Commissioner of Agriculture 279 



In most cases, however, if kept clean, dry and free from injur- 

 ious mixed infection with other microbes, the course is much more 

 simple and benignant and the affection early ends in a complete 

 recovery. Healing begins promptly in the seat of the ruptured 

 blisters and in four or five days this has been definitely accom- 

 plished, leaving only a depressed and contracted scar, merging into 

 the sound tissue around. Sometimes yellowish brown crusts are 

 formed which drop off about the tenth day. 



. When the feet are involved a very marked symptom in cattle is 

 the stretching of the affected limb straight out backward, and the 

 vigorous shaking of the foot as if to dislodge an irritant. 



GRAVE IRREGULAR FORMS 



The most common complications in cattle are those in which the 

 eruption appears on the interior of the throat or on the lining 

 membrane of the bowels, or, again, the womb of the pregnant cow 

 may be involved through sympathy with the udder, or otherwise, 

 or the nervous system may suffer, or there may be general septic 

 poisoning due to a secondary mixed infection, and unhealthy 

 action in the wounds left after the bursting of the blisters. 



With the throat badly affected, fever may run high, severe 

 swelling takes place, and swallowing may become impossible, and 

 as this form usually affects young calves fed on milk, and in which 

 the first three stomachs and their abundant contents are as yet 

 virtually wanting, the victim dies early of constitutional disturb- 

 ance and suffocation or starvation. One case of this kind occurred 

 in 1908 in the Akron district, after a journey of 16 miles on heavy 

 roads in inclement weather. 



When the lungs and air passages within the chest are impli- 

 cated there is a profuse flow of glairy mucus, tinged with blood, 

 usually deep yellow, but at times rosy or bloody, and suffocation 

 usually occurs in 24 hours, but may be delayed for 3 or even 6 

 days. 



Cases are described in which the nervous system was involved, 

 with weakness of the hind limbs, unsteadiness and swaying in 

 walking, prolonged recumbency, or complete paralysis with 

 inability to rise. Some cases included under this head are mani- 



