U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY.
J. R. MOHLER, CHIEF OF BUREAU.
* * * * *
SPECIAL REPORT
ON
DISEASES OF CATTLE.
BY
Drs. ATKINSON, DICKSON, EICHHORN, HICKMAN, LAW, LOWE,
MARSH, MOHLER, MURRAY, PEARSON, RANSOM,
TRUMBOWER, and WOODWARD.
* * * * *
REVISED EDITION, 1923.
[Illustration: USDA seal]
WASHINGTON:
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.
1923.
* * * * *
Transcriber's note: Minor typos have been corrected, tables have been
modified where necessary to fit within the constraints of a text file, and
footnotes have been moved to the ends of the sections. Inconsistencies in
spelling (e.g., D'Arboval/D'Arborval) and hyphenation (e.g.,
postmortem/post-mortem) have been resolved in all cases where it was
possible to divine the author's intent with a reasonable degree of
certainty. The occasional error which could not be resolved was marked
[sic]. Italicized letters and words are enclosed by _underscores_.
Subscripts are represented by an underscore and curly braces: _{2}
(for example, SiO_{2}). Ligatures which cannot be reproduced in the Latin-1
character set are enclosed in [brackets] (for example, C[oe]nurus).
* * * * *
[Extract from "An act making appropriations for the Department of
Agriculture for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1924, and for other
purposes," approved February 26, 1923. Public--No. 446.]
For printing, binding, and distribution of the publications entitled
"Diseases of the Horse" and "Diseases of Cattle," $200,000:
_Provided_, That said publications shall be deposited one-third in
the folding room of the Senate and two-thirds in the folding room of
the House of Representatives, and said documents shall be distributed
by Members of the Senate and House of Representatives.
CONTENTS.
Page.
Administration of medicines. By LEONARD PEARSON 7
Diseases of the digestive organs. By A. J. MURRAY 12
Poisons and poisoning. By V. T. ATKINSON 51
Diseases of the heart, blood vessels, and lymphatics.
By W. H. HARBAUGH 73
Noncontagious diseases of the organs of respiration.
By WILLIAM HERBERT LOWE 87
Diseases of the nervous system. By W. H. HARBAUGH 101
Diseases of the urinary organs. By JAMES LAW 113
Diseases of the generative organs. By JAMES LAW 147
Diseases following parturition. By JAMES LAW 214
Diseases of young calves. By JAMES LAW 247
Bones: Diseases and accidents. By V. T. ATKINSON 264
Surgical operations. By WILLIAM DICKSON and WILLIAM HERBERT LOWE 289
Tumors affecting cattle. By JOHN R. MOHLER 303
Diseases of the skin. By M. R. TRUMBOWER 320
Diseases of the foot. By M. R. TRUMBOWER 335
Diseases of the eye and its appendages. By M. R. TRUMBOWER 340
Diseases of the ear. By M. R. TRUMBOWER 355
Infectious diseases of cattle. Revised by JOHN R. MOHLER 358
The animal parasites of cattle. By B. H. RANSOM 502
Mycotic stomatitis of cattle. By JOHN R. MOHLER 532
Index 538
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PLATES.
Page.
PLATE
I. Position of the first stomach (rumen or paunch) 48
II. Stomachs of ruminants 48
III. Instruments used in treating diseases of digestive organs 48
IV. Microscopic anatomy of the liver 48
V. Ergot in hay 48
VI. Ergotism 48
VII. Diagram of the circulation of the blood 86
VIII. Position of the lung 90
IX. Kidney and male generative and urinary organs 145
X. Microscopic anatomy of the kidney 145
XI. Calculi of kidney and bladder 146
XII. Fetal calf within its membranes 210
XIII. Pregnant uterus with cotyledons 210
XIV. Vessels of umbilical cord 211
XV. Normal position of calf in utero 211
XVI. Abnormal positions of calf in utero 211
XVII. Abnormal positions of calf in utero 211
XVIII. Abnormal positions of calf in utero; surgical instruments
and sutures 212
XIX. Monstrosities 212
XX. Instruments used in difficult labor 212
XXI. Instruments used in difficult labor 213
XXII. Supports for prolapsed uterus 246
XXIII. Supports for prolapsed uterus 246
XXIV. Instruments used in diseases following parturition 246
XXV. Skeleton of the cow 282
XXVI. Devices for casting cattle 302
XXVII. Surgical instruments and sutures 302
XXVIII. Various bacteria which produce disease in cattle 360
XXIX. Upper or dorsal surface of the lungs of the ox 368
XXX. Broncho-pneumonia 368
XXXI. Contagious pleuro-pneumonia 368
XXXII. Contagious pleuro-pneumonia 368
XXXIII. Foot-and-mouth disease 384
XXXIV. Tuberculosis of the lungs of cattle 416
XXXV. Tuberculosis of the liver 416
XXXVI. Tuberculosis of lymph gland and of omentum (caul) 416
XXXVII. Fig. 1.--Tuberculosis of sirloin and porterhouse cuts
of beef. Fig. 2.--Tuberculosis of pleura of cow,
so-called "pearly disease" 416
XXXVIII. Tuberculosis of cow's udder 416
XXXIX. Actinomycosis 450
XL. Actinomycosis of the jaw 450
XLI. Actinomycosis of the lungs 450
XLII. Section of muscle from a blackleg swelling 464
XLIII. Necrotic stomatitis (calf diphtheria) 464
XLIV. Normal spleen and spleen affected by Texas fever 504
XLV. Texas fever 504
XLVI. The cattle tick (_Margaropus annulatus_), the carrier of
Texas fever 504
XLVII. The cattle tick (_Margaropus annulatus_) 504
XLVIII. Portion of a steer's hide showing the Texas fever tick
(_Margaropus annulatus_) 504
XLIX. Fig. 1.--Tick-infested steer. Fig. 2.--Dipping cattle
to kill ticks 504
L. Facsimile of poster comparing ticky and tick-free cattle 504
TEXT FIGURES.
