Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-06-19
Use the Brush on the Cows.

rev persons consider the SKIN as
an excretory organ. 1t is supposed
to be-by those who think at all
merely protecting covering for the
muscles and animal frame, and some
thing for the outer protective coat of
hair, or fur, or wool, or feathers, to
grow upon. But the skin is really the
most important outlet for the waste
matter of the whole body of an animal.
1t is by no means tight covering, but
contains myriads of pores or openings,
through which watery vapor escapes,
| and with which also escapes a large
| quantity of impure matter from the
blood. At times, the skin discharges
large quantity of liquid matter,
which we call perspiration, and it is
always discharglng moisture, which
escapes insensibly. At least, the skin
| does this when in a healthy condition,
! and when this excretlon stops, it is an
indication that something is wrong.
Besides this, the skin is constantly
changing it's substance; the outer por-
| tons scale off, or exfoliate, while it is
renewed from within; so that in course
of short time, the whole skin wears
/ away and is renewed. Where the skin
| is covered with hair, these scales are
apt to gather and with the perspiration
to become compacted into a mass,
! stopping the pores and preventing the
! the escape Of the waste matter, which
being retained in the blood, does much
harm. For these reasons, constant
attention should be given to the skin.
/ brushing it, both to remove the ex-
foliated matter and the dried prespira-
! ton, and to excite it to healthful action
should not be neglected. Horses, as a
rule, are fairly well attended to, be-
cause it is a custom to curry and
brush them regularly. But in many
cases, they are not sufficiently cleaned;
consequently their health is impaired.
, The skin becomes clogged, and the
perspjration is retained in the blood,
producing more or less plood-poison-
! ing, which may result in variety OF
disorders, at times producing farcy,
which ends in CHAMBERS. At best, the
coat becomes harsh, dry, and staring;
the skin is tight, or, as it is called,
! "hide-bound. and becomes irritated,
producing itching, with perhaps the
LOSS of HAIR. Eruptions on the skin,
| dut4 DlIUplCS, dAIu pCAA"PS Ill" WILL
known Scratches result from the re-
! tention of these impure matters. To
avoid all these troubles. the horse
should be thoroughly brushed with a
stiff. clean brush, for at least ten
minutes, morning and night; and in
the summer, when perspiration is pro-
fuse, the skin should be sponged, or
washed down with wisp of wet straw,
and then rubbed dry, before it is
! brushed. 49,.
But few farmers ever think it ne
! cessary that COW should be brushed.
| We have seen neighbors laugh and
ridicule what they called our over
niceness and business, when the COWS
were curried and brushed twice day,
with as much care as was given to the
horses. :What! curry a COW? Never
hearn tell of such a thing!' But a
COW needs it, even more than a horse;
and for several reasons. A COW,
| whose milk is used for food, unless She
| have a perfectly clean skin, cannot
/ give clean milk, and then the butter
/ will be bad. The skin should be in a
perfectly healthful condition, and the
/ blood pure, or the milk will be impure
and unhealthful, and the butter OF
cheese will be tainted. Neither clean
illness nor healthfulness can be secured
without regular brushing Of the skin
l and the removal Of all the filth which