2fiO DISEASES OP THE TONGUE. 



Singard observed a similar disease in young cattle leading to necrosis 

 of the tongue ; and reports finding bacilli in the necrotic parts, which, 

 even after many cultivations, reproduced the disease. Gresswell described 

 an enzootic glossitis terminating in necrosis, and stated having found 

 bacilli which were identical in appearance with those of malignant oedema. 

 Stockfleth also gives an account of gangrenous glossitis in cattle and horses. 

 Kolb noticed in cattle an inflammation of the tongue characterised by 

 severe salivation and oedema of the pharynx, with painful swellings on the 

 fraenum linguae varying in size from a pigeon's to a hen's egg. The 

 swellings where scarified soon healed, otherwise they formed abscesses 

 with foetid contents. Reins reports a similar condition in horses. 



Diagnosis and treatment must be founded on the character and 

 extent of the disease. In general, scarification is indicated, to allow 

 disease products to escape and prevent necrosis. Should fluctuation 

 appear, recourse may at once be had to the knife. After treatment 

 consists in thorough local disinfection, and feeding with nutritious 

 fluids or semi-solids. 



CHRONIC INFLAMMATION AND NEW GROWTHS IN THE 

 TONGUE (MAKROGLOSSIA). 



Under the names of tuberculosis of the tongue, degeneration of 

 the tongue, wooden tongue, and chronic inflammation of the tongue, 

 many different conditions have been described, which have a certain 

 similarity, inasmuch as in all the tongue gradually becomes larger 

 and thicker, and eating and breathing are rendered difficult. 



The nature of these processes until lately was doubtful. Numerous 

 foci being found in the lungs, they were described as tubercular. 

 Siedamgrotzky, in view of their pathological and anatomical appear- 

 ances, suggested that they were due to the entrance of some irritant. 

 More recently they have been carefully investigated and it is clear 

 that several diseases have been confounded. Micro-organisms such 

 as actinomyces, botryomyces, and tubercle bacilli have frequently 

 been found, and less often psorospermia. At times no cause whatever 

 can be assigned for the chronic inflammatory process by which the 

 fibrous tissue of the tongue increases at the expense of the muscles. 

 Tumours are much less common in animals than in men, 

 in whom carcinoma and syphilis furnish a large number of 

 tongue cases. The ox is the most frequent sufferer, and in it 

 disease is generally due to actinomyces. Pflug has urged, however, 

 that chronic indurating glossitis does not always result from 

 actinomycotic infection, but may be due to hyperplasia of the 



