GASTRO-ENTERITIS 127 



General. — The conjunctiva shows petechia a"nd icterus, the 

 temperature in the early stages is up to 105° F., but soon 

 drops to normal or subnormal, where it continues until death. 

 The pulse is usually normal until the last stages, when it 

 becomes rapid (occasionally slower), weak, and irregular. 

 Dyspnea is generally present, but varies greatly in degree in 

 different cases. Occasionally the respirations are subnormal. 

 Polyuria is noted in some outbreaks, although retention of 

 urine (paralysis of bladder) is more commonly observed. 

 In the ox hematuria is often a symptom. Stomatitis and 

 eczemas of skin (especially of head) have been noted in some 

 outbreaks. 



Diagnosis. — Usually the diagnosis is not difficult. The 

 number of animals affected, the history of food eaten (silage, 

 shredded fodder), the nervous symptoms, rapid course, and 

 the lack of apparent contagiousness are important factors. 

 The disease might be confused with rabies, hemorrhagic 

 septicemia, anthrax, and poisoning with drugs. In most 

 outbreaks a combination of nervous and gastro-intestinal 

 symptoms is suggestive. Differentiation in sporadic cases 

 may be impossible without the aid of a necropsy and bacte- 

 riological examination (rabies, anthrax, hemorrhagic septi- 

 cemia). 



Course. — The course is usually rapid. Individual patients 

 die apoplectic, others in a few hour's (seven to twelve), while 

 many live one or two weeks and succumb. Patients which 

 recover usually do so gradually, and such sequelae as lumbar 

 weakness (wobbling gait), hemiplegia (paralysis with atrophy 

 of the muscles of one side of the body), blindness, epilepti- 

 form seizures, etc., follow and persist for weeks or months. 

 In occasional cases relapses occur during convalescence. 



Prognosis. — The prognosis is doubtful to bad. The mor- 

 tality varies from 25 to 90 per cent. 



Treatment. — Feeding infested forage or water should be 

 immediately stopped. Pastured animals should be placed in 

 stables and fed only uncontaminated foods. While the separa- 

 tion of the healthy from the sick does not seem necessary, 

 as an extra precaution it is recommended at least until our 

 knowledge of the etiology is more definite. 



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