FIG.
1. Hornfly (_HÊmatobia serrata_) in resting position 504
2. Hornflies (_HÊmatobia serrata_) on cow horn 505
3. Buffalo gnat 506
4. Screw worm (larva of _Chrysomyia macellaria_) 506
5. Screw-worm fly (_Chrysomyia macellaria_) 507
6. The warble fly (_Hypoderma lineata_) 508
7. Short-nosed blue louse (_HÊmatopinus eurysternus_) of cattle 512
8. Long-nosed blue louse (_HÊmatopinus vituli_) of cattle 512
9. Red louse (_Trichodectes scalaris_) of cattle 513
10. Egg of short-nosed blue louse (_HÊmatopinus eurysternus_)
attached to a hair 513
11. Mite which causes psoroptic scab of sheep 514
12. Portion of the wall of the first stomach with conical flukes
(_Paramphistomum cervi_) attached 519
13. Twisted stomach worms (_HÊmonchus contortus_) 519
14. Twisted stomach worms (_HÊmonchus contortus_) enlarged 520
15. Embryo of twisted stomach worm (_HÊmonchus contortus_)
coiled on tip of grass blade 521
16. A drenching tube made from an ordinary tin funnel, a piece of
rubber hose, and a piece of brass pipe 522
17. Piece of lining of fourth stomach showing cysts of the encysted
stomach worm (_Ostertatia ostertagi_) 523
18. A tapeworm (_Moniezia planissima_) which infests cattle 524
19. The common liver fluke (_Fasciola hepatica_) 526
20. The large American fluke (_Fasciola magna_) 526
21. Portion of grass stalk bearing three encysted cercariÊ of the
common liver fluke (_Fasciola hepatica_) 527
22. Hydatids (_Echinococcus granulosus_) in portion of hog's liver 528
23. Thin-necked bladder worm (_TÊnia hydatigena_) from abdominal
cavity of a steer 529
24. Lung worms (_Dictyocaulus viviparus_) of cattle 530
SPECIAL REPORT
ON
DISEASES OF CATTLE
ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES.
By LEONARD PEARSON, B. S., V. M. D.
Medicines may be administered to cattle in many ways. The channel and
method of administration depend on whether a general or local effect is
desired, the condition of the animal, and the nature of the medicine that
is to be given. The easiest method, and therefore the most common, is to
give ordinary remedies by the mouth with the food, with drink, or
separately. There, are, however, some conditions in which medicines
administered in this way will not act promptly enough, or wherein a desired
effect of the medicine on a distant part of the body is wholly lacking
unless it is applied in some other way.
The various methods of administering medicines to cattle will be considered
below.
BY THE MOUTH.--The simplest way to give medicines by the mouth is to mix
them with the food or water. This can be done when the medicine is in the
form of a powder or fluid, if but a small quantity is to be given, if it
does not have a taste that is disagreeable to the animal and is not so
irritant as to injure the lining membranes of the mouth and throat.
The usual method of administering bulky or unpalatable doses is to mix them
with a fluid vehicle, such as water, milk, molasses, or broth, and give
from a bottle. A dose given in this way is known as a "drench." In
administering a drench the head of the animal should be elevated a little
by an assistant. This is best accomplished when standing on the left side
of the cow's head and by grasping the nose with the thumb and fingers of
the right hand inserted in the nostrils; with the left hand beneath the
chin the head is further raised and supported. If the animal is unruly, it
may be tied in a stall or placed in a stanchion. The medicine can now be
poured into the mouth by inserting the neck of the bottle between the lips
on the right side. Care must be taken to avoid getting the bottle between
the back teeth. The mouth of the bottle should be inserted as far as the
middle of the tongue and the contents poured slowly. If the cow coughs, the
head must at once be lowered to permit the fluid to escape from the larynx.
If medicine is given during coughing, some of the dose may pass down the
windpipe to the lungs and cause a severe or a fatal pneumonia. This is
especially to be guarded against when the throat is partly paralyzed or
insensitive, as in parturient paresis (milk fever). In this disease it has
often happened that drenches have been poured into the lungs, thus killing
the cow.
The quantity of fluid to be given in a drench depends upon the effect
desired and the nature of the medicine. In impactions of the stomach very
large quantities of fluid may be given--as much as a gallon or several
gallons at a time. Usually, however, it is not customary or desirable to
give more than from 1 to 2 quarts at a dose, and not more than a pint
unless it is necessary on account of the irritant quality of the drug that
has to be shielded with a large quantity of the vehicle.
Soluble medicines should be completely dissolved before they are given;
insoluble ones should be finely divided by powdering or by shaking, and
should be well agitated and mixed immediately before they are given. In the
latter case a menstruum with considerable body, such as molasses or
flaxseed tea or milk, will help to hold solids or oils in suspension until
swallowed.
