Project Gutenberg's The American Reformed Cattle Doctor, by George Dadd This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The American Reformed Cattle Doctor Author: George Dadd Release Date: November 12, 2011 [EBook #37997] Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE *** Produced by Barbara Kosker, Bryan Ness and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from scans of public domain works at the University of Michigan\'s Making of America collection.) A West Highland Ox The Property of Mr. Elliott of East Ham Essex. THE AMERICAN REFORMED CATTLE DOCTOR; CONTAINING THE NECESSARY INFORMATION FOR PRESERVING THE HEALTH AND CURING THE DISEASES OF OXEN, COWS, SHEEP, AND SWINE, WITH A GREAT VARIETY OF ORIGINAL RECIPES, AND VALUABLE INFORMATION IN REFERENCE TO FARM AND DAIRY MANAGEMENT; WHEREBY EVERY MAN CAN BE HIS OWN CATTLE DOCTOR. THE PRINCIPLES TAUGHT IN THIS WORK ARE, THAT ALL MEDICATION SHALL BE SUBSERVIENT TO NATURE; THAT ALL MEDICINAL AGENTS MUST BE SANATIVE IN THEIR OPERATION, AND ADMINISTERED WITH A VIEW OF AIDING THE VITAL POWERS, INSTEAD OF DEPRESSING, AS HERETOFORE, WITH THE LANCET AND POISON. BY G. H. DADD, M. D., VETERINARY PRACTITIONER, AUTHOR OF "ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE HORSE." BOSTON: PHILLIPS, SAMPSON, AND COMPANY, 110 WASHINGTON STREET. 1851. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by G. H. DADD, M. D., In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts. STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY. CONTENTS. PAGE INTRODUCTION, 9 CATTLE Importance of supplying 15 Cattle with pure Water, Remarks on feeding 17 Cattle, The Barn and Feeding 21 Byre, Milking, 24 Knowledge of Agricultural and Animal 25 Chemistry important to Farmers, On Breeding, 30 The Bull, 34 Value of different 35 breeds of Cows, Method of preparing Rennet, as practised in 36 England, Making Cheese, 37 Gloucester Cheese, 38 Chester Cheese, 39 Stilton Cheese, 40 Dunlop Cheese, 41 Green Cheese, 42 Making Butter, 44 Washing Butter, 45 Coloring Butter, 46 Description of the Organs of Digestion in 47 Cattle, Respiration and 53 Structure of the Lungs, Circulation of the Blood, 54 The Heart viewed 55 externally, Remarks on Blood- 58 letting, Efforts of Nature to 67 remove Disease, Proverbs of the 70 Veterinary Reformers, An Inquiry concerning the Souls of Brutes, 72 The Reformed Practice —Synoptical View of the Prominent Systems of Medicine, 75 Creed of the Reformers, 79 True Principles, 80 Inflammation, 88 Remarks, showing that very little is known of the Nature and Treatment of Disease, 94 Nature, Treatment, and Causes of Disease in 105 Cattle, Pleuro-Pneumonia, 107 Locked-Jaw, 115 Inflammatory Diseases, 121 Inflammation of the 121 Stomach, (Gastritis,) Inflammation of the 122 Lungs, (Pneumonia,) Inflammation of the Bowels, (Enteritis. —Inflammation of the Fibro-Muscular Coat of the Intestines,) 124 Inflammation of the Peritoneal Coat of the Intestines, (Peritonitis,) 125 Inflammation of the 125 Kidneys, (Nephritis,) Inflammation of the 126 Bladder, (Cystitis,) Inflammation of the 126 Womb, Inflammation of the 127 Brain, (Phrenitis,) Inflammation of the 128 Eye, Inflammation of the 128 Liver, (Hepatitis,) Jaundice, or Yellows, 130 Diseases of the Mucous 132 Surface, Catarrh, or Hoose, 133 Epidemic Catarrh, 134 Malignant Epidemic, 135 (Murrain,) Diarrhœa, (Looseness 136 of the Bowels,) Dysentery, 138 Scouring Rot, 139 Disease of the Ear, 140 Serous Membranes, 140 Dropsy, 141 Hoove, or "Blasting," 144 Joint Murrain, 147 Black Quarter, 149 Open Joint, 151 Swellings of Joints, 152 Sprain of the Fetlock, 153 Strain of the Hip, 154 Foul in the Foot, 154 Red Water, 157 Black Water, 160 Thick Urine, 160 Rheumatism, 161 Blain, 162 Thrush, 163 Black Tongue, 163 Inflammation of the Throat and its 163 Appendages, Bronchitis, 164 Inflammation of Glands, 164 Loss of Cud, 166 Colic, 166 Spasmodic Colic, 167 Constipation, 168 Falling down of the 171 Fundament, Calving, 171 Embryotomy, 175 Falling of the Calf-Bed, 176 or Womb, Garget, 177 Sore Teats, 178 Chapped Teats and 178 Chafed Udder, Fever, 178 Milk or Puerperal 182 Fever, Inflammatory Fever, 183 Typhus Fever, 186 Horn Ail in Cattle, 189 Abortion in Cows, 191 Cow-Pox, 194 Mange, 195 Hide-bound, 196 Lice, 196 Importance of keeping the Skin of Animals in a Healthy State, 197 Spaying Cows, 201 Operation of Spaying, 204 SHEEP Preliminary Remarks, 209 Staggers, 219 Foot Rot, 220 Rot, 221 Epilepsy, 222 Red Water, 223 Cachexy, or General 224 Debility, Loss of Appetite, 224 Foundering, 224 (Rheumatism,) Ticks, 225 Scab, or Itch, 225 Diarrhœa, 227 Dysentery, 227 Constipation, or 228 Stretches, Scours, 230 Dizziness, 231 Jaundice, 232 Inflammation of the Kidneys, 232 Worms, 233 Diseases of the Stomach from eating Poisonous 233 Plants, Sore Nipples, 234 