Frequently the position is changed. Sometimes but one fore foot appears

with the head, making it impossible to deliver the offspring. When a

case like this occurs, shove the fetus back and bring the unpresented

leg forward where it belongs, and then likely no further trouble will

result. If the legs are in proper place but the head turned backward, it

will be necessary to push the fetus back into the womb and bring the

head forward in position. In case the head resists your efforts, adjust

a noose over the head, and while you work with your hand inside, have an

assistant gently pull on the rope, in order to draw the head into the

proper position. After the head and fore feet are put in natural

position, delivery will follow without further difficulty.

When all four feet appear together it is necessary to push the fore feet

back into the womb just as far as it is possible to force them. This

done, pull now on the hind feet and bring the fetus out, hind feet

first. It is always a mistake to attempt delivery with the head first

when delivery has proceeded as suggested in cases of this nature.

[Illustration: ABNORMAL PRESENTATION OF THE FOAL

Delivery is not possible in either of the cases here illustrated. Where

such occur assistance must be rendered. See article on obstetrics for

treatment.]

Where delivery is attempted with the hind legs foremost, it is regarded

as safe, provided the feet come out as they should. If any difficulty is

encountered, shove the fetus back, straighten the legs, and then with

the renewal of the labor struggles assist the mother by a gentle pull on

the hind legs.

Another common presentation is where you feel nothing but the tail, rump

and hips. Adjust the fetus for proper delivery by shoving the hind end

upwards and towards the front of the womb, then slip the hand down and

get hold of the foot of the hind leg and lift upwards and backwards

until the legs are brought out into the passage. Now repeat the work for

the other leg and the job is done.

It is always a good plan, after difficult parturition, especially when

any abnormal discharge appears, to wash out the womb with warm water in

which a little carbolic acid or creolin is placed. Use this daily for a

few days.

=PALISADE WORM.=--The worms are found in the horse in two periods of

existence. The mature worms are usually found attached to the mucous

membrane of the intestinal wall of the large intestine, with the head

sunk deep for the purpose of sucking blood, which gives them the brown

or red color. The immature are found sometimes in the same organs, in a

small capsule covering, in small pellets of manure, in cavities or

cysts, varying in size from a pin-head to that of a hazel nut, in the

walls of the intestines, and also in the arteries and other structures

of the body.

When present in the kidneys or in the arteries leading to the kidneys,

or in the surrounding tissues, a horse is especially sensitive to

pressure over the loins. They have been known to cause paralysis. When

found in the brain, an animal, when working, suddenly begins to stagger,

the eyes become fixed, and the horse shows many of the symptoms of

“blind staggers.” When the large arteries of the abdomen are affected,

and this is their favorable location in the circulatory system, the

animal is frequently subject to colic, which often results in death.

This is also the case when found in great numbers in the intestines.

From a thorough investigation of a great many cases, both before and

after death, the conclusions are drawn that the parasite evolves a

poisonous substance (toxin), which, in many instances, stupefies the

brain or parts of the nervous system of the horse, and in that way

causes coma, paralysis and death of the animal.

Prevention is the best treatment. Hay and fodder from swampy land are to

be looked upon as suspicious. Pastures which are subject to overflow

should be avoided. Medicinal treatment consists of a prolonged, careful

use of some of the essential oils or other vermifuges. The ordinary

spirits of turpentine has proved a fairly good common remedy. An

ordinary animal will stand 8 tablespoonfuls of turpentine given in a

pint to a quart of raw linseed oil, thoroughly mixed. If the animal is

badly affected, the above dose may be given night and morning for two or

three days, then omit for a week or two and repeat. The remedy should be

discontinued as soon as the animal shows signs of irritation of the

kidneys.

=PARALYSIS.=--A loss of power over some of the muscles due to a

disordered state of the brain or nerves. This may result from disease or

injury or some irritation. In horses and cattle the hindquarters are not

infrequently affected in this way, the result of indigestion from

constipation or from attacks of colic. The animal shows weakness in one

hind limb, moving it with difficulty when the opposite limb may then

become affected. If the attack is very severe, the animal falls on its

haunches and may not be able to rise. Temperature, pulse and

respiration, all are rather normal. Treatment should be directed to

remove the cause of the disease. When there is colic or constipation,

give purges. A half teaspoonful of extract of nux vomica, given in a

pint of milk twice a day, is very good. Pouring cold water from a

height and then immediately hot water sometimes greatly strengthens the

muscles and has its use in treating. Rubbing the parts with mustard

stimulates them, and in some cases good results. Paralysis resulting

from injury usually disappears as the part returns to its normal state.

=PARASITES.=--These are living plants or animals that live temporarily

or continually in the bodies of other plants or animals and draw their

nourishment from their host. It is doubtful if there is a single farm

animal that does not harbor parasites at nearly all times during its

life. There may be many of these in the same individual at the same

time. Parasites may be harmful or not, as the case may be. Parasites may

be divided into two classes--plant parasites and animal parasites. The

bacteria and molds are the most important among the former, whereas in

the latter certain minute protozoa, certain forms of insects and certain

worms are the most commonly met. Such diseases as staggers,

tuberculosis, and typhoid fever are the result of bacterial diseases,

while Texas fever is an example of the protozoa class; and then the

insects and worms are types with which we are all acquainted. When a

disease is caused by either, discussion will be found under the name of

that disease.

=PARTURIENT APOPLEXY.=--See Milk Fever.

=PARTURITION, DIFFICULT.=--See Obstetrics.

=PERITONITIS.=--An inflammation of the membrane which lines the

abdominal cavity and which also invests the abdominal organs. It may be

caused from some exposure to cold after some weakening disease. Some

injury to the abdomen or belly may cause it, or it may start from some

inflammation that has attacked the stomach, liver, intestines, or the

spleen. When attacked, a slight pain is felt and the animal lies down,

stretches himself, sweats freely, and moans. Then he rises, walks about

somewhat, and all the time breathes heavy and shows much weakness. The

pulse runs up between 75 and 100 beats a minute. In time the legs and

ears get cold. A good treatment is a pint of raw linseed oil, 4

tablespoonfuls of laudanum, and 10 drops of aconite. Mix these and give

as a drench. A mustard plaster for the abdomen and something hot for the

back are desirable. In two hours, if the pain continues, give 4

tablespoonfuls of laudanum and 10 drops aconite in a pint of lukewarm

water. Use as a drench.

=PINK EYE.=--A contagious epidemic disease of the horse affecting the

animal all over and particularly the membranes of the air passages.

There is general debility, considerable cough, and a general discharge

from the nostrils. The transparent covering of the eyeball becomes

inflamed. At times the disease is very fatal, many horses succumbing to

it. It is most common in the spring.

One of the symptoms is the general weakness of the animal. He hangs his

head, and trembles; has little appetite and appears cold. The eyes show

a watery discharge and later a stare coat. The pulse at first is weak,

but quick, and later rising to 80 or 90 beats a minute. At this stage

the temperature is high, around 103 to 105 degrees. The breathing is

accelerated to about 50 times a minute. The bowels do not act, or act

very poorly, and the urine is very scanty. In treating, first isolate

the animal and disinfect the stables to prevent spreading. Any of the

common disinfectants will do.

Good nursing is necessary. Keep the horse warm with blankets. Give him

soft, nourishing food. The eyes should be bathed three or four times a

day with hot water. A little boric acid, say, a teaspoonful to a half

pint of water, is good to use as a wash for the eyes and nostrils. To

keep the kidneys active and to reduce the fever, give a tablespoonful of

nitrate of potash dissolved in water two or three times a day. If the

horse is very weak, one-half glass of whiskey in a pint of gruel three

times a day is stimulating and helpful. It is better not to give any

physic of any kind. After recovery, the horse should be given little or

no work. A long rest of several weeks is necessary.

=PLACENTA.=--The covering of the fetus, commonly called the afterbirth.

As a rule, this comes away with the birth of the offspring. Occasionally

in the cow it remains attached to the walls of the uterus, and if not

removed will cause trouble, if not sickness and death. Soon after the

birth of the calf, if the afterbirth remains, decomposition sets in and

as a result the system is more or less poisoned. The first symptoms

observed are the offensive odor, the reddish discharge and the decrease

in the milk flow.

If the afterbirth does not come away of itself, assistance is necessary.

Do this during the first or second day, or the third day at the latest.

To remove the afterbirth, tie up the cow and fasten her in a way that

she cannot jump around. Now introduce the hand and arm, after careful

washing and disinfecting and oiling, into the uterus and gradually and

gently break the buttons or attachments from the walls of the uterus

with the fingers. With patience these will come away and the whole

membrane be removed. An occasional injection is advisable. Use some good

disinfectant in the water, flush out thoroughly.

=PLEURISY.=--This disease occurs in the chest cavity and is found inside

the ribs and over the lungs. It is caused very much in the same way as

inflammation of the lungs, like exposure to cold, standing in a draft,

and cooling when warm. Some injury to the ribs may also cause the

trouble.

In the early stages the animal is noticed to shiver, the pulse is quick

and strong, and there is great pain. The breath is heavy, and this is

noticed as far back as the flanks. While the animal may lie down, its

disposition is to stand up most of the time. There is an inclination to

cough, but this is suppressed, because of the pain occasioned by it;

therefore the cough really ends in a groan rather than in a normal

cough. The extremities of the body become cold.

