STOMATITIS OF CALVES— CALF DIPHTHERIA 405 



bad signs. Those animals which do recover are left with 

 such sequels as blindness, chronic nasal or gastro-intestinal 

 catarrh. 



Treatment. — ^This is largely SNTnptomatic. (a) Cold appli- 

 cations to head and base of horns; (6) injecting out the nos- 

 trils with antiseptics and removing manually the membran- 

 ous obstructions to breathing; (c) tracheotomy in apnea 

 (don't be in a hurry to remove tube);^ (d) trephining the 

 frontal sinuses or even sawing off the horns and irrigating the 

 cavities through the opening; (e) alcohol may be used in 

 great mental depression or strong coffee added to the drinking 

 water; (/) fever may be reduced by antipyretics; (g) consti- 

 pation and diarrhea as in bowel catarrh. 



The poll axe is indicated in severe cases (long convales- 

 cence; blindness, etc.). 



NECROTIC STOMATITIS OF CALVES. CALF 

 "DIPHTHERIA." 



Definition. — Necrotic stomatitis is a contagio-infectious 

 disease of suckling calves in the course of which there develop 

 on the buccal mucous membrane croupous-diphtheritic 

 patches and ulcers. It is usually attended by a general 

 toxemia which leads to death. 



Occurrence. — ^The disease is very common in Europe, and 

 serious outbreaks have been reported in the United States, 

 particularly in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa and 

 Southwestern Texas. 



Etiology. — ^The cause of the disease is the Bacillus necroph- 

 orus of Bang, a thin, long rod which forms in tissue and in 

 artificial media slender, undulated filaments. 



Natural Infection. — Probably comes from the calves getting 

 into the mouth soiled straw or litter which is contaminated 

 with necrosis bacilli. Healthy calves in contact with dis- 

 eased ones are infected by licking the sick or picking up matter 

 contaminated with the nasal and mouth discharges of the 

 affected. The disease is very easily transmitted, spreading 

 from calf to calf. 



Very young calves (three to five days old) become infected. 



1 Of very questionable value in practice. 



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