INFECTIOUS HEMORRHAGIC GASTROENTERITIS 285 



hemorrhagiciim. Zschokke found in the serum of the kichieys of an 

 animal that had just died numerous sk^nder cocci-bacteria. The majority 

 of French observers beheve that the disease must be classed under the 

 head of the pasteurellas. Bimis and Seris contend that this disease is 

 simply a very malignant form of distemper. Hutyra obtained from the 

 mucous glands of the mucous meml^rane of the intestine and from the in- 

 testinal contents virulent coli-liacilli. The intravenous injection of an 

 experimental bouillon culture produced fatal hemorrhagic gastro-enteritis, 

 whereas, if the stomach was previously neutralized, the bouillon could be 

 fed to the animals and produce no effect whatever. 



Pathological Anatomy. — Severe inflammatory alterations will be 

 found along the digestive apparatus. The stomach is found to be 

 be contracted to very small compass and rarely contains any food of any 

 kind. The mucous membranes are swollen, red to black-red, containing 

 more or less hemorrhagic spots and covered with a foetid brown colored 

 mucus which is alkaline in reaction. Similar changes but not so severe 

 are found in the duodenum. The rest of the intestinal tract may be 

 affected but it is the exception; the rectum, however, is freciuently in- 

 flamed. The peritoneum is injected, the liver and kidneys are more or 

 less hyperoemic. Zschokke found the kidneys presenting all the symp- 

 toms of metastatic suppurative nephritis. The bladder is usually dis- 

 tended and filled with urine, the mesenteric glands and spleen are gener- 

 ally slightly enlarged. The cavity of the mouth is ulcerated with necrotic 

 processes in various places, particularly about the gums, and there are more 

 or less inflammatory changes of the mouth and swelling of the tonsils. 



Clinical Symptoms and Course. — The first symptom is a want of 

 appetite, which is soon entirely lost, great depression and want of anima- 

 tion, frequent vomiting and great thirst. The vomited matter is at first 

 streaked with bile but frequently it is brownish-red or the color of blood 

 and in the latter stages the vomited matter is very foetid, brownish in 

 color. The animal defecates with difficulty, and if the temperature is 

 taken the thermometer is found to be streaked with l^lood. After a few 

 days the animal has a bloody diarrhoea with an intensely offensive odor. 

 The urine is decreased in quantity and frequently the urine is passed with 

 more or less difficulty. It is found on examination to contain albumin 

 and bile coloring matter. The abdomen is drawn and tucked up and 

 palpation of the abdomen, particularly in the region of the stomach, is 

 very painful. The eyes are sunken deep in their sockets. The conjunc- 

 tiva is intensely injected and in severe cases the congested conjunctiva is 

 brownish-red and the pupils are fixed and dilated. There is more or 

 less discharge of tenacious yellow mucus from the nostrils, the pulse is 

 small and thready, and the heart has a full throbbing beat. The tem- 

 perature is not particularly high, generally about 40 degrees; only in 