The best treatment endeavors to prevent the disease from developing. Do

just as you would in a case of inflammation of the lungs. Mustard

plasters for the chest on each side are good. Keep the body well

covered, including the legs and neck; have good ventilation in the

stable, but keep the patient out of any draft.

As soon as the disease is noticed, mix the following in a pint of cold

water, and give as a drench: Ten drops of aconite, a half teaspoonful of

belladonna and two tablespoonfuls of laudanum. These should be given

every two hours until the pain subsides. If the animal seems to be weak,

and needs a stimulant, give 4 tablespoonfuls of spirits of niter and a

half glass of whiskey. This may be given in a pint of cold water mixed

with the gruel and given as a drench three or four times a day.

At the same time use the following medicine to improve the kidney

action: One-fourth pound of saltpeter or nitrate of potash and

one-fourth of a pound of gentian root. These are to be mixed well

together and a teaspoonful given three or four times daily. Soft foods

are desirable. A small amount of water should be given frequently. Small

quantities at a time are preferable to large quantities at infrequent

intervals.

=PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.=--This is a very contagious disease of cattle

introduced in this country from Europe. At one time it was a very

serious menace to the cattle industry. Thanks to the very aggressive

work of the United States Department of Agriculture, the disease has, so

far as is known, been eradicated from this country. No cases of the

disease have been reported during the past dozen years.

=PNEUMONIA.=--See Inflammation of the Lungs.

=POLL EVIL.=--A swelling or soreness at the top of the head. Usually it

is caused by an injury, like bumping the head in a doorway, or from a

bruise made by the halter or bridle. It is first noticed by a swelling

or soreness, which frequently causes trouble by forming an abscess;

sometimes this works down and even affects the bone. Treatment is very

simple if handled in time. Remove the cause and then bathe with warm

water and vinegar twice a day and apply a liniment of some kind. If the

abscess is formed, it should be opened with a knife at the lowest point

to remove the matter. From now on for a few days bathe the opening with

warm water in which has been added some carbolic acid or creolin. If the

case causes much trouble, you had better consult a veterinarian, as bad

cases frequently leave the neck stiff so that the animals are not able

to eat off the ground.

=QUARTER CRACK.=--See Sand Crack.

=QUITTOR.=--A name given to a fistulous opening upon the heels and

quarters of the coronary band, and is caused by treads, pricks in

shoeing, bruises, and suppurating corns. Any injury which will cause

suppuration within the foot will usually cause matter to form at the

coronet, and may result in quittor. The disease is indicated by a

swelling upon the coronet where the hair and hoof meet, great lameness,

and a discharge of thin or thick curdy pus. There may be one or a number

of small openings leading down into the sensitive part of the foot. The

parts surrounding the quittor swell and become hard and take on an

unhealthy action and are difficult to cure, and may be permanently

diseased.

[Illustration: QUITTOR

Fistulous wounds on any part of the coronet are usually the result of a

tread or bruise. If neglected serious trouble may result.]

Clean the foot and put it into a bran poultice for several days, then

remove any horn that may be pressing on the sore part. If it is at the

heel remove the crust with a knife; if it is in front of the hoof rasp

it thin. Then probe the opening at the top to find the depth and

direction. Put a grain of bichloride of mercury into tissue paper and

roll it into a cone and press it down to the bottom of the opening.

Treat all the openings in the same way. Put the foot into a bag to

protect it from injury and let it alone for three days, then clean out

the openings and put in some more of the bichloride of mercury, and so

on for two weeks, or until the parts become healthy and the hard

swelling has decreased; then make up a bath of chloride of zinc one

ounce, cool water one gallon; put the foot into this twice a day for

twenty minutes at a time. As soon as the openings are healed blister the

coronet with the following: Mix 2 teaspoonfuls of cantharides with 4

tablespoonfuls of lard; repeat in two weeks if necessary. When it is

time to put on the shoe and work the horse, a bar shoe will be best. If

the animal has much fever in the early stages of the disease give a dose

of aloes, and follow this by giving 2 tablespoonfuls of nitrate of

potassium twice a day in bran mash. Later in the disease give a

teaspoonful of sulphate of iron once a day in bran mash as a tonic.

=RABIES.=--See Hydrophobia.

=RHEUMATISM.=--A disease which affects the muscles or joints, wandering

from one part of the body to another. It affects nearly all animals,

including the horse, ox, dog, hog, and sheep. Rheumatism of the muscles

is usually due to catching cold, while rheumatism of the joints is often

due to some micro-organism.

Stiffness, which usually comes on suddenly, is a characteristic symptom.

The animal may be able to move only with great difficulty. The joints

may crack when moved, the affected muscles are hard and painful to

touch, the soreness may shift from one part to another; and the animal

sometimes makes a quick recovery, only to be followed by another attack

in a short time or perhaps never again. These symptoms may be associated

with a rise in body temperature and increased pulse. The disease may

last for a long time or only for a few days. In chronic cases the

muscles decrease in size in the parts affected. In the dog it is very

painful when caused to move and he will howl, or even howl when he

thinks he is going to be moved. In sheep it seldom occurs except in

young lambs. Pigs are often affected in the legs or back, sometimes

becoming paralyzed in the hind legs.

=Rheumatism of the Joints= usually shows very rapid swelling, increased

heat, and is very painful. The animal is often so lame that it will not

put any weight on the foot of the affected limb.

For horses and cows, treatment consists of local applications of alcohol

50 parts and oil of mustard 1 part, rubbing it in well; or spirits of

camphor. Give at the same time internally 1 teaspoonful of potassium

iodide twice daily and not to exceed 12 doses; or salicylate of soda 4

tablespoonfuls daily. Keep the animal warm and in a well-ventilated

stable. Pigs or dogs, according to size, should be given from 4 to 16

grains of salol, also using the above local applications.

=RINGBONE.=--A growth of bone on the pastern bone, just above the hoof.

It causes lameness when it interferes with the joint or the passage of

any of the tendons. Some horses are predisposed to bony diseases from

the least injury, while others are not, and in selecting mares for

breeding purposes the former should be rejected. This disease results

from strains, bruises, or injuries to the cartilage of the joints. When

the membrane of the bone or cartilage becomes inflamed there may be

great lameness for several months before any enlargement takes place,

and it is somewhat difficult to detect. The absence of other diseases of

the foot, with some heat in the pasterns, and soreness on pressure or

moving the joints indicates this disease. In other cases the enlargement

may make its appearance for some time before the horse becomes lame, and

in some cases it may never cause any lameness, but should always be

looked upon with suspicion, as in the majority of cases it sooner or

later causes lameness. Ringbone is more difficult to cure on the fore

feet than on the hind ones, as the pasterns are more upright on the

former than on the latter, and, besides, the horse’s fore legs have to

bear two-thirds the weight of the body.

The horse should have rest, and the shoes should be removed and the foot

pared level. If there is heat in the part, keep it wet with the

following lotion by means of a bandage saturated with it: Acetate of

lead half an ounce and water one quart. Continue this for a few days,

then apply a blister composed of cantharides 2 teaspoonfuls, biniodide

of mercury 1 teaspoonful and lard 8 tablespoonfuls. Rub on a third of

this with the fingers. It is not necessary to cut off the hair if the

blister is well rubbed in. Let it remain on for 24 hours, then wash off

and rub on a little lard. Repeat every second week until three blisters

have been applied. Keep the horse’s head tied while the blister is on so

that he cannot get his mouth to the part. The horse should have a few

months’ rest after this treatment. If it does not cure the animal it is

best to have him fired by a qualified veterinarian.

=RINGWORM.=--This is common in the domestic animals, especially in

calves and young cattle, and is contagious. It depends upon the presence

of a vegetable parasite, which develops and grows rapidly when it finds

a suitable place for development. Ringworm may affect any part of the

body, but its favorite seat is around the eyes, the face, ears, and

neck of cattle, and sometimes the back and hindquarters.

A gray crust appears on the skin, and the hair drops out. This keeps

spreading in the form of a ring until around the eyes, the side of the

face, ears, or neck may be covered with it. It appears in the same way

on the back, hips, and inside of the hind legs. It does not seem to

affect the health of the animal, as it is found in the well-kept as well

as those poorly kept.

First remove the crusts by washing with warm water in which one ounce of

carbonate of potassium has been put to every quart of water. A brush

should be used in washing the parts. Then use the following: Iodine 2

teaspoonfuls and vaseline 4 tablespoonfuls. Rub a little of this on with

a gloved hand. Repeat in three days. Or mix carbolic acid 1 ounce with 2

ounces of alcohol and apply a little of this to the parts with a feather

once or twice; this last is very effective.

=ROARING.=--A disease, due to the wasting of the larynx; is

characterized by loud, unnatural sounds after any violent exertion. The

disease sometimes follows distemper and influenza or a local injury to

the throat. Once established the disease is incurable. In its early

stages repeated light blisters may help. A common blister can be made of

a half teaspoonful of cantharides, a half teaspoonful of biniodide of

mercury and 4 tablespoonfuls of vaseline or lard.

=ROUP.=--A disease of the mucous membrane in fowls. It is of the nature

of an inflammation, with a discharge from the eyes and nostrils usually

accompanying. Damp and unsanitary quarters favor the development and

spread of roup. It is clearly a germ disease, and, therefore,

contagious. It is spread by means of infected quarters and fowls. All

discharges must be destroyed by disinfection, and the diseased fowls

quarantined off by themselves. The dead should be burned. Keep the

quarters light and airy; admit an abundance of sunshine and fresh air.

