Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-03-26
NUMBER 80.
AGRICULTURAL.
MIX FEVER IN cows.


At the late meeting Of the Connec'icu
Valley Farmers Institute at Brastleboro
Prof. Cressy, the veterinary surgeon of the
Massachusetts, agricultural college, discussed
the subject of milk fever He said it was a
common disease, particularly in the spring
Of the year, when cows most do calve The
first form Of this disease he denominated
parturient apoplezy. 1t attacks heshy,
handsome animals, usually in warm weather,
and about la to q hours after calving The
symptoms are dull eve. feverish system,
and hot head and horns. The animal be-
comes giddy, loses appetite. lies down as if
the limbs were paraly zed, and turns the head
on one side. The eyes reddeD, and if in the
rush of blood to the head, the veins burst
and clot of blood forms in the brain. death
ensres. The remedies are cooling the head
with ice, bleeding and physickinS. IL Is
safe to take away from pint to two quarts
Of blood, according to the fat and full cdndi-
tion of the cow, and to give from pound to
pound and half Of Glaubers or Epson
rhitSs hts>oNcu " uuait VI lhO vi hdILl
water. If this does not work, 100 to los
grains Of calomel may he added. and in a
very hard case Is to 80 drops OF croton oil,
mixed with castor oil, should follow. The
second form Of this disease is where the COW
is low in flesh and milks freely. She calves.
perhaps, II little ahead Of time, suffers a ner-
vous prostration, and from sheer exhaustion
sinks and dies. The eye is bright and clear,
the appetite is voracious, the animal is rest
less, often stands on her knees, and, with
her nose on the ground, cries out in pain.
The third form is Inflammation of the womb,
and usually follows protraeted labor, and at
tacks al sorts Of cows at all times of the
year.
All three Of these diseases were formerly
called hOrn-ail and treated alike Prof
Simmons Of the Royal veterinary college Of
London first classified these fevers, and sug-
gested different Treatments. Ii il important
to have a correct diagnosis of the case before
acting, and to act as promptly as possible. in
order 10 save the animal \ self-registering
thermometer is pretty good index Of the
nature Of the disease. The normal tempera-
ture Of man is % degrees, and Of horse
or COW from 90 100. \ higher or lower
temperature than this indicates disease and
its locality. Whether the cow should be al
lowed to eat the aiter-birth was one of the
queries propounded. DR.. Cress considered
it a lov-bred, morbid taste, and not to be
allowed. He suggested that !, might have
originated in the instinct Of the pasiured cow
to conceal her calf from the fox and other
wild animals, or the taste nigh, have been
acquired by licking her newly ly-born offspring.
When an animal has eaten too freely OF corn
meal, or whole grain, keep them from drink
ing. it possible, and 90 to physieking Wat
er moistens the meal and makes it swell. In
cases Of bloat or hOven, the animal nav be
safely tapped in the middle OF the hollow
spot on the left side y long knife-biade
may be thrust down a foot into the top Of
the stomach, letting off the gas and giving
quick relief. Gases were cited where the
wilted leaves of the black cherry, peach-trce
buds, and even spoiled pickles had poisoned
cattle and made them bloat. The nature of
hollow horn was discussed. By means OF
pair Of real horns, the professor showed ;ha.
horu-ail was an imaginary disease, that all
horns were partly hollow and partly solid,
and that the fastening Of hag OF salt on the
horns or rubbing the Uranium with turpen-
tine had 10 good effect. Boring the horns
and injecting liquids amounted to nothing
The horns OF old animals are more hollow
than young ones, and any hollow horns con-
meet readily with the nose.