The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1883-06-06
"The Hollow HOrn.o

Several correspondents OF the CHHlrdt0r
having expressed their desire to know more
what o c. NJ. Clay. OF White Hall,
has to say on the subject, as he Is an able
and an experienced agricultural writer,
"ScIence. or rather its v%otaries, are at lines
learned scientists and ~agriculluriStS contend
there is no such thing rs "hOilOw horn"
and that it Is q myth to be classcd with the
theory Of wheat turning to chess.
When facts run contrary to well aScerfnincd
they arc to be cautiously admitted;
but ali theories based In the first place upHn
the facts can never overthrow their own
foundations. What then Is the hOllo norm
In cattle? 1t Is q gradual decay OF the bones
of the horn, which Is Il vital structure filled
with blood and slnews, and which produces
the horny covering. In this disease the bones
gradually decay TIL they slough of and arc nh
NAL dies. In this disease the bones of the tail
arc sometimes lost and how many DINER
bones are absorbed more definite dissection
would show. Now, In admitting the eXis-
lence Of this disease Is an,y principle OF phTSS-
not The white swelling In the human frame
an instance of the decay Of the bones? Is not
fistula In hCrScs the decay OF the bones ana
gristlcs Of the withcrs" The admission that
The hollow horn does exist Is no violation OF
any known law Of physics or biology.
when the COW is attacked with this disease
the horn Is cold up to the head. when n horn
In ROOQ nCfllIl Is COIlll'HlNDlg y w t'N
hand. The animal drcops and Is !~llstless
loses It's appetite, and. If In milk. loses It's
milk. The eyes Are weak md the blood yes
sells rather full. Then comes OH emaciatlon
and finally death.
AS soon rs the symptoms appear. especially
the GOODNESS OF the horns, cut the horns on
with n saw about three inches from the head.
and upon the remaining horn tie Il tarrcd ra2
to protect the wound from air ana the mes.
Or, what Is more humane. bore holes with q
gimlci about the same distance. and pour salt
and water In the horns. Sometimes cures arc
said to have been made by putting q bnnd
soaked with turpcntinc around the mead close
to the horns and rubbing those parts With the
same. The tall. II affected. should be split
with n sharp knife lcngthwise to the bone,
MS far ms It seems to be diseased. the boring
and splitting are sure cures, when J nave Of
ten used and seen others with unfaillng sue.
cess. :.
MY idea was that this disease was brought
on by frozen horns when IN" cattle are reduced
In health and full circulation by poverty. Al
all events the disease was more frequent IN
early times when cattle were less valuable
and less cared for than now.
l had n COW which cost me ~SS00-bred by
Mark Cockrill. of Nashville, Tenn, and sent
her to he bred to n bull near Lexington, when
the grass was very poor and water scarce. a.
she was well wintercd. when ] brought her
home In midsummer, acting on my theory nl
frozen horns ] never suspected the disease 10
be hollow horn. But when tho row was skin
ned and The horns cut off with the hide. as
was then the custom. they were found 10 have
lost all the homes and were hollow. When
have sawed Of the horns they were found dc
caying at the small ends and the homes Of tho
horn near thr head were sound and soon COY
cred the orlficc with new horn, as n tree Is
cured by the sap oVGrn cut brancn. i5uL l
was induced to write this from my experience
this winter. A few weeks ago my hest mich
cow, running on grass and hay. began u
droop. and finally she failed In milk. falling
from more than n gallon, besides. the hal
which The calf got. toa quart. / then exam
ined the horns md found them cold to the
head, whilst the horns Of the other COWS were
comfortably warm. | Immediately, rad hel
horns bored with q large gimlct and salt anf
water poured into the holes. The blood thai
flowed from tho wounds was waterya and want
ing in vital color. In q few days, the COW be:
Ing better fed improved. and In ten days hnC
recovered her milk. The effect of boring Tho
horn seemed to he almost immediate relief
The ni0dus 0pcrdndi is no doubt n healthy re
action. by the stimulus OF the air. the salt ant
the turpentinc. AT Nil events the disease ant
the cure arc certain"