292 Veterinary Medicine. 



velop by preference in the growing seeds, but also in the stem 

 and leaves. The tilletia caries is as a rule more poisonous than 

 the ustilago the effects being mainly hyperthermia and paralysis. 

 There is, however, a tendency to spasmodic contractions, and 

 abortions, and dry gangrene will occur from smut. The author 

 has seen a large herd of cattle attacked with gangrenous sores 

 around the coronet, which were promptly stopped when the light, 

 smutty ears of corn were no longer given. In other cases the 

 hoof was in part separated from the quick and creaked when the 

 animal walked. 



In connection with the gangrenous ergotism of cattle, the 

 author has found on the same farms and feed, horses with ulcers 

 on the buccal mucosa and gastro-intestinal indigestion. Ergot 

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

 duced by the claviceps purpurea which first attacks the ovary of 

 the seed {sphacelia 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 caujse 

 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 pueumo-enteritis in the 

 horse to two cocci, a motile diplococcus awA 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 conge,stion of the intestinal 

 muco.sa 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. 



