THE PROTOZOAN SUBGROUPS 343 



?i;ood health and lack of post-mortem lesions in other do^s makes it cer- 

 tain that it often does no visible damage." 



Coccidium zurni. Coccidia (p. 337). — Red dysentery of cattle is 

 attributed to this coccidian. The disease occurs in Europe, generally 

 among young animals as an enzootic. The attack of the parasites upon 

 the cells of the intestinal mucosa causes extei^sive hemorrhage, the red 

 diarrhea resulting fi-om the mixture of the blood with the feces. Mild 

 cases, particularly in adult animals, ma\' soon recover. Severe cases, 

 occurring particularly in young animals, may run a hyperacute course 

 and terminate fatally within two da\'S, or an acute course of five to ten 

 days may precede this termination. 



In the report of the Committee on IVIedicine and Surgery submitted 

 at the meeting of the Pennsylvania State A'eterinary ^Vledical Associa- 

 tion, held in January, 1918, Dr. W. J. Uentz, of the University of Penn- 

 sylvania, called attention to cases of intestinal coccidiosis of cattle 

 which had come under his ol:)servation in the State of Delaware. His 

 report as published in the Journal of the American \'eterinary ]\Iedical 

 Association for November, 1918, follows: 



"Was asked to consult with a vetermarian on an interesting condition 

 in a herd of grade Holsteins. Owner had lost four or five heifers over a 

 period of about two weeks, ranging in age from six months to eighteen 

 months. All presented similar s\anptoms. There was first noticed a 

 serous, fetid, black diarrhea. Fever was rarely in evidence at any time. 

 The diarrhea after a few days changed to mucus, with the passage of 

 blood clots with the mucus and feces from time to time. Straining was 

 very marked. Appetite somewhat impaired but. nevertheless, partook 

 of some food, but finally, in about six to eight days, became very dull, 

 refused food, emaciated rapidly, rectum became relaxed, temperature 

 subnormal, pulse hardly perceptible, and these sjnnptoms of collapse 

 were soon followed by death. On arrival at the farm found six to eight 

 calves and one adult cow presenting some of the s\nnptonis mentioned, 

 and, inasmuch as one was about to die, it was destroyed and posted. 

 Lesions were confined to the large intestine. No apparent pathological 

 change in anj- other organ. The mucous membrane of the large in- 

 testine, which was almost empty, was red brown in color, soft and 

 spong}', and everywhere coated with a bloody nmcus. The back of the 

 knife, after the intestine was slit open, was passed over the mucous 

 surface and the bloody mucus scraped off, when it was noticed that 

 large superficial ulcers, white in color, and about the size of one's palm, 

 were present throughout the whole extent of the large intestine from 

 the cecum to the anus. Some of the mucous patches were scraped off 

 and collected in a bottle, also some of the blood and feces. On micro- 

 scopic examination, coccidia were detected. A diagnosis of "intestinal 

 coccidiosis," or "red dvsentery," was therefore made. Treatment 



