126 DISEASES OF THE STOMACH- AND BOWELS 



affected, but less frequently than are horses. Cattle are some- 

 times infected while on orchard pastures, the ground strewn 

 with "wind-fall" apples, which they eat. (Acidosis?) 



Etiology. — Moulds (mucor, aspergillus, penicillium), 

 "blights" or smuts (Tilletia caries, ustilago), rusts (puccinia, 

 uromyces), and yeasts (Polydesmus exitiosus), which infest 

 forage, grain, and water at times, are pathogenic, and through 

 their toxins produce in the animal body symptoms which fall, 

 generally speaking, under two groups, viz., gastro-intestinal 

 and nervous. In some outbreaks the nervous symptoms pre-., 

 dominate, in others the gastro-intestinal, depending probably 

 on the kind of fungus taken into the body, the quantity of 

 toxins produced, and the resistance of the individual. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms of forage poisoning, as noted, 

 may be grouped under two heads. (1) nervous, and (2) 

 gastro-intestinal. Either may dominate or both may be 

 combined in individual outbreaks. 



Nervous Group. — The most conspicuous symptoms are 

 dysphagia from paralysis of the pharynx (inability to swallow, 

 slobbering), paralysis of tongue, roaring,- incoordination of 

 body movements, staggering, shambling gait, weakness of 

 hind parts; strikes fore feet in stepping over door sill, paraly- 

 sis of tail), spasms of certain groups of muscles (twitching of 

 face, lips, neck, shoulder) ; mental excitement, due to active 

 cerebral Congestion, causing rabiform symptoms (tendency to 

 climb over any obstacles, biting and striking at attendants), 

 mental depression (stupor, pushing head against wall) ; forced 

 movements (traveling in a circle to right or left, individual 

 patients always in one direction) ; amaurotic blindness (run- - 

 ning against objects), opisthotonos (head drawn backward), 

 and finally profuse diaphoresis (heavy sweats along neck, 

 shoulders, sometimes on one side only, may lead to loss of 

 hair from maceration) . 



Gastro-intestinal Symptoms. — Colic (pawing, restlessness), 

 constipation, often obstinate at first, or diarrhea, the feces 

 liquid, sometimes blood-stained and fetid. There is occa- 

 sionally slight bloating. The peristalsis is suppressed in 

 constipation, lively in diarrhea. Tenesmus is occasionally 

 observed. 



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