PSEUDO-MEMBRANOUS (CROUPOUS) ENTERITIS IN 



CATTEE. 



Causes : as in solipeds, youth, overfeeding, plethora, dietetic blunders, 

 temperament, over-exertion, chill when heated, gestation, foul water, 

 irritants, drastics, infections. Symptoms : as in enteritis with false mem- 

 branes, complications. Duration. Lesions: false membranes, extent, 

 color, structure, composition, congested mucosa. Treatment : Glauber and 

 other salts, pilocarpin, potassium iodide, antiseptics, sulphites, sulphides, 

 borax, bismuth, naphthol, creolin, muriatic acid, bitters. 



Causes. The same causes are quoted as in solipeds, youth, 

 extra high condition, rich feeding, sudden change to the green 

 food of spring, climatic vicissitudes of the same season, a san- 

 guineous (Reynal) or lymphatic (Friedberger and Frohner) 

 temperament, overwork, exhausting travel, suppressed perspira- 

 tion, gestation, plethora, foul drinking water, special irritant 

 plants (chicory, Huzard), and drastic purgatives. Cadeac sug- 

 gests bacteria, quoting instances of a fifth or a fourth of a herd 

 suffering at once. The same would come from any other cause 

 acting on the whole herd and it seems probable that a microbian 

 factor is present but can find occasion for its pathogenesis only 

 in given morbid conditions of the mucous membrane. This 

 would explain the failure of the affection to propagate itself like 

 a plague, and at the same time its tendency to manifest itself 

 extensively in given herds with a common predisposing condition. 



Symptoms. There are indications of enteric inflammation and 

 fever, rigors, slight hyperthermia, drying up of the milk secre- 

 tion, impaired or suspended appetite and rumination, constipa- 

 tion, colicy pains, increasing dullness and prostration. As the 

 disease advances the excrements become soft, pultaceous or 

 watery, with floating hard baked pieces, dark and even glisten- 

 ing on the surface and more or less false membranes. These are 

 sometimes stained with blood, which may also be mingled with 

 the liquid debris. As in solipeds these membranes constitute 

 the only true diagnostic symptom. They may appear as shreds, 

 bands or complete cylindroid casts of the intestine. 



Other complications, like pseudo-membranous exudate on 

 wounds, abortions and profound weakness are sometimes noted. 

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