312 ACUTE GENERAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES 



Prognosis. — Bad. Depending on the age attacked and the 

 form the disease assumes, the mortality will vary greatly. It 

 is higher in colts than in calves, relatively more resistant to 

 pus infections. Fully 60 to 90 per cent. die. Most sucklings 

 which do recover remain stunted and do not "do well" for 

 months after the attack (internal abscesses). In cases of 

 joint affection in colts, if the suppuration is mild, recovery is 

 common. When general symptoms appear the prognosis is 

 bad. Bowel symptoms (diarrhea) generally promptly lead to 

 death. 



Treatment. — An internal treatment is useless. When gen- 

 eral septicemia is present the patient is beyond aid. The most 

 rational treatment is surgical and applied to the primary seat 

 of infection — the umbilicus. It should be thoroughly disin- 

 fected (tincture of iodin), abscesses opened, necrotic portions 

 carefully removed, and drainage provided. At the same time 

 the patient should be kept in a light, well-ventilated, clean 

 place. Painting the joint swellings with iodin tincture is 

 recommended. Opening them to evacuate pus, while rarely 

 of therapeutic value, is demanded. If there is no evidence of 

 pus (heat, pain, firm fluctuation, temperature), the knife 

 should be spared. 



Vaccination. The use of polyvalent or autogenic bacterins 

 to arrest the progress of the disease is highly recommended by 

 practitioners. In some cases the results seem very satis- 

 factory. More experiments are desired. 



Prevention. — Where infection threatens, the dam about to 

 be delivered should be placed in a clean, light, well-ventilated 

 stall (preferably a maternity stall with cement floor and 

 walls) and the bedding sprinkled with some non-poisonous 

 antiseptic (creolin). The genitals may be flushed out with 

 some good antiseptic (creolin 2 per cent.) and the tail and 

 buttocks cleaned with it. As soon as the young animal is 

 born the navel cord should be gently "milked" with dis- 

 infected hands, to remove the Whartonian gelatin, and thor- 

 oughly covered with a good antiseptic strew powder (dried 

 alum, camphor, starch, equal parts) to aid in the desiccation 

 of the cord. The application of the strew powder should be 

 repeated often until the' stump is completely shriveled and 



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