THE STEPPE DISEASE. 261 



culty: thirst intense, and mouth hot and clammy. The 

 drooping ears, extended head, spasmodic jerking of the 

 muscles of the body are very characteristic. There is a 

 watery discharge from eyes and nose. The eyes are blood- 

 shot, eyelids swollen, and soon encrusted with the dried in- 

 spissated secretions from them. The lips are also somewhat 

 swollen, partially closed, and allowing saliva to drop out of 

 the mouth. If blood is drawn, it coagulates slowly, and 

 sometimes not at all. The dry excrement and high-coloured 

 urine are scanty and discharged with some difficulty. The 

 abdomen is tense and tender. In cows the secretion of milk 

 is stopped, and the udder is flabby and shrivelled up. In 

 some cases, general emphysematous swellings form at this 

 period, and there are exacerbations of all the symptoms 

 towards night-time. This stage lasts about three days. 



The symptoms increase in severity. Diarrhoea super- 

 venes, and the animal is extremely weak. It stands and 

 walks with difficulty, and lies much. The pulse becomes 

 weak and indistinct at the jaw. It beats from 90 to 100 

 per minute. The discharge from nose and salivation in- 

 crease. The cough becomes less audible and soft. On the 

 buccal and Schneiderian membranes, as well as in the clefts of 

 the feet, a vesicular eruption is often seen. Ulcers result 

 wherever the vesicles burst. 



The coldness of the extremities or of the body generally, 

 the stupor or drowsiness, quick breathing and foetor of the 

 exhalations, with spasmodic action of the alae nasi, and moan- 

 ing, are amongst the most unfavourable symptoms. There 

 is often an involuntary discharge of fluid faeces, more or less 

 tinged with blood. Cows abort, and all symptoms of sensi- 

 bility or consciousness are lost. The animal dies from the 

 third to the tenth day of the development of the disease. 



In favourable cases there is an early diminution in the 



