Symptoms, Course. 399 



In fatal cases the animals become greatly emaciated while 

 the described symptoms become aggravated, they lie with ex- 

 tended neck and extremities on the ground, they breathe with 

 groans and with open mouths, and finally die of exhaustion. 

 Toward the termination of the disease a subcutaneous edem- 

 atous infiltration develops on the lower chest, lower abdomen, 

 and on the neck, and in other cases a serous inflammation of the 

 joints may follow. Cows usually abort in the course of the 

 disease. 



Course. The disease commences as a rule in a latent form, 

 and 2 to 4 and even more weeks may pass before it is distinctly 

 perceptible. From this on the process progresses rapidly in 

 about one half of the cases, and death ensues inside of 2 to 3 

 . weeks more. Exceptionally the disease may have an acute 

 onset with severe symptoms, the pneumonia develops with a 

 sharp rise in temperature in from 2 to 3 days, and death ensues 

 even in the course of the first week. In other cases the affection 

 develops in the described manner, but before reaching an intense 

 degree the animal suddenly dies (paralysis of the heart due to 

 an inflammation of the pericardium and of the mediastinal con- 

 nective tissue?). 



• With the exception of these peracute cases the disease may 

 come to a standstill at any stage, whereupon the symptoms 

 gradually subside, the temperature drops, the cough becomes 

 stronger, the difficulty of respiration subsides, the appetite, 

 rumination and milk secretion returns, the skin becomes elastic, 

 and the animal is more lively in general and improves in nutri- 

 tion. The shorter the duration of the disease and the milder 

 the symptoms, the more complete is the improvement, and some 

 animals may appear entirely recovered after a certain time. 

 This condition may be permanent, especially in cases in which 

 the symptoms were less intense from the beginning, and no pro- 

 nounced dullness of the lungs could be found. Usually however 

 the recovery is only apparent, as after a shorter or longer time 

 the disease breaks out anew, and takes on a severe form, or it 

 is possible even later to ascertain a dullness in the lungs, with 

 the other manifestations of a constricted respiratory area in 

 the improved animals, which meanwhile may even increase in 

 body weight. If in severe cases improvement occurs at all it 

 usually requires months, until at least the digestive functions 

 are again performed normally. Notwithstanding this the respi- 

 ration may even later remain more or less difficult, a slight 

 cough may be noted periodically, and the animals are easily 

 fatigued. Such patients become again emaciated after a while, 

 and finally die from exhaustion, or the disease again assumes 

 an acute form and leads to rapid death. 



The outcome of the disease can hardly be prognosticated 

 during its development. At present the prognosis is of no 

 importance, as the diagnosis of the disease, or its suspicion 

 requires the immediate slaughter of the animal. 



