THE MORE COMMON AILMENTS OF CATTLE 443 



the indications of tlie first are swelling of the tongue, 

 throat, or dewlap, salivation and blood-stained discharge 

 from the nostrils, and of the second, a frequent suffocat- 

 ing cough and oppressed breathing. The intestinal form 

 is a usual accompaniment of the other two. Among the 

 symptoms are dullness, cold extremities, a staggering 

 gait, and sudden cessation of the milk flow. These are 

 followed by diarrhcea, contractions of the muscles of the 

 neck and face, and champing of the jaws. Extreme 

 nervousness resembling insanity is very common. Still 

 later come increasing wildness of the eye, intense rest- 

 lessness and death. Death may result in a few hours, 

 usually it occurs in two or three days, but may, in some 

 few cases, be deferred for several days. 



Hemorrhagic septicemia may be distinguished from 

 blackleg as follows: (i) Blackleg commonly aflfects 

 young animals, whereas hemorrhagic septicemia attacks 

 those of all ages. (2) The swellings in blackleg are 

 almost invariably present, and when pressed emit a 

 crackling sound, whereas in hemorrhagic septicemia they 

 are usually absent, and when present are not located 

 only on the leg above the knee or hock, as is usually the 

 case in blackleg. (3) Blood taken from a blackleg tumor 

 some hours after death is dark, frothy, and has a dis- 

 agreeable odor, whereas even from swellings which may 

 occur in hemorrhagic septicemia it is nearly normal. 



The losses from hemorrhagic septicemia have been 

 very considerable during recent years. It has visited 

 several states and some of the outbreaks have occasioned 

 much loss. Among the states visited are Minnesota, Wis- 

 consin, South Dakota, New York, Pennsylvania, Ten- 

 nessee, and Texas. 



At the present time treatment would seem to be of 

 no avail, whatever the future may reveal. The sanitary 

 precautions include separating the affected and non- 

 af^"ected animals as often as the disease may appear, 

 burying or burning all dead carcasses, and disinfecting 



