George H. Dadd

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

A good watch dog is of inestimable value to the farmer; and as very little is at present understood of the nature and treatment of their maladies, we have thought that a few general directions would be acceptable, not only to the farmer, but to every man who loves a dog. We have paid considerable attention to the treatment of disease in this class of animals, and have generally found that must of their maladies will yield very readily to our sanative agents. Most of the remedies recommended by allopathic writers for dogs, like those recommended for horses and cattle, would at any time destroy the animal; consequently, if it ever recovers, it does so in spite of the violence done to the constitution. We hope to rescue the dog, as well as other classes of domestic animals, from a cruel system of medication; for this we labor, and to this work our life is devoted. We ask the reader to take into consideration the destructive nature of the articles used on these faithful animals. Some of them are the most destructive poisons that can be found in the whole world. For example, several authors recommend, in the treatment of disease in the canine race, the following:—

Tartar emetic, a very few grains of which will kill a man—yet recommended for dogs.

Calomel, a very fashionable remedy, used for producing ulcerated gums and for rotting the teeth of thousands of the human family, as the dentists can testify. Not fit for a dog, yet prescribed by most dog fanciers.

Lunar caustic, recommended by Mr. Lawson for fits; to be given internally with cobwebs!! Our opinion is, that it would be likely to give any four-footed creature "fits" that took it.

Cowhage, corrosive sublimate, tin-filings, sugar of lead, white precipitate, oil of turpentine, opium nitre—these, together with aloes, jalap, tobacco, hellebore, and a very small proportion of sanative agents, make up the list. In view of the great destruction that is likely to attend the administration of these and kindred articles, we have substituted others, which may be given with safety. Why should the poor dog be compelled to swallow down such powerful and destructive agents? He is entitled to better treatment, and we flatter ourselves that wherever these pages shall be read, he will receive it. In reference to the value of dogs, Mr. Lawson says, "Independent of his beauty, vivacity, strength, and swiftness, he has the interior qualities that must attract the attention and esteem of mankind. Intelligent, humble, and sincere, the sole happiness of his life seems to be to execute his master's commands. Obedient to his owner, and kind to all his friends, to the rest he is indifferent. He knows a stranger by his clothes, his voice, or his gestures, and generally forbids his approach with marks of indignation. At night, when the guard of the house is committed to his care, he seems proud of the charge; he continues a watchful sentinel, goes his rounds, scents strangers at a distance, and by barking gives them notice that he is on duty; if they attempt to break in, he becomes fiercer, threatens, flies at them, and either conquers alone, or alarms those who have more interest in coming to his assistance. The flock and herd are even more obedient to the dog than to the shepherd: he conducts them, guards them, and keeps them from capriciously seeking danger; and their enemies he considers as his own."

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DISTEMPER.

Symptoms.—If the animal is a watch dog, (such are usually confined in the daytime,) the person who is in the daily habit of feeding him will first observe a loss of appetite; the animal will appear dull and lazy; shortly after, there is a watery discharge from the eyes and nose, resembling that which accompanies catarrh. As the disease advances, general debility supervenes, accompanied with a weakness of the hind extremities. The secretions are morbid; for example, some are constipated, and pass high-colored urine; others are suddenly attacked with diarrhoea, scanty urine, and vomiting. Fits are not uncommon during the progress of the disease.

Treatment.—If the animal is supposed to have eaten any improper food, we commence the treatment by giving an emetic.

Emetic for Dogs.

Powdered lobelia, (herb,)	1 tea-spoonful.
Warm water,	1 wine-glass.

Mix, and administer at a dose.

(A table-spoonful of common salt and water will generally vomit a dog.)

If this dose does not provoke emesis, it should not be repeated, for it may act as a relaxant, and carry the morbid accumulations off by the alimentary canal. If the bowels are constipated, use injections of soap-suds. If the symptoms are complicated, the following medicine must be prepared:—

Powdered mandrake,	1 table-spoonful.
Powdered sulphur,	1 tea-spoonful.
Powdered charcoal,	2 tea-spoonfuls.
Powdered marshmallows,	1 table-spoonful.

Mix. Divide the mass into six parts, and administer one in honey, night and morning, for the first day; after which, a single powder, daily, will suffice. The diet to consist of mush, together with a drink of thin arrowroot. If, however, the animal be in a state of plethora, very little food should be given him.

If the strength fails, support it with beef tea. Should a diarrhoea attend the malady, give an occasional drink of hardhack tea.

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FITS.

Dogs are subject to epileptic fits, which are often attended with convulsions. They attack dogs of all ages, and under every variety of management. Dogs that are apparently healthy are often suddenly attacked. The nervous system of the dog is very susceptible to external agents; hence whatever raises any strong passion in them often produces fits. Pointers and setters have often been known to suffer an attack during the excitement of the chase. Fear will also produce fits; and bitches, while suckling, if burdened with a number of pups, and not having a sufficiency of nutriment to support the lacteal secretion, often die in convulsive fits. Young puppies, while teething, are subject to fits: simply scarifying their gums will generally give temporary relief. Lastly, fits may be hereditary, or they may be caused by derangement of the stomach. In all cases of fits, it is very necessary, in order to treat them with success, that we endeavor, as far as possible, to ascertain the causes, and remove them as far as lies in our power: this accomplished, the cure is much easier.

Treatment.—Whenever the attack is sudden and violent, and the animal is in good flesh, plunge him into a tub of warm water, and give an injection of the same, to which a tea-spoonful of salt may be added. It is very difficult, in fact improper, to give medicine during the fit; but as soon as it is over, give

Manna,	1 tea-spoonful.
Common salt,	half a tea-spoonful.

Add a small quantity of water, and give it at a dose.

Another.

