THE DISEASES OF CATTLE. 357 



SPLENIC APOPLEXY. 



A past student of mine informs me that he lately attended 

 an ox, the property of a gentleman residing in the town of 

 Palmyra, Maine. The animal was suddenly seized with ab- 

 dominal pains, of a colicy character, in consequence of which 

 his services were secured. On visiting the patient, he found 

 him laboring under the following symptoms : — Pulse quick- 

 ened and wiry ; the visible surfaces of the mouth, nose, and 

 eyes were reddened ; horns and extremities chilly ; excrement 

 soft, slimy, and slightly tinged with blood. The animal ap- 

 peared to suffer from abdominal weakness, was very unwilling 

 to move, and stood with its back slightly arched. He applied 

 external irritants, gave diffusable stimulants, and friction was 

 applied to all parts of the body ; but it was of no use ; the ex- 

 tremities still continued cold. At the expiration of fourteen 

 hours from the period of attack, the animal died. The autopsy 

 revealed rupture of the spleen and a highly congested state of 

 the bowels. 



I have just had the pleasure of perusing an article on 

 splenic apoplexy, published in the Edinhurg Veterinary Re- 

 view, which I think is calculated to throw some light on a sub- 

 ject but little understood. The article referred to reads as 

 follows : — 



" Splenic Apoplexy. — This disease broke out in the winter 

 of 1857-58, on a farm characterized by its extreme richness 

 of soil, in the north of Northumberland. Last January, the 

 malady reappeared, and did not cease until twenty-three head 

 of cattle had been seized. 



" Splenic apoplexy is a malady that has hitherto not been 

 observed in the north of Britain, and its occurrence recently 

 is evidently to be attributed to the special method of farming 

 and feeding stock where it has for the last two years proved 

 so destructive. 



"The farm is a peculiarly dry and healthy one. About 300 

 head of cattle are annually fattened on it. One lot were made 

 ready by Christmas, and sold as fat beef in Newcastle; a 



