blood, stiffness of the limbs, trembling, groans, debility, and after a time by the shedding of the hoofs and hair from the effect of a burning fever. The cause of this violent derangement of the animal system is repletion of nutriment in the stomach. The powers of digestion are overdone; and acidity arises on the stomach, which corrodes the coats, causes inflammation and fever, with violent pain. The food instead of being converted into nutriment and assimilated, is decomposed, and the carbonic acid is generated, either in gas or in union with the water. In the former case the gas or wind is sometimes let out with a knife, and the life of the beast saved, but it is a dangerous resort, and happily a less violent and more efficacious remedy is at hand, by the chemical agency of which the carbonic acid is obviated, and a complete cure is effected by neutralising the acid, and thus destroying its corrosive quality. By the combination of an alkali with the carbonic acid, a neutral salt, called the carbonate of the alkali is produced, which is perfectly innoxious, and passes off without detriment.
Take of potash a lump of the size of an egg or apple, for a cow, more for a horse and in proportion for a sheep; dissolve it in water, and from a bottle pour it down the throat of the beast. If necessary repeat the dose in smaller quantities. An immediate effect will be seen in the abatement of the symptoms. In a beast of size a pound of Glauber's salts to work the whole off might not be amiss but the cure is principally to be attributed to the alkali—When potash is not at hand a lie made of ashes on the occasion will answer the purpose. Pour water on the ashes, and take the liquor in larger quantities in proportion as it is of less strength.
