fluid from the coronets to the full extent of the swellings. I had his mouth and nostrils washed out with cold water, and offered him some to drink, when he averted his head from the bucket, as if hardly conscious of his own existence. He would then return, and dive his nose into, and almost to the bottom of the bucket, but seemed unable to swallow. Extreme nervous excitement made him quite delirious; in fact, hardly manageable. At about 8, A. M., he fell, and died almost without a struggle.

POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION.

Nine hours after death, the abdomen, on being opened, exhibited no signs of inflammation, excepting in the narrow portion of the colon, which was of a dark purple color, and about thirteen inches of its length was quite firm, apparently from effused blood within its coats. It was also very much thickened, as will appear hereafter. The thickness and blackness of this portion of the intestine extended only about the distance stated, when its natural color again became apparent. The stomach was healthy, and contained about two quarts of fluid, with a small quantity of botts on its cuticular surface. All the rest of the abdominal viscera were healthy; nor did the animal at any time during his sickness show any pain or symptoms of abdominal disease. On opening the chest there was evidently extensive disease of the respiratory organs, particularly of the left lung, which, on cutting into its substance, was found quite hardened with dry tuberculous matter, some portions resembling lime or chalk, and others, (as Leanec has it,) resembling old dry cheese. The anterior portion of the right lung and about onethird of its whole substance was the same. The remaining or pos terior portion being healthy, or very slightly congested, The pleura on the left side was of a greenish hue, with some adhesions to the anterior portion of the left lung. The trachea was filled with a bloody frothy mucus, and its lining membrane thickened, and resembling in color the grounds of coffee. There was extreme capil lary congestion under the common integument of all the extremities, over the knees and hocks in particular. In some parts there was extensive coagulum of blood, streaked with lymph, and in others, of lymph streaked with blood; the skin dense, and its inner surface covered with lymph, varying in character as before described. The portion of intestine mentioned was thirteen inches in length when cut from its connections; in color and appearance something like a fish, with the head and tail cut off; its weight, when emptied of its contents, was four pounds, seven ounces, and a trifle less than six drachms. On making a section through its thickest part, and laying it open, it had the appearance of a fish, split open on the back; its thickest part was quite firm, and one and a half inches in thickness. A section of the walls, of the piece of in

testine, was carefully removed, and submitted to microscopic examination. Its total thickness was about one and a half inches, made up as follows: The peritoneal coat was considerably thickened; the muscular coat measured from a quarter to a third of an inch; the sub-mucous cellular tissue, a half an inch, at least, in thickness; and the mucous membrane, from half to two-thirds of an inch; it had some few superficial ulcerations or abrasions; all the tissues were softened and reddened, especially the sub-mucous cellular coat, which was very red, and which enclosed a large quantity of serum. Under the microscope all the layers of the intestine presented a large quantity of lymph and coloring matter. The lymph, as usual, was deposited in fibrillated masses. There were but few blood globules; the red coloring matter alone being found. There was no abnormal cellular structure; there was no adhering of the peritoneum externally; but the disease appeared to be the result of an inflammatory process, confined to its walls, and doubtless of long standing.

For this description of the piece of intestine, and microscopic examination, I am indebted to a scientific gentleman of this city. CHARLES M. WOOD, V. S.

CASE OF MILK FEVER.

WRITTEN FOR THIS JOURNAL, BY C. D. BENT.

THE subject was an adult cow in "high condition," aged seven; had calved and yielded the usual quantity of milk; about thirtysix hours after parturition she was observed to be sick, and the lacteal secretion was almost entirely suspended. About this period my attention was called to her. I found her reclining at full length; the tongue pendulous, eyes glassy and amaurotic, pulse wirey, respiration hurried; occasional spasms. Previous to my attention being called to her, one of the barn-yard doctors, whom you have described in the last number of the "Journal," had just accomplished his routine of tail-cutting and horn-boring operations, and had tried to inflate the horns with tobacco smoke; he very considerately objected to employ the fleam, because, as he stated, "all he had hitherto bled had died." My treatment was as follows: hot water blankets were applied around the abdomen in the lumbar region, and renewed as often as they became cool. During the application of the same, I gave glauber salts, 12 ounces, in an infusion of butternut bark, about 3 pints. The mammæ and extremities were constantly submitted to friction, with decided benefit. In the course of a few hours she rallied, appeared to notice surrounding objects, and shortly after, voided excrement quite hard and

coated with mucus. I then ordered slippery-elm tea thickened with oat-meal; and after three days from my first visit the patient was turned out to grass, and ultimately done well, and is now giving her usual quantum of milk.

"What is the best method of treating this disease?" Answer: If you have been successful in the above case, try it again. Should you fail, let us know, and we will try to instruct you.

Remarks:-Milk sickness, or puerpural fever, is a disease with which our husbandmen should be better acquainted; many valuable cows have been lost in this and other vicinities, and all seem to be in doubt, as regards its cause, &c. Answer:-The best method you can adopt is, to urge some of your young men to direct their steps hitherward for the purpose of getting "posted." The doors of the Veterinary College of Massachusetts," are open to all persons desirous of obtaining "more light."

In answer to your query, we would inform you that cows in good condition are more liable to puerpural fever-milk sickness-than others, in poor condition.

As regards "setons in the dewlap," they are only useful when indicated. The indications are plethora, and local anasarca, and in

view of counter irritation.