Feed wholesome, nutritious food, that the poultry stock may ward off the

disease. The best treatment is that which prevents spreading to healthy

fowls. If an outbreak occurs, disinfect thoroughly, liberally, and

continuously. Antiseptics administered about the head will usually break

up the disease. Creolin is good--say, 1 part to 100 parts of water.

Kerosene is also recommended.

In a sense, roup is the result of neglected colds. The birds sneeze, and

manifest their uneasiness as animals do with common colds. A teaspoonful

of pure carbolic acid to each gallon of drinking water is an excellent

preventive and can be provided at small cost.

=SAND CRACK.=--A crack found in any part of the wall of the foot. The

crack is due to over-exertion. When the hoof is dry and hard and

brittle, the crack usually begins at the top and extends downward.

Frequently the sensitive tissue creeps into the crack, causing pain, and

from which blood frequently issues. When a crack is first seen, the feet

should be poulticed with linseed meal for a few days. This will remove

the inflammation and soften the hoof. The next step will be to pare out

a piece of the hoof at the top, separating it completely from the

coronary band a half inch or so on each side of the crack down to the

quick. Fill this hole with tar. A bar shoe attached so as not to rest on

the wall where the crack is located is very helpful.

[Illustration: A CATTLE BATH TUB

The tank here shown is used for dipping the cattle for treatment of

mange. The dipping tank is now generally used throughout the West.]

=SCAB IN CATTLE.=--Scab or itch, sometimes called mange of cattle, is

caused by a minute mite that lives upon the surface of the skin,

burrowing into it. Other animals are not attacked by this parasite,

although a similar one does afflict sheep. So long as cattle are doing

well on grass, no disturbance is noticed. As soon, however, as they are

placed on dry food and cold weather sets in, the disease appears, and,

if the cattle do poorly, develops into a very aggravating form. Old

cattle are less troubled, the attacks being more frequently on calves

and yearlings and two-year-olds out of condition. In the early stages

the itching of the skin in the region of the neck or shoulders is first

noticed. This is indicated by the animals digging at the skin with

teeth and horns and the constant rubbing against posts or barbed wire or

anything that may give relief at the time. The disease gradually spreads

along the back, sides and outside of legs. In the early stages the coat

looks rough, the skin has a scurvy appearance. In time, the hair comes

off or is rubbed off, presenting bald patches of thick, glazed and

wrinkled skin. After the hair comes off the parasites leave these

regions, seeking other quarters and then the hair grows in again. There

is a dejected and debilitated condition in animals thus afflicted and

they fail rapidly in flesh. Their appetites are poor and most of their

time is expended in scratching themselves.

Scab spreads rapidly through a bunch of cattle, especially if they are

not thrifty, and disseminates itself through a herd in four to six

weeks. The thrifty, vigorous animals resist the infection for some time,

but they gradually succumb. The disease is spread by direct contact and

by contact with infected quarters. While the mites will live a week or

ten days in protected places, they are almost immediately destroyed by

direct sunlight. As soon as the disease is discovered in a bunch of

cattle, the infected animal should be isolated and the infected quarters

and rubbing posts disinfected with a 5 per cent solution of carbolic

acid. Infected animals should be well fed and cared for, and be salted

with a mixture of 1 pound of flowers of sulphur mixed with 10 pounds of

common salt. External treatment is necessary to affect a cure. If a

large number of cattle are affected, a dipping wash through which the

animals must swim in the dip is the best means for destroying the mites.

The most efficient remedies, considering cost, are the coal tar products

advertised as dip solutions. A homemade dip that is both cheap and

effective for treating a small number of animals may be made of 3 pounds

of flowers of sulphur, 2½ pounds of unslaked lime, 15 gallons of water.

In making this unslaked lime into a thick paste, sift in the sulphur and

stir well. Put this mixture in a kettle with, say, five gallons of water

and boil for at least half an hour--a longer time is better. When the

chocolate-looking mass settles, the clear liquid is drawn off and water

enough is added to make 15 gallons. The dip will be more effective if

used when warm, just a bit hotter than the normal heat of the body.

After the animals are dipped, they should remain in the solution about

two minutes. This will be time enough to thoroughly saturate the scabs

and destroy them. A couple of ablutions are required for complete

eradication. When no treatment is resorted to, the dip should be applied

with a scrubbing brush, cloth or sponges and all scabs and crusts should

be thoroughly saturated. Warm sunny days are preferable for this kind of

work.

=SEPTIC NAVEL INFECTION.=--A diseased condition at the attachment of the

navel cord soon after birth. It is a good plan just after birth to apply

some septic powder to the navel at the breaking point. If trouble

arises, apply a solution of carbolic acid, 1 part to 20 parts of water,

after using some hydrogen peroxide. A little iodoform and alum, mixed

half and half, make a good dusting powder to use also.

=SHEEP BOTS.=--See Bot Flies.

=SIDE BONES.=--On either side of the coffin bone there is a cartilage

which may in certain cases become hardened by deposits of mineral

matters, which may thus lead to lameness. Side bones are situated on

one or both sides of the leg and bulge above the upper portion of the

hoof. They may be the result of inflamed conditions, bruises or troubles

like corns or hoof cracks. Slipping on the stony pavement is a frequent

cause, as well as the great weight of the bodies in heavy horses. If the

wagon tongue falls on the foot at this point, the cartilage may be

injured and induce the disease. The swelling is first noticed just above

the hoof or near the heel. Lameness soon follows.

[Illustration: SIDE BONES

When the cartilages on either side of the foot of a horse just at the

top of the hoof and close to the heel turn to bone, side bones are the

result.]

The treatment usually recommended for side bones consists in the free

use of cold foot baths or cold water bandages for a week or more.

Tincture of iodine applied to the swollen parts is very good. A blister

applied after the water applications have been made for a week or so, is

used by many veterinarians. The blister is made of 2 teaspoonfuls of

cantharides mixed with 4 tablespoonfuls of lard. It is rubbed in well

with the fingers and allowed to remain for 24 hours, when it is washed

off and applied a second time the following week. These applications are

continued until the lameness disappears. If this does not bring

permanent relief, then firing of the injured parts and several months’

rest will be necessary.

=SLOBBERING.=--Some kinds of food cause an unnatural flow of saliva.

Fresh crimson clover hay is one of these. Of course the continual flow

of saliva is undesirable and unpleasant. It is unnatural and should be

checked as soon as possible. This can be accomplished by changing the

feed and then washing the mouth out with alum water. If a change is not

observed soon, give a good physic. For horses use 8 teaspoonfuls of

bitter aloes, a teaspoonful of common soda and a teaspoonful of ginger.

Mix these in a pint of water and give as a drench. For cattle, dissolve

a pound of Epsom salts, a tablespoonful of common soda and a

tablespoonful of ginger in a quart of lukewarm water and give as a

drench.

=SPASMODIC COLIC.=--See Colic.

=SPAVIN.=--This disease, known in common language as bone spavin, is an

enlargement of the hock joint similar to a ringbone about the coronary

joint. It may affect the hock joint in such a way as to cement the small

joints together, not causing lameness, and apparently no blemish, but

the free movement of the limb is impaired. Any condition which favors

sprains, such as fast driving over hard or uneven roads, unequal paring

of the hoof, thus causing the weight to be unequally distributed in the

joints, and severe labor in early life, or blows, bruises, or any

injuries to tendons, ligaments, or joints may cause spavin. In addition

to these causes may be mentioned sprains caused by jumping, galloping,

or trotting animals faster than they are accustomed to; also straining

by starting a heavy load, slipping on an icy surface or sliding on a bad

pavement.

If the patient is examined before any bony growth has developed,

inflammation will be detected on the inside of the hock joint at the

junction of the cannon bone and the joint. While in the stable the horse

prefers to rest the diseased leg by setting the heel on the toe of the

opposite foot with the hock joint flexed. In traveling the patient is

very lame when first taken out of the barn, but after traveling for a

short distance goes sound. The diseased leg is not lifted clear from the

ground, but nicks the toe in the middle of the stride, which is very

noticeable on a pavement. A strained horse becomes very lame after being

allowed to stand for even a very short time, then moved again.

Preventive treatment consists in keeping horses’ feet trimmed properly,

not overworking colts while young, careful driving on hard or uneven

roads, and avoiding all injuries that are liable to strain tendons,

ligaments or joints of the limbs. Even after a spavin has developed it

may be cured by proper treatment of the feet, and applying a fly

blister. The fly blister is prepared by mixing thoroughly 4

tablespoonfuls of pulverized cantharides, 4 tablespoonfuls of biniodide

of mercury and 8 ounces of lard. The hair is clipped over the spavin and

the blister applied with considerable rubbing. The horse’s head should

be tied so as to avoid his biting the part blistered. A second

application of the blister is to be used about a month after the first.

If blistering fails to cure the spavin, point-firing may be resorted to.

It is necessary to “fire” rather deeply to secure good results, care

being taken not to fire into a joint. After firing, a fly blister should

be rubbed into the holes where the hot iron has been used.

