The drinking of the castaway milk is probably the common cause. Dogs and cats have been noticed by Lagar, Younghusband and others, to suffer from drinking the milk. A shepherd's dog at Mr. Eighmie's suffered from the disease, and another, Mr. Preston's, South Dover, N. Y., had only partially recovered when seen by the writer. The victims may usually be picked out from a herd, twelve to twenty-four hours before they show distinct signs of the disease, by the increase of temperature indicated by a clinical thermometer introduced into the rectum and retained there for three minutes. In cattle the eruption may be concentrated on the mouth (including the muzzle and nostrils), on the udder and teats, or on the space between the hoofs, though it usually attacks all of these parts sim ultaneously, and in rare cases even extends to the general integument or to the mucous membrane of the throat, stomach and bowels, or other inter nal organs. The symptoms are slight shivering or roughness of the coat, neglect of feeding and rumination, redness, heat, swelling and tender ness of the pasterns, teats and mouth, arching of the back, and a crouching, hesitating gait, accumulation of a white froth around the mar gin of the lips, and a loud smacking noise made by the tongue and lips. On the second or third day the blisters may be seen on the gums, on the dental pad behind the upper lip, on the tongue, on the teats, and around the upper borders of the hoofs and between them. In twenty-four to thirty-six hours more (sometimes at once) these burst, the cuticle is detached, and raw pink sores are left, most noticeable on the mouth and teats. With care the process of healing goes on rapidly. and is completed about the fifteenth day. Com plications are rare, unless as the result of neglect, and consist in inflammation and loss of the udder ; extensive formation of matter beneath the hoofs, causing them to be shed; extension of disease to the sinews, bones and joints of the foot, with wide-spread destruction of parts; eruption on the stomach and bowels, with dangerous or fatal inflammation ; or implication of the womb with abortion or long-continued weakening discharges. In sheep the feet are mainly affected, and the malady bears a strong resemblance to foot-rot, and, under neglect, may merge into this. Swine also suffer severely in the feet, and, as they are too commonly neglected and left to stand ou mud and filth, shedding of the hoofs is frequent. When the mouth suffers they champ the jaws, and frothy saliva collects around the lips. Losses can only be estimated by considering that every ruminating animal and hog exposed to the poison will almost invariably contract the disease; also, that the poison may be dried up in barns and elsewhere without losing its vitality or virulence, and thus be preserved for months and years. The depreciation of ordinary store and feeding stock, which have passed through the affection. may be approximately stated at $5 to $10 per head—sheep and swine at relatively smaller amounts; but for dairy stock no such low esti mates can be accepted. Then there are frequent consequences of loss of the bag, or of the hoofs, abortions, and chronic discharges from the womb, which unfit the subjects for dairy purposes; and lastly, internal complications and fatal results. Such results imply serious losses for individuals, counties or States; but the great danger lies in the possible migration of the disease out west, and its final diffusion throughout the States. This is much less unlikely than was its importa tion from Europe nine months ago. We had then the safeguard of a restriction on direct im portation; but now let a valuable Short-horn be sent from Massachusetts or New York, to Min nesota, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas or Texas; let him contract the disease on the roads or railroad cars, and convey it to the stock among which he is sent, and the chances are that all the more eastern States will suffer in turn. The aggregate
loss in such a case would be virtually incalcu lable, and if the disease gained a permanent foot ing among us it would be liable to occur more or less widely at intervals of a few years. Under the head of treatment little need be said. Keep ing the bowels open by soft diet, or, if necessary, mild laxatives, administering nourishing gruels if the animal threatens to sink, and keeping the seat of eruption scrupulously clean, will usually suffice. No vaunted preparations for the cure of the disease will really cut it short, as it passes through its successive stages, and ter minates in recovery in ten to fifteen days, the time at which the venders of specifics claim that a cure can be effected. A dry floor must be secured, with perfect cleanliness, and the sores may be washed daily with a preparation of one part of carbolic acid dissolved in fifty or a hun dred parts of water. For the teats, glycerine may advantageously replace the water. The milk must be fully withdrawn, using a silver milking tube if the teats are sore and the cow restive. Importation of ruminants and swine from all countries where it exists should be allowed only under the restrictions of a week's quarantine, examination by a competent veter inary surgeon, and sponging of the skin with a solution of carbolic acid. Diseased stock should be carefully secluded, together with infected barns, yards, fields, fodder, rugs, buckets and other utensils. One person should be appointed to attend to them, and forbidden to go near other stock, or even to cross the road or other place frequented by stock, until he has washed his boots with the carbolic acid solution. All other persons and animals should he excluded. In spectors should wash and disinfect on leaving. Infected roads should be closed for a month at least. In infected countries or districts, all movements of live stock (cattle, sheep and swine) should be prohibited except under a written permit from the local authority, who should assure himself of their soundness before granting it. Railroad cars, yards, and loading-banks on which diseased stock have been, should be well washed or scraped, and then thickly sprinkled with carbolic acid. A similar thorough disinfec tion of infected buildings, yards, utensils, rugs, etc., is equally essential. Manure should be removed and plowed under by horses. No new stock should be brought on the same premises until after thorough disinfection, nor upon in fected fields until one or more months after the last sick animal has left. While the disease pre vails in the same State, or in an adjacent one, newly purchased stock should be placed on quar antine, in a separate building or park, with sep arate attendants, for a fortnight after purchase. During the prevalence of the disease the milk can not be safely used, but to young animals it may be given with impunity if it has first been boiled. The following will be found useful in the treatment of this disease: As a laxative, give a half pound of Epsom salts (sulphate magnesia); as an astringent wash, use one ounce each of borax and tincture of myrrh and one quart of water; if there is a bad smell, use one drachm carbolic acid, two ounces honey, one pint each of vinegar and water. As a lotion for the teats, use one-half drachm carbolic acid and ten ounces glycerine; as a dressing for the feet, apply, with a feather, one ounce of oil of vitriol, slowly poured into four ounces of water, first cleans ing the feet. After dressing, tie up the feet in a tar bandage. The hind feet are easily dressed if two men raise each separately with a. long, stout fork handle, passed in front of the hock. In dressing the feet all detached horn should be removed and a poultice applied if inflamma tion runs high. Soft cold mashes or thinly sliced or pulped roots are the best food throughout.