DISEASES OF THE OX AND SHEEP. 277 



which had fed badly for some time previously, was slavering 

 profusely. He would eagerly champ and chew his hay and 

 seeds, and would then throw them out of his mouth again. 

 When the animal had been ailing for about three weeks, Mr. J. B. 

 Gresswell was called in. The tongue at the time was so bad 

 that the animal could eat no solid food. At the same time there 

 was a heifer in a similar condition, and two other bullocks were 

 also slightly affected. All had several hardened yellow nodulated 

 masses in their tongues. In the first-mentioned animal the 

 tongue was very much enlarged and was very tender to the 

 touch, and the sides and back of it were studded with nodules 

 varying in size from a marble to a pigeon's egg. One at the 

 back of the mouth in particular was very large with a superficial 

 erosion. The animal lived solely on mashes and linseed 

 grael, and at this time weighed about forty stones or under that 

 amount in the opinion of the owner. The heifer was killed ; 

 but it was decided to adopt curative measures in the case of the 

 bullock. In this animal the breath was already very fetid, and, 

 indeed^ the breath generally becomes offensive as the disease 

 becomes established. 



On March 12th the animal was cast, and the tongue was care- 

 fully examined. Into each nodule an incision was made, and 

 the cut surfaces were painted over. On the 16th of March tlje 

 beast was seen again, and it was found that all the incisions were 

 nearly healed. In many places the nodules were smaller, and 

 some had quite disappeared. On March 2l8t we saw the 

 bullock for the last time. He was very much better, and could 

 eat hay and straw. In April he was turned out to grass. On 

 September 14th the dealer reported the animal as quite well, and 

 calculated his weight at not less than seventy stones. 



Slavering and champing of the jaws in beasts affected with, 

 actinomycosis is as common, when the disease becomes confirmed, 

 as it is in the case of foot-and-mouth disease, of which, therefore, 

 it cannot any longer be regarded as an infallible sign. The loss 

 of flesh from the inability to eat in cases of actinomycosis is very 

 common, and the emaciation is often very extreme. In the early 

 stages, however, the animal's appetite may remain unimpaired; 

 but with the progress of the disease it almost invariably suffers. 



There are instances where it would manifestly not be advisable 

 to treat cases of actinomycosis, when the disease has made 



