Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-05-14
GbeVermont Abenit.
BRATTLEBORO:
FRIDAY EVENING, MAY II, 1915.


When Or. o. w. Holmes made the state
ment few years ago that "if all the medi-
cine in the world were thrown into the sea,
it would I've better for mankind, but worse
for the fishos," there was no little squirm-
ing among the NJ. DIS, some of them
claiming that DR.. Holmes had written aud
studied so much upon other than medical
subjects that he had almost forgotten all he
ever knew about medicine, and was, con-
sequently not to he trusted to teach peo-
pie how to prevent diseases or to cure them
when once contracted, 1t would seem that
the seed the Doctor sowed did not fall by
the wayside or perish on stony ground, for
here is another doctor writing in the Yer
mont Waterman, who shows as much sym
pathy for our domestic animals rs DR..
Holmes did for The fishes. He says:-
"Thefe is no greater curse TO the world
than the prevailing notion that medicine is
good for folks, or that drugs cure diseases.
1t is bad enough for people to carry out
this idea upon their own bodies, making
themselves sluice-ways for every new
abomination in the way Of medicines, pa
tent or other, that they can hear Of But
there is a redeeming feature in this folly,
inasmuch as ii helps to kill of the fools.
Not so with our animals, which are always
good for something, and ought not TO be
made victims of. Disease in men and wo-
men, is always the consequence Of bad hab-
its of life, either in themselves or their
progenitors, aud can he cured only by bet
Ter living, physical and moral. Disease in
animals has a similar origin, with this diff
ference, that in a state Of nature they are
prevented by instinct from violating the
laws of their being, but when they come
under the laws Of mankind they are sub
jected to conditions which they cannot
evade, and which frequently produce dis
ease.
Nine out Of ten of this generation will
believe in drug cures Till they die. But
here and there one has emancipated him
self from that superstitious folly, and such
may be induced to treat sick animals intel
liSently. The best class of remedies are
such changes of diet as will produce the
desired effect. For instance, raw roots
will produce looseness of the bowels, and
allay feverish tendencies of horses, cattle
sheep and swine. So will fresh grass, cut
and fed with the dew on. Boiled fine
wheaton -four porridge, made with water
for horses that will not take milk, and with
sweet milk for other animals, will produce
the opposite effect. Other sanitary effects
may be produced by the use Of articles oil
food, so that the most ordinary ailments
may be checked by attention to diet and
surroundings. Sick horses turned out in
to a woody pasture almost always get well.
Collie in horses is easily cured by injsc-
lions of warm soap suds. Cows and young
cattle let alone on natural diet recover from
all ordinary Affections. Sick chickens gel
well in grassy run. among angle worms
and grasshoppers. Sheep that are snufflinG
and running down in the close barnyards,
sheds or cellars will pick up wonderfully
if they can get their noses into the hedge
rows, or have the run of the woods and
bush pastures. Pining hogs will get well
in clover pasture, or on clover hay in
winter, with a few roots. There is but one
medicine that we would ever give any an
imal, and that is a purge of epsom salts
and ginger, to clear out the bowels