616 PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 



1876, and by Soula in 1888. It has been observed in differ- 

 ent countries, — in England, in South Africa, in Germany, in 

 Switzerland, where it is known as "bran sickness," in 

 Cochin China, and in America, where it is known as the 

 "big-head." It has also been described under the name of 

 "osseous cachexia of the horse," "osteomalacia," "general- 

 ized ostoeporosis" and "diffuse rarefying osteitis" analogous 

 to osteomalacia of man. 



The descriptions given of the disease are incomplete and 

 the "pathologies" are the object of only an insignificant 

 paragraph. It was, however, pretty well described in i860 

 by Warnell, who had observed numerous cases while on an 

 exploitation. He gave a complete anatomo-pathological 

 description of the disease, after microscopic investigations 

 by Scharpey. It was observed in Germany by Bagge, Zip- 

 perlein and Hering, and has been closely studied in Italy 

 by Marcone. 



ETIOLOGY. — The etiological conditions that govern 

 the development of the disease seem always the same. In 

 every case the patients have received a diet of bran or mill- 

 products for some time previous to the appearance of the 

 disease, hence the name "bran sickness." A case reported 

 by Porcher and Carougeau had been submitted to a diet 

 consisting of six kilos of bran of the best quality at each ra- 

 tion, and similar observations have been made by Crow- 

 hurst since 1869. 



The disease usually attacks animals between the age of 

 four and eight years, and is very rare in colts. The cases 

 observed in very young animals are undoubtedly rachitis. 

 However, the young horse, according to the observations 

 of the American veterinarians, Morris, Faville and Mac- 

 Lead, are not entirely immune and animals of both sexes 

 are equally susceptible. It may now be safely stated that 

 horses affected with deformities of the bones of the head, 



