Diagnosis, Prognosis. 3^7 



lulder, the vesicles are only the size of a pea, the surrounding 

 skin is elevated, and in a certain stage of their development 

 navel-like depressions form on the vesicles. 



Indications of recovery from the disease within a short 

 time are profuse salivation, greater moisture on the surface of 

 the mucous membranes, yellowish, straight cicatrices, or flat, 

 yellow spots on the gums and on the toothless portions of the 

 upper jaw, small, red points and depressions on the gums and 

 on the border of the muzzle. According to Koninski these 

 changes may be noted even 3 to 4 months after the disappear- 

 ance of the acute sjmiptoms. 



Prognosis. Foot-and-mouth disease is in its nature a mild 

 affection, death occurring only very rarely under normal con- 

 ditions, except in very young animals, in the malignant form of 

 the disease. The mortality hardly amounts to 0.2 to 0.5%, and 

 even these figures are principally due to unfavorable hygienic 

 conditions (filthy stables, using the animals for work, or driving 

 the affected animals on the road, negligence in the treatment, 

 etc.). These conditions must therefore be taken into consid- 

 eration in giving a prognosis. 



Of the different species, cattle are most mildly affected 

 under similar conditions; in hogs also the affection usually 

 runs a mild course, except in fattened hogs, in Avhich, owing 

 to the heavy weight of their bodies, the loss of hoofs is fre- 

 quently observed, and therefore complete recovery usually takes 

 a longer time. In sheep the course of the disease is less favor- 

 able on account of the relatively frequent after-effects to the 

 hoofs. 



In very young animals, especially in the sucking age, the 

 prognosis is unfavorable on account of the associated gastro- 

 intestinal catarrh. 



The deviation of the course, according to s-ex and age of cattle, is illus- 

 trated by Bouley's reports, which also correspond with the observations made by 

 others. In the District of Nevers in 1872, in the course of five weeks of 7469 

 steers 9 died (0.1270, of 6625 cows 59 succumbed (0.897), of 3847 calves 

 781 (20.30%). According to Mari the foot-and-mouth disease in Eussia assumes 

 sometimes such a malignant character that 70 to 957, of the affected animals 

 die. In this form the patients suffer aside from the characteristic but severe 

 symptoms of the disease, from a pronounced catarrh of eyes and nose, from 

 diarrhea, and a severe depression of the nervous system. 



The prognosis of malignant foot-and-mouth disease is unfa- 

 vorable, as the mortality in this form usually amounts to from 

 50 to 70%. As death occurs mostly after rather light symptoms 

 in the stage of commencing improvement, it appears advis- 

 able, in making a prognosis in instances when sudden deaths 

 had been observed in the vicinity, to take these facts into con- 

 sideration. 



Further, in making a prognosis in severe affections of the 

 hoofs, the possibility of sequelae, and in the affection of the 

 udder, a lasting shrinkage in the milk production should be 

 given due regard. 