=SPAYING.=--The removal of the ovaries to prevent breeding. Cast the

animal on her right side. Give an anesthetic to prevent pain. When the

animal is unconscious, free the limbs sufficiently to remove any

pressure from the abdomen. Now pinch up a fold of the skin in the left

side, midway between the prominent bone of the haunch or pelvis, and the

last rib, about 4 inches below the backbone. Make an incision in the

skin 5 or 6 inches long; now do likewise with the abdominal muscles

until the lining membrane of the abdominal cavity is exposed. This

membrane is then punctured and an incision made as long as that in the

skin and muscles. Now kneel down in close contact with the cow’s back

and insert the arm, passing the hand within the brim or cavity of the

pelvis. By so doing both ovaries can be secured and detached. This

ended, the operation of uniting the abdominal muscles follows by means

of stitches and sutures.

Great care is necessary in having the instruments boiled and washed in

antiseptics, and in having the fingers, hands, and arms severely clean

and well saturated with a strong antiseptic solution. The operation

should be made out in the open where neither dirt nor dust are to be

found. Extreme care about germs will remove much of the risk associated

with the operation.

In spaying a sow, she is laid on an inclined board with the hindquarters

up. The operator stands at the back of the sow. The hair is first

clipped from the skin where the incision is to be made, high up in the

flank and midway between the haunch and the last rib. The incision needs

to be just large enough to admit the two fingers. Ovaries are located,

pulled through the opening in the flank, and removed by tearing off with

the fingers. The flank incision is then closed by the necessary number

of stitches.

This operation is sometimes performed in mares. But being rather

uncommon the process is less understood. In this case it is best to call

your veterinarian or someone in the community well skilled in the

operation. In all cases of spaying let severe cleanliness be the rule

and practice, from the very beginning to the very end.

[Illustration: SPLINT]

=SPLINTS.=--Splints occur more commonly in the heavier breeds of horses

than in those that are light in the bone below the knee. It is rare that

splints occur anywhere except on the inside of the front cannon bone,

although they are sometimes seen on the outside of both the front and

hind legs. Any enlargement of the bone occurring on the inside of the

leg between the knee and fetlock comes under the name of splint. The

usual cause is concussion, that is, the impact of the foot on the hard

road. It may be the result of other causes, such as a blow, a twisting

strain or faulty conformation. Some animals are more liable to splints

than others. It is, after all, to a certain extent, dependent upon

heredity. At first the splint is hard to detect. If you notice a young

horse going lame while doing road work, it is well to examine for

splints. While working there seems to be no lameness at all, and when

standing there seems to be no pain, but when put to a trot the horse

shows lameness and may raise and lower his head.

If taken in time, a splint can be cured. The first thing to do with an

animal suffering from a splint is to give the animal rest and place in

such quarters where there is a soft floor, preferably the ground, and

when so quartered one very frequently effects a complete cure. The

application of cold water bandages acts well. If treatment of this sort

fails, apply a blister of red iodide of mercury, 1 tablespoonful to 2

tablespoonfuls of lard. This blister should be applied with rubbing

every day from two to four days, or until the area is well blistered.

Then wait until the little scabs fall off, and if the animal is still

lame, repeat the application of this blister. To apply the blister, clip

off the hair over the enlargement and wash with vinegar to remove

grease, then rub in blister with ends of fingers. Keep the animals tied

short for two to four days in order to prevent rubbing or biting the

leg. Four days after the last application of blister, wash carefully

with warm water and soap and over it apply every day or so a little

lard, to prevent drying and also to loosen the scabs.

=SPRAINS.=--Injuries to the ligaments of joints, tendons, or muscles.

They are caused by violence, as twisting, or from over-exertion; also

sprains are often the result of overwork. If an animal is worked until

tired or exhausted he is unable to use the proper muscle force, and more

strain has to be borne by the ligaments, resulting in sprains, which

often occur in young horses or even in old horses, when put to work

after long periods of rest. Swelling, heat, soreness, and partial or

complete loss of the use of the part, which is shown by the degree of

lameness, characterize the disorder. Sprains are most common in the

legs, at the fetlock joint, in the tendons just back and above the

fetlocks, but may occur in any part.

The first and most important thing in the treatment of sprains is rest,

as sprains are a long time in making a complete recovery. In the early

stages, that is, before swelling has taken place, applications of cold

water should be used, applications of hot water, or hot packs of water,

1,000 parts, and bichloride of mercury 1 part, are very good. This will

relieve the pain and reduce the swelling. Applications of liniments are

also very good. Should there be great heat and soreness in the part, it

is well to use cold applications. Never blister in the early stages. A

blister may be used after the swelling has gone down, and the part has

become cold, from two to four weeks after the injury occurred. This

should be followed by rest for some time after all lameness has

disappeared.

=STAGGERS.=--Staggers in horses is an affection of the brain showing

itself usually in one of two forms--sleepy or stomach staggers and blind

or mad staggers. In the first form the stomach is at fault. Sudden

change of feed, moldy or dirty food heavy work or fast driving right

after a heavy meal or severe exposure is liable to cause indigestion in

the stomach and this is reflected to the brain, causing the animal to

act dull or sleepy, sometimes showing symptoms of serious colic, with

gas forming from the fermentation of the food, frequently resulting in

death.

Blind or mad staggers is an inflammation of the brain and may affect any

of the lower animals. In the beginning of this form the symptoms closely

resemble those in the stomach form, but as the inflammation progresses

the animal becomes blind and violent and may roll, paw, kick, wander

around in a circle, usually going only one way, either to the left or

right, or it may walk or run in a straight line as near as possible for

hours at a time--paying no attention to injuries received in its

travels. In either case the animal may be drenched once daily with a

quart of raw linseed oil or a pound of Glauber salts, dissolved in

water, which sometimes gives relief.

=Staggers in Sheep= is mostly caused by the young stage of a tapeworm

which infests sheep dogs. The dog eats the infected brain of the sheep

and the sheep eats the egg of the tapeworm after it has passed through

the dog. After the egg hatches in the stomach of the sheep the young

worm passes through the bowels and other organs or tissues or circulates

through the blood and reaches the brain, where it develops and causes an

inflammation, resulting in disease. It is most common in young animals,

rarely occurring in sheep after their second year.

Prevention is about the only practical way of handling this trouble. The

grounds should be thoroughly drained, allowing the animals only pure,

fresh water to drink. It may be necessary to change pastures for a year

or two. The brains of all sheep killed and the heads of all dying with

the disease should be burned.

=STOMACH AND INTESTINAL WORMS IN SHEEP.=--If a box of salt is kept

covered in some place frequented by the sheep, to which they are allowed

to help themselves, and if said salt is saturated with spirits of

turpentine in proportions of a gill to every four quarts of salt, it

will wonderfully help to keep the worms from multiplying. It is well,

also, to have another box of larger size, where sheep can help

themselves at will, filled with tobacco stems. These stems should be cut

up in inch lengths and from time to time a quantity of wheat bran should

be put on top of the stems. When this is done the sheep soon

instinctively learn to use tobacco, and no young intestinal worm or

stomach worm, except the tapeworm, can stand the diet. This will not

kill mature worms. It will only prevent the worm family multiplying to

the extent of injuring the health of sheep.

[Illustration: TWISTED STOMACH WORMS

A common attitude observed when sheep are afflicted with twisted stomach

worms. The animal loses in flesh, and unless relief is found in time,

dies. The parasite is shown in the illustration.]

But no sheep owner should feel wholly satisfied by preventive treatment

of stomach worms. Twice a year the whole flock should be drenched with

some agent which will destroy the mature worms. There are two very

inexpensive drenches which will quite effectually do this. The one is

gasoline, the other coal tar creosote. The objection to gasoline is that

it needs to be so extremely carefully used or sheep will be killed by

it. The dose is 1 tablespoonful (never more at one dose) to a mature

sheep; mix with not less than 4 tablespoonfuls of raw linseed oil (never

boiled oil); then add a half pint of sweet milk. In giving, set the

sheep up on its haunches and shake the liquids well together until the

last minute it is administered, or the gasoline will separate and, if it

enters the stomach in the unmixed form, it will seriously injure and may

kill the sheep.

There is no direct vermifuge that will as effectually kill all species

of worms in a sheep’s stomach and intestines as will gasoline; yet the

coal tar creosote or the more refined class of sheep dips, if given

after a full 12-hour fast, before the flock is turned to pasture in the

spring, and again about November, will destroy a large number of the

mature worms. All lambs born in April or May should be drenched about

August or September following, to be certain of ridding them of worms

that may later cause their death. The dose of any of the sheep dips is a

dessertspoonful mixed in a full pint of water.

=STONE IN BLADDER.=--See Concretions or Calculi of Urinary Organs.

=STRANGLES.=--This trouble, commonly called colt distemper, affects

horses, and rarely mules and donkeys. It is such an infectious disease

that nearly all horses contract the disease when colts and usually

remain immune to future exposures. The cause is a very small organism or

germ which enters the system when a healthy colt comes in contact with

a diseased one or when fed and watered in infected vessels. The seat of

trouble is largely restricted to the respiratory organs, occasionally

causing difficulty in breathing, owing to swelling in region of throat

or to accumulations in air passages.

