INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE. 477 



acute cases deatli is said to take place three to seven days after the 

 api>earance of symptoms. Recovery, if it occurs, may take three or 

 four weeks. According to statistics, from 50 to 90 per cent of the 

 affected animals die. 



If animals which have died of this disease be examined, there will 

 be occasionally found, in addition to the changes of the mucous mem- 

 brane of mouth and nasal cavities refen'ed to above, shallow ulcei's in 

 these situations. These necrotic processes may pass beneath the 

 mucous membrane and even involve the underlying bony structure. 

 In severe cases membranous (croupous) deposits are found in tho 

 throat. Similar deposits have been found upon the mucous mem- 

 brane of the fourth stomach and intestine, which is always inflamed. 

 There is more or less inflammation of the membranes of the brain, 

 kidneys, liver, and some fatty degeneration of the voluntary muscles. 

 In countries where rinderpest occasionally appears it may be difficult 

 to distinguish between it and malignant catarrh, owing to a. genei'al 

 similarity of the symptoms. The principal points to be observed in 

 differentiating between the two diseases are the very slight transmis- 

 sibility of the latter as compared with the intense contagiousness of 

 the former, and the tendency of malignant catarrh to inin a more 

 chronic coui*se than rinderpest, wliich usually results fatally in a veiy 

 few days. Only a trained veterinarian who takes into considei^ation 

 all the diflferent symptoms and lesions of both diseases should decide 

 in such cases. 



Treatment. — There is no specific treatment for this affection. How- 

 ever, copious blood letting in the earliest stages has l^een highly rec- 

 ommended, as this has a tendency to deplete the system and lessen 

 the exudation of inflammatoiy j)roducts. Antiseptic washes, as cre- 

 olin, 2 to 4 per ce>nt solution, or lysol, 5 per cent solution, applied to 

 the nose, eyes, and mouth with ice poultices over the crest of the 

 head and fi"ontal region have also proved efficacious. Calomel should 

 also he, given in 1-dram doses twice a day for three days, and in 

 severe cases, involving the respiratory' tract, a powder containing 

 ferrous sulphate, quinine, and subnitrate of bismuth, given twice a 

 day, will be found beneficial. At the same time it must be remem- 

 bered that much gi-eater success is to be looked for in the preventive 

 treatment. This consists in the removal of the healthy from the 

 infected animals (not vice versa) and thorough cleaning and disin- 

 fecting of the contaminated stables. If the floors are low and damp, 

 they should be raised and made dry. If this can not be done, place 

 a layer of cement under the stable floor to prevent water from enter- 

 ing from below. The stable should be well ventilated and the soil in 

 the pastures thoroughly drained. If this is carefully carried out, the 

 contagion should be destroyed and the danger of the reappearance of 

 the disease in a great measure lessened. 



