678 PATHOLOGY OF PARTURITION. 



half pus — which are oftentimes considerable. "When they have acquired 

 a certain volume, these deposits break up and escape, either through 

 the teats, or by ulceration of the walls of the duct. When opened by 

 means of the lancet, these "lacteal abscesses" discharge a large quantity 

 of foetid mattei". Then the general phenomena disappear, the tumefac- 

 tion and sensibility diminish, the suppuration — though it may persist 

 for some time — gradually decreases, and the normal secretion of milk is 

 finally established. In other instances, all the symptoms disappear 

 except the clotted character of the milk, and the tendency of this fluid 

 to coagulate in the ducts and sinuses. There it may form solid masses 

 or concretions of variable size — from a pea to that of a nut — which 

 become dense as dried cheese, or hard almost as a stone. Tbey are 

 sometimes cylindrical in shape, at other times elongated, being moulded 

 by the part in which they are formed ; they are usually movable, and 

 maybe displaced in the operation of milking; but they always constitute 

 a more or less serious obstacle to the flow of milk. When situated at 

 the lower end of the teat, they almost entirely obstruct the canal ; 

 higher, they render the flow of milk more or less difficult, and in all 

 cases they may give rise to extreme distention of the gland, and lead to 

 the formation of abscesses or parenchymatous inflammation. 



An infectious or contagious form of catarrhal mammitis which has 

 been observed in recent years, has been carefully studied by Nocard.^ 

 In from fifteen days to a month after a Cow has been located in a stable 

 where the disease prevails, a quarter of the udder is discovered to have 

 a hard lump or induration in its centre. The milk is as yet unaltered 

 in appearance, but it is diminished in quantity, and coagulates so 

 rapidly that it cannot be kept ; finally, it becomes serous, flaky, of a 

 yellowish tint, with sometimes an unpleasant odour which necessitates 

 its being thrown away. If mixed with good milk it rapidly coagulates 

 it. It has an acid reaction, and contains a special bacillus. The 

 inflammation is at first limited to the mucous membrane of one teat, 

 but it gradually extends to the interstitial connective tissue, which 

 becomes so hypertrophied and indurated as ultimately to cause atrophy 

 of the adjoining glandular acini. 



The general health of the animal does not seem to be afl'ected, though 

 it appears to be more difficult to fatten. So long as the disease is 

 limited to one quarter of the udder, the Cow is still useful as a milk- 

 producer, though the quantity is of course less ; but when two quarters 

 are involved, then the animal is not worth keeping, and should be sent 

 to the butcher. 



The 'plilecjmonous ma^nmitis described by Saint-Cyr, is always more 

 serious than the catarrhal form. It commences with several generally 

 very well-marked febrile symptoms : the animal is dull, loses its appe- 

 tite, and ceases to ruminate ; the temperature is elevated, the pulse 

 becomes frequent and quick, etc. These symptoms of general disturb- 

 ance, according to some authorities, may manifest themselves three or 

 four days before the local disorder, and occasionally diminish consider- 

 ably when the latter appears ; this rule, however, has numerous excep- 

 tions. What is certain is, that there are rigors and unmistakable 

 indications of general febrile reaction at the very commencement of 

 phlegmonous mammitis. 



In a very brief period the udder acquires a considerable, sometimes a 

 great volume — in the Cow, often reacliing as low as the hocks, or even 

 ^ Archives Vtttrinaire, 1884. 