Make an infusion of mullein leaves, and give to the amount of a wine-glass every four hours. With a view of preventing a recurrence of fits, keep the animal on a vegetable diet. If the bowels are constipated, give thirty grains of extract of butternut, or, if that cannot be readily procured, substitute an infusion of senna and manna, to which a few caraways may be added.

If the nervous system is deranged, which may be known by the irritability attending it, then give a tea-spoonful of the powdered nervine, (lady's slipper.) The diet must consist of boiled articles, and the animal must be allowed to take exercise.

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WORMS.

Worms may proceed from various causes; but they are seldom found in healthy dogs. One of the principal causes is debility in the digestive organs.

Indications of Cure.—To tone up the stomach and other organs,—by which means the food is prevented from running into fermentation,—and administer vermifuges. The following are good examples:—

Oil of wormseed,	1 tea-spoonful.
Powdered assafoetida,	30 grains

To be given every morning, fasting. Two doses will generally suffice.

Another.

Powdered mandrake,	half a table-spoonful.
Powdered Virginia snakeroot,	1 tea-spoonful.

Divide into four doses, and give one every night, in honey.

Another.

Make an infusion of the sweet fern, (comptonea asplenifolia,) and give an occasional drink, followed by an injection of the same.

Another.

Powdered golden seal,	half a table-spoonful.
Common brown soap,	1 ounce.

Rub them well together in a mortar, and form the mass into pills about the size of a hazel-nut, and give one every night.

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MANGE.

This disease is too well known to need any description. The following are deemed the best cures:—

External Application for Mange.

Powdered charcoal,	half a table-spoonful.
Powdered sulphur,	1 ounce.
Soft soap sufficient to form an ointment.

To be applied externally for three successive days; at the end of which time, the animal is to be washed with castile soap and warm water, and afterwards wiped dry.

The internal remedies consist of equal parts of sulphur and cream of tartar, half a tea-spoonful of which may be given daily, in honey.When the disease becomes obstinate, and large, scabby eruptions appear on various parts of the body, take

Pyroligneous acid,	2 ounces.
Water,	1 pint.

Wash the parts daily, and keep the animal on a light diet.

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INTERNAL ABSCESS OF THE EAR.

In this complaint, the affected side is generally turned downwards, and the dog is continually shaking his head.

Treatment.—In the early stages, foment the part twice a day with an infusion of marshmallows. As soon as the abscess breaks, wash with an infusion of raspberry leaves, and if a watery discharge continues, wash with an infusion of white oak bark.

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ULCERATION OF THE EAR.

External ulcerations should be washed twice a day with

Pyroligneous acid,	2 ounces.
Water,	8 ounces.

Mix.

As soon as the ulcerations assume a healthy appearance, touch them with Turlington's balsam or tincture of gum catechu.

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INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS.

Whenever inflammation of the bowels makes its appearance, it is a sure sign that there is a loss of equilibrium in the circulation; and this disturbance may arise from a collapse of the external surface, or from irritation produced by hardened excrement on the mucous membrane of the intestines. An attack is recognized by acute pain in the abdominal region. The dog gives signs of suffering when moved, and the bowels are generally constipated.

Treatment.—Endeavor to equalize the circulation by putting the animal into a warm bath, where he should remain about five minutes. When taken out, the surface must be rubbed dry. Then give the following injection:—

Linseed oil,	4 ounces.
Warm water,	1 gill.

Mix.

To allay the irritation of the bowels, give the following:—

Powdered pleurisy root,	1 tea-spoonful.
Powdered marshmallow root,	1 table-spoonful.

Mix, and divide into three parts; one to be given every four hours.

Should vomiting be a predominant symptom, a small quantity of saleratus, dissolved in spearmint tea, may be given.

Should not this treatment give relief, make a fomentation of hops, and apply it to the belly; and give half an ounce of manna. The only articles of food and drink should consist of barley gruel and mush. If, however, the dog betrays great heat, thirst, panting, and restlessness, a small quantity of cream of tartar may be added to the barley gruel. The bath and clysters may be repeated, if necessary.

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INFLAMMATION OF THE BLADDER.

This requires the same treatment as the preceding malady.

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ASTHMA.

Dogs that are shut up in damp cellars, and deprived of pure air and exercise, are frequently attacked with asthma. Old dogs are more liable to asthma than young ones.

Treatment.—Endeavor to ascertain the cause, and remove it. Let the animal take exercise in the open air. The diet to consist of cooked vegetables; a small quantity of boiled meat may be allowed; raw meat should not be given.

Compound for Asthma.

Powdered bloodroot,	1 tea-spoonful.
Powdered lobelia,	1 tea-spoonful.
Powdered marshmallows,	1 tea-spoonful.
Powdered licorice,	1 tea-spoonful.

Mix. Divide into twelve parts, and give one night and morning. If they produce retching, reduce the quantity of lobelia. The object is not to vomit, but to induce a state of nausea or relaxation.

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PILES.

Piles are generally brought on by confinement, over-feeding, &c., and show themselves by a red, sore, and protruded rectum. Dogs subject to constipation are most likely to be attacked.

Treatment.—Give the animal half a tea-spoonful of sulphur for two or three mornings, and wash the parts with an infusion of white oak bark. If they are very painful, wash two or three times a day with an infusion of hops, and keep the animal on a light diet.

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DROPSY.

Dropsy is generally preceded by loss of appetite, cough, diminution of natural discharge of urine, and costiveness. The abdomen shortly afterwards begins to enlarge.

Treatment.—It is sometimes necessary to evacuate the fluid by puncturing the abdomen; but this will seldom avail much unless the general health is improved, and the suppressed secretions restored. The following is the best remedy we know of:—

Powdered flagroot,	a quarter of an ounce.
Powdered male fern,	a quarter of an ounce.
Scraped horseradish,	a quarter of an ounce.

Mix. Divide into eight parts, and give one night and morning. Good nutritious diet must be allowed.

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SORE THROAT.

