking 606 
 
 Parasites, cerebral 601 
 
 Parturition 492 
 
 Pemphigus, or vesicular eruption.. 628 
 
 Pericarditis 545 
 
 Pericardium and its diseases 545 
 
 Pharyngitis, or sore throat 452 
 
 Pharynx, description of. 453 
 
 Plague, cattle 668 
 
 Pleura, description of 455 
 
 Pleurisy 455 
 
 Pleuro-pneumonia, contagious 419 
 
 do. its introduction 
 
 into South 
 
 Africa 427 
 
 Pneumonia , 443 
 
 Pregnancy, treatment of cows dur- 
 ing 504 
 
 do. symptoms of. 506 
 
 Puerperal fever 507 
 
 Pulmonary apoplexy 453 
 
 R 
 
 Red water 536 
 
 Rinderpest 419 
 
 Rumen, distension of with food.... 471 
 
 Rumination, or remastication 466 
 
 do. suspension of. 478 
 
 S PAGES 
 
 Secretion of ile, bits uses, etc 612 
 
 Shaking palsy 606 
 
 Signs of labor 492 
 
 Sore throat 452 
 
 Spasm of the bowels 490 
 
 Spaying cows 661 
 
 do. improved method 666 
 
 Specific or periodic ophthalmia 559 
 
 Sprains or strains 659 
 
 Steamed and cooked food for 
 
 stock 645 
 
 Stomach, description of 465 
 
 Stricture in cows' teats 519 
 
 Sturdy, or cerebral parasites 601 
 
 Sympathy and its relations 585 
 
 Symptoms of pregnancy 506 
 
 Synopsis of dentition 477 
 
 Suspended rumination 478 
 
 T 
 Tail-ail 597 
 
 Teats, stricture in 519 
 
 do. obstruction in , 519 
 
 do. tumors in 520 
 
 do. injuries to 520 
 
 do. sore 520 
 
 do. chapped 520 
 
 Throat, sore 452 
 
 Thrush, or sore mouth 464 
 
 Thymus gland, disease of 643 
 
 Tongue, black 654 
 
 Treatment of cows during preg- 
 nancy 504 
 
 Trembles 635 
 
 Triplets, birth of 500 
 
 Tympanitis 468 
 
 Twins, birth of 500 
 
 U 
 
 Udder, inflammation of 517 
 
 Unnatural labor 493 
 
 Ureters 530 
 
 Urinary calculi 534 
 
 do. organs, diseases of 529 
 
 do. system, description of. 529 
 
 Uterine hemorrhage 500 
 
 Uterus, constriction of. 503 
 
INDEX. 
 
 781 
 
 V PAGES 
 
 Vagina, inversion of 521 
 
 do. laceration of. 522 
 
 W 
 
 Warts 624 
 
 Womb, dropsy of 506 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Womb, falling of 513 
 
 Y 
 
 Yellows, or jaundice 617 
 
 Yoke-galls 626 
 
 SHEEP AND SWINE. 
 
 A PAGES 
 
 Arnica, fluid extract of 748 
 
 Aconite, do. do. 754 
 
 B 
 
 Bakewell on sheep 707 
 
 Bayberry, fluid extract of 751 
 
 Bjlly, windy distention of, in sheep 716 
 
 Blankets for sheep 711 
 
 Black snakeroot, fluid extract of... 749 
 
 Black pepper, do. do 752 
 
 Bloodroot, do. do 752 
 
 Bowels, constipation of, in sheep... 716 
 
 Breeding of sheep 707 
 
 Buchu, fluid extract of. 749 
 
 C 
 
 Catarrh, in sheep 715 
 
 Chamomile, fluid extract of. 748 
 
 Cholera, hog 725 
 
 do. do. Sutton on 727 
 
 do. do. Dadd's remedy for.... 735 
 
 Colchicum, fluid extract of. 750 
 
 Constipation of bowels in sheep... 716 
 
 Cubebs, fluid extract of 752 
 
 Culver's root, do 751 
 
 D 
 
 Dadd's remedy for hog cholera 735 
 
 Diagnosis, guide to 755 
 
 do. Equine Department 756 
 
 do. Bovine do. 762 
 
 Diarrhea in sheep 716 
 
 Diseases of sheep 706 
 
 do. of swine 717 
 
 Dysentery in sheep - 716 
 
 E PAGES 
 
 Effects of impure air on swine 719 
 
 Extracts, fluid, list of. 747 
 
 Eye, inflammation of, in sheep 714 
 
 F 
 
 Foot-rot in sheep 712 
 
 Fluid extracts, list of 747 
 
 G 
 
 Giddiness in sheep 711 
 
 Ginger, fluid extract of 753 
 
 Golden seal, do 750 
 
 Grubs in the nostrils of sheep 713 
 
 Guide to diagnosis 755 
 
 H 
 
 Hemorrhage, remedy for 754 
 
 Hernia, or rupture, of swine 723 
 
 Hog cholera 725 
 
 Hops, fluid extract of 750 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda 754 
 
 I 
 
 Impure air, effects of on swine 719 
 
 Indian hemp, fluid extract of. 749 
 
 Inflammation of lungs in swine... 724 
 
 Inflammation of the eye in sheep.. 714 
 
 do. of lungs do. .. 715 
 
 Intestinal worms in swine 724 
 
 J 
 
 Jackets for sheep 711 
 
 L 
 
 Labor, tedious, remedy for 753 
 
 Liver of sheep, hydatids in 709 
 
782 
 
 DADD'S VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Liver of sheep, disease of 710 
 
 Lobelia, fluid extract of 751 
 
 Lungs of sheep, inflammation of... 715 
 do of swine, do. ... 724 
 
 M 
 
 Male fern, fluid extract of. 748 
 
 Matico, do. do 752 
 
 Mandrake, do. do 752 
 
 Measles in pork.. 721 
 
 N 
 Nostrils of sheep, grubs in.. 713 
 
 P 
 
 Pleurisy root, fluid extract of....... 748 
 
 Pneumonia in swine 724 
 
 Poke-root, fluid extract of. 751 
 
 Poppy-heads, do. do 751 
 
 Pork, measles in 721 
 
 Prince's pine, fluid extract of. 749 
 
 Q 
 
 Quinsy in swine 723 
 
 R 
 
 Rot in sheep 709 
 
 Rupture of swine 723 
 
 S 
 Sassafras, fluid extract of. 751 
 
 PAGES 
 
 Sheep, diseases of. 706 
 
 do. improvement of. 706 
 
 do. Bakewell's manner of 
 
 breeding 707 
 
 Soda, hyposulphite of. 754 
 
 Sutton on hog cholera 727 
 
 ^wine, diseases of. 717 
 
 do. effects of impure air on 719 
 
 T 
 
 Tedious labor, remedy for 753 
 
 Ticks in sheep 714 
 
 Trichina spiralis 736 
 
 do. do. Brown on 743 
 
 Tympanites in sheep 716 
 
 , V 
 
 Valerian, fluid extract of 753 
 
 Vertigo in sheep 711 
 
 W 
 
 Witch-hazel, fluid extract of. 750 
 
 Worms in swine 724 
 
 Wormwood, fluid extract of 748 
 
 Wounds, remedy for 753 
 
 T 
 
 Yellows in sheep 710 
 
 Yellow jessamine, fluid extract of.. 750 
 
 X.300 
 
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