882 Necrobacillosis of Sheep. 



relations of necrobacillosis to aphthous inflammation of the month in 

 sucklings, see page 188.) 



To this disease belongs especially the socalled sore mouth of sheep 

 (Impetigo labialis), which generally attacks only lambs and commences 

 at the edges of the lips with small vesicles, which are filled with clear 

 fluid. At the same time the lips appear more or less swollen, and in severe 

 cases the appetite is diminished. By rubbing of the mouth, and some- 

 times in taking food the vesicles burst and leave intensely reddened, 

 bleeding surfaces which afterwards become covered with brown crusts. 

 By the formation of fresh vesicles in the neighl)orhood the process 

 spreads to the angles of the mouth and to the region of the nose, and 

 the skin of the lips is transformed into a raw, granulating surface 

 coated with dirty masses which appear either purple red or yellowish 

 white and are always covered with broad cracked scalis. If the process 

 is fairly extensive, a purulent mass makes it appearance on pressure 

 upon the crust. On the inner surface of the lips one finds only excep- 

 tionally raw granulating surfaces which are more fre(iuent on the gums 

 and hard palate, and a peculiar smell, reminding one of Limburger cheese, 

 is emitted from the mouth. The nutrition of the animal becomes poor 

 in consequence of the painful complaint and many animals even die. 



In certain outbreaks the disease attacks the neighborhood of the 

 nasal openings, the cheeks and the eyelids, or in some animals it may 

 occur on the extremities where similar changes develop as on the lips. 

 This form of the disease is designated hy Mohler Us "lip and leg ulcer- 

 ation of sheep." 



'From its localizations on the coronary band the disease is also 

 known as "foot scab of sheep" ("foot rot of sheep" in America, "con- 

 tagious foot rot" in England, "pietin contagieux" in France). The 

 inflammation begins at the coronary band and small ulcers develop at 

 the heels, which discharge a purulent secretion, emitting a peculiar odor. 

 In severe cases the process extends more deeply and fistuloe may form, 

 sometimes also necrosis of ligaments, tendons and bones (jMohler & Wash- 

 burn). 



Owing to its localization on the genital organs the disease manifests 

 itself in female animals hy a painful swelling of the vulva, by ulcer- 

 ation on the vulva and on the adjoining skin, and by a slimy or purulent 

 discharge from the vagina. In rams and not infreciuently in wethers, 

 the disease begins with the formation of pale yellow small spots in the 

 skin of the prepuce, the preputial opening and on the penis. These spots 

 soon change into ulcers, Avhieh gradually liecome larger, often coalescing 

 with one another, so that the whole surface of the sheath becomes ulcer- 

 ous. The sheath is generally more or less swollen and reddened. 



The various forms of necrobacillosis just described now and again 

 occur combined with one another. Tlius contagious foot rot or the 

 disease of the genital oi-gans may be observed together with impetigo 

 labialis; indeed all three forms of the disease can l)e present at tlie 

 same time. 



Necrobacillosis of sheep has been found principally in North Amer- 

 ica, England and France as an enzootic (MacFadyean, Berry, Williams, 

 KnoAvles, Flook, Moussu, Besnoit), but outbreaks have also been re- 

 corded in Germany (Peter, Hasenkamp, Pr. Vb.), in Hungary (Vigadi) 

 and in New Zealand (Gilruth). 



While the bacillus of necrosis is the actual cause of the changes, 

 predisposing factors play an important part in the spread of the dis- 

 ease, rendering possible the entrance of the bacilli into the tissues of 