A strong decoction of mullein leaves applied to a sore throat will seldom fail in curing it.

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SORE EARS.

A dog's ears may become sore and scabby from being torn, or otherwise injured. In such cases, they should be anointed with marshmallow ointment.

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SORE FEET.

If the feet become sore from any disease between the claws, apply a poultice composed of equal parts of marshmallows and charcoal; after which the following wash will complete the cure:—

Pyroligneous acid,	1 ounce.
Water,	6 ounces.

Mix, and wash with a sponge twice a day.

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WOUNDS.

Turlington's Balsam is the best application for wounds. Should a dog be bitten by one that is mad, give him a tea-spoonful of lobelia in water, and bind some of the same article on the wound.

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SPRAINS.

For sprains of any part of the muscular structure, use one of the following prescriptions:—

Oil of wormwood,	1 ounce.
Tincture of lobelia,	2 ounces.
Infusion of hops,	1 quart

Mix. Bathe the part twice a day.

Another.

Wormwood,	a handful.
Thoroughwort	a handful.
New England rum,	1 pint.

Set them in a warm place for a few hours, then bathe the part with the liquid; and bind some of the herb on the part, if practicable.

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SCALDS.

If a dog be accidentally scalded, apply, with as little delay as possible,—

Lime water,	equal parts.
Linseed oil,	equal parts.

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OPHTHALMIA.

Ophthalmia is supposed to be contagious; yet a mild form may result from external injury, as blows, bruises, or extraneous bodies introduced under the eyelid. The eye is such a delicate and tender organ, that the smallest particle of any foreign body lodging on its surface will cause great pain and swelling.

Treatment.—Take a tea-spoonful of finely-pulverized marshmallow root, add sufficient hot water to make a thin mucilage, and with this wash the eye frequently. Keep the animal in a dark place, on a light diet; and if the eyes are very red and tender, give a pill composed of twenty-nine grains extract of butternut and ten grains cream of tartar.

If purulent discharge sets in, bathe the eye with infusion of camomile or red rose leaves, and give the following:—

Powdered pleurisy root,	equal parts.
Powdered bloodroot,	equal parts.
Powdered sulphur,	equal parts.

Dose, half a table-spoonful daily. To be given in honey. When the eyelids adhere together, wash with warm milk.

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WEAK EYES.

It often happens that, after an acute attack, the eyes are left in a weak state, when there is a copious secretion of fluid continually running from them. In such cases, the eyes may be washed, night and morning, with pure cold water, and the general health must be improved: for the latter purpose, the following preparation is recommended:—

Manna,	1 ounce.
Powdered gentian,	1 tea-spoonful.
Powdered mandrake,	half a tea-spoonful.

Rub them together in a mortar, and give a pill, about the size of a hazel-nut, every night. If the manna is dry, a little honey will be necessary to amalgamate the mass.

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FLEAS AND VERMIN.

Fleas and vermin are very troublesome to dogs; yet they may easily be got rid of by bathing the dog with an infusion of lobelia for two successive mornings, and afterwards washing with water and castile soap.

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HYDROPHOBIA.

Whenever one dog is bitten by another, and the latter is supposed to labor under this dreadful malady, immediate steps should be taken to arrest it; for a dog once bitten by another, whatever may be the stage or intensity of the disease, is never safe. The disease may appear in a few days; in some instances, it is prolonged for eight months.Symptoms.—Mr. Lawson tells us that "the first symptom appears to be a slight failure of the appetite, and a disposition to quarrel with other dogs. A total loss of appetite generally succeeds. A mad dog will not cry out on being struck, or show any sign of fear on being threatened. In the height of the disorder, he will bite all other dogs, animals, or men. When not provoked, he usually attacks only such as come in his way; but, having no fear, it is very dangerous to strike or provoke him. The eyes of mad dogs do not look red or fierce, but dull, and have a peculiar appearance, not easy to be described. Mad dogs seldom bark, but occasionally utter a most dismal and plaintive howl, expressive of extreme distress, and which they who have once heard can never forget. They do not froth at the mouth; but their lips and tongue appear dry and foul, or slimy. They cannot swallow water." Mr. Lawson, and indeed many veterinary practitioners, have come to the conclusion that all remedies are fallacious![27]

Remarks.—In White's Dictionary we are informed that the tops of yellow broom have been used for hydrophobia in the human subject with great success; and we do not hesitate to say that they might be used with equal success on beasts. Dr. Muller, of Vienna, has lately published, in the Gazette de SantÉ, some facts which go to show that the yellow broom is invaluable in the treatment of this malady. Dr. White tells us that "M. Marochetti gave a decoction of yellow broom to twenty-six persons who had been bitten by a mad dog, viz., nine men, eleven women, and six children. Upon an examination of their tongues, he discovered pimples in five men, three children, and in all the women. The seven that were free from pimples took the decoction of broom six weeks and recovered."

The same author informs us that "M. Marochetti, during his residence at Ukraine, in the year 1813, attended fifteen persons who had been bitten by a mad dog. While he was making preparations for cauterizing the wounds, some old men requested him to treat the unfortunate people according to the directions of a peasant in the neighborhood, who had obtained great reputation for the cure of hydrophobia. The peasant gave to fourteen persons, placed under his care, a strong decoction of the yellow broom; he examined, twice a day, the under part of the tongue, where he had generally discovered little pimples, containing, as he supposed, the hydrophobic poison. These pimples at length appeared, and were observed by M. Marochetti himself. As they formed, the peasant opened them, and cauterized the parts with a red-hot needle; after which the patients gargled with the same decoction. The result of this treatment was, that the fourteen patients returned cured, having drank the decoction six weeks." The following case will prove the value of the plantain, (plantago major.) We were called upon, October 25, 1850, to see a dog, the property of Messrs. Stewart & Forbes, of Boston. From the symptoms, we were led to suppose that the animal was in the incipient stage of canine madness. We directed him to be securely fastened, kept on a light diet, &c. The next day, a young Newfoundland pup was placed in the cellar with the patient, who seized the little fellow, and crushed his face and nose in a most shocking manner, both eyes being almost obliterated. The poor pup lingered in excruciating torment until the owner, considering it an act of charity, had it killed. This act of ferocity on the part of the patient confirmed our suspicions as to the nature of the malady. We commenced the treatment by giving him tea-spoonful doses of powdered plantain, (plantago major,) night and morning, in the food, and in the course of a fortnight, the eye (which, during the early stage of the malady, had an unhealthy appearance) assumed its natural state, and the appetite returned; in short, the dog got rapidly well. We feel confident that, if this case had been neglected, it might have terminated in canine madness.

