DISEASES AND ABNORMALITIES. ir'j 



Dysentery. 



(^Dysenieria Neonatorum!) 



Dysentery of the newly-born animal is the least 

 known of all the infectious diseases which affect our 

 subjects. It is observed in the Calf (white dysentery 

 or scour), Lamb, Foal, Puppy, and Kitten. This affec- 

 tion and pyaemic polyarthritis are the most fatal diseases 

 ■of young age. 



Causes. — Generally, it is developed from the first 

 to the third day after birth ; after the fourth day it is 

 much less frequent ; young animals are often affected 

 by it before having sucked ; milk, therefore, has nothing 

 to do with the development of the disease. Although 

 the infectious element is yet unknown, its exciting cause 

 is evidently infection, contained in, and carried by, the 

 excrements. It appears to be miasmatico-contagious, 

 and seems to be transmissible from one animal species 

 to another. It is thought that causal relations exist 

 between epizootic abortion and dysentery of Calves. 

 Intra-uterine infection may. probably occur by trans- 

 mission to the digestive mucous membrane of young 

 -animals of an infectious product of the uterus and 

 -vagina. 



Symptoms. — Very similar in the different species. 

 The Calf stops sucking, shows symptoms of restless- 

 ness bellows, and by violent efforts ejects excrements, 

 •which may be whitish, mixed with clots of coagulated 

 milk, or very often with blood ; later, involuntary evacu- 

 ations. Exhaustion, convulsions at intervals ; ptyalism ; 

 ietid breath. Death takes place often within twenty- 



