376 BOVINE OBSTETEICS 



die within 12 to 24 hours after the first symptoms of the dis- 

 ease become manifest. These are sudden illness, the animals 

 are unable to stand, the temperature is very high, about 41 

 deg. in some cases ; there is dyspnoea and diarrhcea'. 



The autopsy in some calves revealed a violent acute 

 fibrinous pleuritis and peritonitis, also gastro enteritis and 

 numerous ecchymoses under the pericardium; a tumefied 

 spleen and gelatinous infiltration about the larynx and pharynx ; 

 often also a phlegmonous inflammation of the posterior por- 

 tion of the buccal cavity was found (Jensen). 



(d) baotee^mia (hemorrhagic neptritis and cystitis), 



(thomassen). 



Aetiology. — The cause of this disease is a short bacillus 

 found by Thomassen, resembling in form the bacillus typhi of 

 man, as also the bacterium coli commune. From the latter it 

 is distinguished by its great virulence. Even known pathogenic 

 coli bacteria, as found by Jensen in calf dysentery, are not as 

 virulent as this bacillus. 



It is differentiated from the bacillus coli communis by: (a) 

 its greater mobility ; (b) its peculiar growth on potatoes ; (c) 

 its limited power to form carbon in saccharin bouillon and to 

 develop indol out of pepton; (d) its inability to coagulate 

 milk even in weeks ; (e) the absence of fetid air on opening 

 dishes in which gelatin plate cultures developed for some time. 



Thomassen produced the disease experimentally with pure 

 cultures either by subcutaneous inoculation or feeding of 

 bouillon cultures. The following I have taken from his 

 description : 



Symptoms. — The calves are born healthy, showing the first 

 symptoms in five to eight days, occasionally some weeks, after 

 birth. They become listless, lie down all the time, and when 

 forced to rise, they stretch, tucking in at the same time back 

 and loins. 



The mufBe is dry; respiration frequent, 50 to 120 per 

 minute; the pulse is small, 100 to 150 beats per minute; tem- 

 perature 104 to 108 deg. F. 