We are satisfied that the plantain possesses valuable antiseptic and detergent properties. Dr. Beach tells us that "a negro at the south obtained his freedom by disclosing a nostrum for the bites of snakes, the basis of which was the plantain." A writer states that a toad, in fighting with a spider, as often as it was bitten, retired a few steps, ate of the plantain, and then renewed the attack. The person deprived it of the plant, and it soon died.

Treatment.—Let the suspected dog be confined by himself, so that he cannot do injury. Then take two ounces of lobelia, and one ounce of sulphur, place them in a common wash tub, and add several gallons of boiling water. As soon as it is sufficiently cool, plunge the dog into it, and let him remain in it several minutes. Then give an infusion of either of the following articles: yellow broom, plantain, or Greek valerian, one ounce of the herb to a pint of water. An occasional tea-spoonful of the powdered plantain may be allowed with the food, which must be entirely vegetable. If the dog has been bitten, wash the part with a strong infusion of lobelia, and bind some of the herb on the part. The treatment should be continued for several days, or until the animal recovers, and all danger is past.

(For information on the causes of madness, the reader is referred to my work on the Horse, p. 108.)

FOOTNOTES:

[27] They probably only allude to cauterization, cutting out the bitten part, and the use of poisons. It cannot be expected that such processes and agents should ever cure the disease. Let them try our agents before they pronounce "all remedies fallacious." Let them try the alisma plantago, (plantain,) yellow broom tops, scutellaria, (skullcap,) lobelia, Greek valerian, &c.

MALIGNANT MILK SICKNESS OF THE WESTERN STATES,
OR CONTAGIOUS TYPHUS.

This name applies to a disease said to be very fatal in the Western States, attacking certain kinds of live stock, and also persons who make use of the meat and dairy products of such cattle.

The cause, nature, and treatment of this disease is so little understood among medical men, and such an alarming mortality attends their practice, that many of the inhabitants of the west and south-west depend entirely on their domestic remedies. "It is in that country emphatically one of the opprobria medicorum." Nor are the mineralites any more successful in the treatment of other diseases incidental to the Great West. Their Peruvian bark, quinine, and calomel, immense quantities of which are used without any definite knowledge of their modus operandi, fail in a great majority of cases. If they were only to substitute powdered charcoal and sulphur for calomel, both in view of prevention and cure, aided by good nursing, then the mortality would be materially diminished. The success attending the treatment of upwards of sixty cases of yellow fever, by Mrs. Shall, the proprietress of the City Hotel, New Orleans, only one of which proved fatal, is attributed to good nursing. She knew nothing of blood-letting, calomelizing, narcotizing. The same success attended the practice of Dr. A. Hunn, of Kentucky, in the treatment of typhus fever, (which resembles milk sickness,) who cured every case by plunging his patients immediately into a hot bath.

"The whole indication of cure in this disease is to bring on reaction, to recall the poison which is mixed with the blood and thrown to the centre, which can only be done by inducing a copious perspiration in the most prompt and energetic manner. If I mistake not, where sweating was produced in this complaint, recovery invariably followed, while bleeding, mercury, &c., only aggravated it."From such facts as these, as well as from numerous others, we may learn, that disease is not under the control of the boasted science of medicine, as practised by our allopathic brethren. Many millions of animals, as well as members of the human family, have died from a misapplication of medicine, and officious meddling.

The destruction that in former years attended milk sickness may be learned from the fact, that in the western settlements, its prevalence often served as a cause to disband a community, and compel the inhabitants to seek a location which enjoyed immunity from its occurrence. The legislatures of several of the Western States have offered rewards for the discovery of the origin of the milk sickness. No one that we know of has ever yet claimed the reward. In view of the great lack of information on this subject, we freely contribute our mite, which may serve, in some degree, to dispel the impenetrable mystery by which it is surrounded.

We shall first show that it is not produced by the atmosphere alone, which by some is supposed to be the cause.

"It is often found to occupy an isolated spot, comprehending an area of one hundred acres, whilst for a considerable distance around it is not produced."

If the disease had its sole origin in the atmosphere, it would not be thus confirmed to a certain location; for every one knows, that the gentlest zephyr would waft the enemy into the surrounding localities, and there the work of destruction would commence. The reader is probably aware that bodies whose specific gravity exceeds that of air, such as grass, seeds, &c., are conveyed through that medium from one field to another. The miasma of epidemics is said to be conveyed from one district to another "on the wings of the wind." Hence, if milk sickness was of atmospheric or even epidemic origin, it would prevail in adjoining states. This is not the case; for we are told that "this fatal disease seldom, if ever, prevails westward of the Alleghany Mountains or in the bordering states."

The atmosphere which surrounds this globe was intended by the divine Artist for the purpose of respiration, and it is well adapted to that purpose: it cannot be considered a pathological agent, or a cause of disease. In crowded assemblies, and in close barns and stables, it may hold in solution noxious gases, which, as we have already stated in different parts of this work, are injurious to the lungs; but as regards the atmosphere itself, in an uncontaminated state, it is a physiological agent. It always preserves its identity, and is always represented by the same equivalents of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbonic acid gas. Liebig says, "One hundred volumes of air have been found, at every period and in every climate, to contain twenty-one volumes of oxygen."

