Anatomical Changes. Symptoms. 165 



The carcasses of animals dead from the disease are always 

 greatly emaciated, and show manifestations of a general anemia 

 and cachexia. 



Symptoms. The symptoms usually appear inside of 24 to 

 48 hours after birth; exceptionally the disease may also occur 

 somewhat later, and in rare cases the animals may be born 

 affected with it. 



In some of the eases symptoms of a local affection of the 

 umbilicus precede the general affection. The umbilicus swells, 

 becomes sensitive and feels warmer than normal to the touch. 

 The stump dries more slowly, while from the opening of the 

 umbilical ring purulent or ichorous secretion may be pressed 

 out. In the median line between the swollen umbilicus and the 

 xyphoid cartilage, on the inner surface of the abdominal wall, 

 a dense cord of the thickness of a finger may be felt. The 

 affected animal moves but little, its gait is laborious and stiff, 

 the desire for sucking is diminished, the body temperature is 

 somewhat elevated. 



The symptoms of inflammation of the umbilicus may sub- 

 side after a few days, especially when appropriately treated, 

 and the patient may even completely recover. In the majority 

 of cases, however, the local inflammatory processes increase 

 in severity, and symptoms of a general septic infection develop 

 sometimes rapidly, in other cases gradually. In rare cases the 

 disease may develop without any preliminary inflammation 

 of the umbilicus, with symptoms of a general infection. 



The general affection is indicated by symptoms of a general 

 febrile condition. The animals lose their desire to suck, they 

 will not look for the udder of their mother on their own accord, 

 and if led to it they suck only a little or not at all. At the same 

 time they are depressed and dull, and lie continually on the 

 ground. When stood up on their feet they remain with droop- 

 ing head in one place, or soon collapse. The body temperature 

 is elevated and unevenly distributed over the body surface. 

 The pulse and respiration are accelerated. This condition is 

 soon followed by symptoms indicating a metastatic inflamma- 

 tion in some of the internal organs. 



Inflammations of the joints make their appearance most 

 frequently and earliest. One- or more joints, preferably at the 

 extremities (hock and knee joints), swell simultaneously, or one 

 after the other, they become warm, painful, and tense, while 

 the surrounding connective tissue is edematous. In some cases 

 the swelling soon disappears ; more frequently, however, a fluc- 

 tuation may after a certain time be noticed in different parts 

 of the swelling. This is followed by a breaking at one or more 

 points, and from the resulting opening a tenacious purulent 

 secretion is evacuated, first in great quantities, later more spar- 

 ingly. By introducing a probe into the opening, a rough carti- 

 laginous or bony surface may be felt at different places, while 



