SYMPTOMS OF ANTHRAX. 201 



It has been stated that these symptoms, which we may term 

 the early or premonitory, in some cases disappear, and are 

 replaced by a critical eruption (see Fleming's ' Sanitary 

 Science ' and Williams's ' Veterinary Medicine '). This I have 

 never found. They may remain stationary for twenty-four 

 hours, but are oftener characterized by a steady increase in 

 severity, or by an addition of others of a more acute nature. 

 The pulse becomes weaker, the respirations more hurried and 

 'catching,' and in some dyspnoea is marked. The nostrils 

 are distended, and the visible mucous membrane presents a 

 cyanotic appearance ; or it may have a dirty yellow colour, 

 and be marked with blood-spots ; or in place of petechiae we 

 may have considerable patches of dark colour from blood- 

 extravasation in the submucous tissue, particularly on the 

 nasal septum. There is a straw-coloured discharge from the 

 nostrils, sometimes mingled with blood ; the mouth seems full 

 of pasty mucus and frothy saliva, having a peculiar foetid 

 odour. 



Often the termination of an attack of this subacute anthrax 

 in the horse, succeeding the febrile symptoms we have described, 

 is in the form of an attack of colic, with delirium, or at least 

 unconsciousness, in which wandering around the box, or rest- 

 lessly thrusting the head against some resisting object, is a 

 prominent symptom. The signs of abdominal pain are gene- 

 rally developed rather suddenly, and accompanied with 

 paroxysmal sweatings and shivering-fits, or rather more pro- 

 perly localized muscular tremors or clonic spasms, and an 

 irritable state of the bowels, in which more rarely the dis- 

 charges are mingled with blood. When the urine has been 

 observed it has been of a dark or port-wine colour, and limited 

 in amount. The temperature, high at first, declines when 

 coma and other signs of cerebral involvement continue, 

 although some cases exhibit, even at the last, very slight 

 decrease of animal heat as indicated by the thermometer. 



When delirium or unconsciousness, with dilated pupils, 

 haggard expression of countenance, and increased dyspnoea, 

 or where enteric disturbance of a sudden and severe cha- 

 racter succeeds the febrile symptoms and muscular twitchings, 

 the horse rarely survives long, control of movement is 

 gradually lost, and falling suddenly to the ground he is rarely 



