DOURINE OR MALADIE DU COIT 15 



looked sleeker, and she put on some flesh. The improvement, however, was only of a 

 temporary character, and it was seen that she was retrograding rather than improving. 

 On the morning of September 21 she was found down. Efforts to raise her were 

 fruitless, there being little or no control over the hind limbs. There was even then 

 a keen desire for food, but this could only be partially satiated owing to a marked 

 inco-ordination of the muscles of the jaws. This condition of these muscles had 

 probably been present in a minor degree for some time, but was not observed, as 

 mastication ceased at irregular intervals only. 



There having been no improvement in her condition up to the afternoon of 

 September 23, it was decided to destroy her. At this time she was very much 

 emaciated, and there was little or no control exercised over any of the limbs. 



At the autopsy it was noted that the ocdematous infiltration in the inter-muscu- 

 lar connective tissiie was a more marked feature than had previously been observed, 

 although this was not apparent during the last weeks of life, nor even up to the time 

 of her destruction. 



The cut surface of the muscular structures revealed large amounts of (Edematous 

 fluid and the tissue was of a much darker colour than is normally seen. The heart 

 muscle was very flabby and there was considerable cedema about this organ. The 

 valves were normal, and the pericardial sac contained an amount of fluid slightly in 

 excess of that normally present. The lungs were normal, with a few indications of 

 old adhesions along their borders. The bronchial lymph glands were swollen and 

 (Edematous. The liver was shrunken in size, very firm and dark in colour. Its 

 surface presented the usual adhesions upon the capsule. 



The spleen presented the characteristic appearance usually seen in cases of 

 this affection, having many petechial spots upon its surface, which was pale grey 

 in colour and very flabby in its consistency. The lymph glands of the abdominal 

 cavity presented an increased oedematous infiltration and were swollen. The 

 kidneys were pale, very friable, and there was considerable oedema about the pelvis 

 in each. The walls of the urinary bladder were somewhat thickened and the urine 

 within it contained a large amount of mucus. The ovaries presented but slight 

 alterations from the normal. The uterus did not contain a foetus, its mucous sur- 

 face presented many folds, and these folds were oedematous. 



The coxo-femoral joint of the near hind leg presented quite a large ulceration, 

 but this ulceration was covered with freshly formed cartilaginous material. The 

 elbow joint of the near foreleg presented an anticipated ulceration, as has already 

 been mentioned the mare was at one time lame in this limb, and the seat of the 

 trouble was now easily established. This ulceration was in an active state, appa- 

 rently at a small point only, the remainder of the lesion being covered with fresh 

 cartilage. 



The bones were spongy and very brittle. The cavities of the long bones con- 

 tained a large amount of gelatinous material (plate VII.), and ulcers were found on 

 their articulating surfaces. 



During the later stages of the disease in this animal the history is comparable 

 to that of the mare illustrated in plate I., with the exception that the mare referred to 

 suffered from a more acute form of the disease. 



There is but little doubt that the severe work to which this animal was subjected 

 was partially responsible for her death through an aggravation of the lesions from the 

 fatigue sustained, and it would further appear from the autopsy lesions that she could 

 never have made a full recovery. That severe work aggravated the symptoms was 

 first observed by Dr. Warnock of Pincher Creek, Alberta, and he has made use of this 

 fact in dealing with suspects by having them broken to harness and worked. If the 

 animal is diseased marked evidence is apparent in a very short period, death invariably 

 following. 



