CHAPTER I. 



DISEASES OF THE MOUTH. 



STOMATITIS. 



Definition. By stomatitis we mean inflammation of the buccal 

 mucous membrane. Stomatitis may be simple — i.e., due to accidental 

 causes, to varying local forms of irritation, or to wounds ; or, on the 

 contrary, it may be specific, of infectious' origin, like the stomatitis 

 of foot-and-mouth disease, gangrenous coryza, cattle plague, etc.; 

 or, finally, it may be of toxic origin, like the stomatitis of mercurial 

 poisoning. ' 



Here we shall only study the simple forms of stomatitis, the 

 gangrenous stomatitis of calves, and mercural stomatitis. The others 

 will be noticed in speaking of the diseases of which they form one of 

 the symptoms. 



SIMPLE STOMATITIS. 



Causation. Simple stomatitis of bovine animals is often due to 

 feeding with rough forage, or forage containing prickly or spiny plants, 

 like thistles, sea holly, eryngo, etc. Sometimes it follows prolonged 

 irritation by rough teeth, premolars or stumps, or accompanies the shed- 

 ding of the temporary molars. Ingestion of irritant plants like nettles, 

 certain specimens of the orders Lahiatce and UmheUifera, leaves 

 covered with vesicant insects, cabbage and turnip leaves infested with 

 aphides, oil beetles, etc., or the swallowing of hot liquids, may also, 

 though more rarely, produce it. Finally, in grave diseases of the diges- 

 tive apparatus, the buccal mucous membrane may secondarily become 

 affected. 



Symptoms. The primary symptoms are usually represented by 

 ptyalism and a certain difficulty in grasping food. In other cases the 

 mucous membrane appears slightly dry for some time before salivation 

 sets in. On introducing the fingers into the animal's mouth some 

 elevation of temperature may be noted, and on direct inspection the 

 non-pigmented regions are seen to be abnormally vascular, a fact which 



