Part 22 (1/2)
INFLAMMATORY FEVER.
Inflammatory fever manifests itself very suddenly. The animal may appear well during the day, but at night it appears dull, refuses its food, heaves at the flanks, seems uneasy, and sometimes delirious; the pulse is full and bounding; the mouth hot; urine high colored and scanty.
Sometimes there are hot and cold stages.
_Remarks._--When disease attacks any particular organ suddenly, or in an acute form, inflammatory fever generally manifests itself. Now, disease may attack the brain, the lungs, kidneys, spleen, bowels, pleura, or peritoneum. Inflammatory fever may be present in each case. Now, it is evident that the fever is not the real enemy to be overcome; it is only a manifestation of disorder, not the cause of it. The skin may be obstructed, thereby retaining excrement.i.tious materials in the system: the reabsorption of the latter produces fever; hence it is obvious that a complete cure can only be effected by the removal of its causes, or, rather, the restoration of the suppressed evacuations, secretions, or excretions.
It is very important that we observe and imitate nature in her method of curing fever, which is, the restoration of the secretions, and, in many cases, by sweat, or by diarrhoea; either of which processes will remove the irritating or offending cause, and promote equilibrium of action throughout the whole animal system. In fulfilling these indications consists the whole art of curing fever.
But says one, ”It is a very difficult thing to sweat an ox.” Then the remedies should be more perseveringly applied. Warm, relaxing, antispasmodic drinks should be freely allowed, and these should be aided by warmth, moisture, and friction externally; and by injection, if needed. If the ox does not actually sweat under this system of medication, he will throw off a large amount of insensible perspiration.
_Causes._--In addition to the causes already enumerated, are the acc.u.mulation of excrement.i.tious and morbific materials in the system.
Dr. Eberle says, ”A large proportion of the recrement.i.tious elements of perspirable matter must, when the surface is obstructed, remain and mingle with the blood, (unless speedily removed by the vicarious action of some other emunctory,) and necessarily impart to this fluid qualities that are not natural to it. Most a.s.suredly the retention of materials which have become useless to the system, and for whose constant elimination nature has provided so extensive a series of emunctories as the cutaneous exhalents, cannot be long tolerated by the animal economy with entire impunity.”
Dr. White says, ”Many of the diseases of horses and cattle are caused by suppressed or checked perspiration; the various appearances they a.s.sume depending, perhaps, in great measure, upon the suddenness with which this discharge is stopped, and the state of the animal at the time it takes place.
”Cattle often suffer from being kept in cold, bleak situations, particularly in the early part of spring, during the prevalence of an easterly wind; in this case, the suppression of the discharge is more gradual, and the diseases which result from it are slower in their progress, consequently more insidious in their nature; and it often happens that the animal is left in the same cold situation until the disease is incurable.”
It seems probable that, in these cases, the perspiratory vessels gradually lose their power, and that, at length, a total and permanent suppression of that necessary discharge takes place; hence arise inflammatory fever, consumption, decayed liver, rot, mesenteric obstructions, and various other complaints. How necessary, therefore, is it for proprietors of cattle to be provided with sheltered situations for their stock! How many diseases might they prevent by such precaution, and how much might they save, not only in preserving the lives of their cattle, but in avoiding the expense (too often useless, to say the least of it) of cattle doctoring!
_Treatment._--We first give an aperient, (see APPENDIX,) to deplete the system. The common practice is to deplete by blood-letting, which only protracts the malady, and often brings on typhus, black quarter, joint murrain, &c. Promote the secretions and excretions in the manner already referred to under the head of _Puerperal Fever_; this will relieve the stricture of the surface. A drink made from either of the following articles should be freely given: lemon balm, wandering milk weed, thoroughwort, or lady's slipper, made as follows:--
Take either of the above articles, 2 ounces.
Boiling water, 2 quarts.
When cool, strain, and add a wine-gla.s.s of honey.
If there is great thirst, and the mouth is hot and dry, the animal may have a plentiful supply of water.
If the malady threatens to a.s.sume a putrid or malignant type, add a small quant.i.ty of capsic.u.m and charcoal to the drink, and support the strength of the animal with flour gruel.
TYPHUS FEVER.
_Causes._--Sudden changes in the temperature of the atmosphere, the animal being at the same time in a state of debility, unable to resist external agencies.
_Treatment._--Support the powers of the system through the means of nutritious diet, in the form of flour gruel, scalded meal and shorts, bran-water, &c.
Give tonics, relaxants, and antispasmodics, in the following form:--
Powdered capsic.u.m, 1 tea-spoonful.
” bloodroot, 1 ounce.
” cinnamon, half an ounce.
Thoroughwort or valerian, 2 ounces.
Boiling water, 1 gallon.