The symptoms start out with more or less sluggishness. The animal eats

little, and does not care to take much exercise. A little watery

discharge frequently appears from the eyes, and about the same time a

watery discharge from the nostrils, which soon becomes thicker and more

yellow in color. Usually the glands between the lower jawbones become

enlarged and undergo suppuration with a rupture of them and free

discharge of pus. The temperature of the animal may be slightly or very

greatly increased from 103° to 105°. The pulsations may also be

considerably quickened. When complications do not occur this disease

usually runs its course in two weeks, leaving the animal little the

worse for having passed through the affliction.

The milder forms of this disease will need little or no treatment other

than careful feeding and nursing. A laxative diet, with something green,

if possible, should be given. The colt should be placed in clean, airy,

and comfortable quarters, but not in a draft. To hasten the suppuration

of the glands a poultice of hot bran or flaxseed may be applied to that

region, and as soon as softening can be detected within, puncture the

gland containing abscess with a clean knife blade and allow the escape

of the collection of pus. During the course of the disease the animal

should not be worked and care should be taken that it be not exposed to

conditions likely to produce a cold.

=STRINGHALT IN HORSES.=--Stringhalt is an involuntary contraction of the

muscles that bring the hind leg or legs forward. The cause of stringhalt

is a deranged condition of the nerves supplying the muscles, causing the

leg or legs to be brought up with a jerk. In slight cases of stringhalt

it is necessary sometimes to turn the animal round from right to left,

and from left to right, in order to make him show signs of stringhalt,

the symptoms of the disease being exhibited as he turns one way only.

This disease sometimes comes on suddenly, but generally develops slowly.

It is an unsoundness, and depreciates the animal’s value and makes him

unfit for hard work or fast driving. There is no sure cure for

stringhalt; the animal can sometimes be relieved by giving him one ounce

bromide of potassium at a dose twice a day in bran mash, and continuing

it for one week, then skipping a week and giving again. It can sometimes

be relieved by cutting the tendon or tendons of the affected muscles,

but the operation should be performed by a qualified veterinarian.

=SUNSTROKE.=--See Heat Exhaustion and Sunstroke.

=SWAMP FEVER.=--This disease, by some called infectious anemia of

horses, is produced by an invisible organism, which is transmissible to

horses, mules, and asses. About the first symptoms noticed are a general

weakness of the animal; it tires very easily and is not able to do any

work. The loss of flesh is apparent in spite of the voracious appetite

which the animal has at times. The appetite usually remains good until

death, but the feed seems to do the animal no good. The temperature is

very irregular. Some days it runs quite high, at times to 107°; again it

is below normal. An animal may have several attacks of the trouble, but

each succeeding attack seems to be more severe. The blood becomes thin,

and the circulation impaired, and frequently there appears a swelling

under the chest or abdomen, or an enlargement of one or more legs. It is

quite easy to recognize the trouble, especially in the advanced stages.

The slow progress at the beginning, remittent fever, progressive

emaciation and anemia, unimpaired or ravenous appetite, staggering gait,

and excessive urination are usually all present to a greater or less

degree. Recovery takes place only when treatment is begun early and when

the disease is not too acute.

In treating, absolute rest until fully recovered is one of the primary

requisites, and purgatives are to be avoided. For the fever, the United

States Department of Agriculture recommends an antipyretic of quinine 40

grains, acetanilide 2 drams, and powdered nux vomica 30 grains, four

times daily. Cold water sponge baths and frequent copious rectal

injections of cold water also aid in reducing the fever. After the fever

subsides the following is recommended: Arsenious acid, 2 grams; powdered

nux vomica, 28 grams; powdered cinchona bark, 85 grams; powdered gentian

root, 110 grams. These should be well mixed and one-half teaspoonful

given at each feed of the affected animal.

As in the case of all other infectious diseases, the healthy should be

separated from the sick horses, and thorough disinfection of the

infected stable, stalls, litter, and stable utensils should be used by

mixing six ounces of any one of these chemicals with one gallon of

water. One of the approved coal-tar sheep dips might also be used to

advantage in a five per cent solution, and should be applied liberally

to all parts of the stable, and sufficient lime may be added to the

solution to make the disinfectant area conspicuous.

From the fact that the disease is more prevalent during wet seasons, it

is always best to guard against allowing the animals to graze upon

swampy land or to drink from ponds of stagnant water. The spread of the

disease has been traced along creeks from one farm to another, which

would suggest avoiding these places also. The draining of the low,

swampy lands is especially recommended.

=SWEENY.=--Wasting of the muscles covering the shoulder blade of the

horse is commonly called “sweeny,” and the cause may be any strain,

sprain, jerk, or bruise of the parts due to a bad fitting collar, or to

awkward steps of a colt plowing for the first time, and especially when

worked in the furrow. The great nerves of the shoulder are affected, and

in consequence nutrition is impaired and the muscles waste away. A

similar condition may affect the muscles of the hip, or of the space

between the stifle and hip.

Lameness seldom is a prominent feature in shoulder sweeny. Ordinarily

the wasting comes on some time after the causative injury; then the skin

alone appears to cover the bone (scapula) and the animal may have little

power for work. In this connection it should be remembered that wasting

of the shoulder muscles also may be due to any chronic lameness or

soreness of the foot, or leg, between foot and shoulder. Wasting

(atrophy) of muscles occurs when the muscles for any reason are not

fully exercised. It, therefore, is important to make sure whether the

cause is in the foot or in the shoulder before commencing treatment.

Treatment consists in stimulating flow of blood to the poorly nourished

parts, and if this can be done the muscles gradually grow in again and

regain their normal development and power. An old-fashioned plan is to

make incisions in the skin and then blow up the parts with air to

separate the skin from the bone. This should not be done. Setons

(rowels) of tape may be inserted under the skin, but they leave scars.

Better treatment consists in rubbing the parts twice daily with a

stimulating liniment, or blistering at intervals of three weeks with

cerate of cantharides, after removing the hair. A suitable liniment may

be made by mixing together four ounces of druggist’s soap liniment, one

ounce each of aqua ammonia and water to make one pint.

=SWINE PLAGUE.=--See Hog Cholera.

=TAPE WORMS.=--The flat worms of domestic animals. They are most serious

and common in sheep. Treatment is only partially satisfactory. To get

any reasonable result food must be withheld for several hours before the

medicine is given. Use the following: 1 teaspoonful of ethereal extract

of male fern in four ounces of castor oil. It is desirable to keep the

sheep inclosed, so that the ground can be disinfected after the worms

are expelled, otherwise infection will occur right over again.

=TETANUS.=--See Lockjaw.

[Illustration: TEXAS FEVER

The annual loss to the South, because of the cattle tick, extends into

many millions of dollars. Investigations show that a complete

extermination can be effected at a cost of $6 per farm.]

=TEXAS OR TICK FEVER.=--The earliest accounts that we have of this

disease date back to 1814. It was found that cattle driven from a

certain district in South Carolina to other parts of the state would

infect others with the disease, while they themselves seemed to be in

perfect health. The disease is known by various names in the different

sections of the country. It is often called red water, Spanish fever,

Australian tick fever, and murain.

[Illustration: A TYPICAL CASE OF FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE

The disease shows itself about the mouth, the feet and the teats. When

an outbreak occurs all affected animals should be destroyed and all

quarters thoroughly disinfected.]

This is a specific fever, and is characterized by the peculiarity among

animal diseases that animals which scatter the infection are apparently

in good health, while those which sicken and die from it do not, as a

rule, infect others.

When the cattle are brought into the infected districts they usually

contract the disease during the first of the summer, and if they are

adult cattle, particularly milch cows or fat cattle, nearly all die;

calves are more likely to survive. The disease is one from which

immunity is acquired, and, therefore, calves which recover from the

disease are not again attacked, as a rule, even after they become adult.

When the disease is prevalent or scattered beyond the infected district

the roads, barns and pastures are dangerous until freezing weather, when

the disease disappears and cattle can be kept in the grounds or driven

over the roads without catching the disease. The midwinter months is the

only time that cattle can be safely driven from an infected area to a

non-infected area without spreading the disease.

=The Cause.=--Texas fever is caused by an organism which lives within

the red-blood corpuscles and breaks them up. It is not a bacteria, but a

protozoa, and belongs to the lowest forms of the animal kingdom. How it

gets into the blood corpuscles is not known. The fatality is due not so

much to the loss of blood corpuscles as to the difficulty which the

organs have in getting rid of the waste products arising from this

wholesale destruction.

=The Course of the Disease.=--After a period of exposure, which may vary

from 13 to 90 days, the disease first shows itself in dullness, loss of

appetite and a tendency to leave the herd and lie down alone. A few days

before these symptoms appear the temperature rises from 103° to 107°.

There is little change in temperature until death or recovery.

=Pathological Changes Observable After Death.=--The presence of small

ticks on the udder or escutcheon is a very important sign in herds north

of the Texas fever line. The watery condition of the blood. The spleen

or milt very much enlarged, and filled with a blackish pulp. Enlargement

of the liver, and its color changed to a mahogany color. The distended

gall-bladder, caused by an excessive amount of bile in it.

=The Cattle Tick= (_Boophilus bovis_) is the carrier of this disease.

Its life history is quite simple. It is unable to come to maturity and

reproduce its kind unless it becomes attached to the skin of cattle,

whence it may obtain its food. The eggs laid on the ground by the female

tick after falling off the cattle begin to develop at once. The time

required for hatching varies considerably, according to the temperature.

