540 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



the general systematic disturbance present, the animal loses flesh very 

 rapidly and becomes greatly emaciated in the latter stages of the dis- 

 ease. The temperature and pulse are somewhat increased, the former 

 2 or 3 degrees, the latter to from 75 to 90 beats per minute. The 

 fever is not lasting, and these symptoms are soon modified. The 

 animal has an anxious look, and in a few cases there is a gastrointes- 

 tinal irritation, the feces being thin, of a dark color, and of an oflFen- 

 sive odor, 



PROGNOSIS AND MORTALITY. 



Mycotic stomatitis is not a serious disease, and in uncomplicated 

 cases recoveries soon follow the removal of the cause and the appli- 

 cation of the indicated remedies. In such cases complete restoration 

 may take place within one week. In mild outbreaks a large percent- 

 age of the animals will recover without treatment, but that the dis- 

 ease is fatal is shown by the fact that animals w^hich develop an 

 aggravated form of the affection succumb if not treated. In such 

 animals death occurs in 6 or 8 days, but the mortality in the serious 

 outbreaks thus far investigated has been less than 0.5 per cent. The 

 course of this disease is irregular and runs from 7 to 15 days, the 

 average case covering a period of about 10 days. 



DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. 

 FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. 



In examining a case of mycotic stomatitis it is important not to 

 mistake it for foot-and-mouth disease, which has appeared in this 

 country on six occasions only. This may be easily accomplished by 

 taking into consideration the fact that in the contagious foot-and- 

 mouth disease there is a rapid infection of the entire herd, as well as 

 of any hogs and sheep that may be on the premises. It is also readily 

 transmitted to neighboring herds by the spread of the infection from 

 diseased animals, but it never occurs spontaneously. The character- 

 istic lesion of foot-and-mouth disease is the appearance of vesicles 

 containing serous fluid in the mouth and upon the udder, teats, heels, 

 and coronary bands of the affected animals. Drooling is profuse, 

 and there is a peculiar smacking sound made by sucking the affected 

 lips. 



Mycotic stomatitis occurs sporadically on widely separated farms, 

 affecting only a few animals in each herd, and the lesions produced 

 consist of erosions without the typical vesicular formations of foot- 

 and-mouth disease. The failure of the vesicles, if any appear, to 

 spread extensively in the mouth, the absence of these blisters on 

 other portions of the body — notably the teats and udder, and char- 

 acteristically the feet — together with the absence of infection in the 

 herd, and the inability to transmit the disease to calves by inocula- 



