Powdered caraways, 1 ounce.
Assafoetida, 1 tea-spoonful.
Boiling water, 2 quarts.
To be given at a dose.
Any of the above preparations may be repeated, as circumstances seem to
require. Yet it must be borne in mind that we are apt to do too much,
and that the province of the good physician is "to know when to do
nothing." The following case from Mr. Youatt's work illustrates this
fact:--
"A very singular variety of milk fever has already been hinted at. The
cow is down, but there is apparently nothing more the matter with her
than that she is unable to rise; she eats and drinks, and ruminates as
usual, and the evacuations are scarcely altered. In this state she
continues from ten days to a fortnight, and then she gets up well." Yes,
and many thousands more would "get up well," if they were only let
alone. Nature requires assistance sometimes; hence the need of doctors
and nurses. All, however, that is required of the doctor to do is, just
to attend to the calls of nature,--whose servant he is,--and bring her
what she wants to use in her own way. The nearer the remedies partake or
consist of air, water, warmth, and food, the more sure and certain are
they to do good.
If a cow, in high condition, has just calved, appears restless, becomes
irritable, the eye and tongue protruding, and a total suspension of milk
takes place, we may conclude that there is danger of puerperal fever. No
time should be lost: the aperient must be given immediately; warm
injections must be thrown into the rectum, and the teats must be
industriously drawn, to solicit the secretion of milk. In this case, all
food should be withheld: "starve a fever" suits this case exactly.