278 DOURINE 



character. The}' often appear and disappear very rapidly and 

 may shift their position. Usually thej' persist for several 

 weeks during which time they become moderately hard and 

 then slowly disappear. Their favorite sites are the croup, 

 neck, shoulders, chest and abdomen. 



Later in the course of the disease, a progressive paralysis 

 of the hind quarters combines with excessive emaciation. The 

 animal has a staggering gait and often gives way on the 

 pasterns and at the knees, can raise itself from the ground 

 only with difficulty — and sometimes falls down unexpectedly. 

 The affected stallion is unable to cover, as he can neither 

 mount a mare nor get an erection. Some patients exhibit 

 permanent tremblings over the whole body or local paralysis 

 as for instance, that of the lips, ears and eyelids. Hyperaes- 

 thesia of the skin is observed particularly in stallions and 

 with it is extensive pruritis, so that the animal continually 

 rubs itself, bites the affected parts and thus produces extensive 

 sores on the skin. The patient becomes extremely emaciated 

 especially in the hind quarters so that the outlines of the pelvic 

 bones and ribs become very prominent. The skin becomes dry, 

 the hair is ruffled and loses its gloss. Some animals manifest 

 pain when the lumbar region is pressed. The senses become 

 more and more blunted and the eyes assume a staring and 

 expressionless appearance. As the end approaches the patient 

 persistently maintains a recumbent position and finally dies 

 from the effect of secondary lesions such as hypostatic inflam- 

 mation of the lungs, septicaemia or perhaps general cachexia. 

 Sometimes in the final stage the patient suffers from nasal 

 catarrah with swelling of the submaxillarj' glands and con- 

 juncti\'itis. Severe internal inflammation of the eyes has been 

 observed. The appetite continues longer than any of the 

 other normal functions. 



§ 209. Morbid anatomy. In the early stages there are 

 phlegmonous or oedematous swellings of the sheath, scrotum, 

 penis and inguinal glands and a yellowish liquid effusion into 

 the scrotal cavity. The skin covering the parts maj' show a 

 papular or vesicular eruption or if this has passed a mottling 

 with white spots shows where these lesions have been. Later, 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