Fractures, 234 Common Catarrh and 235 Epidemic Influenza, Castrating Lambs, 236 Nature of Sheep, 237 The Ram, 238 Leaping, 239 Argyleshire Breeders, 239 Fattening Sheep, 240 Improvement in Sheep, 244 Description of the Different Breeds of 249 Sheep, Teeswater Breed, 249 Lincolnshire Breed, 250 Dishley Breed, 250 Cotswold Breed, 250 Romney Marsh Breed, 251 Devonshire Breed, 251 Dorsetshire Breed, 251 Wiltshire Breed, 252 South Down Breed, 252 Herdwick Breed, 253 Cheviot Breed, 253 Merino Breed, 253 Welsh Sheep, 254 SWINE. Preliminary Remarks, 255 Natural History of the 259 Hog, Generalities, 262 General Debility, or 263 Emaciation, Epilepsy, or Fits, 264 Rheumatism, 264 Measles, 265 Ophthalmia, 266 Vermin, 266 Red Eruption, 267 Dropsy, 267 Catarrh, 267 Colic, 268 Diarrhœa, 268 Frenzy, 268 Jaundice, 269 Soreness of the Feet, 269 Spaying, 270 Various Breeds of 271 Swine, Berkshire Breed, 271 Hamphire Breed, 271 Shropshire Breed, 272 Chinese Breed, 272 Boars and Sows for 272 Breeding, Rearing Pigs, 273 Fattening Hogs, 275 Method of Curing Swine's Flesh, 277 APPENDIX On the Action of 279 Medicines, Clysters, 281 Forms of Clysters, 283 Infusions, 286 Antispasmodics, 287 Fomentations, 287 Mucilages, 289 Washes, 289 Physic for Cattle, 290 Mild Physic for Cattle, 291 Poultices, 292 Styptics, to arrest 296 Bleeding, Absorbents, 296 Forms of Absorbents, 297 VETERINARY MATERIA MEDICA, embracing a List of the various Remedies used by the Author of this work in the Practice of Medicine on Cattle, Sheep, and Swine, 299 General Remarks on 312 Medicines, Properties of Plants, 315 Potato, 316 TREATMENT OF DISEASE IN DOGS— 323 Preliminary Remarks, Distemper, 325 Fits, 326 Worms, 327 Mange, 328 Internal Abscess of the 329 Ear, Ulceration of the Ear, 329 Inflammation of the 329 Bowels, Inflammation of the 330 Bladder, Asthma, 331 Piles, 331 Dropsy, 332 Sore Throat, 332 Sore Ears, 332 Sore Feet, 333 Wounds, 333 Sprains, 333 Scalds, 334 Ophthalmia, 334 Weak Eyes, 335 Fleas and Vermin, 335 Hydrophobia, 335 MALIGNANT MILK SICKNESS of the 339 Western States, or Contgious Typhus, BONE DISORDER IN 351 COWS, INTRODUCTION. There is no period in the history of the United States when our domestic animals have ranked so high as at the present time; yet there is no subject on which there is such a lamentable want of knowledge as the proper treatment of their diseases. Governor Briggs, in a recent letter to the author, says, "You have my thanks, and, in my opinion, are entitled to the thanks of the community, for entering upon this important work. While the subject has engaged the attention of scientific men in other countries, it has been too long neglected in our own. Cruelty and ignorance have marked our treatment to diseased animals. Ignorant himself both of the disease and the remedy, the owner has been in the habit of administering the popular remedy of every neighbor who had no better powers of knowing what should be done than himself, until the poor animal, if the disease would not have proved fatal, is left alone, until death, with a friendly hand, puts a period to his sufferings: he is, however, often destroyed by the amount or destructive character of the remedies, or else by the cruel mode of administering them. I am persuaded that the community will approve of your exertions, and find it to their interest to support and sustain your system." The author has labored for several years to substitute a safer and a more efficient system of medication in the treatment of diseased animals, and at the same time to point out to the American people the great benefits they will derive from the diffusion of veterinary education. That many thousands of our most valuable cattle die under the treatment, which consists of little else than blood- letting, purging, and blistering, no one will deny; and these dangerous and destructive agents are frequently administered by men who are totally unacquainted with the nature of the agents they prescribe. But a better day is dawning; veterinary information is loudly called for—demanded; and the farmers will have it; but it must be a safer and a more efficient system than that heretofore practised. The object of the veterinary art is not only congenial with human medicine, but the very same paths that lead to a knowledge of the diseases of man lead also to a knowledge of those of brutes. Our domestic animals deserve consideration at our hands. We have tried all manner of experiments on them for the benefit of science; and science and scientific men should do something to repay the debt, by alleviating their sufferings and improving their condition. We are told that physicians of all ages have applied themselves to the dissection of animals, and that it was by analogy that those of Greece and Rome judged of the structure of the human body.