SWItfE PLAGUE. 323 



Symptoms. — Loss of appetite; general prostration; 

 small and frequent pulse ; hanging ears ; sullen appear- 

 ance ; painful and haggard expression ; watery eyes, the 

 conjunctive membranes being red and spotted ; dirty se- 

 cretion about the eyelids, usually preceded by a red blush 

 and red spots on the ears, the abdomen, and internal as- 

 pects of the extremities. The reddened spots are at first 

 hot and painful to the touch, but become cold, humid, 

 and insensible even to the pricking of a pin. As the 

 disease advances trembling and convulsions are manifest- 

 ed; grinds the teeth; flexor muscles of limbs contract; 

 stands on toes. These symptoms are succeeded by paral- 

 ysis of the posterior extremities, or of the whole body, 

 involuntary defacation (bowel evacuation), and high col- 

 ored and even bloody urine. The bowels are at first gen- 

 erally torpid, but the feces may be soft and mixed with 

 very blaTft, fetid blood and thick, tenacious mucus. Di- 

 arrhea, however, often sets in ; the evacuations are then 

 profuse and exhaustive; the breathing becomes catching 

 and convulsive ; a painful cough is present ; the convul- 

 sions increase in violence and may continue to do so till 

 the end ; but sometimes the animal becomes comatose and 

 remains so till the end. 



In some cases the first observable symptoms remain 

 stationary from 24 to 48 hours ; then the surface of the 

 body becomes burning hot and very sensitive to the touch, 

 notably at the sides and abdominal walls. If touched, 

 'the animal cries with pain. To these signs are added 

 trembling, convulsions, grinding of the teeth, and tetanic 

 (tetanus or lock-jaw-like) contraction of the muscles, suc- 

 ceeded by rapid diminution of temperature. The mem- 

 branes of the eyes become brown, the eyes themselves 

 bleared ; tongue dirty, thick, bluish ; the animal, ex- 

 tended on its litter, is incapable of any regulated move- 

 ment, and dies in from 24 to 48 hours. 



These symptoms are liable to various modifications, de- 



