Powdered mandrake, 1 tea-spoonful.

Castile soap, in shavings, quarter of an ounce.

Beef's gall, half a wine-gla.s.s.

Powdered capsic.u.m, third of a table-spoon.

Dissolve the soap in a small quant.i.ty of hot water, then mix the whole in three pints of thin gruel.

This makes a good aperient, and can be given with perfect safety in all cases of constipation arising from derangement of the liver. The liquid must be poured down the throat in a gradual manner, in order to insure its reaching the fourth stomach. Aid the medicine by injections, and rub the belly occasionally with straw.

Suppose the bowels to be torpid during an attack of inflammation of the brain; then it will be prudent to combine relaxants and anti-spasmodics, in the following form:--

Extract of b.u.t.ternut, half an ounce.

Powdered skunk cabbage, "

Cream of tartar, "

Powdered lobelia, 2 drachms.

First dissolve the b.u.t.ternut in two quarts of hot water; after which add the remaining ingredients, and give it for a dose. The operation of this prescription, like the preceding, must be aided by injection, friction, and warm drinks made of hyssop or pine boughs.

Suppose the bowels to be constipated, at the same time the animal is hide-bound, in poor condition, &c.; the aperient must then be combined with tonics, as follows:--

Extract of b.u.t.ternut, half an ounce.

Roch.e.l.le salt, 4 ounces.

Golden seal, 1 ounce.

Ginger, 1 tea-spoonful.

Hot water, 3 quarts.

Dissolve and administer at a dose. In order to relieve the cold, constricted, inactive state of the hide, recourse must be had to warmth, moisture, and friction. A simple aperient of linseed oil may be given in cases of stricture or intussusception of the bowels. The dose is one pint.

FALLING DOWN OF THE FUNDAMENT.

Return the prolapsed part as quickly as possible by gently kneading the parts within the r.e.c.t.u.m. In recent cases, the part should be washed with an infusion of bayberry bark. (See APPENDIX.) The bowel may be kept in position by applying a wad of cotton, kept wet with the astringent infusion, confined with a bandage. A weak solution of alum water may, however, be subst.i.tuted, provided the bayberry or white oak bark is not at hand.

Should the parts appear swollen and much inflamed, apply a large slippery elm poultice, on the surface of which sprinkle powdered white oak or bayberry bark. This will soon lessen the swelling, so that the r.e.c.t.u.m may be returned.

The diet must be very sparing, consisting of flour gruel; and if the bowels are in a relaxed state, add a small quant.i.ty of powdered bayberry.

CALVING.

At the end of nine months, the period of the cow's gestation is complete; but parturition does not always take place at that time; it is sometimes earlier, at others later. "One hundred and sixteen cows had their time of calving registered: fourteen of them calved from the two hundred and forty-first day to the two hundred and sixty-sixth day,--that is, eight months and one day to eight months and twenty-six days; fifty-six from the two hundred and seventieth to the two hundred and eightieth day; eighteen from the two hundred and eightieth to the two hundred and ninetieth; twenty on the three hundredth day; five on the three hundred and eighth day; consequently there were sixty-seven days between the two extremities."

Immediately before calving, the animal appears uneasy; the tail is elevated; she shifts from place to place, and is frequently lying down and getting up again. The labor pains then come on; and by the expulsive power of the womb, the foetus, with the membranes enveloping it, is pushed forward. At first, the membranes appear beyond the v.a.g.i.n.a, or "shape," often in the form of a bladder of water; the membranes burst, the water is discharged, and the head and fore feet of the calf protrude beyond the shape. We are now supposing a case of natural labor. The body next appears, and soon the delivery is complete. In a short time, a gradual contraction of the womb takes place, and the cleansings (afterbirth) are discharged. When the membranes are ruptured in the early stage of calving, and before the outlet be sufficiently expanded, the process is generally tedious and attended with danger; and this danger arises in part from the premature escape of the fluids contained within the membranes, which are intended, ultimately, to serve the double purpose of expanding or dilating the pa.s.sage, and lubricating the parts, thereby facilitating the birth.

Under these circ.u.mstances, it will be our duty to supply the latter deficiency by carefully anointing the parts with olive oil; at the same time, allow the animal a generous supply of slippery elm gruel: if she refuses to partake of it, when offered in a bucket, it must be gently poured down the throat from a bottle. At times, delivery is very slow; a considerable time elapses before any part of the calf makes its appearance. Here we have only to exercise patience; for if there is a natural presentation, nature, being the best doctor under all circ.u.mstances, will do the work in a more faithful manner una.s.sisted than when improperly a.s.sisted. "A meddlesome midwifery is bad."

Therefore the practice of attempting to hurry the process by driving the animal about, or annoying her in any way, is very improper. In some cases, however, when a wrong presentation is apparent, which seems to render calving impracticable, we should, after smearing the hand with lard, introduce it into the v.a.g.i.n.a, and endeavor to ascertain the position of the calf, and change it when it is found unfavorable. When, for example, the head presents without the fore legs, which are bent under the breast, we may gently pa.s.s the hand along the neck, and, having ascertained the position of the feet, we grasp them, and endeavor to bring them forward, the cow at the same time being put into the most favorable position, viz., the hind quarters being elevated. By this means the calf can be gently pushed back, as the feet are advanced and brought into the outlet. The calf being now in a natural position, we wait patiently, and give nature an opportunity to perform her work.

