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597 
DIAGNOSIS. 
The diagnosis of rinderpest in typical cases presents no difficulty. 
It may be that in the early stages of an epidemic, the sudden rise of 
temperature, the serous flow from the eyes and nose, the excoriation 
caused by the tears, the congestion of the visible mucous membranes, 
and the severe dysentery may not furnish a sufficiently satisfactory 
picture upon which to base a diagnosis and that a post-mortem examina- 
tion will be necessary to decide the matter. The lesions are generally 
characteristic. 
Difficulty arises in those cases in which the temperature reaction is 
slight and very transient and in which the diarrhoea is late in appearing 
and is not severe. In such instances an autopsy is necessary. 
PROGNOSIS. 
The prognosis in uncomplicated cases is bad, in complicated ones 
even worse. If serum can be used in the early stages of the infection, 
within twenty-four hours of the first rise of temperature, the chances of 
recovery are good in all but very susceptible animals. The later in the 
disease the serum is used, the graver is the prognosis. 
TREATMENT. 
The serum method is the only one known which is useful in treating 
rinderpest, but in order that it may have every chance for success, it 
must be applied.before the third day of the disease. The dose should 
be 100 cubic centimeters injected subcutaneously or intravenously, pref- 
erably the latter. The later the stage of the infection, the more 
necessary it becomes to use the intravenous method. It is possible that 
several injections may be necessary. (See Chart 17, No. 538, to Chart 
18, No. 555. 
Hutcheon says, and we agree with him, that no doubt exists of the 
strong curative properties of fortified serum when it is used in the 
early stages of the disease; furthermore, the experience of all workers 
with serum is that a single large dose is much more effective than a 
repetition of small or even medium. ones and that the intravenous 
injection in sick animals is more effective than the subcutaneous method. 
Dr. Sorrel, formerly of the Serum Laboratory, in his experiments to 
determine the curative value of our serum, has used as much as 500 
cubic centimeters for one animal. In all the cases upon which the 
serum was tested, the disease had passed its incipiency; the animals 
had high temperatures, injected conjunctive, profuse discharge from 
the eyes, and in some instances diarrhea. Sixteen, in all of which 
the intravenous method of injection was used, were treated, and of this 
number 3 died. Three animals received 150 cubic centimeters; six were 
given 200; five, 300; and two, 500 cubic centimeters. Piroplasmata 
co Fe ee ee accents. 
