406 DISEASES LOCALIZED IN CERTAIN ORGANS 



Necropsy. — On postmortem in the mucous membrane of 

 the mouth and throat are found areas of dirty, gray or brown 

 color, irregular in form and well circumscribed. They are 

 frequently found on the cheeks and borders of the tongue, 

 but may also involve the upper respiratory passages and 

 occasionally the intestinal canal, or even the region of the 

 coronet. In some cases large surfaces of the mucous mem- 

 brane are covered with a yellowish-gray, friable, fetid, cheesy 

 mass. Sometimes the lungs are infected, in which purulent 

 or caseous foci develop. Occasionally there may be pleuritis. 

 In some instances the small intestines are catarrhally inflamed 

 and dotted here and there with small, pea-sized, grayish- 

 yellow, caseous deposits. The spleen is not enlarged, though 

 the lymph glands are swollen. 



Symptoms. — ^The period of incubation is from three to five 

 days. As noted, very young calves are most often attacked. 

 The first symptoms observed are languor, disinclination to 

 suck, and slight increase in temperature. There soon 

 develop drooling from the mouth and slight swelling of the 

 cheeks. The examination of the mouth, which is painful to 

 the patient and therefore resisted, reveals that the mucous 

 membrane of the cheeks, tongue, hard palate, and fauces 

 shows areas of redness and erosion. These areas represent 

 patches of yellow or grayish-yellow pseudomembranes, or 

 ulcers. The patches are from the size of a five-cent piece 

 up to a silver dollar and quite irregular in form. The necrotic 

 mass is very adherent to the underlying tissue and can be 

 removed only with difficulty. It may be an inch in thickness 

 and involve the muscle or even bone. 



The disease frequently involves the nasal cavities, produc- 

 ing a yellowish or greenish-yellow, sticky discharge which 

 adheres closely to the border of the nostrils. Occasionally 

 the nose is obstructed by accumulations of exudate causing 

 difficulty in breathing. If the larynx and trachea are involved 

 there will be cough and dyspnea. Besides these local symp- 

 toms there are those of general toxemia, such as loss of 

 appetite, extreme languor, weakness and temperature ranging 

 from 105° to 107° F. 



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