178 THEORY AND PRACTICE 



in 1890 and Kolb in 1891. After this Marmorek of the Pasteur 

 Institute claimed that the streptococcus was the cause. Although 

 the disease may follow influenza yet it may often develop and 

 run its course as an original disease. 



This disease is characterized by the destruction of the blood 

 elements on a large scale. The blood becomes thin and oozes 

 out through the pores into dependent parts by diapedesis ; it may 

 be circumscribed or diffused when it produces purple spots or 

 patches (ecchymoses). 



It occurs as an original disease in badly ventilated and badly 

 drained stables or as a sequel to debilitating fevers. 



Symptoms. — The fever is regular and quite persistent at 104. 

 The legs swell and when the swelling gets above the knees and 

 hocks it terminates abruptly. The swelling creeps higher and 

 higher and in three or four davs the lips begin to swell and the 

 eyelids become bloated. There is also a pendulous swelling un- 

 der the abdomen. Early in the disease the mucous membranes 

 are ecchymotic, the spots varying in size from ^ to % inch in 

 diameter. They may be seen on all the mucous membranes. 



In some severe cases there is a fetid discharge from the nose. 

 The mouth fills with a ropy saliva. A yellowish, gummy liquid 

 comes out through the skin on the legs and trickles down the 

 hair. The swelling is so great as to prevent the horse from eat- 

 ing and it diminishes the caliber of the air passage and causes 

 wheezy breathing. 



When the symptoms develop as above described the horse 

 usually dies within 5-15 days. The five-day course accompanies 

 the disease of an original lesion; the fifteen days course is the 

 result of some other previous disease. The kidneys are usually 

 inactive sometimes to the extent of complete ischuria, 'and toward 

 the latter end of the disease the horse may have bloody diarrhoea 

 and colics. Sometimes more or less extensive sloughing of the 

 skin takes place. This is an indication of a very severe case. 



Post Mortem. — Upon opening the body we find ecchymotic 

 extravasations everywhere, especially on the mucous membranes. 

 In addition there is more or less general infiltration. All parts 

 are oedematous. The large bowels will show quite a liquid eon- 



