GANGRENOUS INFLAMMATION OF THE UDDER. 713 



of the folds, pens, or ground are absolutely necessary to limit the 

 spreading of gangrenous mastitis. Antiseptic treatment appears 

 to be incapable of arresting the disease. Surgical treatment alone 

 is of any value, and consists in ablation of the affected gland, followed 

 by careful disinfection. In mild cases early incision into the 

 necrosing parts with antiseptic dressing of the wounds may effect 

 improvement ; but when the disease has made much progress, 

 this treatment seldom suffices, and the animal can only be saved 

 by amputation of the necrotic portions or the whole udder. 



Esser amputated the diseased portion or the entire organ in 

 several sheep at the beginning of an outbreak of the disease. After 

 checking haemorrhage, the surface of the wound was powdered with 

 iodoform and smeared with tar. Of five sheep thus treated, only 

 one died. Nocard recommended amputation and subsequent cau- 

 terization with sulphate of copper. Moussu has frequently practised 

 this method of treatment without losing a case. Only the diseased 

 gland should be removed. An elliptical incision is made, including 

 the teat ; the skin is dissected from the affected gland, the vessels 

 are ligatured, and the fibro-elastic suspensory bands are then divided. 

 The wound should be douched with an antiseptic fluid, then filled 

 with aseptic cotton wool and closed by sutures, which are left in 

 position for forty-eight hours. The sutures and tampons having 

 been removed, the wound is disinfected, and subsequently treated 

 by the open method. The remaining portion of the udder, if healthy, 

 becomes hypertrophied, and often yields sufficient milk for one lamb. 



(7.) TUBERCULOSIS OF THE UDDER. TUBERCULOUS 

 MASTITIS. 



Tuberculosis of the udder can scarcely be regarded as a surgical 

 disease. It is usually of a secondary character. It appears to be 

 common wherever bovine tuberculosis is prevalent. 



The clinical appearances consist in slow enlargement of the udder, 

 without acute inflammatory symptoms. The supramammary 

 lymphatic glands become simultaneously enlarged, sometimes 

 attaining the size of a man's fist. At first the milk seems unchanged, 

 but afterwards contains tubercle bacilli (sometimes in great 

 numbers). Still later, it diminishes in quantity and becomes thin, 

 watery, flocculent, or curdled, and of a bluish tint. 



Diagnosis is assured by the discovery of the tubercle bacilli in 

 the milk, or by testing with tuberculin, though the clinical appearances 

 may be sufficient to determine the character of the disease. 



The prognosis is unfavourable, and treatment is of no value. 



