OTHER NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES 343 



uhis treatment affords remarkable relief. Dry feed should always 

 be dampened before it is fed. 



LIGHTNING AND ELECTRIC STROKE 



By lightning or electric stroke is understood an injury to nerve 

 tissue produced by powerful currents of electricity. In some in- 

 stances no pathological change is found in the tissue, the dis- 

 turbance being altogether functional. 



Lightning stroke commonly occurs in the open country, animals 

 on pasture being victims. In the city horses occasionally come 

 in contact with high-tension wires which have fallen upon the 

 street. During the summer season thousands of animals are 

 killed or injured by lightning on the farms of this country. 



Symptoms. — Usually a lightning stroke kills the animal in- 

 stantly or in a few minutes. In other cases the animal appears 

 stunned from the stroke, but soon regains consciousness and nor- 

 mal condition. In a few instances, however, the patient is left 

 for a time with irregular gait, and weakness of the hind parts. It 

 may show forced movements, and appear stupid and dull. Usu- 

 ally recovery occurs after a few days or weeks. In some cases 

 partial paralysis of individual nerves persists and recovery then 

 may take one or two months. Horses are sometimes left perm- 

 anently blind or deaf. 



In case death occurs suddenly from lightning stroke the rectum 

 of the animal will be protruded and the diaphragm ruptured. 

 These changes are brought about by the sudden and complete 

 contraction of the. muscles, especially those of the body walls, 

 which forcibly compress the viscera. 



Treatment. — If the patients remain down good bedding should 

 be provided. To assist the return to consciousness excitants 

 (alcohol, ether, camphor, caffein, skin rubbing) may be tried. 



LUMP JAW 



Lump jaw is the common name and actinomycosis the scientific 

 name of a chronic, non-communicable disease affecting the jaws 

 of cattle. In hogs the udder is frequently the seat of infection. 



Cause. — An infectious agent known as the ray fungus is the 

 cause of lump jaw. This microorganism has been discovered on 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



