FEVEB, QUARTER EVIL, JOINT MTJEBAIK. 175 



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sciousness ; she will stand for an hour or more with- 

 out the slighest change of posture ; can scarcely be 

 induced to move, or when compelled to do so, stag- 

 gers, and the staggering is principally referable to 

 the hind -quarters ; rumination has ceased, and the 

 appetite is quite gone. After a time, the animal be- 

 comes more uneasy, yet it is oftener a change of 

 position to ease the limb than a pawing ; at length 

 the animal lies down, or rather di ops, gets up almost 

 immediately, is soon down again, and debility rapid- 

 ly increasing, she continues prostrate, sometimes 

 comatose, and at others making fruitless attempts to 

 rise. The symptoms rapidly increase, there is no 

 intermission, and the animal dies in from twelve to 

 twenty-four hours. 



In the majority of cases, the animal seems to rally 

 a little, and symptoms appear which give the local 

 names of the disease. The beast attempts to get 

 up ; after some efforts it may succeed, but is sadly 

 lame in one or both the hind-quarters. If not yet 

 fallen, she is suddenly lame, so lame as scarcely 

 to move, hence she has "joint murrain" or "quarter 

 evil." 



Tenderness of the loins and back is one of the 

 earliest symptoms and most to be dreaded. The 

 animal will not bear even the slightest pressure on 

 these parts. The case is worse if to this is added 

 swellings about the shoulders, back, and loins, with 

 a peculiar crackling noise, as if from deficient syn- 

 ovia or joint-oil. Worse than even this is the sud- 



