THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



133 



the ears to be a little lopped. The vessels of the conjunc- 

 tival membrane are almost without turgescence ; but a 

 discharge in most cases comes from the eyes, which ac- 

 cumul ites in a yellow jelly like mass at the inner angle, 

 and when examined is likewise found to be composed 

 principally of lymph. 



The bowels are but little disturbed at the very begin- 

 ning of the disease ; but the feculent matter, almost un- 

 alt'red at first in consistency, is soon passed in in- 

 creased quantity, and in the course of the second day 

 diar-hoea sets in. This diarrhoea is presently followed 

 by dysentery, which couiinues to the end. The evacua- 

 tions are not ])articularly ofFcnsivc, but ihey are ri-mark- 

 ably fluid, of a dirty yellow colour, and mixed with 

 numerous small flocculi of lymph. Occasionally a little 

 blood stains the evacuations, and tenesmus is also pre- 

 sent in some cnses. The abdomen becomes nuich 

 pinched in, and the animal's strength quickly fails him He 

 now keeps mostly recumbent, and rises very reluctantly. 

 If made to laove he staggers, and often falls for want of 

 strength. The spasmodic twitchings now heyin to 

 diminish, and for some hours before death they have 

 enrircly passed off. 



A sickly smell attends the patient, but there are no 

 disengagtments of gaseous compounds into the areolar 

 tissue, nor any other indications of the decomposition of 

 the tissues which have been spoken of by some writers. 

 In short, the animal dies, apparently, and almost with- 

 out convulsions, from pure prostration of the vital 

 powers. 



In those cises which recover no pustules have been 

 observed as forming on the skin, nor any desquamation 

 of the cuticle or fall of the hair. Nor have any ulcers 

 of ihe eyes, nostrils, or muzzle been noticed in either 

 extreme or protracted cases. 



One of the most favourable indications of a return to 

 health is a kss frequent evacuation of fluid from the in- 

 testinal canal, and the dejections possessing somewhat of 

 a feculent character. Such animals soon acquire a more 

 lively appearance, look about for some tempting kind 

 of food, and will slowly begin to ruminate. The pulse 

 acquires more tone, the temperature of the body rises, 

 and the respiration bfcou.es natural, but the diarrhoea 

 will not unfrequently continue for seven or eight days. 



Duration. — In all cases which tend to a fatal ter- 

 mination, the animals rarely live beyond the fourth day 

 after the symptoms have shown themselves, while very 

 many of them will sink as early- as the second day. The 

 greater iiumbc r, however, die on the third day from the 

 attack. In those which recover, some diminution in 

 the severity of the symptoms usually takes place on the 

 third or fourth day, and if Ihe patient survives this time, 

 even should Ihe symptoms not abate, it is regarded as a 

 favourable indication of ultimate recovery. The return 

 to perfect health is rarely effected in less than three 

 weeks, but much will depend on the age and constitu- 

 tion of the animal, as likewise on the amount of struc- 

 tural disease in the mucous membranes of the alimen- 

 tary canal, and not a little also on the care and attention 

 which are given the patient. 



Percent(i(je of Deaths. — If the pest be allowed to 

 take its natural course for only a few d lys, it will be 

 found that the deaths not unfrequently number 90 per 

 cent. Steppe cattle are, however, said to bear up better 

 against the affection than others, so that about one-half 

 of them will sometimes recover. Speaking, however, 

 in general terms of the different breeds of cattle, as well 

 as of the different circumstances under which they are 

 placed, the mortality will bo found throughout Europe 

 to range from 7.'i to 80 per cent. Fat animals, and those 

 which are well cared for, are found to bear up very 

 badly against the disease. 



Post-mortem Appearances. — The morbid lesions 



produced by the pest will be found centred in the mu- 

 cous membranes, which are more or less affected 

 throughout the entire body. Commencing an examina- 

 tion at the mouth, it not unfrequently hnjipens that 

 many of the conical papillae which stud the body of the 

 tongue will show here and there, at their bases, their 

 vjscular and ejiithelial coverings to be broken up by the 

 ulcerative process. The root ot the tongue, fauces, and 

 velum palati, are also similarly implicated to a greater 

 or less extent, while their follicles are filled with effused 

 lymph, giving to the parts an appearance as if dotted 

 over with some yellow pigment. Some of the follicles 

 are likewise ulcerated, but the major portion are merely 

 distended with lymph. 



The tonsils are in a similar condition ; and when a 

 section is carried through their long diameter, large 

 portions of lymph can be drawn from their ducts, the 

 yellow colour of which, interspersed in lines along the 

 course of these passages, contrasts strongly with the red 

 substance of the organs. Much turgescence of the 

 vessels of the Schneiderian membrane, with points of 

 ulceration and shreds of lymph, are met with, mote 

 particularly about the posterior nasal opening, and base 

 of the vomer. These lesions, however, rarely extend 

 beyond the middle portion of the septum nasi. 



The pharynx presents the same appearance, but the 

 oesophagus is healthy, as is both the rumen and reti- 

 culum in most cases. In some few instances the epi- 

 tlielium readily peels from off the inner surface of these 

 stomachs, when the vessels beneath are found to be 

 turgid with blood. The rumen invariably contains a 

 fair quantity of ingesta in the state usually met with in 

 healthy animals. The omasum is without structural 

 change, or at most its mucous surface presents an 

 analogous condition to that of the rumen and reticulum. 

 The contents of the omasum arc frequently so dry and 

 hard that they can be rubbed to powder between the 

 tingors. This has been considered by many continental 

 patholojiists as a peculiarity attaching to this disease, 

 and hence the term Loser diirre has been given to the 

 malady. In three consecutive post mortem examina- 

 tions, as well as in many others, we found that no alter- 

 ation, either of the omasum or of its contents, existed 

 which was incompatible with perfect health 



The mucous membrane of the abomasum is always 

 highly congested, more especially towards the pylorus ; 

 and its follicles are in an analogous state to those of the 

 fauces, velum, &c. The duodenum, jejunum, and ileum 

 are similarly affected, but to a greater extent. These 

 intestines often present a bluish aspect on their serous 

 surface, but which is entirely due to the turgescence of 

 the vessels of the mucous membrane, which being seen 

 through the other coats, gives a greater depth of colour 

 to it than natural. Peyers glands are not invariably 

 diseased, but, like other follicular openings of the 

 digestive canal, they are often coveted with layers of 

 lymph, beneath which ulceration is occasionally ob- 

 served, but more frequently the surface is healthy, 

 although turgid with blood. 



The chief ravages of the disease, as wo have met with 

 them, are in the large intestines. The blind end of the 

 colon — the caecum — was, in one case in particular, 

 ulcerated ovtr several inches of its inner surf ice, that 

 is, numerous small and distinct ulcers existed, which 

 had evidently had their origin in the follicles of the 

 mucous coat. Thin deposits of lymph, varying in size 

 from that of a pea to the end of the finger — scfibs as 

 they have been designated — usually stud the large 

 intestines almost throughout their whole extent. They 

 are of a dirty yellow colour, and adhere with tolerable 

 firmness to the mucous membrane beneath. In some 

 places ulceration is found to be going on in the mem- 

 brane; in others this destructive process has ceased. 



