The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-11-16
Agricultural Department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.


10 chance of education or culture, he
lever In 1t. but almost every day we
hear of intelligent men, those who take
agricultural papers and affect more
than ordinary knowledge of animals
and their diseases, boring the horns of
cattle, and inserting salt, pepper and
other irritants, firmly believing that
they are acting wisely and in the cause
ofhumanity. But so far is this being
the case; so utterly absurd is the idea
of<hollow horn producing tho symp-
toms alleged, so barbarous and came
near sayiag inhuman-is the gimlet
surgery and the irritant application,
and so widespread have / found this
belief and practice that cannot resist
the opportunity given by Mr.. Prentiss,
ton of the facts bearing on the case.
And, in doing this, | understand only
too well the Difficulty of changing a
mans belief, when it has been instilled
Into him in childhood and strengthened
by the observations of after life. so
while am by no means sanguine of
changing the opinions of Mr. Prentiss,
hope that Younger readers, those who
are always OH the alert for facts and
proofs, will make this subject of care
iul study and thus, l am satisfied, this
offspring of ignorance and quackery
will gradually give place to more intel
ligent ideas and MOI human practices.
Z But let us examine the development
ofthe horn as well rs its anatomical
character, and see if we cannot answer
some of the questions which Mr.. Prem
tiss has propounded, and, at the same
time, bring out some points with
which every farmer ought to be famil-
lar. With the fRtus from six weeks to
two months old we can already distin-
guish slight elevation caused by
thickening of the epidermis at the
points where the horns are TO grow,
and having all external appearance
similar TO wart; separating the skin
from the bone beneath, we find it at
this point somewhat more adherent
than elsewhere, but the bone, which is
now cartila iii Gus, presents no appear
ance of the future bony projection. AT
birth, the thickening of the epidermis
has increased and a bony nucleus has
formed beneath it; but although this
thickened part of the skin has become
still more adherent it is yet movable, as
is also the bony support which has
commenced to form, but is not yet ossi-
fled. AS the animal increases in age,
this bony process lengthens by addi-
tions deposited by the periosteum
which covers it; the skin over this is of
course pressed upward, its surface in
creasing at the expense of its thickness,
and the epidermis becoming hard and
horny. Only few weeks after birth a
cavity begins 10 form in the bony sup
port of the horn. This cavity is lined
by adelicate mucous membrane, an ex-
tension Of that lining the frontal sinus,
and continually increases in size by alb
sorption of the bone surrounding it..
The formation of this cavity is exactly
similar to the formation of the frontal
sinuses themselves, and 50 far from its
being n pathological process, we have
every reason for believing it 10 be per-
fectly natural, and in accordance with
the laws which govern the development
OF the animal. So with all cattle that
have horns we find this cavity, small t
first, but increasing in size with the
growth of the horn and age of the ami
NAL, till in old age the bony part be-
comes mere shell, and the cavity oc-
cupies the whole extent of the horn.
This then gives us very definite idea
of the manner in which the horns de-
yelop, and ofthe tissues which compose
them. Commencing externally, we
have the horny tissue, a modified form
of epidermis, just as finger nails or
hoofs are modified epidermis, all of
which are secreted (ormed) by the
cuts vera or true skin. Next beneath
the horny tissue is the vascular layer
(true skim which secretes it, then
there Is the periosteum which secrctes
the bone, then the bone itself, and its
inner nutrient membrane which lines
the cavity of the horn. There are.
then, between the enveloping horny It's
sue and the cavity, five layers of tissue,
all of which are abundantly supplied
with nerves and bloodvessels, and most
of which are sensitive to an extreme
degree. Imagine then, If you can, the
terrible suffering that forcing gimlet
through such Tissues must cause, espe-
cially if their sensitiveness is already
increased by congestion of the lining
membrane: or ifyOn cannot imagine il
you can realize it by boring through
your finger nail, continuing through
the sensitive tissue beneath it, the bone
and periosteum covering both sides of
1t, aud finally stopping when tho point
OF the instrument has pierced the skin
on the opposite side. | say You can re-
alize 1t, and i assure you, speaking
from a knowledge of the tissues involv-
ed In each case, that you would suffer
no more pain than would the unfortu-
nate COW that becomes the victim of
this time honored practice.
And now that we are familiar with
the growth and natural condition of the
horn, we will turn our attention TO the
points raised by Mr.. Prentiss. First:
Is there no disease that causes the ami
mails horns to become hot at the base,
and the cavity to fill-first with bloody
serum, and later with pus? No vete-
rinarian has ever denied it that I know
of; but what we do deny, and that very
eInphatically, is that the cavity in the
horn Is disease of itself. or that the
boring and sailing operation can have
the least favorable effect on any disease
that may be present. He asserts that
as soon as the horn was bored the pain
apparently ceased. If he means this to
apply to all the cases he has seen, his
experience must be remarkable one.
l have seen great deal of it-how
many cases will not venture TO say
and have no hesitation in saving that
have never seen or known of a case
that was thus benefited; but, on the
contrary, have known animals to
drop dead at the feet of the operator,
from the dreadful suffering he had
caused them. But what good could
possibly be expected from such an OPP
eration2 The cavity of the horn con-
meets with the frontal sinus beneath il,
and, consequently, all the secretions OF
the membrane lining the former must
gravitate into the latter cavity. How
can any sensible man expect this TO be
evacuated by little gimlet hole half
way up the horn? So far from such a
result following, the introduction of
air and other irritamts increases the
congestion of the lining membrane, and
also the quantity of its secretions. But
Mr.. Prentiss asserts "unless in such
cases the horn is bored, this decayed
matfar nusi ha Iaknn I'M hu tho aheorh-