24 JOHNFS DISEASE 



refused. Coarse, innutritious food, frozen roots, en- 

 silage, etc., tend to aggravate the diarrhoea. 



In spite of the absence of fever, there is usually great 

 thirst, as a result of the watery condition of the faeces. 

 This thirst, with no sign of fever, has given rise to the 

 popular name ''Kaltbrandigkeit," applied to the disease 

 by Swiss farmers. 



Angwin states that it is often difficult to get affected 

 cows in calf; but the point is not of very great impor- 

 tance, as such animals should be slaughtered rather 

 than bred from. He states also that he has never 

 observed any oedema of the sternum or dewlap, or in 

 the intermaxillary space, but admits that he has seen 

 this point mentioned by lay writers. In this connection 

 Le Sueur has given some useful information. With 

 regard to the disease in the island of Jersey, he writes : 

 "... the guiding symptoms which decide the farmer 

 to destroy animals are oedematous swellings in the 

 intermaxillary space and under the sternum, with, of 

 course, diarrhoea, etc. . . ." We, too, have recently 

 seen an oedema of the intermaxillary space in several 

 instances. 



The general symptoms are such that tuberculosis is 

 usually suspected, and a negative result with ordinary 

 tuberculin has almost come to be regarded as a positive 

 proof of the existence of Johne's disease— other obvious 

 conditions being eliminated. 



Some observers, including Miessner, have stated 

 that the faeces are frothy and full of air-bubbles. This 

 is true is some cases, but cannot be considered as 

 peculiar to the diarrhoea that arises from Johne's 

 disease. The colour of the faeces is not, as a rule, 

 markedly different from that of healthy animals on 

 the same diet. Undigested particles of food can 

 be detected, and when the diarrhoea is very acute, 



