Lancaster Gazette

AGRICULTURAL.

MR. EDITOR-I would wish, through the medium of your paper, to solicit information respecting the following inquiry, viz:

Whether it is a fact that horned cattle do ever lose their cud, and in consequence of that are unable to raise another, and unless they are seen to, and provided with one, they will consequently die?

It appears to be a generally received opinion among common farmers and graziers that cattle do sometimes lose their cud, and, unless they are helped to one, must die. In defence of this hypothesis they argue that ruminating animals are endowed with the peculiar faculty of only partially chewing their food and swallowing it, and when they have leisure, they raise it up in a sufficient quantity to form a cud, and after they have sufficiently masticated it, swallow it into another apartment of the stomach; which process of swallowing, say they, so acts on the stomach as to cause them to raise another; but if they, by coughing, or any other accident, should throw out the cud from their mouth, they would be unable to raise another.

There are others, whom I am inclined to think are the most correct, who ridicule the above idea, and say that such a thing is inconsistent with sound reason and common sense, as well as general observation; and that ruminating animals that are in health possess the faculty of raising their cud whenever they are inclined to chew it--or that it is as natural for them to do so as to eat; and that if an animal ceases to chew its cud, it must be owing to its being out of health, provided the fault is not the want of good and wholesome food.

The reason of these remarks are in consequence of my having a cow that suddenly stopped chewing her cud, and would not eat her hay as usual, and in ten days fell away from a state of good case to be very gaunt and lean, and so weak that she could hardly go without staggering. I could not suggest the cause. Finally a neighbour who examined her, said he could tell me what was the matter with my cow; says he, "she has lost her cud, and unless you can procure one, or substitute something for one, she will surely die--you will lose her." I replied, that I did not give much credit to that hypothesis. Says he, "it is matter of fact-my own cow lost her cud some years since, stopped chewing her cud, and refused to eat the best hay. He suggested she had lost her cud, and immediately set himself about procuring a substitute for one, and put it into her mouth-she chewed it sufficiently-swallowed it, and by his repeating the operation several times, she began to chew her cud as usual, and quickly recovered her former appetite."

I. STEARNS, JR.

Pawtucket, R. I. April 27th, 1829.

Remarks by the Editor. Loudon asserts that although "loss of the cud enters the list of most cow-leeches' diseases, it is less a disease than a symptom of some other affection; indeed it is evident that any attack sufficient to destroy the appetite, will generally occasion the loss of the cud. It is possible, however, that an occasional local affection, or paralysis of the paunch may occur, particularly when it is distended with unhealthy substances, as acorns, crab apples, the tops of some of the woody shrubs, &c. The treatment in such cases consists in stimulating the stomach by tonics, aloes, pepper, and gin, mixed. Though these, as liquids, may not enter the stomach in common cases, yet in this disease of impaired action of the rumen, they will enter there."

Mr. Lawrence, an English writer, says, in loss of cud "let the animal fast for some time, then give a warm bran, or pollard mash, with good hay and warm water with salt. This treatment alone may succeed with patience, even should the maw be obstructed with acorns, or crab apples. An aloes tincture made with brandy and ginger, or capsicum, [red pepper] might be of use in this case.--After conquering the obstruction, bitter infusions made of camomile, hoarhound, oak bark, &c. in beer, may be required, as restoratives, although, perhaps, good dry nourishing feed will have an equally good effect.