_Balls_ are large pills adapted for the larger animals. Powders or gums are
sometimes mixed with an adhesive substance and rolled into balls for the
purpose of convenience of administration. Balls are not used so much and
are not so well adapted to the medication of cattle as of horses. The
process of solution is slower in the paunch of a cow than in the stomach of
a horse; if the cow is so sick as to have stopped ruminating, a ball may
get covered up and lost in the mass of material in the paunch and so lie
for days, producing no effect whatever.
_Capsules_ are shells or envelopes made of soluble gelatin in which powders
or liquids may be inclosed. Capsules and balls are administered by being
placed on the tongue well back in the mouth while the tongue is drawn
forward and the mouth is held open by a block of wood between the back
teeth. The ball should be dropped, the tongue released, and the block
removed as nearly simultaneously as possible, so that the backward carriage
of the tongue will throw the ball into the throat and lead to its being
swallowed. In introducing the ball care must be taken to avoid having the
hand cut or crushed. After a little experience it is possible to do away
with the block of wood.
BY THE STOMACH.--Medicines are introduced directly into the first stomach
by the use of an esophageal tube or through the cannula of a trocar passed
into the paunch through the side. This method is used in the treatment of
diseases of digestion.
BY THE RECTUM.--Medicines are usually administered by the rectum for the
purpose of controlling the bowels and for the treatment of local diseases.
Sometimes, however, medicines that have a general effect are given in this
way when, for any reason, it is not possible or convenient to give them
through the mouth. Only drugs that are readily absorbed should be given per
rectum for a general effect and in somewhat larger dose or more frequently
than when given by the mouth. Such stimulants as ether, alcohol, or the
aromatic spirits of ammonia, diluted with from four to six times their bulk
of warm water, may be used in this way.
Rectal injections, or enemata, are used in the treatment of constipation.
If it is the purpose of the injection to soften hardened fecal masses, the
water should be comfortably warm and may have a little clean soap in it. If
it is the purpose of the injection to stimulate sluggish bowels to
contraction, the water may be cold.
In giving rectal injections a rectal syringe may be used, or, better, a
piece of one-half to three-quarter inch rubber hose 5 feet long with a tin
funnel attached to one end. The hose is soaped or oiled and introduced
slowly and gently into the rectum 2 or 3 feet. The fluid is then slowly
poured into the funnel and allowed to gravitate into the rectum. The same
apparatus may be used for feeding by the rectum.
BY THE VAGINA.--Medicines are inserted into the vagina, and through the
vagina into the womb, in a manner similar to that of rectal administration.
Most of the medication made use of in this way is for the local treatment
of these organs. Following calving, during outbreaks of abortion, and in an
infectious disease of the vagina, such injections become necessary.
BY THE UDDER.--Injections into the udder are now regularly made in the
treatment of parturient paresis (milk fever). For this purpose a 1 per cent
solution of iodid of potassium is commonly employed, although some other
solutions and oxygen gas are also used. In making this injection so many
precautions are necessary in relation to the sterilization of the apparatus
and the teats and skin that this work should be left to a skilled
veterinarian. The introduction of even a minute quantity of infectious dirt
may cause the loss of the udder. For making this injection one may use one
of the prepared sets of apparatus or a milking tube and funnel connected by
a piece of small rubber hose. The apparatus should be boiled and kept
wrapped in a clean towel until needed. The udder and teats and the hands of
the operator must be well disinfected, and the solution must be freshly
made with recently boiled water kept in a sterile bottle. The udder should
be emptied of milk before the injection is made. After all these
precautions have been observed the milking tube may be inserted and through
it one-half pint of solution introduced by gravity air pressure or by
syringe. There is practically no danger in this mode of treatment if it is
properly carried out.
Injections into the udder are sometimes made in the treatment of garget,
but so far with indifferent success.
BY THE NOSTRILS.--An animal may be caused to inhale medicine in the form of
gas or vapor or to snuff up a fine powder. Sometimes, for the purpose of
local treatment, fluids are injected into the nose.
A medicine inhaled may have either a local or a general effect.
Medicated steam, carrying the volatile products of compound cresol
solution, carbolic acid, balsam of Peru, compound tincture of benzoin,
tincture of iodin, etc., may be liberated beneath the nostrils of a cow so
that she must inhale these soothing vapors; but such treatment is not so
common for cattle as for horses. In producing general anesthesia, or
insensibility to pain, the vapor of chloroform or ether is administered by
the nostrils. As a preliminary to this it is necessary to cast and confine
the animal. Great care is necessary to avoid complete stoppage of the heart
or breathing.
BY THE TRACHEA.--Medicines are injected into the trachea, or windpipe, in
the treatment of some forms of diseases of the lungs, and especially in
that form of bronchitis or pneumonia that is caused by lungworms. For this
injection a large hypodermic syringe, fitted with a very thick, strong
needle, is used. The needle is to be inserted about the middle of the neck
and between the cartilaginous rings of the trachea.
BY THE SKIN.--Although a number of drugs, notably mercury, are so readily
absorbed by the skin of cattle as to render poisoning easy, medicines are
not given in this way for their general or constitutional but only for
their local effect.
Diseases of the skin and superficial parasites are treated or destroyed by
applications in the forms of washes, ointments, dips, and powders.