Thus oxygen and nitrogen unite in certain equivalents: the result is atmospheric air; and they cannot be made to unite in any other proportions. Suppose the oxygen to be in excess, what would be the result? A universal conflagration would commence; the hardest rocks, and even the diamond, (considered almost indestructible,) would melt with "fervent heat." If, on the other hand, nitrogen was in excess, then every living thing, including both animal and vegetable, would instantly die. Hence we infer that the atmosphere cannot be considered as the cause of this disease.

Causes.—A creeping vine has been supposed to occasion the disease. This cannot be the case, for it occurs very frequently when the ground is covered with snow. We are satisfied, although we may not succeed in satisfying the reader, that no one cause alone can produce the disease: there must be a diminution of vital energy, and this diminution may result, first, from poor diet. Dr. Graff tells us that the general appearance of these infected districts is somewhat peculiar. The quality of the soil is, in general, of an inferior description. The growth of timber is not observed to be so luxuriant as in situations otherwise similar, but is scrubby, and stunted in its perfect development, in many instances simulating what in the west is denominated 'barrens.' We can easily conceive that these barrens do not furnish the proper amount of carbon (in the form of food) for the metamorphosis of the tissues; and if we take into consideration that the animal receives, during the day, while in search of this food, a large supply of oxygen, and at the same time the waste of the body is increased by the extra labor required to select sufficient nutriment,—it being scanty in such situations,—then it follows that this disproportion between the quantity of carbon in the food, and that of oxygen absorbed by the skin and lungs, must induce a diseased or abnormal condition. The animal is sometimes fat, at others lean. Some of the cows attacked with this disease were fat, and in apparent health, and nothing peculiar was observed until immediately preceding the outbreak of the fatal symptoms. The presence of fat is generally proof positive of an abnormal state; and in such cases the liver is often diseased; the blood then becomes loaded with fat and oil, and is finally deposited in the cellular tissues. The reader will now understand how an animal accumulates fat, notwithstanding it be furnished with insufficient diet. All that we wish to contend for is, that in such cases vital resistance is compromised. We have observed that, in the situation alluded to, vegetation was stunted, &c., and knowing that vegetables are composed of nearly the same materials which constitute animal organization,—the carbon or fat of the former being deposited in the seeds and fruits, and that of the latter in the cellular structure,—then we can arrive at but one conclusion, viz., that any location unfavorable to vegetation is likewise ill adapted to preserve the integrity of animal life.

In connection with this, it must be remembered that during the night the soil emits excrementitious vapors which are taken into the animal system by the process of respiration. In the act of rumination, vapor is also enclosed in the globules of saliva, and thus reach the stomach. Many plants which during the day may be eaten with impunity by cattle, actually become poisonous during the night! This, we are aware, will meet with some opposition; to meet which we quote from Liebig:—"How powerful, indeed, must the resistance appear which the vital force supplies to leaves charged with oil of turpentine or tannic acid, when we consider the affinity of oxygen for these compounds!

"This intensity of action, or of resistance, the plant obtains by means of the sun's light; the effect of which in chemical actions may be, and is, compared to that of a very high temperature, (moderate red heat.)

"During the night, an opposite process goes on in the plant; we see then that the constituents of the leaves and green parts combine with the oxygen of the air—a property which in daylight they did not possess.

"From these facts we can draw no other conclusion but this: that the intensity of the vital force diminishes with the abstraction of light; that, with the approach of night, a state of equilibrium is established; and that, in complete darkness, all those constituents of plants which, during the day, possessed the power of separating oxygen from chemical combinations, and of resisting its action, lose their power completely.

"A precisely similar phenomenon is observed in animals.

"The living animal body exhibits its peculiar manifestations of vitality only at certain temperatures. When exposed to a certain degree of cold, these vital phenomena entirely cease.

"The abstraction of heat must, therefore, be viewed as quite equivalent to a diminution of the vital energy; the resistance opposed by the vital force to external causes of disturbance must diminish, in certain temperatures, in the same ratio in which the tendency of the elements of the body to combine with the oxygen of the air increases."

Secondly. In the situations alluded to, we generally find poisonous and noxious plants, with an abundance of decayed vegetable matter. An English writer has said, "The farmers of England might advantageously employ a million at least of additional laborers in clearing their wide domains of noxious plants,[28] which would amply repay them in the superior quality of their produce. They would then feel the truth of that axiom in philosophy, "that he who can contrive to make two blades of grass, or wholesome grain, grow where one poisonous plant grew before, is a greater benefactor to the human race than all the conquerors or heroes who have ever lived." The noxious plants found in such abundance in the Western States are among the principal causes, either directly or indirectly, of the great mortality among men, horses, cattle, and sheep. The hay would be just as destructive as when in its green state, were it not that, in the process of drying, the volatile and poisonous properties of the buttercup, dandelion, poppy, and hundreds of similar destructive plants found in the hay, evaporate. It is evident that if animals have partaken of such plants, although death in all cases do not immediately follow, there must be a deficiency of vital resistance, or loss of equilibrium, and the animal is in a negative state. It is consequently obvious that when in such a state it is more liable to receive impressions from external agents—in short, is more subject to disease, and this disease may assume a definite form, regulated by location.

Thirdly. A loss of vital resistance may result from drinking impure water. (See Watering, p. 15.) Dr. Graff tells us that "another peculiar appearance, which serves to distinguish these infected spots, is the breaking forth of numerous feeble springs, called oozes, furnishing but a trifling supply of water." Such water is generally considered unwholesome, and will, of course, deprive the system of its vital resistance, if partaken of.

Fourthly. A loss of vital resistance may result from exposure; for it is well known that cattle which have been regularly housed every night have escaped the attacks of this malady, and that when suffered to remain at large, they were frequently seized with it.

