48 NON-SPECIFIC OR GENERAL DISEASES 



in ridding the intestine of the voung of snch waste material 

 (meconium) as collects during fetal life. If this milk is with- 

 held, the intestine becomes irritated, constipation occurs, fol- 

 lowed by a diarrh(pa or serious s^aiiptoms of a nervous character, 

 caused by the poisonous effect of the toxic substances absorbed 

 from the intestine on the nervous system. 



Changes in the ration fed the mother, excitement, unusual 

 exercise and disease change the composition of the mother's 

 milk. Such milk is irritating to the stomach and intestines of 

 the young. This irritation does not always develop into a diar- 

 rhoea, but may result in a congestion of the stomach. 



When the young are raised artificially or by hand, and fed 

 milk from different mothers of the same or different species, or 

 changed from whole to skim milk, acute and chronic digestive 

 disorders that are accompanied by a diarrhcea are common. 

 Feeding calves from filthy pails, allowing them to drink too 

 rapidly and giving them fermented milk are common causes of 

 scours. 



White scours caused by irritating germs is a highly infectious 

 disease. The disease-producing germs gain entrance to the body 

 by way of the digestive tract and the umbilical cord. 



Insanitary conditions, such as dark, cold, damp, filthy quar- 

 ters, lower the vitality of young animals, and predispose them to 

 digestive disorders as well as other diseases. 



The symploiiis are as follows : Constipation accompanied by 

 a feverish condition precedes the diarrhoea; colicky pains are 

 sometimes manifested ; the diarrha'a is usually accompanied by 

 depression, falling oft" in appetite and weakness. At first the 

 intestinal discharges are not very foul smelling; later the 

 odor is very disagreeable. The faeces may be made up largely 

 of undigested, decomposed milk that adheres to the tail and 

 hind parts. If the diarrhoea is severe, the animal refuses to 

 suckle or drink from the pail, and loses flesh rapidly. It is 

 usually found lying dowai. The ears droop and the depression 



