184 THE VETERINARY DOCTOR. 
not voluntarily take them. Soft bran-mashes, boiled oats or barley, oil- 
cake, and the like, may be given in small quantities. Insure pure air and 
water, perfect cleanliness and warm clothing, until health is restored. 
s 
SCARLET FEVER. 
Scarlet fever is marked by scarlet spots on the mucous membrane of 
the nose and lips, varying in size from a pin-head toa pea. In this dis- 
order patches of hair stand up on different parts of the body. It is both 
simple and malignant. 
Symptoms.—The symptoms of the sémple form, which usually sets in 
from the third to the sixth day of epidemic catarrh, are elevated patches of 
hair on the neck and legs, in some cases confined to the hind legs, which 
exist without any elevations on the skin below; swollen limbs; pulse some; 
times considerably increased, sometimes but little; scarlet spots on the mucous 
membrane of the nose, occasionally in only one nostril; any soreness of 
the throat previously existing in catarrh may or may not be greatly in- 
creased. At this stage the horse may be cured by judicious treatment in 
a dry, comfortable stall; but if left in unfavorable circumstances, a malig- 
nant form of this fever or other disease will probably set in, endangering 
the animal’s life. The malignant form may appear with violence at once, 
or may succeed the simple type. The horse for some days has apparently 
been affected with influenza or catarrh, with severe sore throat, cough, 
poor or no appetite, general weakness, and watery discharges from the 
nostrils; then the condition suddenly changes, the limbs become swollen 
throughout, or in lumps which are many and large, hard, painful and hot; 
and portions not swollen have elevated patches of hair; the nostrils dis- 
charge a mixture of blood, serum and watery or foul matter; the throat 
becomes intensely sore; the spots on the membrane of the nose become 
large, and of a deep-scarlet color; the cough grows worse and suffocating; 
the pulse is weak and feeble, often running up to go or 100 per minute; 
the swollen limbs are very sensitive, and the animal, if not disturbed, will 
stand perfectly still for hours. As the disease grows worse, large blisters 
will appear on the limbs, mainly around the joints, which burst and give out 
a bright, transparent fluid that is very irritating to the surrounding surface. 
Sometimes the extremities, the ears for example, will appear white, the 
skin of the part shrinks and is dry and hard, the whitened parts breaking 
off in a day or two, and leaving a raw surface which gives off a watery 
discharge. The appetite is gone, constipation ensues, and the urine is 
scanty and of a brown or yellow color. Within a day from the beginning 
the membrane of the nose has large spo‘s of a purple color which presert 
Digitized by Microsoft® 
