DIARRHCEIC ENTERITIS IN CALVES. 213 



day or two and then cease. Most commonly diarrhoea increases and 

 assumes a mucous and then a serous character, whilst the dejecta exhale 

 a very characteristic repulsive smell. The excrement becomes greenish 

 brown, and after several days or a week or more may appear blood- 

 stained. The number of evacuations varies enormously, depending on 

 the gravity of the condition. The ejected material is irritant, and th£ 

 parts soiled by it, like the perineum, hocks, and back of the cannon 

 bones, become slightly inflamed as though blistered ; later, the hair 

 falls away. 



The general health then begins to suffer. Fever remains moderate, 

 but the mouth is pasty, the tongue coated, and the breath foetid. 



The patients become thin, and lose their appetite and spirits. Palpa- 

 tion of the abdomen, especially of the right flank, is slightly painful, and 

 the pulse is accelerated. 



The diarrhoea may spontaneously diminish if the animal's constitution 

 prove sufficiently strong; but if it follows its course, the little patient 

 becomes weaker, eats less, the evacuations increase and are accompanied 

 by tenesmus. In seven to eight days, in rare cases in four to five, the 

 animal dies from toxi-intoxication of intestinal origin, or from infection 

 resulting from intestinal germs, particularly the bacterium Coli communis, 

 obtaining entrance into the circulation. On the other hand, the diarrhoea 

 may continue for weeks. 



The diagnosis is easy, and there should be no difficulty in distin- 

 guishing this disease from dysentery and from umbilical phlebitis, 

 which are also accompanied by diarrhoea. 



The prognosis is grave, unless treatment is early undertaken. In 

 the latter case there is a good chance of recovery. 



Lesions. The macroscopic lesions are not of much interest, being 

 confined to congestion of the intestinal mucous membrane, superficial 

 desquamation of the epithelium, small vascular erosions, and general 

 wasting. 



The mesenteric lymphatic glands are swollen and oedematous. 



After death from general infection, it is not uncommon to find j)leural, 

 peritoneal, and pericardial exudation or even endocarditis. 



Even in cases where no post-mortem change has had time to occur 

 cultures from the blood yield varieties of the bacterium CoU communis. 



Treatment. The meals should be given at fixed hours, and regulated 

 both as regards quantity and quality. These precautions alone suffice to 

 prevent the appearance of diarrhoeic enteritis. 



Curative treatment has every chance of succeeding when under- 

 taken at the outset. Delafond and Trasbot recommend mild purgatives, 

 which act more rapidly than intestinal antiseptics. These comprise boro- 

 tartrate of potash in doses of 4 to 5 drachms, sodium sulphate in doses 



