14 Veterinary Medicine. 



resemble, though often in a milder form, the buccal manifesta- 

 tions of aphthous fever. There is the difficulty of mastication 

 and indisposition to take in fibrous aliment, the drivelling of 

 saliva from the mouth, or its accumulation in froth around the 

 lips, the frequent movement of the tongue and jaws, and the con- 

 gestive redness, papular eruption, vesication, or even erosion of 

 the affected mucous membrane. It is always necessary to guard 

 against confounding the simple stomatitis, and the .slighter 

 infected inflammations, from the more violent infections above 

 referred to. The special diagnostic .symptoms must be found 

 under the respective headings. The aphthous fever is not to be 

 expected in American herds, but the .stomatitis which is associated 

 with ergot in the food is met more particularly in winter and 

 spring, and mu.st not be confounded with the specific disease, on 

 the one hand nor with the simpler forms of buccal inflammation 

 on the other. In the ca.se of ergoted fodder the signs of ergotism 

 in other situations will be found, in the affected animals, such for 

 example as necrotic sloughs and sores around the top of the hoof, 

 sloughing of the hoof or of one or more digits, or of the meta- 

 tarsus, of the tip of the tail or ear ; abortions, convulsions, de- 

 lirium, lethargy or paralysis. If not seen in the same animals 

 some of the.se forms may be observed in other members of the 

 herd. Then the buccal lesions are in them.selves characteristic : 

 soft, whitish, raised patches of the epithelium (rarely blisters) are 

 followed by desquamation and exposure of the red, vascular sur- 

 face beneath, and this tends to persist if the ergoted fodder is per- 

 sisted in. 



Treatment. Simple stomatitis of the ox generally tends to 

 spontaneous and early recovery. The simplest astringent and 

 antiseptic treatment is usually sufficient to bring about a healthy 

 action. Borax given in tlie drinking water, not to exceed four 

 ounces per daj', or the same amount mixed with syrup or honey 

 and smeared occasionally on the tongue, or hyposulphite or 

 sulphite of soda, or weak solutions of carbolic acid will usually 

 suffice, after the irritant cause has been removed. Vinegar, or 

 highly diluted mineral acids may be used but are somewhat 

 hurtful to the teeth. Decoctions of blackberry bark or solutions 

 of other vegetable astringents may be used as alternatives. 

 When there is evidence of irritant matters in the stomach or 



