342 ACUTE GENERAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES 



seat of infection — the umbilicus. It should be thoroughly 

 disinfected (tincture of iodin), abscesses opened, necrotic 

 portions carefidly removed, and drainage provided. At the 

 same time the patient should be kept in a light, well venti- 

 lated, clean place. Painting the joint swellings with iodin 

 tincture is recommended. Opening them to evacuate pus, 

 while rarely of therapeutic value, is demanded. If there is 

 no evidence of pus (heat, pain, firm fluctuation, temperature), 

 the knife should be spared. 



Vaccination. — The use of polyvalent or autogenic bacterins 

 to arrest the progress of the disease is highly recommended 

 by practitioners. In some cases the results seem very satis- 

 factory. More experiments are desired. 



Prevention. — Where infection threatens, the dam about to 

 be delivered should be placed in a clean, light, well ven- 

 tilated stall (preferably a maternity stall with cement floor and 

 walls) and the bedding sprinkled with some non-poisonous 

 antiseptic (creolin). The genitals may be flushed out with 

 some good antiseptic (creolin 2 per cent.) and the tail and 

 buttocks cleaned with it. As soon as the young animal is 

 born, the navel cord should be gently "milked" with dis- 

 infected hands, to remove the Whartonian gelatin, and thor- 

 oughly covered with a good antiseptic strew powder (dried 

 alum, camphor, starch, equal parts) to aid in the desiccation 

 of the cord. The application of the strew powder should be 

 repeated often until the stump is completely shrivelled and 

 dried. By frequent application, say once every half hour for 

 the first two hours after birth, the cord becomes thoroughly 

 mummified in two to four hours (Williams). 



/ INFLUENZA OF THE HORSE. 



General Remarks. — Under the collective term "influenza" 

 intermittently have been grouped together at least two 

 acute, infectious diseases one of which assumed the form of a 

 general infection of the blood with inflammation of the 

 mucous membranes, subcutis, tendon sheaths and tendons, 

 and the other an infectious lobar pneumonia or pleuropneu- 

 monia. From a purely clinical standpoint some authorities 



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