DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTUEITION. 239 



hair. This is succeeded by a flush of heat (reaction) in which the 

 horns, ears, and limbs become unnaturally warm and the gland swells 

 up and becomes finn and solid in one, two, three, or all four quarters. 

 There is hot, dry muzzle, elevated temperature, full accelerated pulse, 

 and excited breathing, impaired or suspended appetite, and nunina- 

 tion with more or less costiveness, suppression of urine, and a lessened 

 yield of milk, which may be entirely suppressed in the affected 

 quarter. 



In other cases the shivering escapes notice, the general disorder of 

 the system is little marked or comes on late, and the first observed 

 sign of illness is the firm swelling, heat, and tenderness of the bag. 

 As the inflammation increases and extends, the hot, tender udder 

 causes the animal to straddle with its hind limbs, and when walking 

 to halt on the limb on that side. If the cow lies down it is on the 

 unaffected side. With the increase in intensity and the extension of 

 the inflammation the general fever manifests itself more prominenth^ 

 In some instances the connective tissue beneath the skin and be- 

 tween the lobules of the gland is affected, and then the swelling is 

 uniformly rounded and of nearly the same consistency, pitting every- 

 where on pressure. In other cases it primarily attacks the secreting 

 tissue of the gland, and then the swelling is more localized and 

 appears as hard, nodular masses in the interior of the gland. This 

 last is the usual form of inflammation occurring from infection enter- 

 ing by the teats. 



In all cases, but especially in the last-named form, tl. > milk is sup- 

 pressed and replaced by a watery fluid colored with blood (some- 

 times deeply) and mingled with masses of clotted casein. Later it 

 becomes white and purulent, and in many cases of an offensive odor. 



The course of the disease is sometimes so rapid and at others so 

 slow that no definite rule can be laid down. In two or three days, or 

 from that to the end of the week, the bag may^ sof ten^ lose its heat and 

 tenderness, and subside into the healthy condition, even resuming the 

 secretion of milk. The longer the inflammatory hardness continues 

 the greater the probability that its complete restoration will not be 

 effected. "When a portion of the gland fails to be restored in this 

 way, and has its secretion arrested, it usually shrinks to a smaller 

 size. More commonly a greater amount of the inflammatory product 

 remains in the gland and develops into a solid fibrous mass, causing 

 permanent hardening (induration). In other cases, in place of the 

 product of inflammation developing into a fibrous mass, it softens and 

 breaks down into the white creamy liquid pus (abscess). This abscess 

 may make its way to the surface and escape externally, or it may 

 burst into a milk duct and discharge through the teat. It may break 

 into both and establish a channel for the escape of milk (fistula). In 

 the worst types of the disease gangrene may ensue, a quarter or half 



