Infectious Sore Mouth 247 



In some instances a dozen young cattle running together 

 will all be attacked by the disease. 



The first symptom usually noticed is inability or 

 disinclination to eat. There is also a profuse discharge 

 of saliva that drips from the mouth, often frothy, due 

 to the working of the jaws and tongue. Raw, depressed 

 sores appear on the inside of the lips and cheeks, as 

 well as on the tongue, gums and pad of the upper jaw. 

 In most cases the tissue seems to slough out, and 

 the sores are covered in the center with dark -colored 

 dead tissues, whence the popular term, "black -tongue." 

 The edges of the sore are raw and inflamed and often 

 contain a little pus. In some cases the sores are re- 

 ported to be so extensive that the teeth drop out; in 

 others, the tongue is swollen so severel}- that it pro- 

 trudes from the mouth. Associated with the soreness 

 of the mouth there is inflammation of the front feet. 

 The feet are hot to the touch, and tender to walk upon, 

 and the animal appears so stiff in the fore legs that 

 it can move only with difficulty. There is a fever 

 accompanying the disease, the temperature rising, in 

 most cases, to 105° F. All animals fall away rapidly 

 in flesh because of their inability to eat, and in cows 

 the milk flow is lessened. 



Sick animals should be isolated from the herd and 

 fed on soft, nutritious foods, such as mashes, gruel, 

 and the like. If left in pastures they may starve, be- 

 cause they cannot eat. 



The mouth should be swabbed out two or three 

 times daily with a saturated (all that water will dis- 

 solve) solution of borax, applied with a sponge or soft 



