CHAPTER I

GENERAL DISEASES

Black Leg

Black Leg affects cattle when from three months to two years old, younger or older than this they rarely have it. It comes from a well known germ, the Bacillus Chanvoei, which enters the system through a cut or scratch, such as produced by thorns, barbed wire, etc. The disease cannot be transmitted to man.

SYMPTOMS.—The chief characteristic of this disease is the swellings which may appear on any part of the body, except the tail or below the knee or hock. The thigh and shoulder are most commonly attacked. The swellings rapidly increase in number and may run together. They give a crackling sensation on pressure and are cool and without tenderness in the center. If opened in the center there is no pain and a frothy fluid comes out.

There are also general symptoms as follows: the animal does not eat or chew the cud, loss of strength and general depression, high fever, lameness, stiffness and often dragging of one leg on account of the swellings. These symptoms increase as the disease progresses, the breathing becomes faster, the animal groans and may have attacks of colic. The animal almost always dies in from one and one-half to three days.

TREATMENT.—The disease is incurable, and diseased animals should be killed at once, the bodies burned and the premises disinfected as given under Abortion, page 122. The healthy animals should be moved to another pasture and the infected pasture burned off the following winter, this destroys the germs in that pasture.

Cattle may be rendered immune to Black Leg by vaccination. The vaccine with directions for its use is given away to stock owners by the Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.

Foot and Mouth Disease—Eczema Epizootica

DEFINITION.—An acute, contagious fever, characterized by the formation of vesicles and ulcers, chiefly about the mouth and hoofs, etc. The eruptions appear on the mucous membrane of the mouth, on the fetlock, and in the cleft of the hoofs, and not unfrequently as a eruption on the udder. The disorder chiefly prevails among cattle and sheep, but under favoring circumstances, also attacks other domestic quadrupeds, and even man.

CAUSES.—It appears as an epidemic, and spreads exclusively by contagion. The precise nature of the germ is unknown, but it is chiefly limited to the contents of the vesicles, the secretion of the ulcers, the saliva, the blood and the natural secretions and excretions, of the diseased animal; and these convey the disease. The predisposing causes are exposure to cold, wet, currents of cold air, poor fodder, want of cleanliness and good housing; and anything that tends to lower the constitutional vitality. The activity of the virus is preserved for many months. The poison may be conveyed by the clothes of herdsmen and other persons, by manure, tools, fodder, by grass and ground previously trodden by diseased animals, and milk to sucking calves, indeed by almost anything. It finds its way into the system in various ways, not depending on any wound for admission. The communication to man is by drinking the milk of diseased cows. A second attack is rare.

SYMPTOMS.—After a period of incubation, lasting from three to six days, the animal is seized with a shivering fit, and appears dull and stupified. A vesicular eruption soon appears on the mouth, the hoofs, and the teats. Sucking calves have a similar eruption on the fauces and pharynx, with irritation of the whole alimentary canal, attended with inability to suck, and exhausting diarrhea. The eyes are then observed to be dim, watery, congested; the muzzle, ears and horns alternately hot and cold; shivering ensues; rumination is diminished; the milk is less in quantity, yellower and thicker than usual, and much deteriorated in quality; the bag swollen, tender, hot; the back arched; the coat staring and harsh; the pulse somewhat accelerated; the temperature moderately elevated, reaching 102°, or even 104°; the eruption in the month is first seen on the inner surface of the upper lip, the edge of the upper jaw where there are no teeth, on the tip and edges of the tongue, and is indicated by salivation, by pain and loss of power in taking and eating food. The vesicles occur on the mucous membrane, singly or in patches, first as little red spots, then as whitish-yellow, slightly turbid blisters, about the size of a bean, at first transparent, but subsequently filled with a puriform fluid. These vesicles burst in about eighteen hours, discharge their fluid, leaving behind shallow ulcers, which often run together and then form deep and ragged ulcers. The lips, cheeks, tongue, and sometimes the Schneiderian membrane, are affected. The eruption on the feet is first seen around the coronet and in the interdigital space, especially of the hind legs; and the resulting vesicles burst quickly, because of the animal’s movements. The animal evidently suffers intense pain, is lame or unable to stand, and moves reluctantly or cautiously; the hoofs swell; the vascular secreting membranes become inflamed; the hoofs are cast; the bones may become diseased; and serious mischief may ensue. The eruption on the udder turns to vesicles, as in the mouth, and, when the fluid dries or escapes, thin scales are formed. The teats are swollen and sore. In exceptional cases, a vesicular eruption appears on the muzzle, the mucous membrane of the nostrils, the conjunctivae of the eyes, and the mucous membrane of the vagina.

