CHAPTER XIII. 
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. 
CONTAGIOUS disease is one that may be trans 
mitted from one animal to another. To use a com 
mon expression, it is "catching." Transmission fron: 
one animal to the other may be accomplished in thret 
ways: (1) by coming on actual contact, thus allowing the 
disease germ to pass from the one to the other, (2) by com- 
ing in contact with some object carrying germs because of 
being in contact with the diseased animal, or (3) by breath- 
ing or remaining in the air containing germs of disease. 
1. Contagious Pleuro-Pneumonia. 
This, as the name suggests, is an inflammation of the 
lungs and their covering— the pleura. It was formerly more 
common than at present. 
It was first noticed in Prussia in 1802, Russia in 1824, 
England in 1841, and America in 1843. It is a very con- 
tagious disease in cattle, but never aflfects other animals. If 
an animal once gets over this disease it will never get it again. 
When there is an outbreak it spreads very rapidly, by the 
germs of the disease being carried about in different ways. 
Symptoms.— The first symptom is fever. The tempera- 
ture goes as high as 105 degrees. The animal will remain 
feverish for a week or so, snd also have a cough, as if from 
a slight cold. After this there is inflammation of the lungs 
and their covering. By listening at the sides you will hear 
the peculiar grating sound tliat is heard in inflammation of 
these parts. The animal breathes heavy and quick, falls off 
rapidly in condition, refuses to eat, becomes hide bound, and 
there is a discharge from the nostrils of a whitish color, which 
has a very bad smell. The pulse runs up higher and becomes 
weaker; the nose is dry, and the animal lies on its breast bone 
most of the time. Sometimes there is diarrhoea, then costive- 
ness. The eyes become dull and the animal soon dies. When 
one animal in a herd becomes aflfected with this disease the 
whole herd will soon become affected and die, and if it is not 
checked soon spreads all over the country. 
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