Liniments and lotions are applied to the skin for the relief of some
near-lying part, such as a muscle, tendon, or joint. Blisters are applied
to the skin for the purpose of obtaining the effect of counterirritation
upon a neighboring region or organ. Cold water may be applied to the skin
to reduce the temperature and to diminish congestion or inflammation in a
superficial area or to reduce the temperature of the whole body. High fever
and heat strokes are treated in this way.
BY THE TISSUE BENEATH THE SKIN.--Hypodermic or subcutaneous injections are
often made for the purpose of introducing a drug, reagent, or vaccine
directly into the connecting tissue beneath the skin. Introduced in this
way, the substance is quickly absorbed, none of it is lost, and its whole
effect is obtained, often within a few minutes.
There are numerous precautions necessary in making a subcutaneous
injection, most of which have to do with cleansing and sterilization. It is
also important to select a proper site for the injection, so that blood
vessels, joints, and superficial nerves, organs, or cavities may all be
avoided. With due regard for the necessary precautions, there is
practically no danger in such an injection, but it should be attempted only
by those who are able to carry it through in a surgically clean way. Only
certain drugs can be given subcutaneously, and dosage must be accurately
graduated.
BY THE VEINS.--Certain medicines act most promptly and surely when
introduced directly into the blood by injecting them into a vein, usually
the jugular. Some vaccines and antitoxins are administered in this way.
Intravenous injection should be practiced only by experienced
veterinarians.
DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS.
By A. J. MURRAY, M. R. C. V. S.
[Revised by R.W. HICKMAN, V. M. D.]
CHARACTER OF FEEDS AND FEEDING.
Diseases of the digestive organs are very common among cattle, and may
often be traced to defects in feeding. The first three stomachs of the
larger ruminants hold the feed for a long time, during which period it is
subjected to macerating, mixing, and straining processes in preparation for
entrance into the fourth or true stomach. The straining is accomplished
through the medium of the manyplies or book, while the paunch, or rumen,
with its adjunct, the waterbag, is concerned in the macerating, kneading,
and mixing, as well as in regurgitation for rumination or the chewing of
the cud. The action of the first three stomachs is merely preparatory to
digestion. Thus it would seem that as a result of their complex anatomical
and functional arrangement the feed of the ox, when of good quality and
wholesome, is in the most favorable condition possible for the digestive
process when it reaches the fourth stomach, where true digestion first
takes place. The location and arrangement of the stomachs are shown in
Plates I and II.
If the feed is of improper character, or is so given that it can not be
cared for by the animal in a normal way, false fermentations arise, causing
indigestion, and possibly, later, organic disease. In feeding cattle there
are a number of important considerations apart from the economy of the
ration, and some of these are noted below.
Feeds must not be damaged by exposure to the weather, by frost, by molds,
or by deleterious fermentations.
Damaged feeds retard or prevent digestion, and sometimes they contain or
cause to be generated substances that irritate the digestive tract, or are
distinctly poisonous to the animal. For example, hay that was rained on
severely during curing has not only lost a part of its nutritive value
through a washing-out process, but what remains is not so readily available
as in good hay. Roots that have been frozen are likely to irritate and
injure the digestive tract. Grass eaten with frost on it may cause severe
indigestion. All moldy feeds are not injurious, for some molds appear to
have no influence on the process of digestion, but those of other species
may not only retard digestion and cause local injury to the digestive
organs, but may cause general poisoning of a severe and fatal type.
The following molds have been shown (Dammann) to be dangerous in respect to
the production of the morbid conditions enumerated:
_Tilletia caries_ grows chiefly in wheat and may be found with the grain,
thus appearing in the bran or meal. It causes paralysis of the throat and
spinal cord and irritation of the digestive tract. The rusts, such as
_Puccinia graminis_, _P. straminis_, _P. Coronata_, and _P. arudinacea_,
cause colic and diarrhea, and in some cases partial paralysis of the
throat. The rusts that occur on clovers, beans, and peas cause very severe
irritation of the lining membrane of the mouth and throat, resulting
sometimes in gangrene of this tissue.
_Polydesmus exitans_ grows on the leaves of rape and turnips, appearing in
early summer. This fungus is very irritating to the mouths and feet of
cattle, causing severe inflammation and the formation of a false membrane.
In some instances this condition has been mistaken for foot-and-mouth
disease, but it can be differentiated by the absence of the blister that
is characteristic of that disease and by the further fact that it is
nontransmissible.
_Polytrincium trifolii_, which grows on clover, causing it to become black,
causes severe irritation of the stomach and intestines of cattle feeding
upon it.
Feeds must not contain too large a proportion of woody fiber or of
indigestible substances. If the dry matter ingested or the bulk of the feed
is very great on account of the small proportion of digestible matter, it
is impossible for the great mass to be moistened properly with and attacked
by the digestive juices. In consequence of this, abnormal fermentations
arise, causing indigestion and irritation of the digestive organs. On the
other hand, a ration too concentrated, and especially too rich in protein,
is not suitable, because, after a meal, the animal must have a certain
feeling of fullness in order to be comfortable and quiet, and the digestive
organs require a relatively large volume of contents to fill them to the
point where secretion is properly stimulated and their activity is most
efficient. If too much protein is in the ration there is a waste of
expensive feed, and the tendency is for the animal to become thin. It is
evident that a cow can not thrive on concentrated feeds alone, even though
these contain in assimilable form all the nutritive materials needed for
perfect support. It is because bulk is necessary that the standard of about
25 pounds of dry matter per cow per day has been reached by experimenters.
