MASTITIS— MAMMITIS 123 



MASTITIS— MAMMITIS 



These terms are applied indiscriminately to acute 

 inflammatory conditions attacking the mammary 

 gland. 



Mastitis or mammitis is serious because of its eco- 

 nomic import in dairy cattle and the veterinarian's 

 efforts in treating this disease are concerned chiefly 

 with conserving the function of the gland. Almost 

 without exception, even with approved treatment and 

 most careful handling, severe attacks of mastitis ulti- 

 mately impair the function of the gland involved. 



For the purpose of this discussion we shall ignore 

 the various forms of mastitis which are looked upon 

 as specific in character, such as infectious mastitis, 

 tubercular mastitis, and so on. We shall concern our- 

 selves solely with what we would term sporadic mas- 

 titis, that form which is always seen in isolated in- 

 stances in cows which are being heavily fed for milk 

 production. Sporadic mastitis makes its appearance 

 most frequently in heavy milkers and is probably most 

 common in the first two months after calving. 



Most cases begin with a chill which, after variable 

 periods of time, terminates in rigors confined to the 

 posterior part of the body. The cow refuses all feed 

 and appears generally indisposed. There is usually 

 constipation and the temperature is but one or two 

 degrees above normal. (This is a good clinical point 

 of differentiation between sporadic and infectious 

 forms of mastitis — namely: that in sporadic mastitis 

 the temperature is raised only a trifle; in infectious 

 forms fever runs high.) In nearly all cases there is 

 some stiffness in one hind leg which could almost be 

 called a lameness. In the early stages the local signs 



