CORNS.
—Small swellings or tumors on the sensitive heel in the triangular space between the bars and the wall of the heel. These are found in the fore feet only, and almost always on the inside heel. They are caused most frequently by bad shoeing or from wearing the shoe for too long a time. These growths do not always cause lameness, although, as a rule, they do. They are, however, always sensitive to pressure and usually appear as tumors of a hard, corny character. Neglected corns are liable to fester and must then be laid bare by the knife and be poulticed. Neglect of this treatment results in the matter or pus finding its way up through the coronet. Thus quittor may result.
Give the foot a careful dressing by paring the heel, and bathe the corn with a weak carbolic acid solution. After doing this, place a fold of muslin over the corn and then over all a bran and linseed poultice. A complete rest from work, hard roads and shoes should now be given the animal until the corn has entirely disappeared. When the feet are again shod, leather should be used as a protection. Many corn salves are recommended, but unless the corn be removed and the pressure taken from the wound, there can be no cure, even though the tumor is pared away.
CORNSTALK DISEASE.
—When cattle are allowed to run in stalk fields it frequently happens that a large per cent die from various causes. All these troubles are classed under the one term—cornstalk disease. In some western fields where there is a second growth of cane stalk late in the fall an early frost will at times develop in the stalk a deadly poison (hydrocyanic acid), which kills the animal in a very few minutes after eating it. This poison has not been found in the cornstalk.
In the last year or two some of our state experiment stations have been investigating several molds which seem to affect not only cattle but horses as well. These molds grow quite abundantly upon cornstalks, alfalfa, and other forage crops. The death of a great number of animals has been traced directly to the feeding of such affected fodder, hay, or corn. These molds, however, must have a certain amount of moisture for their growth, and it has been shown that when the feeds have been properly harvested and sheltered no trouble has resulted. Only in materials exposed to the weather, allowing the development of these lower forms of plant life, has serious trouble been found.
In the treatment of these troubles nothing reliable can be given, as the disease usually comes on without any warning and the animal dies suddenly. Much of the trouble can be avoided by allowing the animals only a limited amount of the feed or in the stalk field a few hours only each day. It is necessary that plenty of pure water should be given frequently and enough of other roughage to keep the animals from gorging themselves on the fodder.
COW POX.
—An infectious disease passed from one cow to another. It affects herds in all parts of the world and is similar to smallpox in the human being, only it is not so fatal. When first affected the cow is feverish, slacks somewhat in the milk flow, and presents little red pimple-like spots around the teats. In a day or two these become enlarged and become blisters, containing within a watery fluid, which, if not broken, dry up themselves and form scabs, leaving the teat in time perfectly natural. Ordinarily, special treatment is not given. There is no objection, however, to providing a simple tonic composed of one-quarter pound saltpeter, one-quarter pound sulphur, and one-quarter pound ground gentian root. Give a teaspoonful of this night and morning in a mash. The teats should be bathed, just before milking, with any common disinfecting solution. If the sores are slow in healing, sweet oil, to which is added a little carbolic acid, will soon correct the trouble.