STOMATITIS 85 



Diagnosis. — The recognition of stomatitis per se is not 

 difficult. To determine, however, whether it is primary or 

 secondary is often not easy, especially early in its develop- 

 ment. From the history, the temperature, pulse and other 

 symptoms of constitutional disturbance which occur in those 

 diseases where stomatitis is a symptom, the diagnosis 

 "secondary stomatitis" usually can be made. 



Treatment. — Once the cause is removed the symptoms 

 rapidly subside. The principal indications are to change the 

 food, look after the teeth, remove any foreign bodies from the 

 mouth and allow the patient constant access to good drinking 

 water. Various "mouth washes" are recommended. The 

 following are examples: Alum water (1 per cent.), creolin 

 (1 to 2 per cent.), boric acid (2 per cent.), permanganate of 

 potash (1 to 200). Vinegar one-half pint, common salt one 

 tablespoonful mixed together in a quart of water -is useful. 

 In chronic cases nitrate of silver (1 per cent.) is employed. 



Vesicular Stomatitis. — Definition. — A sporadic, feebly com- 

 . municable inflammation of the mouth characterized' by the 

 formation of vesicles in the mucosa. 



Occurrence. — The disease is seen in horses and cattle 

 only. It may appear as an enzootic, affecting a number 

 of horses, or even assume the proportions of an epizootic, 

 a large number of animals becoming affected from infested 

 food. 



Etiology. — The cause is not definitely known. Animals 

 pastured on fungi-infested clovers are most commonly 

 attacked. It is probable that fungi (Uromyces occultus, 

 Polydesmus exitiosus) are factors. In some outbreaks in- 

 fection seems to play a role. The disorder is transmissible 

 by inoculation. 



Symptoms. — Following prodromal symptoms, which re- 

 semble those of the initial stage (congestion) of catarrhal 

 stomatitis, an eruption of vesicles appears in the mouth 

 particularly on the tongue, and occasionally on the mucous 

 surface of the lips, and at the commissures of the mouth. 

 The vesicles vary in size from a grain of wheat to a 

 small bean, are sometimes umbilicated and are filled with 

 a clear serous fluid. In three or four days they erupt, leaving 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



