Course and Prognosis, Diagnosis 71 



within wide ranges in different years and territories. In Hun- 

 gary it fluctuated in the last ten years between 53.2% and 83.8% ; 

 according to Friedberger & Frohner the average loss amounts 

 to 50-85% ; according to Lydtin to 50-75%. Chronic erysipelas 

 always terminates fatally. 



If, in the acute cases, the affection lasts over four days, it 

 is a favorable indication; otherwise the disease takes a threat- 

 ening character particularly in poorly nourished and badly de- 

 veloped young animals. Complete recovery is sometimes very 

 slow and takes place only after several weeks. In most cases, 

 however, the convalescence lasts only a few days. Nevertheless 

 there always exists the possibility that the chronic form of the 

 disease may develop. 



Diagnosis. The septicemic form of erysipelas may be 

 especially easily mistaken for swine plague and hog cholera, 

 but these diseases may be distinguished from it by their usual 

 slow course as well as by the predominating aff'ection of the 

 lungs and intestinal tract, or by the indications of symptoms 

 indicating a diphtheritic inflammation of the throat. Red dis- 

 colorations may occur in the course of the above diseases but 

 they result usually from hemorrhages and therefore do not 

 disappear on pressure. On autopsy erysipelas is distinguished 

 from the peracute cases of hog cholera and swine plague only 

 by the more pronounced hemorrhages, whereas from the more 

 frequent chronic cases it can be differentiated by the necrotic 

 pneumonia and fibrinous pleuritis or round intestinal ulcers, 

 further, by the extensive exfoliation of the intestinal mucous 

 membrane and caseation of the lymph glands which does not 

 occur in erysipelas. 



Anthrax, which rarely occurs in hogs, is differentiated from 

 erysipelas by the frequent swelling in the region of the neck 

 and the difficulty in swallowing, on post mortem by the charac- 

 teristic affection of the tonsils as well as by the difference in 

 the bacteriological findings. Wound erysipelas occurs only on 

 the head when the reddened skin is greatly swollen and painful 

 and the temperature higher. The cerebral hyperemia which 

 causes death during transportation in the warm w^eather is 

 characterized by sudden death of animals which were well only 

 a short time previous, and usually occurs in older and well- 

 fattened animals. The autopsy reveals marked lesions of 

 asphyxiation. On the other hand, there are no lesions of 

 gastro-intestmal inflammation, or of acute swelling of the lymph 

 glands. 



The erysipelatous nature of urticaria is indicated by the 

 preexisting general symptoms of the infection, whereas chronic 

 erysipelas is distinguished from other similar affections (rheu- 

 matic arthritis, catarrhal pneumonia, chronic swine plague) 

 only by the post mortem lesions. 



