SYMPTOMS 279 



§ 202. Symptoms. The first symptoms may be either 

 general or local in character. Arloing, Cornevin and Thomas 

 believe that general symptoms always precede the local mani- 

 festations. Norgaard reports finding cattle with marked 

 local lesions but few animals suffering from general symp- 

 toms, although the latter may have preceded the former and 

 have subsided. 



A general symptom is elevation of temperature, reaching 

 in some cases 107° F. It usually falls to the normal or even 

 subnormal before death. There is loss of appetite, loss of 

 rumination and pronounced depression. Respiration becomes 

 accelerated, reaching 140 per minute or even higher. The 

 animal moves with difficulty and lies down frequently. At 

 first the visible mucous membranes are congested and within 

 twelve to fifteen hours they have a dirty leaden or purplish 



color. 



The local symptoms may appear on different parts of the 

 body except below the knee or hock joints and on the tail. 

 They are less frequently found about the head. They usually 

 appear on the thighs, neck, shoulders and lower region of the 

 chest. The swelling is at first small and painful. It spreads 

 rapidly and may in a few hours attain to a large size, when it 

 becomes characterized by a crackling and a gurgling sound 

 when the hand is passed over it. On percussion it gives a 

 clear, tympanic sound due to the collection of gas in the 

 affected tissues. At the center of the larger swellings the 

 skin becomes dry and parchment-like, cool to the touch and 

 painless upon pressure. If lanced, a dark, reddish, frothy 

 fluid flows from the wound. It emits a disagreeable odor. 

 In some cases there is but one swelling but usually there are 

 two or more which may become confluent. The lymph glands 

 adjacent to the swellings are much enlarged. There is usually 

 trembling of the muscles, which, as death approaches, may 

 develop into violent convulsions. . 



Hun has pointed out the interesting fact that in a very 

 large percentage of cases the swellings appear on the right 

 side. There seems to be no explanation given for this local- 



