Ulcerative Stomatitis in Carnivora. 31 



it appears to be necessary to furnish a susceptible mucosa as well 

 as an infecting microbe. This explains why the disease does not 

 spread as an infection, the average mouth is immune and it is 

 only when it becomes the seat of a wound, bruise or other injury, 

 or when the general system has become so reduced that the re- 

 sisting power is a minor quantity, that the hitherto harmless germ 

 becomes actually pathogenic. 



Symptoms. There is indisposition to suck or eat, the patient 

 leaves the teat or the food, and looks dull, depressed and disposed 

 to lie down apart. There is evident salivation and on opening 

 the mouth we may find the offensive odor, the tartar covered 

 teeth with red or ulcerated gums, and on the cheeks, lips and 

 tongue dark red patches of congestion, or whitish or yellowish 

 gray, soft, pulpy spots of disintegrating epithelium. This is 

 followed by shedding of these epithelial patches, and the forma- 

 tion of rounded ulcers of a line in diameter or less. These are 

 tender, and bleed readily. They may extend to the skin of the 

 lips, or deeply into the mucosa, the muscles or bones, and the 

 attendant morbid process may cause loosening and evulsion of 

 the teeth. There may be implication of the pharynx, the lymph 

 glands, the nose, the eyes, the stomach, the liver, or the intestines 

 with corresponding symptoms. Death may supervene in from 

 six to thirty days, or a more or less speedy recovery may take 

 place. 



Treatment. The first step as a rule is to remove the tartar 

 from the teeth. This is often done with a wooden spud dipped 

 in a weak solution of hydrochloric acid. A steel scraper will 

 usually act well and without the solvent action of the acid. 



Next will come the removal of all diseased teeth which are 

 operating as local irritants and as centres for infectious microbes 

 and their hurtful products. 



Then antiseptics in the form of liquids applied as in the other 

 animals with each meal, will be necessary to counteract infective 

 action, and give the tissues an opportunity to re-establish their 

 integrity. Cadeac recommends a 10 per cent, solution of oil of 

 thyme, as a safe and efficient application. Boric acid, borax, 

 salol, salicylic acid, tannic acid, sulpurous acid, or carbolic acid 

 largely diluted maybe substituted. Internally iron tonics and 

 bitters are of great value in improving the tone of the system 



