278 VETERINARY HYGIENE 



Continent and in the United Kingdom. It is essentially a disease 

 of unweaned animals and they may be attacked within 24 to 48 

 hours after birth, and in any case the disease generally appears 

 within the first week of life. 



The researches of Jensen* in Denmark have been chiefly instru- 

 mental in clearing up doubts regarding the cause of the disease. 

 In 1893 Jensen reported that of 211 calves on one large farm 122 

 died of white scour during twelve months, and of 189 calves on 

 another farm 142 died. From many of these dead calves Jensen 

 isolated bacteria of the colon type which were very virulent and 

 capable of reproducing the disease in healthy calves in small doses 

 per os. The faeces themselves were infective in small doses in 

 the same way. Since then other bacteria have been incriminated, 

 namely, paracolon (Poels), Bacillus aerogenes and Bacillus proteus 

 (Jensen). Lesage and Delmer, and Nocardf considered that white 

 scour was due to a pasteurella which gained access to the body 

 during or after birth. The bulk of the evidence is against this 

 and in favour of the view that the immense majority of cases of 

 white scour are due to bacteria of the colon group, and that the in- 

 fection takes place per os. The disease in other animals is produced 

 by similar types of bacteria, and it is said that the disease may 

 be conveyed to the young of other species by placing an infected 

 calf among them. The disease is not due directly to dietetic 

 errors, e.g., feeding animals immediately after birth on boiled milk, 

 i.e., withholding of the colostral milk. Such errors may act as 

 predisposing causes and especially perhaps in the first few cases, 

 from which the disease spreads to others through the medium of 

 virulent faeces until outbreaks may reach the ^Hmensions of small 

 enzootics. Such virulent faeces may soil the udders of cows, hands 

 of attendants, feeding vessels, &c., or spread may occur through 

 the animals licking each other. The rate of mortality is very high, 

 probably from 80 to 90 per cent., and the course of the disease 

 is usually short. 



PREVENTIVE MEASURES. Strict attention should be paid to 

 hygienic requirements in connection with the housing of the cow 

 both before and after calving. Calving houses must be built so 

 that they are capable of being efficiently cleansed and disinfected. 

 The cow's vulva, thighs and udder may be washed daily for some 

 days before she calves with a non-irritating antiseptic and kept as 

 clean as possible after calving. Nocard, who believed in umbilical 

 infection, attached great importance to ligature and subsequent 



*Journ. Comp. Path., 1905, Vol. XVIIL, p. 345, Trans. 

 . Comp. Path,, 1902, Vol. XV., p. 174, Abs. 



