DISEASES OP CATTLE. 1 



kills the majority of the patients so quickly as to leave 

 time for remedies. Cattle, pigs, sheep, and more rar 

 horses, are most liable to its attacks. It is most frequ^ 

 in warm climates and in summer. The disease was kno 

 in ancient times, and we find an account in Homer's " His 

 of its ravages among the cattle herds of the Greeks. 



The disease is of exceeding short duration, and fatal 

 the majority of cases, unless the speedy assistance oi 

 veterinarian, who is thoroughly conversant with the disee 

 is procured. 



Spleen disease in cattle. As has been remarked, cattle i 

 the most frequent suflPerers by spleen disease, which oce 

 in the following forms : 



1. Spleen fever, which is of tolerably frequent occurrei 

 and short duration. A perfectly healthy animal is si 

 denly attacked while working or eating, and even while 

 mouth is yet full of food. It drops down as if struck 

 lightning, and dies after a few minutes in convulsio 

 Sometimes the fit lasts several or even twelve to sixt( 

 hours. The animal then becomes languid and weak, cea 

 to take food, staggers about, appears benumbed or wild a 

 irritated, bellows with pain, and runs madly about, 

 frothy mucus, frequently mixed with blood, runs out of 

 mouth and nostrils, the eyes are reddened, filled with te 

 and project out of the orbits. Convulsions then appe 

 and finally death ensues. Immediately after death, bla 

 tar-like blood runs out of the nostrils, the mouth and am 

 the vagina opens and shows a dark-red or bluish color, a 

 the body very soon passes into putrefaction. 



The fever is not always, however, of such short durati' 

 Sometimes eighteen to thirty-six hours elapse before des 

 ensues. In such cases the disease commences with tre 

 bling and convulsive twitchings at different points of 1 

 skin. The animal stands off from the manger, or folk 

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