INFLAMMATION OF MUCOUS MEMBRANE OF MOUTH. 43 



are especially so during dentition; the tongue and soft palate are 

 also inflamed; the tongue is also coated, as a rule. Ulcers some- 

 times appear in different parts of the mouth. 



The duration of the disease depends largely on the causes pro- 

 ducing it; as a rule, it is not of much importance and disappears 

 without any medical interference. In some cases where it is caused 

 by bad teeth it is more obstinate, and if it becomes chronic it is 

 apt to become a case of stomacace. 



Theeapeutics. The animal should be fed lightly, the prin- 

 cipal diet being soup or liquid foods, and the mouth should be 

 washed out with permanganate of potassium solution, composed 

 of permanganate of potassium, 1 part; alum, 3 parts ; chlorate of 

 potassium, 5 parts, in 100 parts of water; or a solution of boric 

 acid in honey, 1 to 30 parts. Inflamed gums can be rubbed with 

 tincture of myrrh or tincture of catechu, or with a solution of 

 tannin and glycerin, 1 to 20. 



Hertwig describes under the name of aphtha, or buccal fungi, 

 a diseased condition of the buccal membrane which is seen in 

 young dogs. It commences by the formation of a number of 

 small pustules on the lips, gums, and tongue, about the size and 

 shape of a small pea. They burst in from twenty-four to forty- 

 eight hours and leave a bare, ulcerated surface, which heals up 

 very slowly, often taking from twelve to fourteen days to get 

 well. It is best treated with any of the ordinary mouth-washes. 

 The author has never observed this disease. 



Serious parenchymatous inflamraation of the tongue is 

 frequently seen. It is generally caused by caustic substances, by 

 wounds on the tongue, splinters of bone, and frequently chil- 

 dren put threads, rubber bands, or horse-hair on the tip of the 

 tongue. With the general swelling and inflammation of the part 

 the tip of the tongue is reddish-blue in color, and the color seems 

 to be confined to a certain circumscribed location. 



Injuries of the tongue heal very rapidly. If there is much in- 

 flammation, it is best to paint the parts with any of the above- 

 named solutions. 



