DISEASES OF CATTLE 121 



generally refuses food. In many instances they shut and 

 open the mouth with a smacking sound owing to the 

 stringy saliva flowing from the mouth. The ulcers in 

 the mouth continue to enlarge until they attain the size 

 of one-half to two inches in diameter. The mucous mem- 

 brane covering these ulcers breaks and a watery dis- 

 charge escapes. In a few days the surface of the ulcers 

 takes on a whitish appearance. The same changes take 

 place in the feet and the animal becomes very lame and 

 the udder very much swollen, the ulcers discharge, etc. 



Prevention : When any of the above mentioned symp- 

 toms are noticed, non-affected animals should immedi- 

 ately be removed to non-affected quarters. This disease 

 is not communicated through the atmosphere but by the 

 animal coming into direct contact with the infection or 

 virus ; hence it is not necessary to move unaffected an- 

 imals any great distance but merely to clean, sanitary 

 quarters which have not been subjected to any possible 

 infection from the diseased animals. It must be borne in 

 mind that the attendant or helper cannot be too careful in 

 the matter of his own actions and dress as the infection 

 is easily carried through clothes, fecal matter, etc., adher- 

 ing to shoes or any matter or articles, such as buckets, 

 brushes, rubrags, blankets, etc. 



The existence of this disease should at once be reported 

 to your nearest Veterinarian. He will report to the State 

 Veterinarian of your State or to the United States Bu- 

 reau of Animal Industry at Washington, D. C. 



Treatment: I cannot recommend any treatment as 

 being satisfactory or a cure, for although under some 

 treatments the animal appears to make a good recovery, 

 in the majority of cases the feet are disfigured and crip- 

 pled, the udder permanently injured with growths, an- 

 imal unfit for milking purposes, and the mouth, ton.gue 

 and teeth left impaired ; the mouth and tongue strictured 

 from wounds and the teeth loosened from the gums. 

 Furthermore, should an animal make apparent recovery, 



