L7mg Plague i?i Cattle. 613 



anaemia. The spine, sternum and intercostals are more than ever 

 tender, and pressure on the tender areas may detect a lack of 

 movement of the lung which is felt on the healthy parts. 



On percussion very extensive areas of consolidation are revealed 

 by the dulness and flatness. If pleuritic effusion exists the result- 

 ing flatness is extreme below and up to a given horizontal level, 

 the line of which may, however, be elevated at points by consoli- 

 dation of the lung at such parts. Auscultation may reveal almost 

 any of the abnormal sounds of pneumonia or pleurisy. Absence 

 of respiratory murmur over large areas, with blowing, heart or 

 abdominal sounds in unwonted situations (where the murmur is 

 absent), and abnormally loud murmur where the lungs are still 

 pervious ; crepitation around the margins of the consolidated por- 

 tions ; the creaking sound of stretched false membranes, scarcely 

 distinguishable from crepitation ; mucous rales ; wheezing sounds 

 of various pitches ; exceptionally splashing sounds, and if the 

 animal has just risen, the metallic tinkling sound. In other cases 

 the pleural friction sound is prominent. 



Abortions are common in pregnant animals. 



Course. This varies greatly. In our northern states in 

 winter, many would seem to recover after a few days illness ; in 

 summer, many died in a few days with excessive exudate, dysp- 

 noea, and prostration, Others died early from tympany of the 

 rumen. In others still, profuse, foetid, colliquative scouring led 

 to an early death. In extreme cases there would be a loss of one- 

 third or one-half the weight in a single week. In the less 

 rapidly fatal cases all the symptoms became aggravated, the ema- 

 ciation progressed, and a liquid pultaceous condition of the 

 bowels continued for two, three, four, or even six weeks, the ani- 

 mal finally dying in a state of marasmus. In such cases the 

 shrunken, pallid skin and mucosae bespoke an extreme degree of 

 anaemia. 



Recoveries may take place from comparatively advanced 

 stages, but they are liable to be slow and imperfect, the animal 

 remaining unthrifty for a length of time. In some of the more 

 favorable cases, when the recover}'- is less interrupted or retarded, 

 fattening may take place rapidly, so that it would appear as if 

 the loss of a portion of lung, and the lessened consumption of 

 hydrocarbonaceous matter contributed to the deposition of fat. 