In the heat of summer about 13 days, and in the fall, under the same

conditions, from four to six weeks. On pastures these little creatures

soon find their way on to cattle. They attach themselves, by preference,

to the tender skin on the escutcheon, the inside of the thighs, and on

the base of the udder. When very numerous they may be found on various

parts of the body. They remain clinging to the cattle until mature, and

then fall off and lay their eggs and hatch more new ticks.

=How Prevention Is Possible.=--The spread of Texas fever can be

prevented by two ways--sanitary arrangements and by vaccination. Where

the cattle are infected with the tick, the ticks can be killed by

smearing the animals with a solution capable of killing the ticks

without harming the cattle. In large herds a large vat of crude

petroleum is used to immerse the cattle in. In small herds smear the

cattle with a mixture of equal parts of cottonseed oil and crude

petroleum.

How to rid the pastures of the tick without killing the vegetation on

them has for a long time been the problem. Divide the pasture in two

parts by a double parallel line of fence with a 10-foot space between,

to prevent ticks from crawling across. One of these pastures is then

kept free of cattle for two winters and one summer. After the second

winter it will be free of ticks and ready for tickless cattle, when the

other pasture is abandoned for the same time.

Vaccination is for the purpose of immunizing cattle that are brought

from a non-infected district to an infected district. Calves about six

to eight months old should be used, as they are more immune than adult

cattle. The immunity is caused by introducing the germ into the blood in

a weakened form. This may be done in two ways--by placing virulent young

ticks on the calves or by artificial vaccination. When this is

practiced, it should be done in two or three inoculations, as it gives

better results. The intervals should be about three weeks. The amount of

virulent blood should be small the first time and increased in the

following treatments.

The inoculation always results in a more or less serious attack of the

fever upon the animal treated. Some may die, but the proportion of

deaths resulting among animals taken directly into the infected

district is large to the proportion of deaths resulting from

vaccination. Medical treatment for this disease has proven

unsatisfactory in the acute form, although in some chronic cases some

good results may have been obtained by medical treatment.

=THICK LEG.=--See Lymphangitis.

=THOROUGHPIN.=--An enlargement situated on the sides and upper part of

the hock joint of the horse, arising from a derangement of the sheath of

the back tendon. The fluid with which it is filled can be pressed from

one side to the other, hence the term thoroughpin. It seldom causes

lameness. For treatment mix a teaspoonful of biniodide of mercury with 4

tablespoonfuls of lard. Rub on a little with the fingers, let it remain

on for 24 hours, then wash off and rub on a little lard or vaseline.

Repeat the blister every third week until the enlargement disappears.

The horse should have rest while under treatment.

=THRUSH.=--A diseased condition of the secreting surface of the fatty

frog in the foot. In severe cases the horny part often detaches from the

sensitive tissue within. Bad shoeing is a common cause of the trouble,

or anything else that prevents the frog from coming in contact with the

ground. Lameness is sometimes associated with the disease. Treatment

consists of careful cleaning, followed with linseed meal poultices if

lame. After the foot is made dry, insert calomel into the little

cavities. The calomel can be kept in and the dirt kept out by using

paper or cloth plugs. Follow this treatment until normal condition is

attained.

=THUMPS.=--This disease is limited in its action to pigs. Its cause is

not definitely known. It is recognized by a peculiar contraction of the

diaphragm in young pigs. While the pig may eat fairly well the

disturbance is associated with digestion. Such patients like to lie

around and take very little exercise. The disease is more common where

one kind of food like corn is fed. The old common method was to cut off

the ear. The common practice now is to give a purgative so as to relieve

the stomach and bowels of accumulated material. The food should be

changed and from 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls of Epsom salts should be given.

The jerking movement of the muscles may be relieved or stopped by using

laudanum, say, four drops to 1 or 2 teaspoonfuls of aromatic spirits of

ammonia in a half pint of water.

=TICK FEVER.=--See Texas Fever.

=TRICHINOSIS.=--A disease caused by the trichina, a minute worm that

affects people, hogs and rats. People become affected with the disease

from raw or partly cooked pork. These worms are killed by thorough

cooking or by the process of hot pickling and curing meat products.

Hogs become affected through eating offal and rats about the

slaughterhouses. Hogs that are fed on green grass and other wholesome

food, free from these minute worms, are less likely to have trichinæ

embedded in their flesh and muscles. Hogs do not seem to be bothered

with the trichinæ, but people suffer very severely, as both soreness in

the muscles and fever result.

A few days after eating the trichinæ, the worms multiply very rapidly in

the digestive tract, from which they migrate to other parts of the body

and work their way through the tissues. There is no remedy in way of

treatment when affected. Prevention is the one cure. Inasmuch as five to

ten per cent of hogs are affected, it is advisable that all pork or ham

be eaten only after most thorough cooking.

=TUBERCULOSIS.=--Tuberculosis is a disease resulting from the growth of

tubercle bacteria in the tissues of the animal. The bacteria, or germs,

of tuberculosis, usually gain entrance to the organs of the body by

being taken in with the food. Sometimes they penetrate through the

membranes in the throat and get into the glands of the head. Sometimes

they are taken into the digestive tract, where they pass through the

walls of the intestines into the lymph channels and are carried through

the large lymph vessel into the blood circulation. In some cases it

would seem that the bacteria get into the lungs on particles of dust

that are inhaled.

[Illustration: TUBERCULOSIS GERMS

These germs may be inhaled in the lungs with the air, admitted to the

stomach and intestines with food and drink, or established in the flesh

by inoculation through broken skin or mucous membrane.]

After getting into the body, tubercle bacteria multiply in the tissues

to which they have been carried and produce the changes in them which we

find on the examination of an animal suffering with tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis, therefore, is simply the outcome of the growth of the

tubercle bacteria in the organs.

=Where Tubercles Are to Be Found.=--Tuberculous areas may be found in

almost any part of the infected animal, but the organs that are usually

affected are the lymphatic glands, either in the throat, the bronchial

glands or those about the intestines and on the liver; the lungs; the

liver; the kidneys; intestines; udder and generative organs. The

membrane covering the lungs (pleura), the heart (pericardium), and

intestines (peritoneum), are frequently affected. It often happens that

a large mass, or masses, of tuberculous tissue grow over one or more of

these membranes. The most peculiar thing about bovine tuberculosis is

the fact that frequently an animal will appear to be perfectly well, but

when slaughtered will be found to have a large number of tuberculous

areas or masses on the membranes or in its organs. The reason for this

is that the diseased area is not at a vital point.

The organ or membrane affected depends upon the one to which the germ is

carried. Usually animals are infected in but one organ in the beginning,

and from this diseased area the germs spread through the blood vessels

or lymph channels to other organs. When the diseased area is restricted

to one organ or part, it is called “localized” tuberculosis, because it

appears at the point where the seed or germ was first planted. When the

germs spread through the circulation from this first or primary diseased

area to other organs and set up new tuberculous growths, the condition

is called “generalized” tuberculosis. When cattle are slaughtered for

food, if they are found to be afflicted with localized tuberculosis, the

flesh is considered to be fit for food, but if the disease is

generalized the carcass is condemned.

=The Symptoms of Tuberculosis= vary according to the location of the

disease. If it is in the glands of the throat it is suggested by their

enlargement. If it is in a gland about the lungs, which, because of its

enlargement, presses on the œsophagus (gullet), there might be bloating.

If the disease is in the lung tissue there would be, after it is

sufficiently advanced, coughing and perhaps difficult breathing. If the

disease is in the liver, it cannot be readily distinguished until it is

far advanced. If the disease is in the udder it manifests itself usually

by the organ becoming firm or hard, and when the tissues are

sufficiently broken down the milk from that quarter will be changed in

appearance; sometimes it is thick, containing pus, sometimes thin and

watery. It is very difficult to diagnose tuberculosis from the symptoms,

as many other causes may give rise to similar manifestations.

As tuberculosis is caused by a specific germ, the disease is spread by

the germs escaping from the diseased animals and getting into the bodies

of healthy ones. The tubercle bacteria escape from the infected animal

with some one or more of the natural discharges of the body. For

example, if the cow has a bad tuberculous area in the lung, the bacteria

may be discharged into one of the air tubes and coughed up into the

mouth. Some of them will escape with the saliva and infect mangers or

pastures. Some of them may be swallowed and escape from the body with

the feces. If the disease is in the udder the germs will escape with the

milk. There are some observations which indicate that sometimes the

bacteria will escape with the milk where the udder is not affected.

After the bacteria leave the diseased animal and are left in the manger,

or in the pasture, or on the surface of water in the drinking trough,

they can be readily taken up by healthy cattle that eat or drink after

them. If they escape with the milk, calves and pigs that are fed with it

readily become infected. After the germs get into the body of the

healthy animal they will multiply and produce the disease, just as the

seed of a noxious weed will, if blown into a new field, germinate and

produce the weed there. Tuberculosis spreads from animal to animal on

the same principle that weeds spread from one field to another.

In order to prevent the spread of tuberculosis it is simply necessary to

prevent healthy animals from coming in contact with the diseased ones or

eating or drinking after them.

As tuberculosis cannot be readily detected by a physical examination

until the disease is far advanced in the organs affected, it is

necessary, in order to determine which animals have the disease, to

apply some test or to find the germs of the disease in their excretions.

