Licking Disease. 963 



places. (A chemical analysis of the soil is always advisal)le 

 for the purpose of improving it deliberately.) If the feeding 

 of fodder poor in lime cannot be avoided, the animals should 

 systematically receive lime preparations in the amounts indi- 

 cated. 



If there is a suspicion of an infectious origin of the trouble, isolation 

 of the diseased animals and disinfection of the stable are required. 



Literature. Basset, Eec, 1907. 167 (Lit.). — Collard, Bull., 1893. 431. — 

 Elliot, J. of Comp. Path., 1908. 206. — Grandmougin, Eev. gen., 1905, V. 500. 

 — Hoennicke, D. m. W., 1906. 116. — Immeudorff, Fortschr. d. V.-Hyg., 1905. 

 11. — Ingle, J. of Comp. Path., 1907. 35. — Klimmer & Schmidt, Monh., 1906. 

 XVIL 481 (complete Lit.). — Luthje, A. f. exp. Path. u. Phmk., 1903. L. 268. — 

 Marcone, O. M., 1903. 481. — Martin, Eev. gen., 1905. V. 499, 501. — Pecaud, 

 Eev. gen., 1904. III. 1. — Eiehter, Z. f. Tm., 1909. XII. 394. — Eudofsky, O. M., 

 1905. 193. — Schmidt, Ergeb. d. Path., 1897. IV. 531 (complete Lit.). — Sourrel, 

 Eev. gen., 1906. VII. 233. — Theiler, Monh., 1907. XVIII. 193 (Lit.). — (See, also, 

 literature on rachitis. 



5. Licking Disease. Allotriophagia. 



{Nagekrankheit. Lechsiicht, [German].) 



The licking disease consists in a morbid tendency, produced 

 by disturbances in metabolism, to lick, gnaw and devour various 

 objects, and carries in its train chronic digestive and nutritive 

 disturbances as well as nervous symptoms. 



According to this definition the morbid perversions of taste which 

 are often observed in gastric catarrh, in rabies and in other diseases 

 are not classed with licking disease. 



Occurrence. Licking disease occurs only in certain regions 

 and affects almost exclusively cattle, more particularly cows 

 and weaned calves or heifers. In the affected regions the dis- 

 ease is stationary in certain premises, but occurs enzootically 

 after failures of crops, causing considerable losses. The symp- 

 toms become manifest in winter and their intensity is the higher, 

 the longer the winter has lasted. The disease has not infre- 

 quently been observed in regions in wdiicli osteomalacia is prev- 

 alent (Roloff, Roll, Diem, Brauer, Hutyra & Marek). 



In Germany the following parts of the country are visited by the disease: 

 the Saxonian Erzgebirge, the Bavarian Wald, the Western Allgau, the Badish 

 Black Forest, the Swabian Alp (Ostertag & Zuntz). More recently it occurred 

 with particular violence on the Johannisburg Heide (in Eastern Prussia), especially 

 in calves and heifers. This greater prevalence of the disease coincided in time 

 with the melioration of the peat fields. 



In France eases of the affection are observed distributed fairly evenly throughout 

 the whole country (Moussu). 



Etiology. Regarding the licking disease, which occurred 

 in the vicinity of Johannisburg, the investigations of Ostertag 

 and Zuntz showed that the causative factor is a food poison, 