Lastly. The indirect causes of milk fever exist in any thing that can for a time prevent the free and full play of any part of the animal functions. The direct causes of death are chemical action, resulting from decomposition, which overcomes the vital principle.

Professor Liebig tells us, that "chemical action is opposed by the vital principle. The results produced depend upon the strength of their respective actions; either an equilibrium of both powers is attained, or the acting body yields to the superior force. If chemical action obtains the ascendency, it acts as a poison."

Remarks.—Let us suppose that one, or a combination of the preceding causes, has operated so as to produce an abnormal state in the system of a cow. She is then suffered to remain in the unhealthy district during the night: while there, exposed to the emanations from the soil, she requires the whole force of her vital energies to ward off chemical decompositions, and prevent encroachment on the various functions. A contest commences between the vital force and chemical action, and, after a hard conflict in their incessant endeavors to overcome each other, the chemical agency obtains the ascendency, and disease of a putrid type (milk fever) is the result. The disease may not immediately be recognized, for the process of decomposition may be insidious; yet the milk and flesh of such an animal may communicate the disease to man and other animals. It is well known that almost any part of animal bodies in a state of putrefaction, such as milk, cheese, muscle, pus, &c., communicate their own state of decomposition to other bodies. Many eminent medical men have lost their lives while dissecting, simply by putrefactive matter coming in contact with a slight wound or puncture. Dr. Graff made numerous experiments on dogs with the flesh, &c., of animals having died of milk sickness. He says, "My trials with the poisoned flesh were, for the most part, made on dogs, which I confined; and I often watched the effect of the poison when administered at regular intervals. In the space of forty-eight hours from the commencement of the administration of either the butter, cheese, or flesh, I have observed unequivocal appearances of their peculiar action, while the appetite remains unimpaired until the expiration of the fourth or fifth day." From the foregoing remarks, the reader will agree with us, that the disease is of a putrid type, and has a definite character. What is the reason of this definite character? All diseases are under the control of the immutable laws of nature. They preserve their identity in the same manner that races of men preserve theirs. Milk sickness of the malignant type luxuriates in the locations referred to, for the same reasons that yellow fever is peculiar to warm climates, and consumption to cold ones; and that different localities have distinct diseases; for example, ship fever, jail fever, &c.

Before disease can attack, and develop itself in the bodies of men or animals, the existing equilibrium of the vital powers must be disturbed; and the most common causes of this disturbance we have already alluded to. In reference to the milk, butter, cheese, &c., of infected animals, and their adaptation to develop disease in man, and in other locations than those referred to, we observe, that when a quantity, however small, of contagious matter is introduced into the stomach, if its antiseptic properties are the least deranged, the original disease (milk sickness) is produced, just as a small quantity of yeast will ferment a whole loaf. The transformation takes place through the medium of the blood, and produces a body identical with, or similar to, the exciting or contagious matter. The quantity of the latter must constantly augment; for the state of change or decomposition which affects one particle of the blood is imparted to others. The time necessary to accomplish it, however, depends on the amount of vital resistance, and of course varies in different animals. In process of time, the whole body becomes affected, and in like manner it is communicated to other individuals; and this may take place by simply respiring the carbonic acid gas, or morbific materials from the lungs, of diseased animals in the infected districts.

We are told that the latent condition of the disease may be discovered by subjecting the suspected animal to a violent degree of exercise. This is a precaution practised by butchers before slaughtering animals in any wise suspected of the poisonous contamination;[29] for according to the intensity of the existing cause, or its dominion over the vital power, it will be seized with tremors, spasms, convulsions, or even death. The reader is, probably, aware that an excess of motion will sometimes cause instant death; for both men and animals, supposed to be in excellent health, are known to die suddenly from excessive labor. In some cases of excess of muscular exertion, the active force in living parts may be entirely destroyed in producing these violent mechanical results: hence we have a loss of equilibrium between voluntary and involuntary motion, and there is not sufficient vitality left to carry on the latter. Professor Liebig says, "A stag may be hunted to death. The condition of metamorphosis into which it has been brought by an enormous consumption both of force and of oxygen continues when all phenomena of motion have ceased, and the flesh becomes uneatable." A perfect equilibrium, therefore, between the consumption of vital force for the supply of waste, protecting the system from encroachments, and for mechanical effects, must exist; the animal is then in health: the contrary is obvious.

Treatment.—The greatest care must be taken to secure the patient good nutritious food, pure air, and water. The food should consist of a mixture of two or more of the following articles, which must be cooked: linseed, parsnips, shorts, carrots, meal, apples, barley, oats, turnips, slippery elm, oil cake, &c. We again remind the reader that no single or compound medicine can be procured that will be suitable for every stage of the disease; it must be treated according to its indications. Yet the following compound, aided by warmth, moisture, and friction, externally, will be found better than any medicine yet known. It consists of

After the ingredients are well mixed, divide the mass into fourteen parts, and give one night and morning.Special Treatment with reference to the Symptoms.—Suppose the animal to be "off her feed," and the bowels are constipated; then give an aperient composed of

To be given at a dose, taking care to pour it down the throat in a gradual manner; for, if poured down too quick, it will fall into the paunch. If the rectum is suspected to be loaded with excrement, make use of the common soap-suds injection.

If the animal appears to walk about without any apparent object in view, there is reason to suppose that the brain is congested. This may be verified if the sclerotica (white of the eye) is of a deep red color. The following will be indicated:—

To be given at a dose. At the same time apply cold water to the head, and rub the spine and legs (below the knees) with the following counter-irritant:—

Rub the mixture in while hot, with a piece of flannel.

If a trembling of the muscular system is observed, then give

To be given at a dose, in half a gallon of catnip tea. Aid the vital powers in producing a crisis by the warmth and moisture, as directed in the treatment of colds, &c.

