374 DISEASES LOCALIZED IN CERTAIN ORGANS 



often a mucopurulent nasal discharge stained with blood. 

 The feces are dark and dry; later a profuse fetid diarrhea 

 develops. On percussion (which is painful) over the affected 

 side an extensive area of dulness may be detected. On 

 auscultation bronchial tones and rales and occasionally fric- 

 tional sounds are heard. If the consolidated area is not near 

 the lung surface, however, percussion and auscultation are 

 negative. The abnormal respirations are best heard after 

 exercising the patient. 



In fatal cases the patient rapidly emaciates, becomes hide- 

 bound, anemic, cachectic and dies of exhaustion in three to 

 six weeks. 



If recovery occur, it generally takes place gradually and is 

 not always complete, the patient remaining unthrifty for a 

 long time. 



Diagnosis. — Intra vitam a positive diagnosis is very dim- 

 cult or impossible. Usually only a careful necropsy will 

 establish beyond doubt the existence of the disorder. A clear 

 history of the prevalence of the disease in the country or 

 community, the insidious onset, the fact that only a portion 

 of the cattle are attacked at the same time and the clinical 

 evidence of pneumonia are very suggestive if not convincing. 



Lung plague can be confused with: 



(a) Hemorrhagic Septicemia {Pectoral Form). — While this 

 disease usually has a sudden onset, is much more acute 

 and attacks larger numbers of animals simultaneously, some 

 acute cases of lung plague may greatly resemble it not only 

 clinically but on necropsy. In doubtful cases only a bac- 

 teriological examination (finding bipolar bacillus; animal 

 inoculation) will determine. 



(b) Tuberculosis {Pulmonary) may be confused with a 

 chronic case of lung plague. The absence of continued fever, 

 lack of pleural symptoms, the even more chronic course of 

 tuberculosis and the results of the tuberculin test usually 

 suffice to differentiate between the two. However, lung 

 plague and tuberculosis may occur concomitantly in the same 

 animal. 



(c) Pneumomycosis {Aspergillosis of the Lungs) is rare in 

 cattle, affects most often birds. The development is very 



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