The simplest test that has thus far been discovered is the action of

tuberculin. When tuberculin is injected under the skin of the animals

affected with active tuberculosis the animals respond by a rise of

temperature, which follows a somewhat definite curve. By means of this

test it is possible to pick out the infected individuals so that they

can be separated from the healthy ones. The test should be repeated in

from six months to a year in order to detect any new cases which might

have developed from latent or arrested ones. We cannot always get all of

the infected animals with the first test any more than we can always

remove every weed from the garden by one hoeing.

=The Bang Method for the Control= of tuberculosis consists in separating

the animals that are infected from the well ones and keeping them for

breeding purposes. The calves are removed from their dams as soon as

born and fed with the milk of healthy cows, or the pasteurized milk of

the infected ones. It has been found that but a small percentage of

calves that are raised under proper precautions from such animals have

tuberculosis. By this means a sound herd of cattle may be developed from

tuberculous animals. This method was introduced by Prof. Bang of

Copenhagen, and it has been found to be very effective in Denmark and

other countries in Europe. It has been applied with much success in a

large number of individual herds in the United States. Its success

depends entirely upon the care which is taken in keeping tubercle

bacteria away from the calves.

In purchasing cattle for dairy or breeding purposes it is important that

they should be taken from herds that are free from tuberculosis. The

sound herd is the unit to be dealt with. Animals from such herds are far

more reliable than non-reactors from tuberculous herds.

=TUMORS.=--Abnormal growths of tissues. There are many kinds of tumors.

They are named from the kind of tissue of which they are composed, as

fibrous and fatty. Just why tumors should develop is not known.

Treatment is in the direction of direct removal; this means they are to

be cut out with a knife. Another method is to tie a strong cord around

the stem of the tumor, thus shutting off the blood supply. As soon as

this is effected, there will be a sloughing away, with a sore remaining,

which is to be treated as in an ordinary wound. Some tumors are burnt

off with caustics. Arsenic or corrosive sublimate are commonly used,

either singularly or combined. Better consult a veterinarian about the

removal of tumors on valuable animals.

=TUMORS IN PIGS AFTER CASTRATION.=--Bunches form on the cords of pigs

after castration as a result of infection from dirty instruments or

hands during the operation; or from leaving the cord too long, thus

increasing the liability of its becoming infected. These tumors continue

to grow, and in the worst cases attain the size of a man’s head. Cut

down on a tumor the same as in a simple case of castration. Separate the

skin from the tumor and then swallow up the cord with the hands. Cut the

cord off as high up as possible. The wound may be healed by the use of

any of the common disinfectants. A teaspoonful of carbolic acid in a

quart of water may be used once daily until the pigs are healed. Pigs

should be kept in a clean pen after the operation.

=WARBLES.=--These are lumps in the skin of cattle, caused by grubs or

warbles. A simple treatment is to cut the skin and squeeze out the grubs

where the lumps are noticed. If all the grubs are killed in this way,

there will be no mature flies to cause trouble later on. See article on

Bot Flies.

=WARTS.=--The cause of these little tumors of the skin is not definitely

known. They occur on all domestic animals, appearing most frequently on

horses and cattle. Pure acetic acid, dropped on the wart until it is

saturated and softened, destroys in the early stages. Warts about which

a small cord may be tied are most easily treated in that way. After they

have sloughed off, apply a little terchloride of antimony with a feather

or cotton. When the scab forms, remove it and apply the chemical again.

With a couple of applications the spot will be lower than the

surrounding skin. Now use an ointment, made of 4 tablespoonfuls of oxide

of zinc and 8 tablespoonfuls of lard. Apply this daily until the sore

spot is healed. Sometimes a form of warts suddenly appears on colts and

calves and scatter themselves about the lips, nose and face. They are

common and appear and disappear suddenly. No treatment is necessary.

=WATER IN THE BRAIN.=--Dropsy in the brain. A condition characterized by

an accumulation of fluid in the brain. The disease is either congenital

or arises during the first years of life. When it occurs the best thing

is to kill the young individual at once.

=WATER IN THE CHEST.=--Often after a case of pleurisy a reaction comes

and a very large quantity of water settles in the chest cavity, anywhere

from two to four pailfuls. When the disease comes on the animal has

difficulty in breathing; takes in the breath quickly. There is a

constant biting at the flanks; the pulse increases to a hundred beats a

minute. If you place your ear over the chest you will likely hear no

sound at all. Best treatment is wholesome food, boiled flaxseed, and

blisters for both sides of the chest. Use strong mustard plasters. A

good medicine to use is one-fourth of a pound of saltpeter or nitrate of

potash, one fourth of a pound of ground gentian and one-fourth of a

pound of sulphate of iron. These should be mixed and then 1 teaspoonful

given every four hours. You had better consult a veterinarian. Other

complications set in so readily that help may be secured in other ways.

Some veterinarians puncture the chest so as to draw off the surplus

water that has accumulated.

=WHITE SCOURS OF CALVES.=--Calves of several days or weeks old suffer

from indigestion, which is indicated by thriftlessness, and then

scouring. The discharges are white, sour, curdled and frequent at first

and then become watery, greenish and offensive, passing in stream often.

Calves live some days and fast lose flesh, showing all the symptoms of

ill health.

One of the commonest causes is feeding dirty, souring or decomposing

factory skim milk in large quantities at long intervals; even sweet skim

milk so fed may produce the trouble. To prevent scours give calves a

perfectly clean, airy, sunny pen and yard attached. Separate any calf

that scours. Avoid dirty, dark, damp, poorly ventilated pens in which

scouring calves have been. Give all food from clean, scalded, sun-dried

vessels. Feed small quantities of food often; and in milk mix lime water

freely two or three times a week as a preventive; and daily when

scouring has been experienced. Also see that the udders of cows nursing

calves do not become contaminated with manure or other filth.

Wash udders with a two per cent solution of coal tar disinfectant before

any calf is allowed to suck for the first time, and then repeat to keep

the udders clean. Also disinfect the navel of each calf at birth with a

1/500 solution of corrosive sublimate and repeat the application twice a

day until the navel is perfectly healed over. At the first sign of

scours give castor oil shaken up in milk. Two to 6 tablespoonfuls is the

dose according to the size and age of the calf. Follow two or three

times daily with a 1 to 2-teaspoonful dose of a mixture of one part of

salol and two parts of subnitrate of bismuth in milk or water. For

calves scouring on skim milk mix in each pint of milk 1 teaspoonful of a

mixture of half an ounce of formaldehyde in 15½ ounces of distilled

water, to be kept in an amber-colored bottle.

=WIND COLIC.=--See Colic.

=WIND PUFFS.=--An accumulation of synovia in the cavities between the

tendons of the legs, especially between the back tendons and the bone

just above the fetlock joint. The bulging out is on each side of the

tendon. Horses subjected to severe exertions, like hard work on the

roads, are most frequently affected. The puffs or galls seldom cause

lameness or interfere with the usual work. Unless treated the puffs will

become thicker and harder and sometimes solidified. When this happens

lameness occurs. In the early stages, pads and bandages, if applied so

as to cause pressure, will tend to remove the galls. If this treatment

is not sufficient, then use a teaspoonful of biniodide of mercury, and 4

tablespoonfuls of lard. When mixed, these should be rubbed on with the

fingers. After 24 hours remove with water and soap and repeat every

other week until the puffs disappear.

=WIND SUCKING.=--See Cribbing.

=WORMS.=--See Intestinal Worms in Horses and Sheep; and Stomach Worms.

=WORMS IN HOGS.=--Hogs with worms in the intestines run down in

condition, become very thin and lank, back is arched, eyes dull, refuse

feed, walk stiffly, and appear lifeless. The worms may be very numerous,

in bad cases completely filling the intestines. The pigs die if not

treated. To secure the best results, affected hogs should receive

individual treatment. Twenty-four hours before administering treatment

very little feed should be given them. Then give the following medicine

as a drench to each 100-pound hog; larger or smaller hogs should receive

a dose in proportion: 4 tablespoonfuls of oil of turpentine, one-half

teaspoonful of liquor ferri dialysatus and 6 ounces of raw linseed oil.

If necessary, repeat the dose in four days.

