366 PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SCIENCE 



terized by acute swelling and redness of the mucous membranes 

 of the eyelids; these cases are called "pink eye." Not infre- 

 quently swellings occur in the legs and along the belly. 



Treatment. — 'This should be prompt and started under the 

 direction of a veterinarian at the very onset of the disease. 

 Laxative foods must be provided and every precaution taken to 

 protect the patient from drafts and exposure. When the body 

 temperature runs above 105°F., remedies to reduce it are indi- 

 cated. Potassium iodid is useful as a general eliminating agent. 

 Symptoms are treated as they develop, depending upon the 

 organs from which they arise. A bacterin has been used as a 

 preventive and curative agent, but it is not specific, so does not 

 give perfect results. 



NAVEL ILL 



Navel infection is so frequently associated with infection of the 

 joints that the two affections are often described under the 

 common term navel and joint disease. This is an acute infec- 

 tion generally characterized by the formation of pus in the joints. 

 In foals it is fatal in about 50 per cent, of the cases. A large 

 proportion of the animals that survive are left with deformed 

 joints. If the disease does not appear until the suckling is 

 several weeks old the chances of recovery are better. 



Cause. — In foals and lambs the cause appears to be an organ- 

 ism of the colon-typhoid group, which is carried by the blood- 

 stream from the navel where the infection takes place, to the 

 joints, lungs, and liver. From the fact that pus is formed in the 

 joints, it would appear that pyogenic bacteria are associated 

 with the cause of the disease. 



Symptoms. — These appear twenty-four to forty-eight hours 

 after infection has occurred. The foal refuses to suck and has a 

 fever. The joints become hot and swollen, and the young animal 

 moves with difficulty or lies stretched out flat on its side. There 

 may be no signs of inflammation at the navel; in other cases a 

 considerable amount of pus is present (Fig. 95). 



Treatment. — Preventive treatment is of more importance than 

 curative treatment. It can be accomplished by disinfecting 

 the navel immediately after the navel cord breaks, and twice a 

 day afterward until it dries up, drops off, and no raw spot remains. 

 A shallow, wide-mouthed bottle should be nearly filled with a 



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