Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-03-21
Garget.

Professor CreSSy Is represented as saying,
in some of his lectures, that saltpeter mi
trate of potash) has no direct effect upon
this disease. The professor informs us that
he did not say so what he did say was that
its usefulness in this disease is due simply
to its refrigerant or febrifuge action--not
that it has no direct effect, but that it has
no specific action, that is, no power to cure
garget, more than any other inflammation.
While this is professional question of
no easy solution, and one which every prac-
titioner will answer in accordance with the
more or less skillfully observed results of
his own experience, we think the difference
in the value set upon this remedy by the
professor, and by farmers generally, is due,
more than anything, to their different points
of view.
The veterinarian, unless he is also a
farmer rarely or never sees a case of garget
in its first stages. He is called to it only
when ordinary methods of treatment have
failed in the hands of the owner, and vau-
able COW is threatened with the partial or
total loss of her bag.
When mammary inflammation (gargeD
has passed on to congestion and threatened
suppuration (the formation of "matter y,
it is too late to treat it with satpeter. 1t
is, in fact, too late to treat it at all with any
hope of restoring the secretion in the quar-
ter or quarters affected, until the next calv-
A g., ,s 81
gland, or portion of it, in a condition adj
hitting of future usefulness, and the most
Skillful practitioner is by no means sure of
doing this.
But in the first stages, when the milk be-
gins to come in clots, saltpeter, according to
our experience, if not a specific, is most
prompt and efficient remedy We have
used it for thirty years, and have never
failed in breaking up the attack when we
knew of it within the first twenty-four hours.
| One of the very fercest cases we ever saw
came under our notice within the past year.
| The COW lay down at night withno observed
| symptoms of the disease, and the next morn
ing one quarter of the bag was very hot, red
and swollen, and but little milk could be
drawn from that teat The prompt admin
istration of heaping tablespoonful of salt
peter in pail of thin bran Cruel abated the
inflammation within eighteen hours, so that
the redness, swelling and tenderness was
gone, and the milk could be drawn with lit
tie difficulty. Yet, though there was such
rapid recovery, so general and severe were
the first stages of inhammatory action, that
the quarter dried up, though the gland ap-
pears soft and natural to the touch, and we
look forward to a recovery of its function
at the next calving.
We think this experience is that of almost
every farmer. The principal point in the
treatment is to give the saltpeter largely
diluted with water, and allow the COW all
the water and warm slop she will take. 1t
is often customary to battle and rub the
affected parts, but we have had Just as good
recoveries when this was not practiced
1t not unfrequently happens that a cow
shows feverish symptoms, and her dung
is dry and of peculiar, offensive odor Such
state is not unlikely to be followed by gar
get, and the best remedy is the prompt adj
ministration of pound of salts followed by
a change of diet, or the addition of liberal
bran mashes daily, until all tendency to a
return of the symptoms is renewed. The
COW will usually take the salts, if mixed
with dry meal or bran. If not, they can be
easily given in a solution from bottle. A
spoonful of ginger is often added but with
no particular advantage that we ever no
ticed. The salts will purge freely without
it, and that is the object aimed at.