OSTEOMAIvACIA (malaxos soft) : cachexia ossifraga ; 



FRAGILITAvS OSSIUM : ' ' THE CRIPPLE : " " THE STIFF- 

 NESS." 



Definition. Disease of the mature. Decalcifying in cancelli and Canals 

 of Havers. Dairy cows. Heavy milkers. Perverted appetite. Limed soils, 

 sandy or limestone. Low, damp, soils rich in organic matter. Cultivation. 

 Watery food. Plethoric. Debilitated. Cold. Change of locality improves. 

 Microbes. Toxins. Lesions : vary with stage, congestion of marrow, ex- 

 cess of cells and fat, osteoclasts, exudates, friability of bone, distortions 

 and fractures in pelvis and elsewhere. Symptoms : low condition, project- 

 ing bones, rough coat, perverted appetite, stifTness, decubitus, swaying 

 limbs, inappetence, drying of milk, fever, bed sores, sloughs, sepsis, pus in- 

 fection, fractures. Duration, 2 to 3 months and upward. Enzootic. Prog- 

 nosis, varies with enzootic, and stage ; best in recent cases, occurring, spo- 

 radically. Treatment : according to cause, rich, generous diet, grain, salt 

 bitters, cod-liver-oil, apomorphia, wholesome pasturage, intensive culture 

 change water, dry up milk, dry stables, pure air, sunshine. Slaughter. 

 Local derivatives. 



Definition. A softening and fragility of the bone.s of adult 

 animals, in connection with solution and removal of the earthy 

 salts. 



This is essentially a disease of mature animals and is thus 

 easily distinguished from rachitis, in which the lesions are due to 

 a faulty development of young, growing bone. In osteomalacia, 

 too, the decalcifying proceeds most actively in the walls of the 

 Haversian canals and cancelli, while in rachitis it progresses 

 especially under the periosteum and in and around the epiphyseal 

 cartilage. 



The di.sease is found most commonly in dairy cows, but .soften- 

 ing of the bones of mature animals has also been seen in hor.ses 

 and other animals. Dieckerhoff, who quotes cases in mature 

 horses, adduces .similar instances in colts under a year old, oc- 

 curring enzootically, and without the specific lesions of rachitis. 

 Seven out of sixteen broke their femurs in October, 1S86, all kept 

 on the same place, in good box .stalls, and well cared for. Landois 

 found in bones an abnormal amount of fat, ossein, water and lime 

 salts. Grawitz found no material change in the cancellated tissue. 



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