Your Eminence's good Cousin and Friend,
Charles Rex.
William Winthrop.
La Valetta, Malta.
DISEASE AMONG CATTLE.
For some years past, a great many cattle have died from a disease of the lungs, for which I believe no effectual antidote has been discovered. This fact having been mentioned to a German in London, who had formerly been a Rossarzt or veterinary surgeon in the Prussian army, he stated that he had known a similar disease to prevail in Germany; and that by administering a decoction of Erica communis (Common Heath), mixed with tar, the progress of the disease had in many instances been arrested.
In order, therefore, that the British farmer may obtain the benefit of this gentleman's experience, and that he may receive all manner of justice, I beg leave to send you a literal copy of the recipe which he was kind enough to give pro bono publico.
"REMEDY AGAINST THE PRESENT DISEASE AMONG CATTLE.
"Taken Erika communis, and boiled it into water of such quantity, that the water after boiling coloured like beer; generally of a pinte of water ¼—½ lb. Erika communis, and boiling 5 to 6 hours. After it is be done, filled the fluids trough a seive in ather boiler, and mixed the same with 1/20 part of common tear. In order to make a good composition from it, you must boiling the tear and the fluide to a second time of 2—3 hour's and much storret. After then the medecin is to by ready.
"Everry cattle sicke or well must you giving of three times to day, everry time one pot from the said mixture, which you have befor keapet a little warm but not to much heat. Keepet werry much from the fluide of Erika communis not mixed with tear, and give to drinke the cattle a much as possible. Everry cattle liked to drinke such fluide.
"Becom's the tongue stick, black pumpels, or becom's the mouth and palatt red and sort, washe it out with a softe brush deyed in a mixture as follow described: One part of hony, 3 parts of vinaigre, 3 parts of water, and one half part of burned and grinded allumn.
"Becom's the cattle in the legs, generally in the klawes, washed the sores with cold water, that you mixed 1 once white vitriol, and 1 once burned allumn of a pint of water, 3—4 times to day, and keepet the cattle everry time day's and night's in the open air of meadows or lots. Everry cattle become's in the first time that it is driven out the stables to the green feeding of meadow's, &c. a little sickness, generally a little diarrhae, and this is a remedy against the disease as before stated.
"If you continnuit with the firste remedy, you should findet that the cattle becom's a verry slight influence of the said disease."