SPECIFIC MAMMITIS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 448, 16 March 1912, Page 3

SPECIFIC MAMMITIS.

This name has been applied to an extremely acute mammitis which is very frequently fatal. It is characterised by its sudden onset and its rapidly fatal termination. The cow which was in good health when last milked will be brought into the yard badly affected, the udder hot, tense, hard, and painful, the milk changed completely into a clear, brownish, yellow fluid, Hie cow off her appetite, with a high temperature, often constipated but; sometimes suffering from an offensive diarrhoea; the breathing is quickened and the eye dull. The cow gradually becomes worse, goes down and cannot, get up. and may die in 'lB hours. Should she live longer, the discharge gradually becomes pus-like, and she may linger for some days. In cases in which the acute attack is recovered from, she may regain her general health, but the udder remains affected with a suppurating mammitis which may gradually invade the other quarters, and recovery from which is practically impossible. Beyond a dose of magnesium sulphate lib, and ammonium carbonate 20z., followed by doses of ammonium carbonate 2oz. every four hours, and injection of the udder as in contagions mammitis nothing can be done by the farmer, so that whenever possible veterinary assistance should be obtained at once. If that is not possible the owner will generally be forced to resign himself to the loss of the cow.