Cattle Plague. 635 



Diagnosis in Cattle. Individual symptoms of cattle plague raaj' 

 be found in other diseases, but the aggregate symptoms, in a 

 rapidly spreading and fatal affection, and connected with a pre- 

 vious prevalence of the disease in the country or district, or dis- 

 tinct evidence of the introduction of infection should in every case 

 obviate error. The chief diagnostic symptoms are : a sudden, 

 very marked rise of temperature ; a congestion or blush of the 

 visible mucosge generally (mouth, nose, vulva, eyes); the forma- 

 tion of white curd-like ephithelial concretions on the inside of the 

 lips, dental pad, or gums of the incisors ; the formation of red 

 spots or petechiae on the mucosae ; later the desquamation of the 

 softened epithelium with the formation of erosions or even ulcers ; 

 the wart-like rounded epidermic eruptions on the skin ; the great 

 abdominal tenderness with tucking up of the abdomen, and sud- 

 den arrest of the expiration with a sharp clicking sound and 

 moan ; the fcetid, watery diarrhoea and exposure of the dark red, 

 congested and haemorrhagic rectal mucosa ; the discharge from 

 nose, mouth and eyes ; the characteristic fever odor ; and the rapid 

 progress of the disease from animal to animal, and to a fatal issue. 

 The rapidly advancing contagion and its fatality in cattle, sheep 

 and goats, together with the immunity of horses, dogs, birds and 

 human beings are important elements in diagnosis. 



Malignant Catarrh of Cattle is distinguished by the absence of 

 active contagion, one or two only in a herd being attacked ; by 

 the absence of the curd-like concretions on lips, dental pad, and 

 gums ; by the involving of the matrix of the frontal horns ; by the 

 great congestion, swelling and discharge from the eyes; and by 

 the impossibility or improbability of the cattle plague contagion 

 in the particular locality. In localities where cattle plague actu- 

 ally prevails, it maj' sometimes be impossible to distinguish at 

 first, and then every precaution should be taken to prevent dif- 

 fusion of infection in ca.se it should be cattle plague. 



Thrush of the mouth, though cau.sing an eruption of the same 

 kind, occurs in sucklings only, is unattended by fever, marked 

 conge.stion, or severe abdominal symptoms. 



Foot and Mouth Disease, though equally contagious, and spread- 

 ing with the same rapidity, is easily distinguished by the very 

 slight hyperthermia, the vesicular character of the mouth and 

 mammary eruption (the cuticle being rai.sed by an abundant clear 