Another question :-"I would enquire through the pages of your valuable Journal, what are the chances of curing garget?" The chances are generally good, except in cases of long standing when the function of one or more quarters is entirely destroyed by induration-thickening of the walls. In the inflammatory, or early, stage, the treatment must be antiphogistic; the remedies are glauber salts, and local bathing with cold, sometimes tepid water. In the chronic stage, give 20 grains daily, of iodide of potassium, dissolved in water, and anoint the indurated part with a portion of the following:

Iodide of potassium,
Simple ointment,

Mix.

1 drachm.

7 drachms.

ON DOCKING HORSES.

FROM THE OHIO FARMER, BY R. JENNINGS, V. S., CLEVELAND, OHIO.

"THIS is a subject deserving particular notice, both from veterinarians and horse keepers in general, and although it is not to my interest to say anything against this system, that is, in a pecuniary point of view, yet at the same time, I would freely relinquish any interest I might have in it, could I but see it entirely abolished,

being, in my opinion, a most barbarous and cruel operation, for which there is not the least necessity, and more particularly in this country, as the climate of the United States is very warm in the summer season, and the poor horse is almost tortured to death by the flies, and of course has no other protection against their attacks but that which nature furnished him with, namely, his tail. Yet, here is the very place it is carried on to an enormous extent, for no sooner does a person purchase a horse, in all the beauty furnished him by nature, not for beauty alone, but as a protection against his many tormentors, and yet people will have this beautiful appendage amputated, and that frequently, in the most horrible manner, by persons void of the knowledge or experience in the operation; but of course having seen some other person operate, he will try himself, and immediately furnishes himself with the guillotine, and hot iron, and succeeds in cutting off the horse's tail, regardless of the place he is cutting. He then incautiously applies the hot iron, and generally causes sloughing to take place to such an extent, that the poor animal loses his entire tail, or otherwise, that dreadful disease tetanus (locked jaw) sets in, by which the animal frequently loses his life. And there is still another mode of operating, which is still worse than the other, which I have witnessed frequently, and that is, by placing the tail on a block of wood, and chopping it off with an axe, and then follows the torturing iron. And yet, if the operation was performed by scientific men, it is a very cruel and unnecessary operation, for what looks better than to see a horse with a beautiful long tail and mane? In my opinion, a horse with his tail cut off, is no comparison, no more than a man with one arm, is to a man with two, and I think ought to be looked upon in the same light, as being unfortunate in losing one of the most useful and ornamental appendages of his body. Art can do a great deal, we are very well aware, but we can never supercede that which nature gave; and after we have said all we can on the subject, let us ask who are the great cause of it all, and most to blame in the matter? Why none other but our aristocracy, and fast young men, who are fond of fast horses, who seeing it is the fashion for horses to be driven without tails, as a matter of course, they must do the same, and have their beautiful horses spoiled for life; and so it is that horse dealers, having them to sell, know very well, that unless they cut off their tails, they cannot sell them at all. I suppose the gentlemen call it fashion, but if it is the case, I hope and trust that the fashion will soon alter, and that we shall shortly see gentlemen driving horses with beautiful and flowing tails and manes. G. W. BOWLER,

Veterinary Surgeon, Cincinnati.”

"The above was received from and old friend, and former associate in business. I therefore take the liberty of offering a few sugges

tions in reference to this useless operation, it having long claimed the sympathies of the American people, performed, as it has been, in the most barbarous and cruel manner, and often by inexperienced persons; but, as Dr. Bowler says, it is the fashion, and what are we to do? We know that fashion is the mother of absurdities, and we must conform to her rules, no matter at what sacrifice. Should we meet a man whose face is covered with hair, (as was the case in times gone by,) for the want of a razor, we would be inclined to laugh at nature for the deformity, she being far behind the improvements of the age. On the other hand, should we meet one of the fairest specimens of God's handiwork, with a narrow contracted chest, and small waist, and sinking under the ravages of that fatal destroyer consumption, we would be struck with the perfect symmetry of form, a decided improvement on nature's own work. Since man would improve nature in himself, is it at all strange that he should seek to improve the beauty of his faithful companion the horse, and thus take off that which nature gave too much? Now, suppose the fashion should change, as my friend would have it do, then owners of short tails would be under the necessity of going to the artificial limb or wig maker, to have the amputated appendage artificially restored. In England, this cruel practice has been almost entirely discarded, and I hope the operation in the United States will also be frowned down; and until that time arrives, it becomes the veterinary surgeon, or whoever may perform any such operation, to do it in a masterly manner, and with some degree of humanity. The docking of the tail by brute force, should no longer be tolerated, since science has been making such rapid progress in our hitherto much neglected profession. The veterinarians of Philadelphia have recently adopted an operation known in human surgery, as the flap operation. The knife, which should be a long, narrow-bladed one, is passed in between the coccygeal bones, at the desired point, from above downwards, cutting outwards, and backwards, on either side, so as so form two flaps, which are carefully brought together over the end of the tail, and secured by the interrupted suture, thus giving protection to the stump of the tail, and making a much neater finish than by any other method that could be adopted, requiring no styptic whatever, and no fear of hemorrage, generally uniting by the first intention. It is plain to be seen by all who are conversant with the subject, that this is much better, and more scientific, than cutting off the tail square, and using the red-hot iron to arrest the hemorrage. As regards the chopping process, that is an operation I have never witnessed, neither would I look on and see such outrageous butchery of the most useful, excepting man himself, of all the animal R. JENNINGS, V. S."

<reation.