CHAPTER VII. 
aphth.^: epizootics foot-and-mouth disease. 
elephant-pox. 
Foot-and-mouth Disease. 
The disease, as far as I can find out, was described first by 
Gilchrist* of the Hoonsoor Cattle Depot. During the Afghan cam- 
paign Inspecting Veterinary-Surgeon Oliphantf experienced a severe 
outbreak among the elephants under his charge ; he describes it as a 
severe disease, one animal died from irritative fever, and in several 
it led to shedding of the hoof-slipper. 
Causes. — Always due to contagion from cattle or other infected 
animals. The virulent material is carried by saliva and all secretions 
and excretions. The causal agent has not yet been discovered 
microscopically. 
Period of incubation. — Thirty-six hours to three or four days. 
Duration. — In simple uncomplicated cases ten to twenty days ; 
in severe cases two or three months, or longer. 
Prognosis. — Good, except in very young animals. 
Symptoms. — The first symptom usually attracting attention is 
that the animal, according to the soreness of the mouth and degree 
of fever present, is partially or wholly off feed." In some cases 
limping may be the first symptom noticed. Fever with its attendant 
signs is present. If the mouth is examined there will be found blebs 
or bladders, technically called vesicles, varying in size from an eight- 
anna piece to a rupee or even larger, and containing a limpid 
yellowish-coloured fluid which later may become turbid. As the 
vesicles form the fever declines. They may appear simultaneously on 
the tongue, palate, cheeks, and mucous membrane of the trunk ; if 
the trunk is seriously involved there is a sero-mucoid discharge. In 
young animals, as Gilchrist and Steel point out, the eruption may 
invade the mucous membrane of the bowels, giving rise to severe 
diarrhoea, exhaustion and death. In from eighteen to thirty-six 
* " History and Treatment of Diseases of the Elephant," by W. Gilchrist, 1841 
and 1848. 
t" Quarterly Journal of Veterinary Science in India," Vol. I, 1882-83. 
