CEEEBKOSPINAL MENINGITIS (" FOftAGE POISONING"). 11 



found to be from 103° to 107° F., but within 24 hours the temperature 

 gradually falls until it reaches normal and then becomes subnormal. 

 The pulse is from 40 to 90 and weak, while the respirations are fluc- 

 tuating from normal to as high as 48 per mmute. There may or may 

 not be drooling of saliva, depending on the extent of the paralysis 

 of the pharynx. The anunal is often down on the second or third 

 day and may or may not get up when urged to do so. While down 

 he will go through automatic-like movements of pacing or walking, 

 resulting in acceleration of the pulse and respiration. At this time 

 the legs are held out stiffly and parallel to the ground. The hind legs 

 of many of these animals that have gone down are paralyzed and there 

 is loss of sensation of the skin of these parts. The expired air is 

 extremely fetid, and there may be a croupous-like deposit of the 

 throat, which has caused the name '''putrid sore throat." The con- 

 junctiva may show injected blood vessels or petechise on a yellowish- 

 tinted background. Coma or somnolence may be marked in ani- 

 mals going down within- the hrst few days. Those which remain 

 standing may become violent or delirious, but ordinarily the horse is 

 tractable and easily managed. Death usually occurs in from 4 to 8 

 days, although in the acute form death may follow within 10 or 12 

 hours after the first symptoms are observed, while in chronic 

 cases the disease may last 2 or 3 weeks. The prognosis is very 

 unfavorable, as 85 to 90 per cent of the affected animals die, in the 

 beginning of the outbreak, but later the cases become milder with a 

 consequent drop in the mortality. 



On post-mortem the amount of lesions observable to the naked 

 eye is in marked contrast to the severity of the symptoms noted. 

 The pharynx and larynx are inflamed in many cases, and sometimes 

 coated with a yellowish white glutinous deposit, extending at times 

 over the tongue and occasionally a little way down the trachea. The 

 lungs are normal, except from complications following drenching or 

 recumbence for a long period. The heart is usually normal m appear- 

 ance, except an occasional cluster of petechisB on the epicardium, 

 while the blood is dark and firmly coagulated. The mucosa of the 

 stomach indicates a subacute gastritis, while occasionally an erosion 

 is noted. An edematous, gelatinous infiltration is observed in the 

 submucosa of such cases. The first few uiches of the small mtestines 

 likewise may show slight inflammation m certain cases, while in others 

 it is quite severe; otherwise the digestive tract appears normal, 

 excluding the presence of varying numbers of bots, Strongylus vuU 

 gatus, and a few other nematodes. The liver is congested and 

 swoUen m some cases, while it appears normal m others. The spleen 

 is, as a rule, normal, and at times the kidneys are slightly congested. 

 The bladder is often distended with dark-colored urine, and occa- 

 sionally a marked cystitis has been observed. The adipose tissue 



