CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 33 



fourtU of an inch to an inch in diameter. Very often there was loss of 

 substance — erosions from a third to a half inch iu diameter. Some of 

 the veterinarians reported that they had discovered blisters iu the 

 mouths, and it is not unlikely that these erosions in their first stages 

 were more or less vesicuhirin character, butl was not fortunate enough 

 to see them in this stage at auy of the places visited. In some animals 

 the part of the membrane that was being lost was still attached by 

 shreds, in others it was entirely removed, but iu no case did I see any- 

 thing of the nature of a vesicle. None of the erosions jireseuted the 

 appearance of ulcers, or showed any considerable inflammation. They 

 ■were dark colored, the borders were not elevated, and the surrounding 

 blood-vessels were neither prominent nor injected. It appeared to be 

 only the superficial layer of the membrane that was interested. 



In a very few animals a lesion of a different character was observed 

 in the month. In these cases an irregular patch of mucous membrane 

 from 1 to 2 inches iu diameter was elevated, corrugated upon its surface, 

 hard, iuseusible, and of alight color, tinged with pink and yellow. It 

 seemed to be a circumscribed gangrene of the nuicous membrane, the 

 dead parts being partially decolorized by soaking in the fluids of the 

 mouth. 



There was also an evident irritation of the mucous membrane of the 

 posterior parts of the alimentary canal and organs of geueration. 

 That covering the rectum and vagina was generally red, covered with 

 mucus, and ])resented spots denuded of the epithelium. In Missouri 

 «ix cases of abortion iu cows were reported, and in Illinois there were 

 many cases of abortion and difficult parturition with mares. 



The constitutional symptoms were not very marked. The temperature 

 of the animals which I examined was about normal, with the exception 

 of a few from which one or more limbs were sloughing and with which 

 there was suspicion of septic poisoning. Drs. Holcombe and Trnm- 

 bower observed high temi)eratures (104 to 104.8 degrees) iu some cases 

 in the early stages of the aft'ection. 



In those animals which recovered after showing lameness there was 

 no loss of substance or inflammation of the skin as would have resulted 

 from freezing to a sufficient depth to cause lameness. In these animals 

 the lameness and stiffness of the lower joints were the only symptoms 

 of the disease in the feet, though the same animals frequently showed 

 erosions in the mouths. 



EVIDENCE POINTINCr TO ERGOT AS THE CAUSE. 



In each of the herds which I visited, with the single exception of 

 Beard's, there were fyi)ical cases of dry gangrene of the extremities, 

 •with an evident i)reference for the posterior limbs. In the most severe 

 ■cases there was complete death of the leg as high as the middle por- 

 tion of the metatarsal bone. This dead part was sharply defined, 

 first by a constriction ami later by a cra(;k from the living flesh above. 

 5751 D A 3 



