The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-04-01

cred with frost), exposure to rain or
Snowstorms or wading in lce-cold
water, injuries to the abdomen las
being crushed by gate, kicks, or being
hooked). foods that are easily fer
mented, also insufficient or very in
nutritious foods; too close stabllng,
heavy milking, early breeding, inbreed-
ing, stagnant drinking water, ergoted
grasses and smut in the various grains,
irritant vegetables, impaction OF the
rumen and constipation, severe constr
tutional diseases, direct irritation OF
the womb Gas in the removal OF the
ovaries or death of the offspring), and
irritation of the kidneys. Whenever
abortion of COWS cannot be traced to
any of the above cases the contagious
form of abortion is to be suspected.
Contagious abortion is quite COM
mon and frequently causes consider
able loss, not only from losing the
young but also from the fact that
many of the COWS that have aborted
fail to breed again. Contagious abor-
ton is probably caused by several diff
ferent germs and is transmitted from
one animal to another by contact, by
means of the discharge from the cow
that has aborted, the afterbirth, dead
calf, and from bulls that have served
COWS affected with the disease.
Cows may abort at any time, but 1t
usually occurs from the third to the
seventh month. Occasionally the early
symptoms pass unnoticed, but in most
cases there is some heat and enlarge
ment of the udder, the vulva is some
what swollen, and there is discharge
of white or yellowish mucus which is
not like the normal transparent ma
terial which discharges during heat
After abortion the afterbirth is usu-
ally retained, giving rise to a very
disagreeable discharge which con-
tinues for some time.
All suspected cows should be iso-
lated from pregnant ones and should
any COWS abort, the offspring and after
birth should be burned or buried deep
ly and the stable thoroughly disin-
fected by the use of lime on the floor
after all the litter has been removed
and burned Then the woodwork
should be disinfected with corrosive
sublimate solution, using it in the pro-
portion of one to one thousand. The
tablets of corrosive sublimate may be
secured at any drug store with di-
rections for use Ten days after the
first disinfection with corrosive subli-
mate, all woodwork should be disin-
fected a second time. A week after
the second disinfection the entire
stable should be whitewashed.
Cows that have aborted should be
washed out with a 1 per cent solution
of creolin or lysol, continuing this
daily until all discharge has stopped.
Pregnant cows should be given sodium
hyposulphite once daily, in tablespoon
full doses, as a drench. When COWS
abort in pasture, great care should be
taken to burn the offspring on the
spot where it dropped, and the immedi-
ate vicinity should be thoroughly
lined.
AS precaution to prevent the
spread of the disease in an aborting
herd, it is well to disinfect the tails
and also the vulva and immediate
parts with per cent creolin solu.
ton, to make sure of preventing the
entrance of the germ into the womb.
Bulls that have been with an abort
ing herd should not be allowed with
healthy cattle, and to prevent their
spreading the disease they should re-
ceive the same disinfection advised for
cows. Cleanliness and the proper iso-
lation and disinfection of cattle should
be strictly adhered to in order to eradi-