DISEASES OF CATTLE 77 



described symptoms, but in severe cases where there is a generalized 

 mycotic intoxication one animal may show all these alterations. 

 When the disease is well developed me general appearance of the 

 animal is one of great lassitude, and it either stands off by itself with 

 hind feet drawn under the body and its fore feet extended or it as- 

 sumes a recumbent position. Owing to the inability to eat and to the 

 general systemic disturbance present, the animal loses flesh very rap- 

 idly and becomes greatly emaciated in the latter stages of the disease. 

 The temperature and pulse are somewhat increased, the former two or 

 three degrees, the latter to from 75 to 90 beats per minute. The 

 fever is not lasting, and these symptoms are soon modified. The 

 animal has an anxious look, and in a few cases there is gastro-intes- 

 tinal irritation, the feces being thin, of a dark color, and of an offen- 

 sive odor. 



Prognosis and Mortality. Mycotic stomatitis is not a serious dis- 

 ease, and in uncomplicated cases recoveries soon follow the removal 

 of the cause and the application of the indicated remedies. In such 

 cases complete restoration may take place within one week. In mild 

 outbreaks a large percentage of the animals will recover without treat- 

 ment, but that the disease is fatal is shown by the fact that animals 

 which develop an aggravated form of the affection succumb if not 

 treated. In such animals death occurs in six or eight days, but the 

 mortality in the serious outbreaks thus far investigated has been less 

 than 0.5 per cent. The course of this disease is irregular and runs 

 from seven to fifteen days, the average case covering a period of about 

 ten days. 



Treatment. The treatment of mycotic stomatitis should con- 

 sist in first removing the herd of cattle from the pasture in which 

 they have been running. The affected animals should, if it is pos- 

 sible, be brought to the barn or corral and fed on soft, nutritious 

 food, such as bran mashes, ground feed, and gruels. A bucket of 

 clear, cool water should be kept constantly in the manger, so that the 

 animal may drink or rinse the mouth at its pleasure, and it will be 

 found beneficial to dissolve 2 heaping tablespoon fu Is of borax or 1 ta- 

 blespoonful of potassium chlorate in each of the first two buckets of 

 water taken during the day. If the animals are gentle enough to be 

 handled, the mouth should be swabbed out daily with antiseptic 

 washes, such as a 2 per cent solution of carbolic acid or of creolin, or 

 a 1 per cent solution of lysol or permanganate of potash, or \ part of 

 hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts of water. This should be followed by 

 astringents, such as one-half tablespoonful of alum, borax, or chlo- 

 rate of potash placed on the tongue. Probably a more satisfactory 

 method of administering the antiseptic treatment to a large num- 

 ber of animals would be to mix thoroughly 2 teaspoonfuls of pure 

 carbolic acid every morning in a quart of bran mash and give to each 

 affected animal for a period of five days. Range cattle may be more 

 readily treated by the use of medicated salt placed in troughs acces- 

 sible to the animals. This salt may be prepared by pouring 4 ounces 

 of crude carbolic acid upon 12 quarts of ordinary barrel salt, after 

 which they are thoroughly mixed. The lesions of the feet should be 



