138 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



the herd slowly and hesitatingly if in the field, becomes 

 stujjid and lazy, lets its head droop, puts down its feet ir- 

 regularly, and pays little attention to surrounding objects. 

 The appetite and the ruminating disappear immediately, 

 cows cease to give milk and the thirst diminishes or disap- 

 pears entirely. The animal is fearful, has a wild look ; the 

 surface of the body, the ears, the horns and the mouth be- 

 comes alternately hot and cold ; the eyes, which at first were 

 red and fiery, become dull ; blood frequently runs out of 

 the nose and anus; the mouth is filled with saliva; the 

 respiration is labored, forcible and snorting; the patient 

 gnashes its teeth ; the pulse beats seventy to a hundred 

 times a minute, and the beating of the heart is loud and 

 can be felt. Finally, the surface of the body becomes cool, 

 and the animal dies in convulsions. I have seen cases in 

 my practice where death ensued only after the fifth day, 

 but these are exceptions, and can only be accounted for by 

 a very strong constitution of the animal. 



2. Spleen carbuncle. In many, an'd perhaps in the ma- 

 jority of cases, boils or carbuncles break out on difl!erent 

 parts of the body, especially on the head, neck, shoulders, 

 flanks, buttocks or thighs, either at the appearance or during 

 the course of the fever. These boils are developed very 

 quickly in larger or smaller numbers, are at first hot, grow 

 in height and breadth with great rapidity, and then become 

 mostly cool and insensible. On cutting into them, a yel- 

 lowish, briny, jelly-like mass is found under the skin. The 

 development of carbuncles has often been considered as a 

 natural and healthy diversion or turning aside of the dis- 

 ease ; but it has been ascertained that they increase the 

 danger if they appear on the head or neck, and obstruct 

 the respiration or render it impossible. They may also be- 

 come fatal by passing into gangrenous ulcers. If they 

 suddenly disappear, however, it is generally a sign of death, 



