96 BOVINE PATHOLOGY. 



hard, and often exhibiting a tendency to dicrotism. Mucous 

 membranes injected. Warmth of extremities, mouth, and 

 general surface of the body, with a dryness of the skin. 

 Respirations slightly increased in frequency. Excretions 

 deficient, hence mouth dry, bowels torpid, and urine 

 scanty and high coloured. Secretion of milk lessened. 

 Irritability of the animal is generally present. Internal 

 temperature elevated. Thirst considerable. As the case 

 progresses there is a tendency for the different organs of 

 the body to become involved in the disorder. The lungs, 

 as being most concerned in alterations of the composition 

 of the blood, are liable to become the seat of congestion. 

 The bowels may also become affected or the liver, and, 

 in a less degree, other parts of the body. Thus, we often 

 find that cases which originate as fever pure culminate in 

 acute infiammation of some important vital organ. The 

 blood has its fibrin-formers increased, and also its amount 

 of fat, while the globules (generally) and the albumen 

 and salines are diminished. The urine owes its high 

 colour probably to the rapid disintegration of red 

 corpuscles, increased specific gravity to deficiency of 

 water and organic salines and increase of extractives, 

 hippurates, &c. Gant thus expresses his views of the 

 cause of one important change in the blood, "the flotilla 

 of oxygen-laden cells perishes seriatim from overpressed 

 service, and their wrecks are converted into fibrin.^' 

 Such is the peculiar character of the blood-tissue that 

 it can not exhibit the ordinary characters and changes of 

 inflammation. It is non-vascular, yet more highly nourished 

 than any other, hence the changes must be manifested 

 only in the tissue elements. These, the red globules, 

 have their functions perverted, they no longer convey 

 oxygen satisfactorily to the tissues to stimulate them to 

 action, the energy of oxidation expends itself in the 

 breaking up of the globules. Diminution of globules 

 takes place, proper nutritive interchanges between the 

 blood and the tissues not occurring, the fluid becomes 

 overloaded with impurities, and so causes disease of other 

 organs, the lungs being especially unwilling to allow the 