Index

Page

Abortion, 101

Abscesses, 103

Aconite, 69

Actinomycosis, 104

Afterbirth, 106

Aloes, 69

Alum, 69

Animal Body a Collection of Cells, 11

Animal Body, How Formed, 9

Animals, Caring for Sick, 99

Animal Diseases, Learn to Recognize, 4

Animals, Examining in the Stables, 42

Animals, Out of Doors Test, 44

Anthrax, 108

Antimony, 71

Apoplexy, 111

Anemia, 107

Aniseed, 70

Arnica, 70

Arsenic, 70

Azoturia, 111

Back, 47

Bandage, How to Make It, 57

Barrenness, 113

Belladonna, 70

Big Head, 113

Big Jaw of Cattle, 114

Big Knee, 114

Big Leg, 114

Bile, 26

Biniodide of Mercury, 71

Bitter Milk, 114

Blackhead, 114

Blackleg, 115

Blackleg Vaccine, 116

Bladder, 67

Bladder, Stone in, 117

Blind Staggers, 117

Blistering, 98

Bloating in Cattle, 117

Blood, 12

Blood Poisoning, 120

Bloody Milk, 121

Bloody Urine, 121

Body, 47

Body Tissues, 12

Bog Spavin, 122

Bone Spavin, 123

Bot Flies, 123

Bots, 126

Breeze Flies, 123

Broken Wind, 126

Bromide of Potassium, 71

Bronchitis, 126

Bruises, Treating, 60

Bunches, 128

Burns, 128

Caked Bag, 128

Caked Udder, 128

Calculi of Urinary Organs, 140

Calf Cholera, 128

Calf Scours, 129

Camphor, 72

Cancer, 129

Cantharides, 72

Capped Elbow, 130

Capped Hock, 130

Capped Knee, 131

Carbolic Acid, 72

Castration, 131

Catarrh, 133

Cattle Scab, 134

Cattle, Special Type in, 44

Caustic Potash, 74

Cell Division, 10

Cell, Nature of, 9

Cells, What They Are, 11

Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis, 134

Charbon, 135

Chest Founder, 135

Chicken Cholera, 135

Choking, 136

Chronic Founder, 165

Circulation of Blood, 28

Coffin Joint Lameness, 137

Colds, 137

Colic, 137

Colic Mixture, 80

Concretions, 140

Constipation, 142

Corns, 142

Corns, Examine for, 49

Cornstalk Disease, 143

Corrosive Sublimate, 73

Cough Mixture, 80

Cow Pox, 144

Cracked Hoofs, 144

Cramp Colic, 145

Creolin, 74

Cribbing, 144

Crib Suckers, 145

Croton Oil, 73

Curb, 145

Diabetes, 146

Diarrhoea, 147

Difficult Parturition, 147

Digestion of Food, 23

Dipping Live Stock, 147

Disease, Diagnosis and Treatment, 92

Disease on the Farm, 1

Disease, Physical Examination in, 92

Disease due to Heredity, 84

Disease from Chemical Causes, 84

Disease, Origin of, 86

Disease, The Causes of, 83

Disease, The Meaning of, 82

Disease, The Course of, 87

Disease, The Termination of, 89

Disease, The Treatment of, 95

Diseases of Farm Animals, 101

Dishorning, 148

Disinfect Frequently, 5

Disinfectants, 6

Distemper, 148

Dropsy, 148

Dysentery, 150

Dystokia, 149

Eczema, 149

Enteritis, 151

Epilepsy, 151

Epizootic, 151

Ergotism, 151

Erysipelas, 152

Examining Animals, 39

Farcy, 153

Feet, 17

Fever, 153

Firing, 98

Fistulæ, 154

Fits, 157

Flatulent Colic, 157

Fleas, 157

Flies, 157

Flukes, Liver, 158

Fly Blister, 80

Foot and Mouth Disease, 158

Foot Puncture, 160

Foot Rot in Sheep, 160

Fore Legs, 48

Founder, 162

Fowl Cholera, 165

Framework of the Body, 13

Front Feet, 48

Gapes, 165

Garget, 166

Gastric Juice, 25

Gastritis, 166

Gentian, 75

Germs, 85

Gid in Sheep, 166

Ginger, 75

Glanders, 167

Gravel or Dirt in Foot, 174

Grease Heel, 175

Grub in the Head, 176

Hair, 13

Hair Balls, 177

Heart, How it Works, 31

Heat Exhaustion, 178

Heaves, 177

Hernia, 179

Hide-Bound, 181

High Blowing, 181

Hind Feet, 49

Hind Legs, 49

Hip Joint Lameness, 181

Hipped, 182

Hog Cholera, 182

Hollow Horn, 193

Hoof Cracks, 194

Hoof Ointment, 80

Horn Fly, 194

Horses, Special Type in, 40

Hoven, 194

Hydrocephalus, 194

Hydrophobia, 194

Hydrothorax, 195

Hyposulphite of Soda, 75

Impaction of Rumen, 195

Indigestion, 196

Infectious Anemia in Horses, 197

Infectious Pneumonia, 197

Inflammation of the Bowels, 197

Inflammation of the Lungs, 199

Influenza, 200

Inoculation, 86

Internal Organs, 65

Intestinal Worms in Horses, 201

Intestinal Worms in Sheep, 251

Intestines, 66

Iodide of Potassium, 76

Iodine, 76

Itch, 202

Jaundice, 202

Kidneys, 67

Kidney Worms, 204

Knee Sprung, 205

Lameness, Examine for, 50

Laminitis, 205

Laudanum, 76

Leg Bones, 17

Leg Wounds, 61

Lice, 205

Linseed Oil, 76

Liver Flukes, 207

Lockjaw, 208

Loco Disease, 212

Lumpy Jaw, 213

Lung Fever, 214

Lungs, 67

Lungs, Congestion of, 213

Lung Worms in Calves, 214

Lung Worms in Lambs, 214

Lymph, 12

Lymphangitis, 214

Lymph Through Cells, 29

Mad Dog, 217

Maggots, 217

Maggots in Wounds, 61

Mange, 219

Mastication, 24

Medicines, 69

Medicines, Administration of, 97

Medicines, Giving in a Ball, 97

Medicines, Giving in a Drench, 97

Mallenders, 218

Mammitis, 218

Milk Fever, 219

Monday Morning Sickness, 221

Mouth, Examining the, 46

Muscular System, 19

Mustard Plasters, 98

Nasal Gleet, 221

Navicular Disease, 222

Neck, 47

Nervous System, 19

Nitrate of Potash, 77

Nitrate of Soda, 77

Nits, 224

Nodular Disease in Sheep, 224

Nostril, 45

Nutriment, How Absorbed, 27

Nux Vomica, 77

Obstetrics, 225

Paces, Testing of, 52

Palisade Worm, 228

Paralysis, 229

Parasites, 230

Parturient Apoplexy, 230

Parturition, Difficult, 230

Pelvic Girdle, 15

Peritonitis, 230

Physic Drench for Cattle, 81

Physic Drench for Horses, 81

Physiology You Ought to Know, 21

Pink Eye, 231

Placenta, 232

Plant Building, 21

Pleurisy, 233

Pleuro-Pneumonia, 234

Pneumonia, 234

Poll Evil, 234

Post-Mortem Examination, 62

Post-Mortem, First Things to Do, 63

Post-Mortem, Removing the Skin, 65

Post-Mortem, The Discharges, 64

Poultices, 98

Prescriptions, 80

Prevention Better than Cure, 4

Profuse Staling, 146

Protoplasm, 9

Pulse, Taking the, 93

Punctures, Nail, 59

Quarantine Quarters, 8

Quarter Crack, 235

Quittor, 235

Rabies, 236

Reproductive Apparatus, 20

Respiration, 32

Respiration, Taking the, 95

Respiratory Organs, 20

Rheumatism, 236

Ringbone, 237

Ringworm, 238

Roaring, 239

Roup, 239

Salts, 79

Sand Crack, 240

Scab in Cattle, 241

Septic Navel Infection, 243

Sheep Bots, 243

Sick Animals, 7

Side Bones, 243

Skeleton, 14

Skin, 13

Skull, 15

Slobbering, 245

Soothing Ointment, 80

Soundness, Examining Animals for, 39

Spasmodic Colic, 245

Spavin, 245

Spaying, 247

Spirits of Niter, 78

Splints, 248

Sprains, 249

Staggers, 250

Stomach, 66

Stomach Churn, 26

Stomach of Horse, 24

Stomach of Ruminants, 25

Stomach Worms in Sheep, 251

Stone in Bladder, 253

Strangles, 253

Stringhalt in Horses, 255

Sugar of Lead, 78

Sulphate of Copper, 78

Sulphate of Iron, 78

Sulphur, 79

Sunstroke, 255

Swamp Fever, 255

Sweeny, 257

Swine Plague, 258

Tape Worms, 258

Teeth, As an Indication of Age, 34

Teeth, Loosening of Temporary, 35

Teeth of Cattle, 37

Teeth of Sheep, 38

Temperature, Taking the, 94

Tetanus, 258

Texas Fever, 258

Thick Leg, 262

Thoroughpin, 262

Throat, 47

Thrush, 262

Thumps, 262

Tick Fever, 263

Tissues, Body, 12

Tooth, The Mark in, 35

Trichinosis, 263

Tuberculosis, 264

Tumors, 268

Tumors in Pigs After Castration, 268

Turpentine, 79

Urinary Organs, 20

Warbles, 269

Warts, 269

Water in the Brain, 270

Water in the Chest, 270

White Scours of Calves, 270

Wind Puffs, 271

Wind Sucking, 272

Wind, Testing the, 51

Worms, 272

Worms in Hogs, 272

Wound, Cleansing the, 56

Wounds, 54

Wounds, First Step in Treating, 56

Wounds, Kinds of, 55

Wounds, Special Treatment of, 58

Transcriber’s Notes

Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation have been retained.

The Plates have been added to the List of Illustrations.

Jekyl-like (page 11) and post portem (page 120) have not been

corrected.

Page 110 ff.: not all entries are listed in alphabetical order, this

has not been corrected.

Changes and corrections made:

Page 21: Æsophagus changed to Œsophagus

Page 183: ... characteristic “a” or even “b” ...: Letter “b” was

invisible in the source document

Page 186: On open- the carcass ... changed to On opening the carcass

...

Page 201: Intestinal Worms in Horses: capitalised as other section

headings

Page 275: Nail Punctures changed to Punctures, Nail.