Diseases of the Organs of Locomotion 



1. Articular Rheumatism. Rheumatismus Articulorum. 



{Polyarthritis Rlieumatica.) 



Articular rheumatism is a febrile infectious disease in 

 which several joints are attacked by a serous or sero-fibrinous 

 inflammation at one time or one after the other. 



As rheumatism {ptvixa, flux of the laity, because they believe that 

 the disease material flows about in the body) acute inflammations of 

 the serous membranes, synovial capsules, muscles and nerves have al- 

 ways been designated, which arise from cohl, are accompanied by violent 

 pains and usually attack several parts of the body at once or in turn. 

 Recent investigations proved that most diseases called rheumatism re- 

 sult from infection, cold being at most a predisposing cause, and that 

 the complaint often occurs without the intervention of cold. While the 

 name is at present still used generally to denote certain muscular and 

 joint affections, this is only done in order to indicate the manner in 

 which the disease extends and also the frequent connection of the attack 

 with catching cold, but a common cause of the diseases called rheumatism 

 is no longer accepted. 



Occurrence. The disease occurs relatively most frequent- 

 ly in cattle, very rarely in dogs (among 70,000 sick dogs Froh- 

 ner found only 92 cases), horses (Pfeitfer, Tetzner, Frohner, 

 Pancritius, Knabe), swine, goats and sheep; in the last two 

 species of animals it was noticed as an enzootic (by Greswell 

 in sheep, by Barthelemy in goats). Among cattle, mostly deli- 

 cate good milkers become ill, oxen are atfected much less often, 

 and almost mthout exception only if they are kept in the barn 

 for long periods, while grazing animals are scarcely ever af- 

 fected. 



Etiology. Improper keeping of the animals, especially 

 feeding on watery fodder of no food value, appears to exercise 

 a predisposing effect. A much more common influence in this 

 direction is exercised by cold, damp air and draughts, especial- 

 ly if they strike the animal standing in a warm barn. Finally 



