CHAPTER YIII 



BACTERIAL DISEASES OF THE CENTRAL 

 NERVOUS SYSTEM 



Epizootic Cerebro - Spinal Meningitis (Borna 

 Disease, Cramp of the Neck). — Epizootic cerebro- 

 spinal meningitis of tlie domesticated animals is an 

 independent infectious disease, characterised by in- 

 flammation of the membranes of the brain, spinal 

 cord, and adjacent nerve tissues. In certain districts 

 the disease is enzootic, and may even tend to be 

 epizootic. In many cases there are no macroscopic 

 lesions. 



Etiology. — The disease is due to an infection. The 

 organism commonly found is a streptococcus, either 

 in the form of micrococcus or more rarely a diplo- 

 coccus. Sometimes it may be caused by the tubercle 

 bacillus. 



This disease is quite common, chiefly in the en- 

 zootic form, in young animals. I have rej^eatedly 

 seen it in young calves, and on three occasions in 

 yearling colts, occurring a month or more after cas- 

 tration. On the Continent and in America this 

 disease occurs frequently in the epizootic form, when 



the death-rate is very high. Recovery from one 



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