188 Aphthous liiUammatiou of the Mouth of the Young. 



AphthfB in veterinary medicine designate vesicles of the buccal 

 mucosa which are generally filled with a serous fluid, while in human 

 medicine, according to the histologic investigations of Bohn, Schech and 

 Fraenkel, aphthae are pseudomemhranes formed by desquamated fibrin, 

 below which the tissues are comparatively intact. For the sake of 

 clearness and from comparative pathologic considerations this term which 

 is generally used in human medicine is retained, though histologic studies 

 on the part of veterinarians have not come to the knowledge of the authors. 



Out of a large group of diseases evidently quite variable as 

 to their etiology, only two groups will be described in detail in 

 the following chapters. 



(a) Aphthous Inflammation of the Mouth of the Young. 



(Socalled Maulschwaemmchen , Kalui, or Soor der Saeuglinge 



[German] ; Stomatite ulcereuse des agneaux et 



des chevreaux [French].) 



This contagious disease of sucklings is characterized by the 

 development of pseudomembranous .deposits which are, at first, 

 whitish, later grayish or grayish yellow, on a more or less in- 

 flamed buccal mucosa. 



Occurrence. The disease usually occurs in the form of an 

 epizootic. Lambs are most frequently affected, more rarely 

 kittens, also sucking calves and foals. The animals generally 

 sicken during lactation, more rarely directly after weaning and 

 when being fed with flour pastes. 



Koenig (185.5) and Spinola (1858) mention affections under the name of 

 scorbutus of iambs (Gips) or of symptomatic aplitlious disease of lambs wliicli 

 probably lielong to this group. The same is true of the disease called croupous 

 stomatitis of sucking foals (Hartmann) and of the ulcerative stomatitis of lambs. 



Etiology. The epizootic character of the disease suggested 

 its infectious nature, and indeed Delafond succeeded in trans- 

 ferring it artificially. From the pseudomemhranes and from 

 the internal organs of sick animals, Besnoit isolated large Gram- 

 positive cocci, arranged in groups of tw^o or in chains of four; 

 cultures of these, wdien inoculated, produced the disease in 

 lambs and kittens. AVhether the pseudomembranes are pri- 

 marily due to the bacillus necrophorus, the disease therefore 

 representing a true necrol)acillosis as indicated by Mohler, 

 has not been proven. However, in its severest form the dis- 

 ease is very similar to necrobacillosis of the buccal mucosa 

 (infection Avitli b. necrophorus). 



Ziirn claims that the disease is due to oidium albicans. In consequence of 

 this assertion the disease has generally been called "Soor" ("Maulschwaemmchen," 

 Kahn), though the soor or thrush mould has never been identified definitely in this 

 disease. 



