90 CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 



the amount being insignificant I gave it no further thought at the time. 

 My expectation, after reading a description of tlie symptoms of the dis- 

 ease among the cattle,' was to discover ergotism, should the disease prove 

 not to be the genuine foot-and-mouth affection. I inquired if any of 

 the pregnant cows ami heifers had aborted, and was told tliey had 

 not ; but my attention was called to one white cow, six years of age, 

 which presented many ulcers on the uilder and teats. Tliese ulcers, 

 according to the description of Mr. Keith, first appeared as vesicles or 

 blisters about three weeks previous, but at the time I saw her they were 

 covered with scabs, and were healing oft'. Mr. Keith stated that this 

 cow was suckling a ten day's old calf when she first evinced symptoms 

 of the disease, and that two days thereafter the calf died, having suc- 

 cumbed to a severe diarrhea. 



The yearlings in the pen presented the following conditions : Four of 

 them had lost both hind feet, the separation taking place at the fetlock 

 joints ; 5 had each lost one hind foot ; and 3 were about to lose both 

 hind feet. The latter cases presented a well-defined line of demarkation 

 at or above the fetlock joint, extending and encircling the limb in a 

 Straight or slightly oblique line ; the upper parts of said line presented 

 a healthy surface, discharging a small amount of laudable pus, and were 

 healing under a scab ; the limbs below this line were perfectly devital- 

 ized and shrunken in a dry gangrenous condition. In the clefts of sev- 

 eral of the feet I found considerable evidence of previous ulceration, 

 and loosening of the walls of the foot around the bulb of the heel. 

 Those animals which had lost their feet were apparently in a healthy 

 condition, a slight elevation of temperature being the only appreciable 

 evidence of functional derangement remaining, aside from the crippled 

 limbs. They ate well ; licked themselves; the stumps were scabbing 

 over and healing; they occasionally got up and hobbled along for a 

 few steps, then drojjped down. 



I next examined their mouths, which revealed denudation of the mu- 

 cous membrane and discolored patches on the nose, lips, tongue, and 

 roof and elastic pad. In some of them only two or three of these dis- 

 colored si>ots would be found on the lips, pad, or the roof of the mouth. 

 The discolored or denuded patches did not extend deeper than the sub- 

 mucous connective tissue, and presented a brownish yellow or rusty 

 color; they were irregular in outline, and of various dimensions, from 

 the size of a i)eacil's point to half an inch in diameter, and were not 

 circumscribed by any reddish or inflammatory border. 



No soreness or inconvenience was manifested in the act of eaciug. 

 Temperatures ranged from 102° to 103.8° F. I saw a number of other 

 cattle in various stages of lameness, also some which had recovered 

 from lameness, yet no very recent cases were reported by Mr. Keith, 

 from whom I received the following brief history: 



lie first became aware of the trouble among his cattle on or about the 

 23d or 25th of December last, when he noticed a peculiar jerking up of 



