234 DISEASES OF CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, ETC, 



general, although they may occur. A microscopic examination of 

 the juices from the tumefaction will show the blackleg bacillus. 



In cerebro-spinal meningitis the causative agent is unknown, 

 but probably exists in the food. It may occur in any locality and 

 at any season of the year. There are no local swellings, and cattle 

 are not frequently affected. 



Cornstalk disease may be differentiated from this affection from 

 the fact that it always occurs after the cattle are turned into a corn- 

 stalk field, by its sudden onset, the absence of any characteristic 

 symptoms or postmortem lesions, and the failure to find the causa- 

 tive agent in the blood. 



In making a postmortem examination of animals affected with 

 hemorrhagic septicemia, it would be well to examine the articular 

 surfaces of the long bones, as it has been reported that they are fre- 

 quently ulcerated. This should apply especially to those cases that 

 have shown lameness. 



Treatment. Treatment is absolutely useless, so far as we know 

 at present, and for all practical purposes prophylaxis alone should 

 be relied upon. The same sanitary precautions, such as isolation, 

 disinfection, and burial or burning of all dead carcasses, should be 

 observed as for anthrax and other highly infectious diseases. Sepa- 

 rate the apparently well animals from the sick by placing them in 

 a separate, noninfected lot. Leave them here for a few days, and if 

 any new cases develop change the well ones again. Thoroughly dis- 

 infect all the premises, barns, stalls, litter, and stable utensils. 



VESICULAR ERUPTION OF THE GENITAL ORGANS. 



This contagious disease is called coital exanthema or vesicular 

 exanthema, and is more or less prevalent on the Continent. It has 

 also been observed in the breeding districts of the United States. 

 It is the subject of legislation in Germany, and governmental sta- 

 tistics are published annually concerning its distribution in the 

 Empire. According to the reports from Hungary, 492 head of cat- 

 tle were attacked during 1898, 587 in 1899, and 207 in 1900. 



A similar or perhaps identical disease of horses has the same 

 distribution and is transmissible from horses to cattle and vice 

 versa. 



The disease may be defined as a highly contagious eruption sit- 

 uated upon the external genital organs of both sexes and accompan- 

 ied with little or no general disturbance of health. The contagion, 

 the nature of which remains still unknown, is transmitted mainly 

 during copulation. The bull may have the disease and convey it to 

 all the cows with which he comes in contact ; or he may become in- 

 fected by one cow, and, although not showing the disease, he may 

 transmit it for several days after to all other cows during copulation. 

 Simple contact between one cow and another may convey the dis- 

 ease, or the sponges used in cleaning the diseased may carry the virus 

 to the healthy. It has also been conveyed to healthy cows by these 

 animals lying with their hind quarters against infected wooden 

 troughs. 



