470 CHRONIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES 



especially if antiseptics have been applied to them. Usually 

 following the healing of the first ulcers a new crop of nodules 

 and ulcers form between which the lymph vessels swell 

 to strands the thickness of a finger. Along the course of 

 these swollen lymph vessels continually new nodules and 

 ulcers develop. In this manner the disorder may continue 

 for several months. In rare cases the forelimbs, body, neck 

 and even the head may be attacked, leading to the death of 

 the patient. In some instances the disease takes a chronic 

 course, the nodules and ulcers appearing in the winter, heal 

 during the summer months, to recur again the following 

 winter. The regionary lymph glands, while swollen, do not 

 take part in the suppurative process. 



Diagnosis. — ^The disease resembles in some respects skin 

 glanders. There are, however, differences from a clinical 

 standpoint. The ulcers are not indolent as in glanders but 

 heal readily; the regionary lymph glands are not involved; 

 the nasal mucous membrane is intact, and no reaction occurs 

 to mallein. The pus from the nodules and ulcers contains 

 the short Gram-positive bacillus, which will not grow on 

 acid potato. In guinea pigs a very rapidly developing 

 periorchitis follows intraperitoneal injection, the purulent 

 exudate containing the characteristic bacillus. Compared 

 with epizootic lymphangitis, ulcerous lymphangitis is a mild 

 disease. In the former the round or oval cryptococci are 

 found in large numbers. The disorder resembles contagious 

 acne, which, however, is found usually only where the saddle 

 or harness comes in contact with the skin. 



Treatment. — The treatment consists in washing out the 

 ulcers with antiseptics. If the process tends to spread the 

 nodules may be opened and disinfected. Some cases resist 

 treatment obstinately. Good results are reported from the 

 subcutaneous injection of diphtheria antitoxin (50 c.c. daily) . 



INFECTIOUS ABORTION OF CATTLE. ABORTION 

 DISEASE. 



Definition. — Infectious abortion is a specific inflammation 

 of the mucous membrane of the uterus, which in pregnant 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



