520 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



When the disease is well developed the general appearance of the 

 animal is one of great lassitude, and it either stands off by itself with 

 hind feet drawn under the body and its fore feet extended or it 

 assumes a recumbent position. Owing to the inability to eat and to 

 the general systemic disturbance present, the animal loses flesh very 

 rapidly and becomes greatly emaciated in the latter stages of the dis- 

 ease. The temperature and piilse are somewhat increased, the former 

 two or three degrees, the latter to from 75 to 90 beats per minute. 

 The fever is not lasting, and these symptoms are soon modified. The 

 animal has an anxious look, and in a few cases there is gastrointes- 

 tinal irritation, the feces being thin, of a dark color, and of an offen- 

 sive odor. 



PROGNOSIS AND MORTALITY. 



Mycotic stomatitis is not a serious disease, and in uncomplicated 

 cases recoveries soon follow the removal of the cause and the applica- 

 tion of the indicated remedies. In such cases complete restoration 

 may take place within one week. In mild outbreaks a large percent- 

 age of the animals will recover without treatment, but that the disease 

 is fatal is shown by the fact that animals which develop an aggravated 

 form of the affection succumb if not treated. In such animals death 

 occurs in six or eight days, but the mortality in the serious outbreaks 

 thus far investigated has been less than 0.5 per cent. The course of 

 this disease is irregular and runs from seven to fifteen days, the aver- 

 age case covering a period of about, ten days. 



DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. 

 FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. 



In examining a case of mycotic stomatitis it is important not to mis- 

 take it for foot-and-mouth disease, which has appeared in this coun- 

 try on four occasions only, always near a seaport, and which does not 

 exist in the United States at the present time. This may be easily 

 accomplished by taking into consideration the fact that in the con- 

 tagious foot-and-mouth disease there is a rapid infection of the entire 

 herd, as well as of any hogs and sheep that may be on the premises. 

 It is also readily transmitted to neighboring herds by the spread of 

 the infection from diseased animals, but it never occurs spontaneously. 

 The characteristic lesion of foot-and-mouth disease is the appearance 

 of vesicles containing serous fluid in the mouth and upon the udder, 

 teats, heels, and coronary bands of the affected animals. Drooling is 

 profuse, and there is a peculiar smacking sound made by sucking the 

 affected lips. 



Mycotic stomatitis occurs sporadically on widely separated farms, 

 affecting only a few animals in each herd, and the lesions produced 

 consist of erosions without the typical vesicular formations of foot- 

 and-mouth disease. The failure of the vesicles, if any appear, to 



