222 Veterinary Medicine. 



requires an occasion in the form of a diseased or debilitated con- 

 dition of the mucosa to enable it to become pathogenic. The 

 disease is not known to propagate itself indefinitely or without 

 such a predisposing occasion. 



Symptoms. There are dullness, prostration, langor, hyper- 

 thermia, accelerated pulse, and colics which may be slight or very 

 severe. In some cases nervous symptoms have been observed, 

 such as irritability or stupor and somnolence with icterus and 

 foetid stools. The faeces are usually semi-liquid, implying an 

 excessive liquid secretion as well as the exudation of the mem- 

 branous matter. 



Lesions. There is a pink congestion of the intestinal mucosa 

 more or less generally distributed. Whitish false membranes 

 cover patches chiefly on the terminal portion of the small intes- 

 tine, but frequently also on the caecum and colon, covering an 

 especially red and angry mucosa. They may occur as simple 

 patches, as ribbon shaped pieces, or as hollow cylinders lining the 

 entire circumference of the intestine. They appear as if fibril- 

 lated, but contain abundance of granular matter and .seem to be 

 composed mainly of mucus with albuminoid matter and probably 

 a little fibrine. The deeper layers, in contact with the inflamed 

 surface are soft and gelatinoid. It is alleged that co-existing 

 wounds on other parts of the body become covered by a soft 

 pultaceous false membrane. 



Diagnosis is based on the presence of the false membranes of 

 a considerable thickness, so that they can be distinguished from 

 the film of mucus which covers the faecal balls in constipation or 

 enteric catarrh. 



Treatment. Facilitate the secretion from the mucosa, and the 

 separation of the false membrane by giving i lb. Glauber salts, 

 or give this agent in doses of 5 or 6 ozs. per day. Calomel i dr. 

 may be used instead and has the additional advantage of acting 

 as a disinfectant. The alkaline carbonates or tartrates or even 

 olive or castor oil may be used as substitutes. Antiferments like 

 salol, naphthol, salicylic acid, and salicylate of .soda have been 

 prescribed to check the multiplication of the germ. Flaxseed 

 tea, elm bark, and other mucilaginous agents may also be given. 

 An easily digestible and laxative diet and a course of bitters may 

 follow. 



