PSEUDO-MEMBRANOUS (CROUPOUS.) ENTERITIS IN 



CATTLE. 



Causes : as in solipeds, youth, overfeeding, plethora, dietetic blunders, 

 temperament, over-exertion, chill when heated, gestation, foul water, 

 irritants, drastics, infections. Symptoms : as in enteritis with false mem- 

 branes, complications. Duration. Lesions : false membranes, extent, 

 color, structure, composition, congested mucosa. Treatment : Glauber and 

 other salts, pilocarpin, potassium iodide, antiseptics, .sulphites, sulphides, 

 borax, bismuth, naphthol, creolin, muriatic acid, bitters. 



Causes. The same cati.ses are quoted as in solipeds, youth, 

 extra high condition, rich feeding, sudden change to the green 

 food of spring, cUmatic vici.ssitudes of the same season, a san- 

 guineous ( Reynal ) or l3nnphatic ( Friedberger and Frohner) 

 temperament, ov-erwork, exhau.sting travel, .suppressed perspira- 

 tion, gestation, plethora, foul drinking water, special irritant plants 

 (chicory, Huzard), and drastic purgatives. Cadeac suggests 

 bacteria, quoting instances of a fifth or a fourth of a herd suffer- 

 ing at once. The same would come from any other cause acting 

 on the whole herd and it seems probable that a microbian factor 

 is present but can find occasion for its pathogenesis only in given 

 morbid conditions of the mucous membrane. This would ex- 

 plain the failure of the affection to propagate itself like a plague, 

 and at the same time its tendency to manifest itself extensively 

 in given herds with a common predisposing condition. 



Symptoms. There are indications of enteric inflammation and 

 fever, rigors, slight hyperthermia, drying up of the milk secre- 

 tion, impaired or suspended appetite and rumination, constipa- 

 tion, colicy pains, increasing dullness and prostration. As the 

 disease advances the excrements become soft, pultaceous or 

 watery, with floating hard baked pieces, dark and even glisten- 

 ing on the surface and more or less false membranes. The.se are 

 sometimes stained with blood, which ma}^ also be mingled with 

 the liquid debris. As in .solipeds these membranes constitute the 

 onl}^ true diagnostic symptom. They may appear as shreds, 

 bands or complete cylindroid casts of the intestine. 



Other complications, like pseudo-membranous exudate on 

 wounds, abortions and profound weakness are sometimes noted. 

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