It is necessary to keep the rectum empty by means of injections, forms of which will be found in this work.

The remedies we here recommend can be safely and successfully used by those unskilled in medicine; and, when aided by proper attention to the diet, ventilation, and comfort of the patient, we do not hesitate to say (provided, however, they are resorted to in the early stages) they will cure forty-nine cases out of fifty, without the advice of a physician.

FOOTNOTES:

BONE DISORDER IN COWS.

We have frequently seen accounts, in various papers, of "bone disorder in milch cows." The bony structure of animals is composed of vital solids studded with crystallizations of saline carbonates and phosphates, and is liable to take on morbid action similar to other textures. Disease of the bones may originate constitutionally, or from derangement of the digestive organs. We have, for example, mollities ossium, (softening of the bones;) the disease, however, is very rare. It may be known by the substance of the bones being soft and yielding, liable to bend with small force.

We have also fragilitas ossium, (brittleness of bones.) This is characterized by the bony system being of a friable nature, and liable to be fractured by slight force. We have in our possession the fragments of the small pastern of a horse, the bone having been broken into seventeen pieces, by a slight concussion, without any apparent injury to the skin and cellular substance; not the slightest external injury could be perceived.

There are several other diseases of the bones, which, we presume, our readers are acquainted with; such as exostosis, caries, &c., neither of which apply to the malady under consideration. We merely mention these for the purpose of showing that the bones are not exempt from disease, any more than other structures; yet it does not always follow that a lack of the phosphate of lime in cow's milk is a sure sign of diseased bones.

Reader, we do not like the term "bone disorder:" it does not throw the least light on the nature of the malady; it savors too much of "horn ail," "tail ail"—terms which only apply to symptoms. We are told also that, in this disease, "the bones threaten to cave in—have wasted away." If they do threaten to cave in, the best way we know of to give them an outward direction is, to promote the healthy secretions and excretions by a well-regulated diet, and to stimulate the digestive organs to healthy action. If the bones "have wasted away," we should like to have a few of them in our collection of morbid anatomy. That the bones should waste away, and be capable of assuming their original shape simply by feeding bone meal, is something never dreamt of in our philosophy.[30] Besides, if the cows get well, (we are told they do,) then we must infer that the bones possess the properties of sudden expansion and contraction, similar to those of the muscles. It may be well for us to observe, that not only the bones, but all parts of animal organization, expand and contract in an imperceptible manner. Thus, up to the period of puberty, all parts expand: old age comes on, and with it a gradual wasting and collapse. This is a natural result—one of the uncompromising laws of nature, over which human agency (bone meal included) has not the least control. If the bones are diseased, it results either from impaired digestion or a disproportion between the carbon of the food and the oxygen respired; hence the "bone disorder," not being persistent, is only a result—a symptom; and as such we view it. As far as we have been able to ascertain the nature of the malady, as manifested by the symptoms, (caving in, wasting, absence of phosphate of lime in the milk, &c.,) we give it as our opinion,—and we think our medical brethren will agree with us, (although we do not often agree,)—that "bone disorder" is a symptom of a disease very prostrating in its character, originating in the digestive organs; hence not confined to the bones, but affecting all parts of the animal more or less. And the only true plan of treatment consists in restoring healthy action to the whole animal system. The ways and means of accomplishing this object are various. If it is clearly ascertained that the animal system is deficient in phosphate of lime, we see no good reason why bone meal should not be included among our remedial agents; yet, as corn meal and linseed contain a large amount of phosphate, we should prefer them to bone dust, although we do not seriously object to its use.

The value of food or remedial agents consists in their adaptation to assimilation; in other words, an absence of chemical properties. These may be very complex; yet, if they are only held together by a weak chemical action, they readily yield to the vital principle, and are transformed. Atoms of bones are held together by a strong chemical affinity; and the vital principle, in order to convert bone dust into component parts of the organism, must employ more force to transform them than it would require for the same purpose when corn meal or linseed were used, their chemical affinity being weaker than that of bones.

In the treatment of any disease, we always endeavor to ascertain its causes, and, if possible, remove them; and whatever may be indicated we endeavor to supply to the system. Thus, if phosphates were indicated, we should use them. In cases of general debility, however, we should prefer linseed or corn meal, aided by stimulants, to bone dust. Why not use the bone dust for manure? The animal would then have the benefit of it in its fodder.

In reference to a deficiency of phosphate of lime in the milk, we would observe, that it may result either from impaired digestion, (in such cases, a large amount of that article may be expelled from the system in the form of excrements,) or the food may lack it. We then have a sick plant, for we believe that the phosphate of lime is as necessary for the growth of the plant as it seems to be for animal development. If the plant lacks this important constituent, then its vitality, as a whole, will be impaired. This is all we desire to contend for in the animal, viz., that the disease is general, and cannot be considered or treated as a local affection.

It has been observed that successive cultivation exhausts the soil, and deprives it of the constituents necessary for vegetable development. If so, it follows that there will be a deficiency of silecia, carbonate of lime,—in short, a loss of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, not of phosphate of lime alone.

The fields might be made to produce the requisite amount of nutriment by replacing every year, in the form of animal excrement, straw, wood-ashes, and charcoal, as much as we remove from them in the form of produce. An increase of crop can only be obtained when we add more to the soil than we take away from it.

"In Flanders, the yearly loss of the necessary matters in the soil is completely restored by covering the fields with ashes of wood or bones, which may, or may not, have been lixiviated. The great importance of manuring with ashes has been long recognized by agriculturists as the result of experience. So great a value, indeed, is attached to this material in the vicinity of Marburg, and in the Wetterau,—two well-known agricultural districts,—that it is transported, as a manure, from the distance of eighteen or twenty-four miles. Its use will be at once perceived, when it is considered that the ashes, after being washed with water, contain silicate of potass exactly in the same proportion as in the straw, and that their only other constituents are salts of phosphoric acid."