There is no objection to feeding grain or meal separately to a cow,
provided enough bulky feed is fed at another time in the day to keep the
digestive tract sufficiently distended.
In changing the ration, and especially in making radical changes, as at the
beginning and the end of the pasturing season, the change should be made
gradually, so that the digestive organs may accommodate themselves to it.
After the digestive organs and juices have from long practice become
adjusted to the digestion of a certain feed, which is then suddenly
withheld and another of quite different character and properties is
substituted, the second feed is not well digested; it may even irritate the
digestive canal. It is often observed that cattle lose from 25 to 100
pounds when turned on pasture from dry stable feed. This loss can readily
be prevented by not shocking the digestive organs by a sudden change of
diet.
Regularity in feeding has much to do with the utilization of the ration,
and gross irregularity may cause indigestion and serious disease.
Water for live stock should be as free from contamination and as nearly
pure as that used for household purposes. When practicable it is well to
warm the water in the winter to about 50∞ F. and allow cattle to drink
often.
DISEASES OF THE MOUTH.
WOUNDS AND CONTUSIONS OF THE LIPS, AND SNAKE BITE.
The lips may become inflamed from contusions, which are sometimes produced
by a blow from the horns of another animal, or, in the case of working
oxen, by a blow from the driver. While cattle are grazing, more especially
when they are in woods, they may be bitten in the lips by insects or
serpents.
_Symptoms._--As a result of a contusion the lips become thick and swollen,
and if treatment is neglected the swelling may become hard and indurated,
or an abscess may form. This condition renders it difficult for the animal
to get food into its mouth, on account of the lips having lost their
natural flexibility. In such cases an ox will use his tongue more in the
prehension of food to make up for the incapacity of the lips. In cases of
snake bite the swelling is soft or puffy and its limits are not well
defined.
_Treatment._--When we have to deal with a bruise, the affected part should
be bathed with hot water two or three times daily. In recent cases no other
treatment will be required, but if the swelling is not recent and has
become hard or indurated, then the swollen part should be treated each day
by painting it with tincture of iodin. In snake bite a straight incision
penetrating into the flesh or muscle should be made across the center of
the swelling and in the direction of the long axis of the face. After this
has been done a small wad of cotton batting should be pressed against the
wounds until the bleeding has almost stopped. Afterwards the following
lotion may be applied to the wounds several times a day: Permanganate of
potassium, half a dram; distilled water, 1 pint. As snake bites are usually
attended with considerable depression, which may terminate in stupor, it is
advisable to give a stimulant. One ounce of aromatic spirits of ammonia
mixed with a pint of water should be given, and the dose should be repeated
in half an hour if the animal is sinking into a stupefied and unconscious
condition. The repetition of the dose must depend on the symptoms which the
animal shows. It must be borne in mind that the object of treatment is to
ward off the stupor, which is one of the results of snake bite. The
swelling from an insect bite should be bathed with ammonia water as soon as
noticed and then treated with frequent applications of hot water.
SALIVATION.
Salivation is a symptom of some general or local disorder. It may be a
symptom of a general disease, such as rabies or foot-and-mouth disease, or
it may be a purely local trouble, as when copious secretion of the salivary
glands is produced by the eating of irritating plants, such as wild
mustard. When saliva is observed to dribble from the mouth, that part
should be carefully examined by introducing into the mouth an instrument
like a balling iron, or, if one is not at hand, by grasping the tongue and
partially withdrawing it from the mouth, and by placing a block of wood
between the back teeth, while all parts of the mouth are exposed to a good
light, so that the presence of any foreign substance may be detected. The
cause is sometimes found to be a short piece of wood becoming fixed on the
palate, its two ends resting on the upper molar teeth of each side; or it
may be a needle, thorn, or splinter of wood embedded in the tongue.
Sometimes a sharp piece of tin or other metal may become partially embedded
in the inner surface of the cheek. Hay occasionally possesses some quality,
usually dependent upon its having heated in the mow or having become moldy,
which produces salivation. Second-crop clover and some irritant weeds in
the pasture or forage may cause salivation. Cattle rubbed with mercurial
ointment may swallow enough mercury in licking themselves to bring about
the same result. (See "Mercury poisoning," p. 57.) Such cases, of course,
arise from the constitutional action of mercury, and, on account of the
common habit which the animals have of licking themselves, indicate the
danger of using such preparation externally. Mercury is also readily
absorbed through the skin, and as cattle are very susceptible to its action
it is thus easy for them to be poisoned by it even without licking it from
the surface. Cases of mercurial poisoning sometimes follow disinfection of
cattle stables with the usual 1 to 1,000 solution of mercuric chlorid.
_Treatment._--If salivation depends on the irritation and inflammation set
up by the ingestion of acrid plants, or forage possessing some peculiar
stimulating property, the feed must be changed, and a lotion composed of an
ounce of powdered alum dissolved in a quart of water may be syringed into
the mouth twice a day, using half a pint of the solution each time. If,
however, the salivation is due to the presence of a thorn, splinter of
wood, or any other foreign substance embedded in the cheek or tongue, the
offending object should be removed and the mouth washed occasionally with a
weak solution (2 per cent) of carbolic acid and tepid water. When
salivation is produced by mercurial poisoning or by foot-and-mouth disease,
the treatment appropriate to those general conditions of the system, as
well as the local treatment should be applied. (For information about
foot-and-mouth disease see p. 383.)
