300 Veterinary Medicine. 



affects the seeds in nearly all the small graminese and is pro- 

 duced by the claviceps purpurea which first attacks the ovary of 

 the seed (spkace/ia stage), then it invades the whole seed which 

 grows out from the glumes as a hard, dark or purple spur-like 

 process {ergot stage), then falling on the ground it grows up as a 

 minute stalk with rounded head containing spores. 



Honey dew growing on leguminous plants is reputed to cause 

 skin disease in white horses and on the white spots of dark horses, 

 from which those not eating the diseased plants escaped. 



Bacterial ferments have an equally bad reputation. Bastin 

 records the poisoning of five foals by fermented rye ; Dieckerhoff 

 describes an acute gastro-enteritis with congestion and swelling of 

 liver, spleen and kidneys, as the result of microbes and their 

 products in the fodders. Galtier traced a pneumo-enteritis in the 

 horse to two cocci, a motile diplococcus and non- motile streptococcus. 

 Both stained in aniline colors, and were bleached by iodine. They 

 grew in ordinary culture media above 50° F. but most freely at 

 98° F. The animals were infected by drinking putrid water or 

 spoiled fodders in which the microbes were contained. The 

 change to boiled water in the former case led to their prompt dis- 

 appearance. Reynal, Cailleux and Foucher have also adduced 

 instances of severe enteritis in the horse from drinking putrid 

 water. These animals showed active congestion of the intestinal 

 mucosa with abundant infiltration of the sub-mucosa. 



Bouley found 14 cases in one stable, the owner of which had 

 marketed the good fodder and kept the spoiled for home use. 

 Barthelemy, Alasonniere, Iyombroso and Hausmann, Clichy, Rey, 

 Gamgee and others give similar examples. 



A large number of observations show the dangerous results on 

 the horse of mouldy bread, including colics, vertigo, profuse 

 sweating. 



Symptoms. When Adynamia prevails there is great dullness 

 and depression, the senses are blunted, the head depressed rest- 

 ing on the manger, the eyes sunken, weeping and half covered 

 by the drooping upper lid, the conjunctiva is congested, some- 

 times yellow or marked by petechise. The mouth is hot the 

 lower lips pendent, the tongue furred, the abdomen somewhat 

 tympanitic, with slight colics, but with little rumbling or indica- 

 tion of peristalsis. There is a primary constipation, a few small, 



