CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISEASE. 251 



Symptoms. 



The symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease are usually well 

 marked, — so much so that mistakes rarely occur. Either the 

 animal is observed to walk lame, in many instances before ves- 

 icles appear on the surface, or is unable to eat, though appar- 

 ently anxious to do so. In some cases, both the mouth and 

 the feet are affected from the earliest appearance of the disease. 

 Upon examination of the mouth, vesicles will be found on the 

 tongue, roof of the mouth and inside the lips, the saliva flowing 

 freely. 



Upon the feet, immediately above the hoofs, either between 

 the digits or on the coronary surface, and the skin of the heels, 

 vesicles appear, burst and discharge foetid matter. In severe 

 cases, the skin of the udder is affected ; vesicles appearing, the 

 gland itself becomes inflamed, abscesses form, and the animal is 

 entirely ruined for milking purposes. 



Occasionally, though rarely, cattle are found with both the 

 mouth and feet in a diseased condition, which, to the ordinary 

 observer, would appear to be affected with the disease in ques- 

 tion. To the pathologist, it is distinctly different. 



Treatment. 



The more simple the treatment, in most cases, the better the 

 result. For the mouth, a weak solution of alum, one part to 

 twenty-four of water ; for the feet, sulphate of copper (blue 

 vitriol), one part to sixteen of water, and carbolic acid, largely 

 diluted, applied alternately, and keeping the feet clean and dry, 

 include all the treatment necessary in ordinary cases. 



In answer to the question, Is there any liability to a recur- 

 rence of this disease ? we quote from the " London Veterina- 

 rian," p. 203, 1861, the following :— 



" Prevalence of Eczema Epizootica. 



" During the last four weeks, the so-called ' mouth-and-foot dis- 

 ease ' has prevailed to a very serious extent among the cows of 

 many of the London dairies. 



" Several animals have died from irritative fever, deep cellular 

 abscesses, etc , but on the whole the deaths have not been very 

 numerous. Great numbers, however, have been rendered useless 

 for milking purposes, in consequence of severe attacks of mammitis, 



