MAMMI'TIS (Neo. Lat., from Lat. mamma, breast ), MASTITIS, ARGET, or l NFLAMMATION OF THE UDDER. The cattle disease ordinarily known as garget is common in well-nourished cows which are heavily fed at the time of calv ing. It is especially frequent in heavy milkers. In such cows a slight congestion of the udder is normal at calving time. This physiological condition may be aggravated by exposure to eold air or by neglect to milk regularly for a day or two. The udder then becomes very hot and the milk shows clots and streaks of blood. If these symptoms are not relieved, a general fever condition may be established with a cessa tion of milk secretion and formation of abscesses in one or more quarters of the udder. In treating the disease, the milk should be fre quently drawn and the udder should be thor oughly rubbed with some ointment, such as a mixture of vaseline, gum camphor, belladonna, and henbane. Where the udder is very hard, an ointment made of one drachm each of iodine and iodide of potash in four ounces of vaseline may be used. Until recovery takes place the diet
should be light, and laxatives. such as Epsom salts. should be administered. Another form of the disease is known as contagious mammitis and is due to infection by a streptococcus. The symptoms are similar to those of garget. Goats are affected by a similar disease known as gan grenous mammitis, which is due to a micrococcus. Treatment of contagious forms of mammitis should consist in injections into the teats of antiseptic solutions. Some veterinarians main tain that in such cases the milk should not be drawn, since the disease may thus be spread by the hands of attendants. Good results have been obtained by thoroughly blistering with biniodide of mercury and cantharides. Tuberculosis of the udder is frequently mistaken for simple garget. Suspected eases should be tested with tuberculin, since the milk of such cows is dangerous.