470 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



NECROTIC STOMATITIS (CALF DIPHTHERIA). 



Necrotic stomatitis is an acute, specific, highly contagious inflam- 

 mation of the mouth occurring in young cattle, and characterized 

 locally by the formation of ulcers and caseo-necrotic patches and by 

 constitutional symptoms, chiefly toxic. 



This disease has also been termed calf diphtheria, gangi'enous 

 stomatitis, ulcerative stomatitis, malignant stomatitis, tubercular 

 stomatitis, and diphtheric patches of the oral mucous membrane. 



History. — During the last few years farmers and cattlemen in this 

 country, especially in Colorado, Texas, and South Dakota, have 

 increasingly noted the occurrence of enzootics of " sore mouth " 

 among the young animals of their herds. Instead of healing, like the 

 usual forms, of themselves, these cases, if untreated, die. Careful 

 study of some of them has resulted in their identification with cases 

 rej^orted in 1877 by Dammann, from the shore of the Baltic ; in 1878 

 by Blazekowic, in Slavonia; in 1879 by VoUers, in Holstein; in 

 1880 by Lenglen, in France; in 1881 by Macgillivray, in England, 

 and in 1884 by Loftier, who isolated and described the microorgan- 

 ism which produces the disease. Bang obtained this organism from 

 the diphtheritic lesions of calves in 1890, and Kitt likewise recov- 

 ered the bacillus from similar lesions of the larynx and pharynx 

 of calves and pigs in 1893. 



Etiology. — The cause of necrotic stomatitis, as demonstrated by 

 Loftier and since confirmed by other investigators, is Bacillus necroph- 

 orii-s, often spoken of as the bacillus of necrosis. This organism 

 varies in form from a coccoid rod to long, wavy filaments, which may 

 reach a length of 100 [x; the width varies from 0.75 ix to 1 [jl. Hence 

 it is described as polymorphic. It does not stain by Gram, but takes 

 the ordinary anilin dyes, often presenting, esj^ecially the longer 

 forms, a beaded appearance. A characteristic of the organism, of 

 great moment when we come to treatment, is that it grows only in the 

 absence of oxygen, from which fact is is described as sin obligate 

 anaerobe. 



Very few organisms exhibit a wider range of pathogenesis. Ac- 

 cording to clinical observation up to the present time, Bacillus 

 necf'ophorus is pathogenic for cattle, horses, hogs, sheep, reindeer, 

 kangaroos, antelope, and rabbits. Experimentally it has been proved 

 pathogenic for rabbits and white mice. The dog, cat, guinea pig, 

 pigeon, and chicken appear to be absolutely immune. It is not patho- 

 genic for man. 



The importance of this bacillus is far beyond even its relation to 

 necrotic stomatitis. Besides this disease it has been demonstrated as 

 the causative factor in foot rot, multiple liver abscesses, disseminated 

 liver necrosis, embolic necrosis of the lungs, necrosis of the heart, in 

 cattle; gangrenous pox of the teats, diphtheria of the uterus and 



