VESICULAR STOMATITIS OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 9 



In mycotic stomatitis portions of the lining membrane of the 

 mouth become inflamed, and in a few days it changes to a croupous 

 membrane which peels off leaving a raw surface, while the thin 

 skin between the toes may also be inflamed. Swelling of the feet 

 and stiffness of the animal are frequently evident in mycotic stom- 

 atitis. The previous history of the case, the absence of its spread, 

 to horses exposed to the infection, and the complete negative results 

 obtained by the inoculation of calves, distinguish between this 

 disease and vesicular stomatitis. Lastly, mycotic stomatitis occurs 

 in only from 10 to 15 per cent of the cattle in a herd, usually late in 

 the summer or early in the fall after a dry spell, and it does not 

 mn a regular course. 



Necrotic stomatitis may be distinguished from vesicular stoma- 

 titis by the fact that while it affects cattle and especially calves, 

 it may also involve pigs and sheep, but its spread among the animals 

 of a herd shows a much lower degree of infectiousness than vesi- 

 cular stomatitis. The characteristic lesion of the latter is the 

 appearance of blisters containing a serous fluid on the mucous mem- 

 brane of the mouths of the affected animals. In necrotic stomatitis 

 blisters are never formed, destruction of the tissues occurring from 

 the beginning and being followed by the formation of yellowish, 

 cheesy patches principally found involving the lining membrane of 

 the mouth, especially the tongue and cheeks. The cause is the 

 Bacillus necrophorus. 



In horses vesicular stomatitis must be differentiated from con- 

 tagious pustular stomatitis, and this is not difficult. In the latter 

 disease there are no simple erosions, but instead there are raised 

 nodules on the mucous membrane of the mouth. These nodules 

 suppurate and liquefy in the center, causing the conical surfaces 

 to slough, resulting in the formation of pustules or ulcers, from 

 which the name of the disease is derived. The location of the 

 nodules and pustules is chiefly on the lips, gums, inside of the cheek, 

 and on the tip and sides of the tongue. While the disease may be 

 transmitted artificially to cattle, sheep, and hogs, it occurs under 

 natural conditions only among equines. 



TREATMENT. 



The treatment of vesicular stomatitis consists in first removing 

 the affected from the healthy animals and isolating the former until 

 fully recovered. Such isolation together with the adoption of rigid 

 sanitary precautions greatly reduces the prevalence of the disease. 

 If the animals are gentle enough to be handled, one-half tablespoon- 

 ful of borax should be placed on the tongue twice daily, or the 

 mouth syringed several times a day with a 1 per cent solution of 



