6 TEXAS 



sooner, for the reason that young ticks 

 may be already hatched and attack the 

 cattle at once, in such an event the dis- 

 ease may appear in 10 or 12 days. It will 

 be easily seen theretore that the length 

 of time elapsing between the exposure 

 of northern cattle on infected fields and 

 the appearance of the disease will de- 

 pend entirely upon the date of original 

 infection and on climatic conditions. 



The fever always appears before the 

 ticks have matured. In fact they are 

 still small enough to be overlooked bv a 

 casual observer. After the acute stage 

 of the disease has passed the ticks begin 

 to swell up and show very plainly. 



SYMPTOMS, ANTE-MORTEM AND POST- 

 MORTEM. The ears of the animal droop, 

 its movements become sluggish, and se- 

 cretions retarded, especially in milch 

 cows, appetite at first continues as well 

 as rumination, disposition to lie down 

 soon makes itself apparent, and wher- 

 ever pools exist the sick animal seeks 

 them out to lie in. 



A slight cough is sometimes noticed, 

 depression of the head, drooping ears, 

 arched back hollow flanks, with a ten- 

 dency to draw the hind leg under the 

 body, and knuckling over in the hind 

 fetlocks, are early and very marked 

 Phenomena. The skin seems dry and 

 attached, the foeces are not materially 

 affected but in some cases clots of blood 

 are attached to them. The urine is at 

 first clear but later becomes deeply 

 stained with the cololring matter of the 

 blood. The visible mucous membranes 

 are semewhat anaemic, but a hyperae- 

 mic condition may sometimes be ob- 

 served, accompanied by a viscid dis- 

 charge. The mucous membrane of the | 

 rectum is frequently iniected. The j 

 pulse is frequent, in the early stages j 

 hard and thin, it gradually becomes ' 

 more feeble, and in the later stages, as 

 death approaches, it is impossible to feel 

 it. It varies from sixty to one hundred 



FEVER 



and twenty beats in frequency. 



The thermometer is a valuable aid in 

 the diagnosis. The temperature is the 

 highest at the commencement, but be- 

 comes reduced with the approach of 

 death. The temperature of the external 

 parts varies, frequently the poll, ears and 

 extremities are very hot in the ac- 

 tive stage of the disease at other time, 



j 



i they are cold, particularly the posterior 



extremities. 



The respirations frequently rise as 

 high as 100 per minute, but in thecoma- 

 tosed condition they are slow, deep and 

 labored. 



The nervous phenomena are very mark- 

 ed, tiembling of the muscles of the pos- 

 terior parts is very frequent, as well as 

 j ot the neck. Weakness of the limbs, 

 particularly the posterior is very com- 

 mon, so that many animals are unable 

 to rise, or if they get up, walk with a 

 feeble and tottering gait. Listlessness 

 indicates the approach of the end. 



The state of the secretions is usually 

 indicative ot the course of the diseases 

 perspiration is much restricted, oedema 

 of the cutis is quite frequently met with- 

 The urine conta ; ns albumen in large 

 quantities when haematuria is present. 

 In the case of milch cows the milk se- 

 cretion is almost if not entirely suspen- 

 ded. 



In mo&t cases the depression increases, 

 the pulse becomes more leeble and ac- 

 celerated, respiration is labored and the 

 temperature falls to 100 or 98 Fah., and 

 the patient becomes outstretched upon 

 the ground and dies without a struggle. 



The course of the disease is very var- 

 iably in duration. Death may ensue in 

 from three days to several weeks after 

 the beginning of the fever. Those that 

 recover ultimately, do so very slowly, 

 owing to the great poverty of the blood 

 in red blood corpuscles, The flesh is 

 regained very gradually, and the animal 

 may be subjected to a second, though 



