The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-13 00:00:00

The Cattle Plague,

Dr. Smart has made a report to the Lord Provost
of Edinburgh on the cattle plague. He says :
" There are yet only three kinds of drugi which I
found it requisite to employ. 1. Laxative, with diu-
retic action. This is principally used in the early,
but often required at other periods, in the progress
of the disease. It is composed of nitrate of potash
and powdered ginger, of each 1 oz. ; powder of
sublimed sulphur, 2oz. ; treacle, llb ; water to make
a quart, and well mixed. This quantity is given
night and morning, or, if requisite, of tener, until
scouring is produced. Afterwards, an occasional
bottle will maintain their free, without excessive,
action. As the vitalpowers sink rapidly, there should
be as little delay as possible in administering stimu-
lants. I have found the following mixture possess-
ing stimulant, diuretic, and diaphoretic properties,
very efficacious :—Carbonate of ammonia, 4 of an
oz. ; sweet spirit of nitre and spirit of mindereis, of
each Iloz. ; cold water, 9oz. ; mix. This dose, from
the commencement of ' treatment, is administered
thrice a day during the entire course of the disease.
When prostration is great it is sometimes needful
to enjoin it with the laxative given along with all
other medicines. In such cases the doses are
smaller. "When convalescence is fully established
a simple tonic hastens recovery. I find none so
good and safe as cinchona bark. The best quality
only should be used, and given in doses of one
ounce and a half of the powder. This tonic in the
early period of convalescence is combined with the
stimulant, and at a later period with a quart of
good sweet ale given once daily. It is best admini-
stered at night. With the exception of an occasional
dose of laudanum (two tablespoonfuls to any medi-
cine the animal is getting, or in the food) to obviate
straining and control excessive diarrhoea, no other
drugs are used. The diet should be simple, and until
decided convalesence, well cooked, and given in
small and regulated quantity. I use the following:
—l. Full mash ; it is composed of four handfuls of
bran, four ditto brewer's draff, llb of peasemeal, 21b
of mashed turnips, well boiled. Not too thick, and
given night and morning. At midday a drink of
gruel is given, made with 21b of oatmeal, well boiled
in six quarts of water. In addition to these some
raw turnip (21b, for example, of green tops), and
lib of hay, may be allowed in small quantities dur-
ing the 24 hours. To allay thirst three to four quarts
of water, previously boiled and allowed to cool, is
given in mouthfuls during the day. This constitutes
the full diet of a decided convalescent. Half of this
diet is, in most instances, during the acute course of
the disease, too much. In all cases the same kind of
food and periods of giving it are followed. There
are some animals that for a time refuse all food, not
excepting gruel. In such cases the gruel is admini-
stered by the bottle thrice daily, along with or after
the medicine. The animal should get a little mash as
soon as it takes it voluntarily. It is often expedient
to miss a meal, especially whenever symptoms of an
unfavourable indication appear. Those are not of
unfrequent occurrence during the course of treat-
ment. Grass is given, and the quantity of hay and
turnips increased as there is progress towards more
perfect recovery. The more obvious indications of
convalescence are :-1. Recovery of appetite ; 2.
Greater animation ; 3. Return of breathing and
pulse to their normal condition ; 4. Increase of
milk ; 5. Chewing the cud. Summary of treat-
ment : —l. The animal is at once taken from its
ordinary food and separate from the rest. 2. Placed
in a well-aired byre or house, free from draughts,
and the temperature of which is maintained at '7O
deg. F. or 75 deg. F. 3. The animal is well rubbed
down, and thoroughly cleaned and covered with a
good rug. 4. If there be constipation, begin with
laxative and continue night and morning, or, if re-
quired, oftener until there is free scouring. 5. Let
there be no delay in giving the stimulant, and, if
needful, combine it with the laxative. 6. Defer
giving any ale and bark until convalescence appears.
7. To obviate straining or excessive purging, two
tablespoonfuls of laudanum nightßaenedarmefouirntinogamvoaiyd
be added to other medicine. 8.
over-feeding, as an error in diet may prove fatal.
9. See that the cow is well milked night and morn-
ing (even when there is no yield) during the course
of the disease. 10. All the droppings should be at
once disinfected by solution of chloride of lime, and
quickly removed. 11. The affected animals should
_be frequently and closely observed, and threateninn
indications treated as they occur."

A. Cairo correspondent, writing on the 28th ult.
says :—" I am afraid the cattle plague is again
manifesting itself here. A native landlord told mo
two days ago of his having heard of the loss of 19
buffaloes in one homestead, and that the malady
had never. completely ceased since its first ap-
pearance. For a long time we have been paying
14 piastres—equal to is. Bd.—for 15 ounces of
butter. Meat also fails us occasionally, when we
are reduced to dining off cocks and hens. A pair
of ducks costs from five to nine shillings—an enor-
mous price for Egypt."

A second crop of figs
has Abcorrespondente
been
obtained f
omsayastr:Te in the Isle of Wight. in
Southampton and its neighbourhood a great number of
plants have flowered the second time. There has been no
such season for continued drought and heat since 1811."
COPPER ORE SALE.—At the Swansea Ticketing
on Tuesday the following sales were effected :—Cobre, 625
tons ; Bolivian, 387 ; Quebec, 88 ; Var, 53 ; Genoa, 22 ;
Casali, 19 ; making a total of 1,194 tons. The averages
were as follows :—Average produce, 17 5-16 ; average price
per ton of 21cwt., £l3 4s. sd. ; average price per unit of
produce, 15s. 3d ; standard, £B9 Bs. ; do., calculated for 9
per cent. produce, £9B 17s. 6d. As compared with the last
sale there was a decrease in the standard of £1 15s. The
total sale realised -X15,784 17s 6d.