IRREGULARITIES OF THE TEETH.
Irregularities of the teeth may be occasioned by the unequal wearing of
some of the teeth or by some of the incisors being broken, which may happen
when cattle are pastured on sandy or gravelly soil. The molar teeth may
also show irregular wear from similar causes, or from a disease or
malformation of the jaw. Their edges may become sharp, or it may happen
that a molar tooth has been accidentally fractured. It may also occur that
a supernumerary tooth has developed in an unusual position, and that it
interferes with the natural and regular mastication of the feed.
_Treatment._--The mouth may be examined by grasping the animal's tongue
with one hand and partially withdrawing it from the mouth, so as to expose
the incisor and molar teeth to inspection. When it is desired, however, to
examine the molar teeth with the fingers, so as to obtain a better idea of
their condition, an instrument like the balling iron which is used for the
horse should be introduced into the mouth, so as to separate the jaws and
keep them apart while the examination is being made. Any sharp edges of the
molars must be removed by the tooth rasp, such as is used for horses. Any
supernumerary tooth which interferes with mastication or any tooth which is
fractured or loose should be extracted. In performing such operations it is
desirable to throw, or cast, the animal, and to have its head held
securely, so as to enable the operator to do what is necessary without
difficulty.
CARIES OR DECAY OF THE TEETH.
The presence of caries may be suspected if the mouth exhales a bad odor and
if the animal during mastication occasionally stops as if it were in pain.
The existence of caries in a molar tooth may be ascertained by examining
the mouth in the manner already described. If one of the molars is found to
be carious, it should be extracted. When the crown of the tooth has been
destroyed and only the stump or root is left, extraction is impracticable.
In case the animal has special value the root stumps may be removed by a
veterinarian by the operation of trephining; otherwise, it is best to sell
the animal to the butcher.
ACTINOMYCOSIS OF THE JAWBONES (BIG JAW OR LUMPY JAW).
[See Actinomycosis, p. 440.]
INFLAMMATION OF MUCOUS MEMBRANE OF MOUTH (STOMATITIS).
The membrane of the mouth may become inflamed by eating some irritating
substance or plant, or little vesicles may form in the mouths of calves
when they are affected with indigestion, constituting what is termed
aphtha.
_Symptoms._--The saliva dribbles from the mouth, and when the mouth is
examined the surface of the tongue and other parts appear red and inflamed.
When young animals are affected with the form of disease termed aphtha,
small red elevations are observed on the tongue and other parts of the
mouth, having little white points on their centers, which consist of the
epithelium of the mucous membrane raised into vesicles. These white patches
are succeeded by ulcerated surfaces, which are caused by the shedding of
the white patches of epithelium.
_Treatment._--When there is merely a reddened and inflamed condition of the
mucous membrane of the mouth, it will suffice to syringe it out several
times a day with 4 ounces of the following solution: Alum, 1 ounce; water,
2 pints. When the edges of the tongue and other parts of the mouth are
studded with ulcers, they should be painted over once a day with the
following solution until the affected surface is healed: Permanganate of
potassium, 20 grains; water, 1 ounce. When indigestion is associated with
an ulcerated condition of the mouth, separate treatment is required.
ULCERATIVE STOMATITIS (OR ULCERS IN THE MOUTHS OF YOUNG CALVES).
[See Necrotic stomatitis, p. 464.]
MYCOTIC STOMATITIS (SORE MOUTH).
[See p. 532.]
INDURATION OF THE TONGUE (ACTINOMYCOSIS).
[See Actinomycosis, p. 440.]
DISEASES OF THE PHARYNX AND GULLET.
PHARYNGITIS (SORE THROAT).
Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the pharynx.
It is frequently associated with inflammatory diseases of the respiratory
tract, such as laryngitis and bronchitis or pleurisy.
_Symptoms._--The muzzle is dry and the saliva dribbles from the corners of
the mouth; the animal swallows with difficulty or not at all, and holds its
neck in a stiff, straight position, moving it as little as possible. The
eyelids are half closed, the white of the eye is bloodshot, and the animal
occasionally grinds its teeth. After masticating the feed the animal drops
it out of its mouth as if to avoid the pain of swallowing, and also evinces
pain when pressure is applied externally on the pharynx and tries to
prevent the pressure from being applied.
_Causes._--Pharyngitis may be produced by a sudden cooling of the surface
of the body, as when cattle are exposed to a cold wind or a cold rain; or
by swallowing irritant substances.
_Treatment._--The throat should be syringed three times a day with an ounce
of the following solution: Nitrate of silver, 1-1/2 drams; distilled water,
1 pint. Bland and soothing drinks, such as linseed tea or oatmeal and water
should occasionally be offered. Diet should consist of soft food, such as
bran mashes with a little linseed meal mixed in them. Dry hay and fodder
should not be given. Fresh, green grass or sound ensilage may be fed in
small quantities. The upper part of the throat and the space between the
jaws should be well rubbed once a day with the following liniment: Liquor
ammonia fortior, 4 ounces; oil of turpentine, 4 ounces; olive oil, 4
ounces; mix. When evidence of blistering appears the application of the
liniment should be stopped and the skin anointed with vaseline. Under the
treatment described above the inflammation of the throat will gradually
subside and the animal will be able to swallow as usual in five or six
days. We need hardly say that during its treatment the sick animal should
be kept in a comfortable stable.
