34^ CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS 



true that in most outbreaks all of the animals that suffer have 

 had at least some one thing in common either in surroundings, 

 food or management. The bacteriological and other examina- 

 tions which have been made to determine the cause have not 

 resulted in finding a specific agent. Micrococci and various 

 bacilli have been found associated with this disease. The 

 writer has had an opportunity of making a careful examina- 

 tion of animals in two outbreaks. In one of them all inocu- 

 lated media and histological examinations gave negative 

 results, in the other pure cultures of a colon bacillus were 

 obtained from the brain. 



§ 268. Symptoms. The mildest attacks are manifested 

 by paresis or loss of perfect control over the limbs, loss of 

 power over the tail, impairment of appetite and some difficulty 

 in swallowing, together with areas of hyperemia and reddish- 

 brown discoloration of the orbital and nasal mucosae. In 

 other cases paralysis of one or more limbs may supervene but 

 without marked fever or coma. 



The more severe forms are ushered in by violent tremb- 

 ling, or by stupor, apathy and extreme muscular weakness or 

 actual paralysis. In such cases the animal may stagger or 

 fall. The inability to swallow is often a marked symptom, the 

 saliva falling in strings from the lips. Another common 

 phenomenon is the rigid contraction of the muscles of the 

 neck, back and loins, the parts becoming tender to the touch 

 and a more or less prominent opisthotonos setting in. Twitch- 

 ing of the muscles of the shoulders and flanks may be noticed. 

 Trismus is sometimes seen. The breathing is usually rapid 

 and catching and the temperature ranges from 104° to 106° F. 

 The pulse may be accelerated and hard, soft and weak, or 

 alternating. The eyes are usually violently congested, of a 

 brownish or yellowish-red color and the eyeballs may be turned 

 to one side. Paroxysms of delirium may set in when the 

 animal will push against the wail or perform any of the dis- 

 orderly movements following meningo-encephalitis. Sooner 

 or later coma and paralj-sis supervene and death occurs in from 

 five to forty-eight hours. In the most acute cases the animal 

 falls and dies in convulsions. On an average the disease lasts 



