sporadic Dysentery of the New-born 1023 



The evacuations from the bowels are frequent, and the feces 

 ■are usually expelled with force. When the disease is well ad- 

 vanced the feces are highly irritant, the amount of feces ex- 

 pelled at a given time is usually very small, and the expulsion 

 is accompanied by straining and other symptoms of pain. The 

 ■disease may cause symptoms of colic, as indicated by the whisking 

 of the tail, kicking at the abdomen and looking at the flank. 

 The patient becomes weak ; if the disease is very severe, it lies 

 most of the time, and when it gets up, it staggers about in a 

 very weak manner. The eyes become sunken, the animal very 

 listless, and saliva may flow from the mouth. Emaciation is very 

 rapid in the severe cases, and the coat is dry and rough. The 

 measurement of the temperature is not very reliable, because in 

 the weakened state of the animal the anus remains somewhat 

 •open. Moreover, the frequent passage of liquid feces tends to 

 keep the rectal temperature somewhat depressed. 



As usually observed, the principal postmortem change is an 

 irritated condition of the gastro-intestinal canal, which is largely 

 concentrated in the colon and rectum. In these parts there is 

 present a well-mafked catarrhal inflammation of the mucous 

 membrane, with a greatly increased .secretion of fluids and mucus. 

 There is usually very marked anaemia and paleness of the tissues. 



The bacteriology of the disease has not been well determined. 

 Usually there is a mixed infection. Various forms of micro- - 

 organisms have been described by different writers, but it has 

 not been definitely shown that the disease is due to any one alone. 



Causes. Sporadic diarrhea of the new-born depends largely 

 upon the abrupt introduction of pathogenic organisms into the 

 alimentary canal of an animal which is not inured to their 

 presence. The young animal has undergone a sudden transition 

 from the uterus of the mother (which, with the placenta, has 

 served as a barrier against most infections) to extra-uterine life, 

 where it is subjected to the dangers incident to taking into the 

 alimentary tract, food which is almost inevitably contaminated 

 -with microorganisms capable of inducing disease. 



Anything which may depress the general strength of the 

 young animal, and which may supply a favorable breeding 

 ground for the bacteria introduced into the digestive tract, serves 

 indirectly to favor the multiplication of the disease organisms. 

 If too much food is taken, it over-taxes the digestive powers. 