PAROTITIS.
Inflammation of the parotid gland may arise from the inflammation extending
to it when an ox is affected with pharyngitis or laryngitis, or the
inflammation may commence in the salivary ducts and may depend on some
influence the nature of which is unknown. Parotitis sometimes arises from a
blow or contusion severe enough to set up inflammation in the structure of
the gland. Tuberculosis and actinomycosis may infrequently be characterized
by the lodgment of their parasitic causes in the parotid glands, in which
case parotitis may be a symptom of either of these diseases.
_Symptoms._--There is an elongated, painful swelling, beginning at the base
of the ear and passing downward along the posterior margin of the lower
jaw. The swelling is sometimes limited to one side, and when both are
swollen it is generally larger on one side than on the other. The secretion
of saliva is increased, the appetite is poor, the neck is stiff, so that it
is painful to raise the head, and feed is swallowed with difficulty. In
many cases the swelling of the glands, when submitted to proper treatment,
disappears in a comparatively short time. In other cases, however, they
remain enlarged, even after the animal recovers its appetite. In
tuberculosis, lymphatic glands beneath the parotid glands are sometimes
enlarged, thus causing the appearance of enlarged parotid glands.
_Treatment._--A warm bran poultice, made by mixing bran with a hot 2 per
cent compound cresol solution in water, should be applied on the swollen
gland and kept in place by means of a bandage. Whenever the poultice has
cooled it should be replaced by a new one. This treatment should be
continued until the pain is less and the swelling is reduced or until there
is evidence of pus formation, which may be ascertained by examining the
surface of the gland with the fingers; and when, on pressing any part of
the surface, it is found to fluctuate or "give," then we may conclude that
there is a collection of pus at that place. It is well not to open the
abscess until the fluctuation is well marked, as at this stage the pus or
matter is near the surface and there is less trouble in healing the wound
than if the pus is deep seated. The abscess should be opened with a clean,
sharp knife. The poulticing should then be continued for two or three days,
but the form of the poultice should be changed, by replacing the bran with
absorbent cotton and pouring the compound cresol solution on the cotton. At
all times the wound should be kept clean and the cavity injected once or
twice daily with a solution of 1 dram of carbolic acid in 8 ounces of
water. Under this treatment the pus may cease and the wound heal without
complications. Saliva may issue from the orifice and result in the
formation of a salivary fistula. This requires operative treatment by a
qualified veterinarian. When poulticing fails to reduce the swelling or
produce softening, the inflamed area may be rubbed once daily with
camphorated oil, compound iodin ointment, or painted twice daily with
Lugol's solution of iodin. The diet should be as recommended under
Pharyngitis (p. 17).
PHARYNGEAL POLYPI.
Tumors form not infrequently in the pharynx, and may give rise to a train
of symptoms varying according to their size and location. The tumor may be
so situated that by shifting its position a little it may partially
obstruct the posterior nares (nostrils), when, of course, it will render
nasal breathing very noisy and labored. In another situation its partial
displacement may impede the entrance of air into the larynx. In almost any
part of the pharynx, but especially near the entrance of the gullet, tumors
interfere with the act of swallowing. As they are frequently attached to
the wall of the pharynx by a pedicel or stalk, it will be seen that they
may readily be displaced in different directions so as to produce the
symptoms before described. Enlarged postpharyngeal lymphatic glands are not
rare in tuberculosis, and by pressing upon the wall of the pharynx and
restricting the lumen of this organ they cause difficulty in both breathing
and swallowing. Such enlarged glands may be differentiated from tumors by
passing the hand into the cow's throat after the jaws are separated by a
suitable speculum or gag.
_Treatment._--The method of treatment in such cases is to separate the
animal's jaws with an instrument termed a gag, and then, after drawing the
tongue partially forward, to pass the hand into the pharynx and to twist
the tumor gently from its attachment. One veterinarian who has had
considerable practice in treating this form of disease scrapes through the
attachment of the tumor gradually with his thumb nail. When the attachment
is too strong to be severed in this way an instrument like a thimble, but
possessing a sharp edge at the end, may be used to effect the same purpose,
or the base of the tumor may be severed by the use of a crushing instrument
known as an Ècraseur.
CHOKING.
Choking usually happens from attempting to swallow too large an object,
such as a turnip, potato, beet, apple, or pear, though in rare cases it may
occur from bran, chaff, or some other finely divided feed lodging in and
filling up a portion of the gullet. This latter form of the accident is
most likely to occur in animals that are greedy feeders.
_Symptoms._--The symptoms vary somewhat according to the part of the gullet
or throat in which the obstruction is. In most cases there is a discharge
of saliva from the mouth; the animal coughs frequently, and when it drinks
the water is soon ejected. The cow stops eating and stands back from the
trough, the expression is troubled, breathing is accelerated, and
oftentimes there is bloating as a result of the retention of gas in the
paunch. These symptoms, however, are not always present, for if the
obstacle does not completely close the throat or gullet, gas and water may
pass, thus ameliorating the discomfort. If the obstruction is in the neck
portion of the gullet, it may be felt as a lump in the left jugular gutter.
