4 BOVINE PATHOLOGY. 



showing that they are unwell, and we shall have to notice 

 such among bovines. These depend upon special structural 

 or physiological peculiarities, so that one of our earliest 

 duties will be to indicate these as distinctive of the ox 

 and his allies. 



These general symptoms are often the first which appear, 

 and then are premonixory; they do not always persist 

 throughout the attack, being obscured by special symptoms 

 in many cases. They especially come under the notice of 

 caretakers of animals, and the value of such depends 

 much upon their ability to mark at the earliest stage 

 departure from the usual habits of the animal. 



Signs, Diagnostic or Special Symptoms, serve either to 

 enable us to determine the seat or nature of a malady. 

 They may be simply manifested in the diseased part or 

 parts, but we often find that local disorder becomes 

 systemic, as a result of the close relations existing between 

 all parts of the body, especially in their functions. 



Systemic Symptoms are found in inflammations and 

 debilitating diseases, for example; they prove useful in 

 determination of the nature of the disease, but observation 

 of Local Symptoms is essential to complete diagnosis. The 

 latter indicate to us what parts must be especially affected 

 by treatment, the former show us what the nature of the 

 remedial means must be. Sometimes the systemic sym- 

 ptoms are present, but no local indications can be observed. 

 This occurs in '^ blood diseases '' in which the blood, a tissue 

 with liquid intercellular substance, being circulated in 

 every part of the body, gives a generally diffused mani- 

 festation of disease, which is the condition known as 

 fever. 



Some practitioners err in treating only symptoms. In 

 each case these must be taken merely as indications of the 

 conditions of the diseased parts. Any clue they give as 

 to the causes which produced, or tend to continue the dis- 

 ease must be specially noted; for, our aim in each case 

 must be to " remove causes that effects may cease.'^ Such 

 is the accuracy of mechanism in the economy of a living 

 being that it returns to true working when disturbing 



