1022 Veterinary Obstetrics 



3. DYSENTERIA NEONATORUM. DYSENTERY OF THE NEW-BORN. 

 WHITE SCOURS. 



In all new-boru animals there may occur disorders of the di- 

 gestive tract, which are expressed chiefly in the form of dysen- 

 tery, due as a rule to the entrance into the aliment&ry canal, and 

 multiplication therein, of various forms of bacteria which induce 

 a catarrhal inflammation of the alimentary mucous membrane, 

 accompanied by an acute diarrhea. While the disease may affect 

 the new-born of any species of animal, it is most common and 

 fatal among calves. In this animal there is a distinctively infec- 

 tious form, in which the disease becomes enzootic, and assumes 

 the proportion of a very destructive plague in dairy herds. 

 The calf is no more subject to digestive disturbances, aside from 

 the infectious diarrhea, than are other new-born animals. In 

 fact it may well be questioned if dysentery of the new-born ani- 

 mal is not more common in the foal, when we leave out of <:on- 

 sideration the specific dysentery of the calf. 



a. Sporadic Dysentery of the New-Born. 

 White Scours. 



Dysentery of the new-born consists of a diarrhea which at- 

 tacks the young animal, usually during the first few days of 

 extra-uterine life. The disease appears occasionally among all 

 species, especially among foals and calves. 



Symptoms. When the young animal has reached the age of 

 two to ten days, symptoms of general illness of a more or less 

 severe type appear. 



The feces are very fluid, and usually somewhat mixed with 

 mucus. They are generally fetid, and vary in color, frequently 

 being of a dirty yellowish or whitish tinge. They may partake of 

 the peculiar coloring of the foods consumed, so that, in case the 

 young animal partakes of green grass, the feces assume a tinge 

 of green. The feces are usually mixed to some extent with gas 

 bubbles, because of gaseous decomposition taking place within 

 the alimentary canal, and the presence of these bubbles imparts 

 to the feces a frothy character. The liquid feces are sticky, and 

 the tail and buttocks soon become soiled by the adherent dis- 

 charges. This constitutes one of the first noticeable symptoms 

 of the disease. 



