316 ACU^E GENERAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES 



the nostrils). The gums are swollen ("lampas"), and along 

 their border a marked yellowish discoloration is seen. The 

 bowels during the febrile stage are constipated, the feces 

 passed in the form of hard, small, mucous-covered pellets of 

 sour odor. Later they become soft and a fetid, exhaustive 

 diarrhea with tenesmus sets in. In some cases moderate colic 

 symptoms occiu- (pawing, lying down, slight distention of 

 abdomen) . 



Urinogenital Tract. — During the height of the fever very 

 little urine is voided. Its 'specific gravity is high, color dark, 

 reaction acid. It is rich in sediment. Under the microscope 

 tube casts and epithelial cells (renal pelvis, bladder) are found 

 in it. With the falling of the temperature a critical polyuria 

 develops. In mares the vulva may swell and a mucopurulent 

 discharge be present. Pregnant mares often abort. In 

 stallions the scrotum is often enlarged, and orchitis may be a 

 symptom. 



, Skin. — While there is generally an edema of the hind limbs 

 present in influenza, in some outbreaks it is much more pro- 

 nounced than in others. With increased heart weakness, 

 edemas appear in pendent portions of the body (under chest, 

 abdomen, udder or scrotum). Occasional cases of tendo- 

 vaginitis, particularly of the flexor tendons, are noted, and 

 once in a while laminitis occurs. The patients usually lose 

 flesh rapidly, and become very weak and debilitated. 



A very dangerous complication is pneumonia or pleuro- 

 pneumonia, which usually assumes the catarrhal form, and 

 may be hemorrhagic in character. Such cases seriously dis- 

 turb the functions of the heart, and kidneys and often lead to 

 death. 



Diagnosis.- — The diagnosis is usually not difficult. The 

 rapid spread of the disease from animal to animal, the icteric 

 mucous membranes, conjunctivitis and skin edemas differen- 

 tiate it from other diseases attended by high fever. When 

 these symptoms are absent the highly infectious character of 

 the disease, as evidenced by the rapid spread, is significant. 



While a differentiation between influenza and infectious 

 pneumonia of the horse can usually be made if the course of 

 the disease can be studied, at first visit it may be very diffi- 



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