INFLAMMATIOX OF THE MOUTH. 595 



II. Stomatitis — Inflammation of the Mouth. 



Definition. — Injiar)iination of the mouth, of varying forms 

 and degrees of violence. 



Under the generic term stomatitis have been gathered several, 

 and somewhat ditfering, forms of inflammatory action invading 

 the mouth. According as the lesions attending this morbid 

 action have been viewed, so have separate designations been 

 given to the processes. In the horse, the chief, if not the whole, 

 of the different manifestations of the inflammatory process may 

 conveniently be viewed as — (1) Simple or catarrhal ; (2) Vesi- 

 cular ; (3) Pustular. 



etiology. — The causes which operate in the induction of the 

 several forms of stomatitis are in part predisposing, as — (a) Age, 

 being more frequent in the young than the adult ; (h) Defective 

 sanitary conditions and improper dietary, being more liable to 

 be developed where depressing and vitiating influences co- 

 operate with imperfect nutrition ; (c) The existence of previous 

 or actively operating diseases, by which the general force and 

 vitality is lowered. 



Immediate or determining influences are to be found in — ■ 

 (a) Direct or local irritation, as contact of acrid materials or 

 mechanical violence ; (6) The extension of similar actions from 

 contiguous parts, or disorders of the alimentary tract ; (c) Con- 

 tagion, animate or otherwise, may develop stomatitis. The 

 spores of certain fungi and acari, directly or indirectly implanted, 

 are thus capable of inciting inflammation of the buccal mem- 

 brane. 



1. Simple or Catarrhal Stomatitis. — This form is chiefly 

 observed in the very young — foals with their dams — although 

 a somewhat similar condition may develop in aged animals 

 from mechanical or other direct irritation. An early symptom 

 of this condition is the appearance of circumscribed red patches 

 on the inner sides of the cheeks and roof of the mouth ; these 

 shortly, by death and removal of cell- structures, display a raw 

 and excoriated surface, which usually does not remain as 

 patches, but by coalescence extends over the greater part of 

 the buccal membrane. On opening the mouth in advanced 

 cases, the membrane seems swollen, and lightly covered in 

 certain places with a grey, mealy-looking material, collections 



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