Should the expulsive efforts cease, and the animal appear to be rapidly sinking, no time must be lost; nature evidently calls for a.s.sistance, but not in the manner usually resorted to, viz., that of placing a rope around the head and feet of the calf, and employing the united strength of several men to extract the foetus, without regard to position. Our efforts must be directed to the mother; the calf is a secondary consideration: the strength of the former, if it is failing, must be supported; the expulsive power of the womb and abdominal muscles, now feeble, must be aroused; and there are no means or processes that are better calculated to fulfil these indications than that of administering the following drink:--

Bethroot, 2 ounces.

Powdered cayenne, one third of a tea-spoon.

Motherwort, 1 ounce.

Infuse in a gallon of boiling water. When cool, strain, then add a gill of honey, and give it in pint doses, as occasion may require.

Under this treatment, there is no difficulty in reestablishing uterine action. If, however, the labor is still tedious, the calf may be grasped with both hands, and as soon as a pain or expulsive effort is evident, draw the calf from side to side. While making this lateral motion, draw the calf forward. Expulsion generally follows.

If, on examination, it is clearly ascertained that the calf is lying in an unnatural position,--for example, the calf may be in such a position as to present its side across the outlet,--in such cases delivery is not practicable unless the position is altered. Mr. White says, "I have seen a heifer that it was found impossible to deliver. On examining her after death, a very large calf was found lying quite across the mouth of the uterus." In such cases, Mr. Lawson recommends that, "when every other plan has failed for taming the calf, so as to put it in a favorable position for delivery, the following has often succeeded: Let the cow be thrown down in a proper position, and placed on her back; then, by means of ropes and a pulley attached to a beam above, let the hind parts be raised up, so as to be considerably higher than the fore parts; in this position, the calf may be easily put back towards the bottom of the uterus, so as to admit of being turned, or his head and fore legs brought forward without difficulty."

We must ever bear in mind the important fact that the successful termination of the labor depends on the strength and ability of the parent; that if these fail, however successful we may be in bringing about a right presentation, the birth is still tedious, and we may finally have to take the foetus away piecemeal; by which process the cow's life is put in jeopardy.

To avoid such an unfortunate occurrence, support the animal's strength with camomile tea. The properties of camomile are antispasmodic, carminative, and tonic--just what is wanted.

Mr. White informs us that "instances sometimes occur of the calf's head appearing only, and so large that it is found impossible to put it back.

When this is found to be the case, the calf should be killed, and carefully extracted, by cutting off the head and other parts that prevent the extraction; thus the cow's life will be saved."

In cases of malformation of the head of the foetus, or when the cranium is enormously distended by an acc.u.mulation of fluid within the ventricles of the brain, after all other remedies, in the form of fomentations, lubricating antispasmodic drinks, have failed, then recourse must be had to embryotomy.

EMBRYOTOMY.

For the following method of performing the operation we are indebted to Mr. Youatt's work. The details appeared in the London Veterinarian of 1831, and will ill.u.s.trate the operation. M. Thibeaudeau, the operating surgeon, says, "I was consulted respecting a Breton cow twenty years old, which was unable to calve. I soon discovered the obstacle to the delivery. The fore limbs presented themselves as usual; but the head and neck were turned backwards, and fixed on the left side of the chest, while the foetus lay on its right side, on the inferior portion of the uterus." M. Thibeaudeau then relates the ineffectual efforts he made to bring the foetus into a favorable position, and he at length found that his only resource to save the mother was, to cut in pieces the calf, which was now dead. "I amputated the left shoulder of the foetus,"

says he, "in spite of the difficulties which the position of the head and neck presented. Having withdrawn the limb, I made an incision through all the cartilages of the ribs, and laid open the chest through its whole extent, by which means I was enabled to extract all the thoracic viscera. Thus having lessened the size of the calf, I was enabled, by pulling at the remaining fore leg, to extract the foetus without much resistance, although the head and neck were still bent upon the chest. The afterbirth was removed immediately afterwards." This shows the importance of making an early examination, to determine the precise position of the foetus; for if the head had been discovered in such position in the early stage of labor, it might have been brought forward, and thus prevented the butchery.

FALLING OF THE CALF-BED, OR WOMB.

When much force used in extracting the calf, it sometimes happens that the womb falls out, or is inverted; and great care is required in putting it back, so that it may remain in that situation.

_Treatment._--If the cow has calved during the night, in a cold situation, and, from the exhausted state of the animal, we have reason to suppose that the labor has been tedious, or that she has taken cold, efforts must be made to restore the equilibrium. The following restorative must be given:--

Motherwort tea, 2 quarts.

Hot drops, 1 table-spoonful.

Powdered cinnamon, 1 tea-spoonful.

Give a pint every ten minutes, and support the animal with flour gruel.

The uterus should be returned in the following manner: Place the cow in such a position that the hind parts shall be higher than the fore. Wash the uterus with warm water, into which sprinkle a small quant.i.ty of powdered bayberry; remove any extraneous substance from the parts. A linen cloth is then to be put under the womb, which is to be held by two a.s.sistants. The cow should be made to rise, if lying down,--that being the most favorable position,--and the operator is then to grasp the mouth of the womb with both hands and return it. When so returned, one hand is to be immediately withdrawn, while the other remains to prevent that part from falling down again. The hand at liberty is then to grasp another portion of the womb, which is to be pushed into the body, like the former, and retained with one hand. This is to be repeated until the whole of the womb is put back. If the womb does not contract, friction, with a brush, around the belly and back, may excite contraction. An attendant must, at the same time, apply a pad wetted with weak alum water to the "shape," and keep it in close contact with the parts, while the friction is going on. It is sometimes necessary to confine the pad by a bandage.