In favorable cases, the fever subsides about the fourth day, the eruption declines, the appetite returns, and in seven to fourteen days the animal recovers. But complications are not uncommon. And in unfavorable cases the fever is high, the ulceration increases, the animal suffers from exhaustion, wasting, discharge of stringy, bloody mucous from the mouth, and of offensive matter from the nostrils; the face is swollen, the breath foul, the respiration rapid and grunting; the pulse small, weak, rapid; the blood becomes impure; the belly and legs œdematous; the hoofs slough off; diarrhea supervenes, and death follows about the ninth or tenth day. An aggravation may occur in milch cows by the bursting of the vesicles when the teat is grasped in milking, for the fluid escapes, the sore bleeds and ulcer spreads; and though the sore be scabbed over between the milking times, the scab is then again pulled off. The consequence is that the cow, feeling intense pain and irritation, kicks, resents the milking, holds back the milk, and thus prevents the “stripping” of the udder. The effect of this may be an attack of inflammation of the udder, which may prove fatal, or may be followed by induration and atrophy of the udder. Or abscesses may form in the udder, and sometimes large portions of it slough away, rendering the cow comparatively useless for milking purposes. Abortion is not uncommon.

This disease may be easily mistaken for Stomatitis, cow pox or fowl of the foot. However in Stomatitis there is no eruption on the foot; and in cow pox and fowl of the foot there is no eruption on the muzzle.

PROGNOSIS.—This is unfavorable—The United States Government and the Health Officers of the several States require all suspected cases of Foot and Mouth Disease to be quarantined, and upon the full development of the disease all animals infected, to be killed. Human beings are liable to become infected, great care should be exercised in handling diseased animals or their carcases.

Rheumatism

This disease is almost invariably the consequence of cold and wet, or chill after over-exertion. The symptoms are as follows:

Dullness; loss of spirits; disinclination to move, and painful stiffness of the back or joints when moving; loss of appetite; pain in the back, manifested by the animal flinching when pressed upon; the joints, one or more, become affected, and the animal prefers to lie down, and cannot move without great pain and difficulty; the joints, or one or more of them, become swelled, and are also exceedingly hot and tender to the touch. In some cases, there is considerable heat and fever, in others, it is but slight. The complaint is quite liable to return from exposure, changes of weather, or even the wind blowing from a different quarter. The disease not unfrequently changes from one joint or limb to another.

TREATMENT.—The B.B., is for all the usual forms of this disease, giving twenty drops, three or four times per day, in severe cases, and morning and night in the mild ones.

When the disease is ushered in or attended with considerable heat and fever, either during its continuance, or from the first, the A.A., in doses of twenty drops, should be alternated with the B.B., at the intervals mentioned above.

Lumbago

This is merely a form of rheumatism, locating itself upon the muscles of the loins. It may be mistaken for some other or different disease, and hence its symptoms should be known.

SYMPTOMS.—After some exposure, especially to cold or wet, or a draft of air, the cow will suddenly become lame in one leg, without other signs to explain the nature of the attack. Another leg may then be affected, while the first one seems better or quite well. Some pain and heat may be discovered in one of the joints; and then the muscles of the back show more clearly the location of the disease; or from the first the disease may be referable to this point; the animal yields and flinches when they are pressed upon, in consequence of the pain; the beast is not able to walk, or does so very stiffly and awkwardly, in consequence of increased pain from movement. These attacks may continue for a time, disappear and return again, in consequence of new exposure.

TREATMENT.—The B.B. should be given, a dose of twenty drops, three times per day, which follow with J.K.

Ophthalmia, Inflammation of the Eye

Diseased and inflamed eyes in cattle may sometimes occur as a result of congestion, or from inflammation or a cold, but in general from an injury, the result of a blow of a whip, or stick, or from dirt or hay seed, or some similar substance irritating the eye.

SYMPTOMS.—The eyelids are swelled and closed; tears flow in abundance; the eye shrinks from the light when the lids are opened; the white of the eye or conjunctiva is reddish or covered with red veins; the haw is also red and swollen; the eye itself is clouded and covered with a film.

TREATMENT.—Examine the eye for dirt, hay seed, or other substances, and when found remove them. Bathe the eye with HUMPHREYS’ MARVEL WITCH HAZEL, diluted half and half with soft water, morning and night, until the more violent symptoms are removed. Give, internally, fifteen drops of A.A. each morning and night.

In long standing cases, a dose of I.I., repeated every few nights, will be found of great value, while the A.A. is given each morning.

