518 GENERAL DISEASES. 



SYMPTOMS. — Tho attack usually comes on during the second or 

 third week after birth, and almost always before the closure of the 

 navel opening, which, in affected animals, will be found to be in a 

 wet and suppurating condition. Occasionally, foals two or three 

 months old, which have the urachus closed, and are in an apparently 

 healthy condition, contract this disease, in the form of painful 

 swellings of the joints. 



The first symptoms are generally dulness ; more or less fever ; 

 lameness, often attributed to rheumatism or to injury caused by 

 the mare treading on the foal ; and disinclination to move or even 

 stand. On examination, the patient will be found to have a soft, 

 gelatinous swelling of one or more of the joints, of which the hock, 

 stifle, elbow, fetlock and hip usually manifest the enlargement most 

 clearly. These swelling® are hot and painful to the touch, they 

 tend to suppurate, and frequently cause intense lameness. In 

 very rare cases, open urachus may occur without any joint inflam- 

 mation. In this disease, inflammation of the joints and open 

 urachus are almost always co-existent. 



Animals which recover from a bad attack, are seldom worth the 

 trouble of rearing, because, as a rule, their constitutions become 

 permanently impaired, and one or more of their joints become 

 stiffened by the attack. 



COURSE AND POST-MORTEM APPEARANCES.— The course 

 of this disease is that of septicaemia and pyaemia (p. 516), in which 

 the local inflammation in the various tissues and organs is pro- 

 ductive of abscesses, and consequent destructive action in the sur- 

 rounding parts, as, for instance, in joints, tendons, muscles, and in 

 the liver. In fatal cases, there is rapid loss of strength and con- 

 dition, and the disease runs its course in about ten days. 



TREATMENT.— In the treatment of this disease, attend to the 

 constitutional disturbance, inflamed joints, open urachus, and 

 complications, such as constipation and diarrhoea. 



As constitutional treatment, give J drachm of quinine (p.' 635), 

 twice a day ; and also, 2 drachms of Fellow's syrup and a table- 

 spoonful of ood liver oil in half a pint of milk, morning and 

 evening. The injection, into the jugular vein (p. 648), of 3 oz. of a 

 I per cent, solution of argentum colloidale, every day for three or 

 four days is recommended. The quantity of this soluble form of 

 silver thus given, is about 6J grains. 



As a supplement to the food, give brown- sugar or treacle, both of 

 which are easily digested, and are very nourishing. Four or five 

 eggs daily will also aid in keeping up the strength. 