_Treatment._--If the object is in the throat, it is advisable to put a gag
in the animal's mouth, and, while the head is held in a horizontal
direction by two assistants, to pass the hand into the pharynx, grasp the
foreign body, and withdraw it gradually and steadily. When the substance is
lodged in the upper part of the gullet, pressure should be made by an
assistant in an upward direction against the object while the operator
passes his hand into the pharynx, and if the assistant can not by pressure
dislodge the substance from the gullet, the operator may by passing his
middle finger above and partly behind the substance gradually slide it into
the pharynx and then withdraw it by the mouth.
The presence of an obstructing substance in the cervical (neck) portion of
the gullet may be ascertained by passing the hand along the left side of
the neck, when a hard and painless swelling will be found to indicate the
presence of the foreign body. In such cases we must endeavor by gentle and
persevering pressure with the thumb and next two fingers to slide the
obstructing substance gradually upward to the pharynx. To facilitate this
it is well to give the animal a half pint of raw linseed or olive oil
before the manipulations described are commenced. When the substance has
been brought into or nearly into the pharynx, then the mouth gag should be
used, the tongue drawn partially forward with the left hand, and the right
should be passed backward into the pharynx to withdraw the obstruction.
When bran or chaff causes the trouble it is best to give a small quantity
of oil to lubricate the walls of the gullet, and then by gentle and
persevering pressure, to endeavor to separate and divide the mass and to
work it downward toward the stomach. This will be assisted by pouring small
quantities of oil and water down the animal's throat. It is not advisable
to use the probang to push down any soft material, such as oats or chaff,
as this generally condenses and renders firmer the obstructing substance by
pressing its particles or elements together, so that it forms a solid,
resisting mass which can not be moved.
In some cases the foreign body, either because it is in the chest portion
of the esophagus, and so beyond reach, or because too firmly seated, can
not be dislodged from the neck by pressing and manipulating that part
externally. In such event we must resort to the use of the probang. (Pl.
III, figs. 2 and 3.) A probang is a flexible instrument and adapts itself
to the natural curvature of the gullet, and if used cautiously there is not
much risk of injury. Before passing the probang, a gag which has an
aperture at each end, from which straps pass to be buckled at the back of
the head below the horns, is introduced into the mouth. (Pl. III, fig. 4.)
The probang should then be oiled, and, the head and neck being held in a
straight line by two assistants, the tongue must be partly drawn out of the
mouth, the probang cautiously passed along the roof of the mouth into the
pharynx and thence into the gullet, through which it is passed down. If
resistance is met, gentle and continuous pressure must be used, under the
influence of which the object will generally in a short time pass into the
stomach. One must be careful not to pass the probang into the larynx and
thence into the windpipe, as an animal may readily be killed in this way.
This accident is indicated by efforts to cough and by violently disturbed
breathing. If such symptoms arise the probang must be withdrawn at once. To
avoid a wrong passage, the end of the tube should be pressed very slowly
through the throat until its presence in the esophagus is assured. After it
is once in the esophagus care is still necessary, because the walls of this
tube may easily be torn.
Some writers have advised that when the obstruction is lodged in the
cervical (neck) portion of the gullet it should be struck with a mallet, to
crush it and thus alter its shape, so that it may easily slip down into the
stomach. If the obstructing substance is hard, this will be a dangerous
operation, but if soft--as in the case of a ripe pear, for example--this
procedure may be safely adopted.
In all cases, if pressure applied on the neck fails to move the obstruction
and the probang also fails to move it, it may be divided by a subcutaneous
operation, or the gullet may be opened and the obstructing substance
removed through the wound. In such cases the assistance of a veterinarian
or a surgeon must be obtained.
WOUNDS AND INJURIES OF THE GULLET.
Sometimes the walls of the gullet may be more or less lacerated or abraded
by the rash and too forcible use of the probang, and the animal
consequently swallows with pain and difficulty. In such cases dry feed must
be withheld for five or six days, so as to allow the injured parts to heal,
and the diet must be limited to linseed tea, hay tea, and thin oatmeal
gruel and molasses. The same kind of diet must be fed after the operation
of cutting into the gullet has been performed.
Sometimes the gullet is ruptured and lacerated to such an extent that
treatment of any kind is hopeless. This has been known to occur when the
handle of a pitchfork or buggy whip has been pushed down a cow's throat to
remove an obstruction. When such treatment has been applied it is best to
slaughter the animal without delay, as the flesh may be utilized so long as
there is no fever or general disease, and remedial treatment would be
hopeless. In this connection it may be mentioned that whatever substitute
may be used for a probang, which sometimes is not at hand, it should be
flexible and should possess a smooth surface. A piece of new rope, with the
end closely wrapped and waxed and then oiled, or a piece of thin garden
hose, or a well-wrapped twisted wire may be used in emergencies.
DISEASES OF THE STOMACHS.
ACUTE TYMPANITES (HOVEN, OR BLOATING).
Tympanites is a distention of the rumen or paunch with gases of
fermentation, and is manifested outwardly by swelling in the region of the
left flank.
_Causes._--Tympanites may be caused by any kind of feed which produces
indigestion. When cattle are first turned into young clover they eat so
greedily of it that tympanites frequently results. Turnips, potatoes,
cabbage, or the discarded pulp from sugar-beet factories may also cause it.
Middlings and corn meal also frequently give rise to it.