MORBID ANATOMY 349 



from eight to fourteen daj^s. In the more favorable cases, 

 improvement may begin on the third or fourth day. 



§ 269. Morbid anatomy. Most writers report lesions of 

 leptomeningitis, hyperemia of the brain and spinal cord with 

 extensive effusion into the ventricles and subarachnoid spaces. 

 Petechise and parench3'matous degeneration of the solid organs 

 of the bod}' are also mentioned. In the cases examined b}' 

 the writer there has been an absence of lesions in the nervous 

 system and other organs that could be detected by a gross 

 examination. In one case the brain, spinal cord and organs 

 were studied histologically with like results. While there is 

 undoubtedly structural changes somewhere in these organs, 

 thus far the}- seem to have escaped detection. It is highly 

 probable that up to the present time, cases of uncomplicated 

 meningitis and possibly cerebritis have been confused with the 

 disease in question. The entire subject must await the results 

 of further investigation into both the etiology and morbid 

 anatomy. 



REFERENCES. 



1. Favili,k. So-called spinal meningitis. Am. Vet. Reviezv. 

 Vol. XVII. p. 9. 



2. M.^RTIN. Cerebro-spinal meningitis. Ibid. Vol. XXI. p. 2S9. 



3. SiEDAMGROTZKY AND SkhlEGEL. Epizootic cerebro-spinal men- 

 ingitis in the horse. (Abstract). Jour. Comp. Path. lUid Therapfutiis. 

 Vol, IX. p. 233. 



CORNSTAIvK DISEASE IN CATTLE. 



§270. Characterization. The name "cornstalk disease" 

 has been given to a somewhat mysterious affection from which 

 cattle sometimes suffer while feeding in cornstalk fields late 

 in the fall and early winter. The meaning generally accepted 

 and intended to be conveyed by this term is, that an animal or 

 a number of animals, usually cattle, have died suddenly after 

 feeding in a cornstalk field from 4 to 10 days. From a patho- 

 logical point of view, therefore, the term is meaningless, but 

 it has served admirably as a generic term to designate certain 

 fatalities under a given condition which are not easily explained. 



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