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DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



There sometimes exists a physical and psychical depression which 

 is quite marked ; the patients hold the head low and lean it against 

 the surrounding objects, or extend it when in a decubital position. 

 They show a tendency to lateral and forward movements, and also 

 backward action. In some cases they are very excitable and be- 

 come seared at the least noise. They grind the teeth ; the jaws 

 are agitated or spasmodically contracted (Schutz). Kotelmann has 

 observed trismus from the third day of the attack in twenty-two 

 sheep affected with lupinosis. 



At the beginning defecation is rare and the excrements hard ; 

 they are coated with a yellowish mucus, which afterward becomes 

 pitchy dark-brown from the blood mixed with it ; diarrhea may 

 set in later. 



Micturition is frequent and in small quantity ; the urine is of a 

 yellowish color ; it contains ordinarily the coloring matter of bile, 

 bilious acids, and albumin. Epithelial, renal, and vesical cells are 

 found in it, also round cells and renal casts of different kinds. 



Respiration, which is regular at the start, becomes accelerated 

 and painful (100 and more per minute). In some sheep we may 

 observe a nasal mucous or spumo-bloody discharge. 



The average duration of the disease is from four to five days, 

 but death may happen in twenty-four to forty-eight hours ; it is 

 caused by the rapid emaciation and extreme weakness of the 

 patients. 



When the affection is likely to end in a cure, the symptoms 

 become lighter, and disappear more or less rapidly. Sometimes 

 the improvement is only apparent, and the disease ends in cachexia. 



Chronic lupinosis, produced by a prolonged use of moderately 

 toxic plants, ordinarily develops without icterus, with the clinical 

 symptoms of anemia and cachexia. Roloff has often detected catarrh 

 of the nasal and conjunctival mucous membrane; in some cases 

 cutaneous phlegmasia occurs, also scabs upon the lips and ears. 

 Ziirn mentions an inflammatory tumefaction of certain parts of the 

 head (eyelids, lips, ears), with exudation of a yellowish liquid and 

 the formation of crusts. 



Prognosis. The prognosis is very serious. In cases where the 

 disease is produced by lupin the toxic property of which is rela- 

 tively weak, and when consumption of this plant is immediately 

 suppressed, we may hope for a cure ; but acute cases of lupinosis 

 almost always terminate in death. 