Fits, Convulsions, Epilepsy

The symptoms of fits are pretty well known. Without any or very trifling warning, the beast staggers and falls suddenly to the ground; he often bellows in the most alarming manner; then every part of the body is violently convulsed; the tail is lashed; the teeth are ground; the mouth closed, and jaws fastened together; the breathing is quick and attended with heaving at the flanks; frothy saliva dribbles from the mouth, and the urine and dung are discharged involuntarily. In a few moments the convulsions become less severe, then cease, and the animal soon seems as well as if nothing had happened.

Fits are most apt to attack young, vigorous, well fed cattle, or those that have been much exposed to the direct action of the sun.

TREATMENT.—Little or nothing can be done during an attack; but as one is likely to be followed by another, the medicine should be given as soon as the attack is well over.

Give, immediately after the attack, twenty drops of the A.A., and repeat the remedy morning and night for some days.

If an animal is subject to these fits (epilepsy), returning at intervals of a few days or weeks, give, alternately, at intervals of six or eight days, twenty drops of A.A., and J.K., and continue these for some time.

Foul in the Foot, Foot-rot

Usually comes from standing on a filthy floor, but may follow an injury or tuberculosis.

There is lameness and swelling of the pasterns, and heat, with evident pain; matter then forms, and unless it is let out, it will extend in all directions under the foot, and appear at the coronet or top of the hoof; and from this long, narrow ulcers remain, and proud flesh springs up from the diseased places.

TREATMENT.—Place animal in stall with clean dry bedding. Examine the foot carefully, and remove all foreign substances, dirt, etc., that may be found; then foment the foot with hot water, night and morning, and apply the VETERINARY OIL, and wrap it up with a cloth to keep it clean; the hoof should be pared, and those parts of it cut away that may interfere with the escape of matter; all dead hoof must be removed. The sore must be examined, and if dark and unhealthy, the OIL and covering must be renewed from time to time until the dark matter sloughs off. After the ulcer looks clean, simply apply the VETERINARY OIL, over which a cloth must be kept wrapped around to prevent dirt lodging in the wound and causing fresh irritation. These may be renewed, if needful, until entire recovery.

Give also the I.I., each night, a dose of twenty drops.

Mange

MANGE is a disease caused by parasites which live on the skin of the animal. These parasites are of three kinds: 1. Burrowing mites or Sarcoptes. 2. Sucking mites or Dermatodectes. 3. Scale eating mites or Symbiotes. The first class can be seen only with a magnifying glass but the last two can be seen with the naked eye.

SARCOPTIC MANGE is very rare in cattle; the dermatodectic and symbiotic are the usual forms.

SYMPTOMS.—Great itching; so that the animal is continually rubbing itself, the hair falls off, scabs or sores remain in patches particularly at the sides and hollow of the neck and the root of the tail.

TREATMENT.—Clip the hair around the sore places and soften scabs by applying oil or glycerine containing 5% of creolin or lysol. Then apply a thick lather of green soap and leave on over night. These applications are to soften and remove the scabs and prepare the skin for the real remedy. Of these there are many; sulphur ointment (equal parts flowers of sulphur and lard) is an old standby or you can use a 3% solution of creolin or lysol. This should be thoroughly rubbed into the skin by a brush and kept on for a week reapplying as it becomes rubbed off. Then wash off and reapply for another week. The reason for the second application is that while the first will kill off all the animals, there may be some eggs that are not killed and if only one application is made after it has been removed, the eggs may hatch out and the Mange come back.

Hidebound

This condition, in which the skin seems firm, hard and bound to the parts beneath, is due to some morbid condition of the system rather than to a disease of the skin itself. There is most frequently some derangement of the stomach, or some old standing organic disease. Remove these, and the disease disappears, and the hide becomes soft and loose.

TREATMENT.—Giving twenty drops of J.K., morning and night, will generally remove the difficulty.

If it fails after a fair trial, give the J.K., each night, and twenty drops of I.I., each morning.

Anthrax

ANTHRAX is a very contagious disease from which comes a well known germ, the bacillus anthracis, and which attacks almost all animals and man. The germ lives in the animal’s body and also in rich moist soils, and is very difficult to eradicate. The germ enters the body by the mouth, in food or water, or through cuts in the skin.

SYMPTOMS.—There is sudden high fever (105 to 107) the pulse is very frequent (80 to a 100 or more) small and scarcely perceptible. The mucous membrane of the head becomes very red, the eyes red, swollen and filled with tears. The temperature of the body is unequally distributed, some parts hot, others cold. The animal does not eat or chew the cud. There is great depression, weakness, stupor and loss of sensation. There is trembling over the body, particularly in the hind quarters, which may even “give way”. Sometimes instead of stupor, there are attacks of fury, where the animal will bellow and dash itself against any object it may see.

