Symptoms. Diagnosis. Treatment. 153 



the weakness, it returns to normal, and before death it may 

 even become subnormal. The respiration is superficial and later 

 accelerated. The heart action becomes more frequent and 

 weaker, towards the termination of the disease, and towards 

 the end it is hardly perceptible. 



In the more protracted eases some animals develop later 

 inflammations of the joints as well as manifestations of a 

 pyosepticemia, which makes the close relationship of the two 

 diseases apparent. 



Course and Prognosis. The course of the disease is in most 

 cases unfavorable. The sooner the first symptoms appear after 

 birth and the sooner they become aggravated, the more un- 

 favorable is the prognosis. Bloody diarrhea or a rapid drop 

 in temperature are forerunners of death. These may appear 

 on the second day of the disease ; mostly, however, between two 

 and three days, exceptionally even after ten days. 



In some outbreaks practically all the affected animals die 

 and even in more favorable cases the losses are rarely less 

 than 80%. The high mortality is partly the result of catarrhal 

 pneumonia which frequently develops as a complication in cases 

 of less severe primary infections. (See Vol. II, Enzootic 

 Pneumonia of Young Animals.) 



Diagnosis. The disease is differentiated from the simple 

 acute gastro-enteritis caused by dietetic errors by its appear- 

 ance shortly after birth, by the predominating diarrhea and by 

 the enzootic character of the disease. Acute gastro-enteritis 

 usually affects older animals and is characterized by less severe 

 symptoms. In calves in this disease the intestinal contents are 

 thick to mushy in consistence, later almost constantly of a 

 clay-yellow color, and have an intensely sourish or somewhat 

 putrid odor (Hess). 



The pyosepticemia of the newborn resulting from umbilical 

 infection is characterized by an early affection of the umbilicus 

 and by the early appearance of metastatic inflammatory 

 processes, especially in the joints. 



For distinguishing the different forms of the disease in 

 accordance with the etiological factors the descriptions given 

 on page 151 offer sufficient points of differentiation. 



Treatment. At the onset of the disease suitable immune 

 sera (see page 156) may have beneficial effect and should be 

 employed intravenously, and if necessary the injection should 

 be repeated (5 to 20 cc), but even in such cases suitable dietetic 

 treatment should be carried out. This is commenced with a 

 mildly acting purgative in order to remove the fermenting 

 intestinal contents. Especially to be recommended is castor 

 oil (colts and calves 40 to 50 gm., lambs 10 to 15 gm.), or calomel 

 (colts 0.2 to 0.3 gm.). After the appearance of the purgative 

 action it is advisable to administer various slimy gruels (barley 