It is well known that phosphate of lime, potass, silecia, carbonate of lime, magnesia, and soda are discharged in the excrement and urine of the cow; and this happens when they are not adapted to assimilation as well as when present in excess. If it is clearly proved that the bones of a cow are weak, then we should be inclined to prescribe phosphates; if they are brittle, we should prescribe gelatinous preparations; but not in the form of bone dust: we should use linseed, which is known to be rich in phosphates. At the same time, the general health must be improved.

It is well known that some cows cannot be fattened, although they have an abundance of the best kind of fodder. In such cases, we find the digestive organs deranged, which disturbs the equilibrium of the whole animal economy. The food may then be said to be a direct cause of disease.

The effects of insufficient food are well known; debility includes them all. If there is not sufficient carbon in the food, the animal is deprived of the power of reproducing itself, and the cure consists in supplying the deficiency. At the same time, every condition of nutrition should be considered; and if the function of digestion is impaired, we must look to those of absorption, circulation, and secretion also, for they will be more or less involved. If the appetite is impaired, accompanied by a loss of cud, it shows that the stomach is overloaded, or that its function is suspended: stimulants and tonics are then indicated. A voracious appetite indicates the presence of morbid accumulations in the stomach and bowels, and they should be cleansed by aperients; after which, a change of diet will generally effect a cure. When gas accumulates in the intestines, we have evidence of a loss of vital power in the digestive organs; fermentation takes place before the food can be digested.

The cure consists in restoring the lost function. Diarrhoea is generally caused by exposure, (taking cold,) or by eating poisons and irritating substances; the cure may be accomplished by removing the cold, and cleansing the system of the irritants. Costiveness often arises from the absorption of the fluids from the solids in their slow progress through the intestines; exercise will then be indicated. An occasional injection, however, may be given, if necessary. General debility, we have said, may arise from insufficient food; to which we may add the popular practice of milking the cow while pregnant, much of which milk is yielded at the hazard of her own health and that of her foetus. Whatever is taken away from the cow in the form of milk ought to be replaced by the food. Proper attention, however, must be paid to the state of the digestive organs: they must not be overtaxed with indigestible substances. With this object in view, we recommend a mixed diet; for no animal can subsist on a single article of food. Dogs die, although fed on jelly; they cannot live upon white bread, sugar, or starch, if these are given as food, to the exclusion of all other substances. Neither can a horse or cow live on hay alone: they will, sooner or later, give evidences of disease. They require stimulants. Common salt is a good stimulant. This explains why salt hay should be occasionally fed to milch cows; it not only acts as a stimulant, but is also an antiseptic, preventing putrefaction, &c.

A knowledge of the constituents of milk may aid the farmer in selecting the substances proper for the nourishment of animals, and promotive of the lacteal secretion; for much of the food contains those materials united, though not always in the same form. "The constituents of milk are cheese, or caseine—a compound containing nitrogen in large proportion; butter, in which hydrogen abounds; and sugar of milk, a substance with a large quantity of hydrogen and oxygen in the same proportions as in water. It also contains, in solution, lactate of soda, phosphate of lime, (the latter in very small quantities,) and common salt; and a peculiar aromatic product exists in the butter, called butyric acid."—Liebig.

It is very difficult to explain the changes which the food undergoes in the animal laboratory, (the stomach,) because that organ is under the dominion of the vital force—an immaterial agency which the chemist cannot control. Yet we are justified in furnishing the animal with the elements of its own organization; for although they may not be deposited in the different structures in their original atoms, they may be changed into other compounds, somewhat similar. Liebig tells us that whether the elements of non-azotized food take an immediate share in the act of transformation of tissues, or whether their share in that process be an indirect one, is a question probably capable of being resolved by careful and cautious experiment and observation. It is possible that these constituents of food, after undergoing some change, are carried from the intestinal canal directly to the liver, and that there they are converted into bile, where they meet with the products of the metamorphosed tissues, and subsequently complete their course through the circulation.

This opinion appears more probable, when we reflect that as yet no trace of starch or sugar has been detected in arterial blood, not even in animals that have been fed exclusively with these substances.

The following tables, from Liebig's Chemistry, will give the reader the difference between what is taken into the system and what passes out.

FOOD CONSUMED BY A COW IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.

EXCRETIONS OF A COW IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.

FOOD CONSUMED BY A HORSE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.

EXCRETIONS OF A HORSE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.

The weights in these tables are given in grammes. 1 gramme is equal to 15.44 grains Troy, very nearly.

It will be seen from these tables that a large proportion of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and earthy matters are again returned to the soil. From this we infer that more of these matters being present in the food than were requisite for the purpose of assimilation, they were removed from the system in the form of excrement. Two suggestions here present themselves for the consideration of the farmer, viz., that the manure increases in value in proportion to the richness of food, and that more of the latter is often given to a cow than is necessary for the manufacture of healthy chyle.

In view, then, of preventing "bone disorder," which we have termed indigestion, we should endeavor to ascertain what articles are best for food, and learn, from the experience of others, what have been universally esteemed as such, and, by trying them on our own animals, prove whether we actually find them so. Scalded or boiled food is better adapted to the stomach of animals than food otherwise prepared, and is so much less injurious. The agents that act on the internal system are those which, in quantities sufficient for an ordinary meal, supply the animal system with stimulus and nutriment just enough for its wants, and contain nothing in their nature inimical to the vital operations. All such articles are properly termed food. (For treatment, see Hide-bound, p. 196.)

FOOTNOTES:

[30] Whenever there is a deficiency of carbon, bone meal may assist to support combustion in the lungs, and by that means restore healthy action of the different functions, provided, however, the digestive organs, aided by the vital power, can overcome the chemical action by which the atoms of bone meal are held together.