8 CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 



lunjr was found solidly attaclied to tbe ribs and diai)lirag'm. There wa» 

 an abundant effusion of liquid into the pleural cavity ; the pericardium 

 was greatly distended and attached to the costal pleura. On section 

 the lun<jf was found free from hepatization, bat the pericardium was 

 greatly thickened and transformed into a fibrous cyst inclosing the 

 heart. The surface of the heart showed that this organ had been in- 

 tensely inflamed; it was roughened and covered with granulations^ 

 mostly gray in color, but over parts of the surface mottled with deep 

 red. The heart tissue, to a depth of half an inch from the surface, liad 

 undergone fibrous degeneration, was colorless, and resisted the knife. 

 A painting was made of this organ and is reproduced in this report as 

 Plate IV; it shows very plainly the thickened pericardium, the mottled 

 appearance of the surface of the heart, which organ was cut across to 

 reveal the depth of the fibrous degeneration. 



There may be a question as to the exact nature of this disease — 

 ■whether it was induced by the virus of lung plague or whether by other 

 causes. No diseased animals had been introduced on the place, but 

 there had been opportunity of exposure to animals running at large. 

 The absence of hepatization is not conclusive evidence tbat it was not 

 lung plague. This disease quite often confines itself to the serous mem- 

 branes without api)reciably affecting the lung tissue, and pericarditis 

 and epicarditis are manifestations which have been described as occur- 

 ring In the infected stables of Europe. lam inclined to think, therefore^ 

 that this affection was the result of ex])osure to the lung-plague virus. 



January 12, 1884, three cows were slaughtered at the Veterinary Ex- 

 periment Station in presence of Hon. James Wilson, of Iowa, member 

 of the House Committee on Agriculture, antl of delegates from the 

 Chicago convention of stockmen and of distinguished veterinarians, iu 

 order to demonstrate the character of the disease from which the cattle 

 in this vicinity were suffering. The first one was a young cow that I 

 found January 1, 1884, at the stable of the owner near Washington- 

 At that time her breathing was rapid and labored, a distinct grunt or 

 moan being emitted at each expiration. On percussion over the region 

 occu])ied by the lungs the right side was found perfectly dull and with- 

 out resonance, while the left side was resonant over the upper half, but 

 very dull below. Auscultation showed complete loss of respirator^" 

 murmur over the whole of the right and over the lower part of the left 

 side. There was no cough. 



This cow had been purchased about a month previously, from a dealer 

 who had brought her from the Shenandoah Valley, in Virginia, and had 

 kei)t her for a number of days (the exact time not known) at his stable 

 in Washington. She was noticed to isolate herself from the remainder 

 of the herd while at pasture, and to be disinclined to move, almost as 

 soon as she Avas ])laced with the herd. She commenced moaning at 

 each expiration more than two weeks before I saw her, and was then 

 separated from the other animals. January 2 she was removed to the 

 Experiment Station, her temperature at that time being about 103° F» 



