Purulent Infection of the Navel loii 



inflamed. The inflammation may thus involve one after another 

 of the articulations, disappearing from one to reappear in another. 

 This has caused the disease to be designated by some as rheu- 

 matoid arthritis, and by others as foal lameness, calf lameness, 

 etc. As the disease continues, there is a well-marked tendency 

 for the arthritis to become fixed and permanent in a given articu- 

 lation, and at the same time additional articulations become in- 

 volved, so that in many instances two, three, or four joints are 

 simultaneously diseased. 



We recognize two somewhat distinct forms of arthritis ; the 

 one a serous inflammation without the formation of abscesses, 

 the other characterized by the presence of abscesses, the con- 

 tents of which are usually mixed with synovia. The apparently 

 serous arthritis, in which abscesses do not form, constitutes the 

 most common type of articular disease. 



The inflamed articulation is greatly enlarged, tense, hot and 

 painful. The distended synovial sac may offer some symptoms 

 of fluctuation, but does not "point." I,ater the articular tissues 

 hypertrophy, the subcutem, synovial membranes and other parts 

 thicken and become more or less sclerotic. At the same time 

 the contents of the synovial sac may become increased, caus- 

 ing severe distension, which may remain permanent. When in- 

 volving the femoro-patellar articulation, the synovial disten- 

 sion floats the patella upwards until it reaches the level of the 

 top of the external femoral condyle, when the patella slips out 

 laterally to constitute ' ' floating luxation of the patella ' ' which 

 may prove temporary or permanent. ^ 



I^ess frequently the arthritis is of a purulent character, and the 

 joint soon becomes the seat of an extensive suppuration"^ the pain 

 is very severe, and the accompanying constitutional symptoms are 

 exceedingly grave. After the lapse of a few days, the pus in 

 the synovial sac becomes so abundant that distinct fluctuation is 

 present. Unless opened surgically, the abscess ruptures and 

 discharges a flocculent pus mixed with abundant synovia. In 

 most cases, however, the sepsis is so acute and severe that the 

 young animal perishes before the abscess ruptures spontaneously ; 

 or, if the abscess is opened, the animal soon succumbs from 

 septicaemia. 



The abscesses are not confined to any particular articulations 

 of the body. They are observed chiefly about the principal 



