958 



Osteomalacia. 



tion is irregular or suppressed, the feces are thin, mushy and 

 foul smelling. 



Klimmer & Schmidt observed the nervous disturbances 

 described in the chapter on rachitis in several instances in 

 such cattle herds in which osteomalacia was diagnosed (p. 942). 



The bone disease causes pain so that the animals lie down, 

 dislike to rise, and move only when obliged to. On standing 

 they arch the back upward, stand with their feet spread apart, 

 trip restlessly here and there, lift one and the other foot and 

 groan while discharging urine or feces. The pains are often 

 intermittent, sometimes paroxysmal and change, similarly to 



Fig. 168. Osteomalacia in a cow. Emaciation; lordosis of the lumbar vertebrae: 

 the sagittal diameter of the pelvis is diminished (compare Fig. 165). 



rheumatic pains, from one part of the body to another, becom- 

 ing often so severe that horses, for instance, roll on the ground. 

 The animals move carefully, their walk is stiff and a decided 

 lameness is evident in one or the other, sometimes in all four 

 feet. On walking, and also on rising, a peculiar cracking sound 

 is perceptible, probably owing to the loosening of the articular 

 capsules. In such cases the bones, still more the joints, the 

 vertebral column and the pelvis are sensitive to pressure. The 

 lower joints of the feet, also the tendon sheaths of the flexor 

 tendons, are frequently subject to inflammatory processes with 

 swelling of the respective parts of the body. According to 

 Lienaux the Achilles tendon is often loosened from its attach- 

 ment. 



Meanwhile the solidity of the bones is lessened more and 



