FORMATION OF TEETH AND BONES. 265 and wonderful sympathy. If one member suffers, all the members instinctively suffer with it; and if one member rejoices, all the members rejoice with it.” But this is not all. Besides the muscular, the fleshy and the fibrous parts referred to, the growth and nourishment of other parts not less important are to be provided for, namely, the teeth, but especially the bones, which constitute the basis of the system. In order, therefore, to supply the osseous matter so essential to young animals, pure milk contains a great quantity of the phosphate of lime ; and that the organs may be saved the labor of forming this proximate principle from its elements, the identical material of which the teeth and bones are formed exists ready prepared in a fluid state as a component part of the milk; and nothing more is requisite than for the appropriate organs to arrange it, as the exigencies of the system may require. This admirable provision of nature for promoting the growth and repairing the waste of young animals, enables us to form some conception why children who are fed on impure or bad milk have feeble constitutions, and why their "teeth are so soft as to be cut with a dentist's instrument.” Such food is depraved and innutritious. The elementary principle, namely, phosphate of lime, which is essential to the perfect organization of the teeth and bones, if it exists at all in such milk, it is most probably in such defective proportion, as to be incompatible with a different result. The foregoing facts, however, are merely referred to as a farther illustration of general principles; and without dwelling upon them, we see how, by a beautiful arrangement of Providence, natural milk possesses all those peculiar alimentary properties in perfection, which exactly adapt it to the wants of the infant system, and is essential to its proper 266 FORMATION OF TEETH AND BONES. and healthy development. Antecedent to experience, therefore, we might safely infer that not one of its constituents could be subtracted, without depriving it of a principle which is necessary to the well being of the young it was primarily intended to nourish. But when we discover that the inference is fully sustained by observation and experience, as well as by induction, the principle appears no longer a questionable or speculative matter which we are at liberty to reject, but an important practical truth, that deeply concerns us individually to understand, and reduce to practice. In short, with whatever change of aspect the subject is viewed, it assumes new interest; and whatever new facts are elicited, augment its importance; whilst every application of rational principles to the inquiry appears to give force and substantiality to the positions it is our object to establish. CHAPTER XXIX. MILK SICKNESS. Preliminary observations.-First mention of milk-sickness.- Regions to which it is peculiar.-Confined to no season. -What animals subject to it.-Symptoms of the disease in brutes.-Symptoms of the disease in men. Its virulence and fatality.—Cause of the disease. -Its locality circumscribed.—Investigations of its origin.—Different theories concerning it.—Nature of the poison.—Effects the flesh and vitiates all the secretions.-Experiments thereon.-Its fatality illustrated.-Some points of resemblance in the appearances and effects, common to diseased slop-fed cattle.-Probable cause of milk sickness. WE have before mentioned the milk sickness, but in too concise a manner to convey any satisfactory information of the nature of this singular disease. As the topic comes legitimately within the design of this work, we would scarcely be excused in omitting to give a more particular account of it; and this inference is strengthened by the consideration that what has been written on the subject, having chiefly appeared in medical journals to which few besides professional readers have access, a farther notice of it will be regarded, not only as in place, but highly desirable. The gratification, however, of a laudable curiosity, is not the only object in recurring to it. The subject will be observed to have a practical bearing on a leading position which we before have endeavored to establish, viz., that the milk and flesh of animals may be so deteriorated, either by the pernicious nature of their food, or by the specific action of disease on the animal organization, as, when eaten by man, to induce disease and destroy life. So obvious a common sense principle might appear to require neither argument nor illustration, were it not for the habits of thousands around us, who, by daily partaking both of diseased milk and flesh, show they have yet to be convinced that there is danger in such practices. As the subject lies without the range of our personal research and inquiry, we designed to have condensed from various sources into a general view, what appeared most worthy of notice. But we are diverted from this purpose, by a recent and very able essay by Dr. Graff of Illinois, which, as it appears to contain all that is yet authentically known of this almost anomalous disease, we take pleasure in introducing it to the reader, with little modification, excepting what is requisite to adapt it to the limits of this work.* Occurring as the milk sickness universally does in our frontier settlements, where medicine as a science is in its infancy, and its practice too much in the hands of the ignorant, we have had very imperfect accounts of the affection, either as it regards its history, symptoms, or means of cure. A few imperfect essays recorded in our medical journals, constitute every thing that I have seen offered to the public on this subject. The earliest history of it that I have noticed, is mention made of a singular disease affecting cattle, by Bishop Kennipin, a French Missionary, who ascended the western rivers early in the last century. He knew of it only as causing the death of cattle with singular and often very fatal symptoms. The only name by which it is known, is that which I have used, which is quite objectionable, as it may serve to * See Am. Jour. Med. Science, April, 1841. convey an erroneous impression by the supposition that milk only could produce it; whereas the flesh of an infected animal acts with an equal degree of violence and rapidity. It is a disease peculiar to the United States, occurring seldom, if ever, to the eastward of the Alleghany mountains. It is in a greater or less degree met with in all the western states, as far south as the Mississippi, and extends north to the boundary. The states of Indiana and Illinois, are most subject to its occurrence, whilst its existence in the bordering states is comparatively rare. In the first formation of our western settlements, its prevalence often served as a cause to disband a community, and compel the inhabitants to seek a location which enjoyed immunity from its occurrence. Many of the otherwise most desirable portions of the country, remained long exempted from settlement, and even now the inhabitants of these localities have, as a condition of their residence, entirely to abstain from the use of milk, its preparations, and the flesh of their cattle. Its occurrence or prevalence is confined to no season, or description of weather, existing in a like degree in the heat of summer or cold of winter, and with like virulence and frequency during a dry or wet season. The animals in which it has been observed, are cattle, horses, sheep, and goats, which seem to acquire it with their food or drink. We will first speak of the symptoms manifested in cat, tle affected with it, as it is only through them that we have yet found the disease communicated to man. This may be affected to such a degree as that their flesh and milk will produce the disease, and yet they themselves manifest no unhealthy symptoms whatever. This latent condition of the |