Live Stock. 



232 



[March, 1910, 



discharges from the eyes, nose and 

 mouth become thicker and profuse, and 

 the skin of the muzzle cracks. 



At this stage grinding of the teeth is 

 a constant symptom, and if the mouth 

 is examined the mucous membrane is of 

 a salmon pink colour, and in many cases 

 white epithelial concretions are present 

 on the inner sides of the lips, dental pad 

 and gums. These concretions are of 

 the consistency of cream cheese and 

 have a bran-like appearance. They vary 

 much in abundance, in some cases 

 being very scanty, in others they cover 

 the whole of the mucous membrane 

 of the mouth. In some cases these 

 bran-like concretions are absent, but 

 small ulcers are present on the lips 

 and dental pad. The mouth has invari- 

 ably a peculiar fetid odour. Emaciation 

 advances rapidly, the belly is tender 

 and pain id manifested if it be pressed ; 

 the bowels which at first were slightly 

 constipated become relaxed, and diar- 

 rhoea sets in about the second day after 

 visible symptoms of sickness appeared. 

 The fseces are at first greenish and 

 later on become increasingly liquid, 

 fetid and of a dirty brown colour. 

 Straining is constant, and at a late stage 

 the fluid faeces are very dark, usually 

 contain blood and are discharged in- 

 voluntarily, the anus becoming per- 

 manently relaxed ; and tail an.i hind 

 quarters are covered with the faeces 

 which cause excoriation of the skin. 

 The breathing is accelerated, with a 

 clicking sound during expiration. There 

 is always great thirst, the animal will 

 remain close to water and drink 

 frequently. Emaciation and loss of 

 strength are rapid, and weakness is very 

 marked, the animal staggering when 

 walking. At a later stage the animal 

 remains lying down and is too weak to 

 rise. Death occurs either with con- 

 vulsions or in a semi-comatose condition. 

 The odour of an animal suffering from 

 Rinderpest is characteristic. 



In a virulent outbreak of Rinderpest 

 death occurs from the sixth to the 

 ninth day, but in countries where 

 Rinderpest has a permanent home, or in 

 which disease is dying out, the majority 

 suffer a mild attack and recover, only 

 those animals which are most suscep- 

 tible contracting it. The probable cause 

 of this is that the virus in passing 

 through so many animals has become 

 somewhat weakened. 



In cases of this kind a common 

 symptom is a skin affection which 

 appears during the course of the disease. 

 An eruption appears on the skin which 

 dries, forming a sort of crust, and at 



various parts of the body — chiefly the 

 face, neck, udder, thighs and arms — 

 warty-looking growths appear. 



Post-Mortem Appearances. — On exam- 

 ining the carcase of an animal which has 

 recently died of Rinderpest the first 

 thing noticeable is the peculiar foetid 

 odour, the body is much emaciated, the 

 muzzle is cracked and covered with a 

 dirty discharge from the nostrils, the 

 eyes are sunken and the discharge from 

 them adheres to the face scalding, the 

 skin is scurfy, and the eruption and 

 concretions may be piesent. The anus 

 is soiled with dark-coloured liquid faece 

 which cover the tail and thighs causing 

 erosion of the skin. A slimy mucous 

 deposit covers the lining of the mouth, 

 which is congested, swollen and detached 

 in places leaving erosions of various 

 depths ; these are most common on the 

 tongue, inside lips and dental pad. The 

 barn-like concretions may be present, or 

 the epithelial lining of the mouth may 

 hang in shreds leaving low ulcerated 

 looking patches. The membrane lining 

 the nostrils is swollen and congested, 

 covered with mucous, and abrasions and 

 ulcers are present about the nasal 

 openings. 



The posterior part of the mouth 

 (Pharynx and Latynx) are invariably 

 highly congested, covered with slimy 

 mucous, and ulcers of various sizes are 

 present. On opening the carcase the 

 lungs may be normal, though emphy- 

 sema is frequently present. 



It is in the abdominal cavity that 

 characteristic lesions are manifested. 

 The Peritoneum is congested and may 

 be covered with small red spots ; it 

 usually contains some yellowish fluid. 

 The first, second and third stomachs 

 show but little change, though there 

 may be some slight congestion and 

 thickening of the mucous membrane. 



The fourth stomach (abomasum) is 

 invariably the seat of extensive lesions. 

 The mucous membrane is much inflamed, 

 especially that half of it out of which 

 the intestines lead (Pyloric portion). 

 The colour varies from blood red to 

 portwine colour, the folds are much 

 thickened, and ulcers are frequent in 

 the Pyloric Portion. (These ulcers occur 

 in other diseases also.} These ulcers are 

 in different stages, some of them just 

 commencing as small red spots, others 

 of longer standing appear as dark eroded 

 sores. 



The small intestines are congested and 

 inflamed. These lesions vary ; in the 

 majority of cases the entire lining of 

 the bowel is covered with small red 

 spots and a large amount of greyish 