There may or may not be carbuncles, these are small swellings about the size of a walnut, which may appear on the head, chest, abdomen, etc., they are blue-black or dark red in color and are not usually painful.

One of the most remarkable things about anthrax is its rapid course, most animals die in from 12 to 48 hours. After death the bodies do not get stiff and decay very rapidly.

TREATMENT.—This disease is recognized as being incurable, and generally fatal. In suspected cases, give A.A., every two hours, until the animal improves, or the disease becomes thoroughly developed in which latter case the animal should be killed at once, the body burned, and the premises disinfected as given under contagious abortion, page 122.

Big Jaw—Actinomycosis

This disease is caused by the Ray fungus which is sometimes found on barley, oats, cactus, dried grass, etc., and which enters the body of the animal through cuts or wounds on the tongue, gums, etc., and particularly with young animals at teething time.

SYMPTOMS.—These of course vary with the position of the wound, through which the fungus entered the body. If on the tongue, the tongue becomes swollen and very painful “wooden tongue.” If around the teeth, the jaw becomes swollen and finally the growth breaks through the skin or into the mouth. If through the skin of the head or neck, large nodules appear, varying in size from a hazel nut to a man’s fist.

TREATMENT.—The most successful treatment is by cutting out the nodules; this of course should be done by a Veterinary Surgeon.

We advise calling a Veterinary Surgeon and having him perform the operation as soon as possible, as the disease is usually curable if properly handled and it cannot be transmitted to man or to the other animals.

Texas Fever—Red Water—Black Water—Hemoglobinuria

This disease is an infection of the blood by small animals called protozoa which are transmitted by the cattle tick. Only cattle get this disease although other animals may have plenty of ticks.

The cattle tick spends part of its life on the animal and part on the ground. The females after having become pregnant, while on the cattle, drop to the ground and lay their eggs; when the eggs hatch, the young ticks crawl to the top of the blades of grass and attach themselves to the cattle.

There are two types of this disease, the acute and the chronic, the acute form usually attacks cattle in hot weather, while the chronic or mild form is more apt to be found in the fall.

SYMPTOMS.—In the acute form there is fever, great depression, loss of appetite, and the animal does not chew the cud. The animal lies down or stands with arched back. The most characteristic symptom is the color of the urine; this ranges from pink to black. Death takes place in from three to four days, generally preceded by a fall of temperature, or the fever may drop and the animal recover very slowly. In the chronic or mild type, there is fever, loss of appetite, the animal does not chew the cud and may become very thin; but usually the urine is not discolored. In this type of the disease the animals usually recover.

You should be careful not to mistake Texas Fever for Anthrax or Black Leg. In Texas Fever the ticks are always found on the hide, and calves do not have it while all animals have Anthrax. The membranes are pale in Texas Fever, but very red in Anthrax. In Black Leg the animals are from six months to two years old, older or younger they do not have it; and of course there are the characteristic swellings.

TREATMENT.—Prevention is usually more satisfactory than treatment after the disease has started. However as the disease is not transmitted to the other animals or to man, there is no reason for not trying to save the animal. Give A.A., twenty drops four times a day for two days, then alternate H.H., with the A.A. Remove all ticks and place in a tick free enclosure and give nourishing diet.

PREVENTION.—For small numbers of animals in infested districts.

Pick or brush the ticks from the animals three times per week particularly from belly, legs, tail and udder from June 1st to November 1st.

Or smear the legs and sides of the cattle twice a week with Beaumont crude petroleum, or a mixture of 1 gallon each of cottonseed and kerosene oil (coal oil) containing 1 pound of sulphur, these may be either brushed or sprayed on from June 1st to November 1st.

For large numbers of animals write to the Bureau of Animal Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., and ask for Farmers Bulletin No. 152.

To remove ticks from an infested pasture.

1. Remove all animals on September 1st and allow no animals on the pasture until April 1st, or cultivate the pasture for a year, or burn it over in spring and fall, and allow no animals with ticks on it.

Government Approvals

* * * * *

Approval of DR. HUMPHREYS’ PREPARATIONS has been bestowed by the Medical Authorities of different American Republics. Their introduction into France has been allowed by the French Government. They have been approved by the National Board of Health of the Argentine Republic and by the National Board of Health of the United States of Brazil.

Many complete outfits of HUMPHREYS’ VETERINARY REMEDIES have been furnished to the United States Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.

HUMPHREYS’ VETERINARY REMEDIES are constantly being supplied to the U. S. Naval Magazines, Iona Island, New York.

Humphreys’ Homeo. Medicine Co.

Cor. William and Ann Streets NEW YORK