REPORT ON MURRAIN. 143 



mainly arisen from the importation of foreign cattle — heing pro- 

 pagated by contagion. In various private communications from 

 veterinary surgeons in active cattle practice, received by the 

 writer, Irish and Dutch cattle are said to have much to do with 

 the prevalence of the disease in this country. 



Although it cannot be said the mortality from the attacks of 

 murrain, is so great as its prevalence and nature would at first 

 sight lead us to suppose, it is productive, however, of serious 

 losses, especially to the dairy owners of large towns, and the 

 districts near London, when stock is frequently changed or 

 added to from markets ; farmers and others also complain of 

 the frequency with which they have to battle with the affection, 

 either as an interruption to the process of fatting, or milk- 

 ing properties ; in which latter case all symptoms are in- 

 creased in their severity, and fatal termination by complication 

 with other diseases as a result of irritative fever always to be 

 dreaded. 



Symptoms. — These vary to some extent in their general as- 

 pect in proportion to the habits of the animal affected, charac- 

 teristics which may be said to be common to certain species, 

 and also to some extent with the mode in which the poison is 

 introduced to the system. 



A brief period of incubation occurs, which may vary from 

 one to four or five days, when probably a short, dry, husky 

 cough may have been noticed ; a fit of shivers supervenes, the 

 animal is dull, and if he is in the pasture, is found apart from 

 the rest ; the coat stares, and temperature of the body variable 

 and unequal. 



If the hand be passed over the spine the animal winces, and 

 if the skin be included in the pressure of the fingers he crouches, 

 and evinces great tenderness. The pulse is accelerated ; appe- 

 tite capricious, a ropy saliva drivels from the mouth, which 

 rapidly augments in quantity, he smacks his lips, symptoms 

 which denote the formation of large and well defined vesicles — 

 from the size of a pea to that of half-a-crown in some instances 

 — on the tongue, which is swollen, and sides of the mouth and 

 lips, and sometimes on the nose and schereiderian membrane, 

 from which intense pain is given. In a few hours they burst, 

 and expose red and extremely sensitive patches, giving exit 

 to a thin serum containing all the elements necessary for the 

 communication of the disease to another animal, in favourable 

 cases being quickly covered by epithelium. About the fifth or 

 sixth day, the animal begins to take his ordinary food with a 

 tolerable degree of ease considering the severe state which the 

 mouth has exhibited. 



Sometimes the feet are also attacked in conjunction with, or 



