78 
Hereditary Diseases of Cattle. 
and protracted in its duration. In cattle, too, it is often attended 
by suppuration — a circumstance never observed in tbe horse, 
and but seldom in man. As in the horse, rheumatism some- 
times attacks one part, sometimes another. When confined to 
the fascize and tendons of the muscles of the back it constitutes 
the " body-garget " or " chine-fellon " of the older cow-leeclies. 
This form of rheumatism is indicated by soreness along the 
course of the spine, general stiffness, arching of the back, 
tucking up of the belly, a hard, unpliant state of the skin, and 
a full, strong pulse. Sometimes the digestive functions are not 
much impaired, but the bowels are usually constipated, and the 
dung hard, caked, and dark-coloured. The blood contains an 
excess of fibrinous materials, as indicated by the appearance of 
the buffy coat on the surface of the newly drawn blood : an ap- 
pearance which occurs in cattle only in this disease. This variety 
of the disease is frequent in autumn, often occurring in connexion 
with inflammation of the udder in cows in which the milk has 
been dried up, and which have been turned out to feed on damp 
pastures. The duration of rheumatism varies with its cause. 
When traceable to simple exposure to cold, it is speedily and 
easily removed ; but when depending upon constitutional causes, 
it is very tedious and difficult of cure, and often involves the 
pericardium and heart. 
Many of the most aggravated and protracted cases of rheuma- 
tism are those affecting the joints Avith their fibro-cartilaginous 
pads, synovial bursae, and tendons. This variety is termed 
" joint-fcllon," or, according to professional nomenclature, "arti- 
cular rheumatism," Tlie tissues afiFected, although in health not 
very sensitive, become when diseased exceedingly so ; the 
slightest movement being, in consequence, attended by great 
pain. The lameness induced appears at first to have no definite 
seat, and to be accompanied by little or no swelling ; but after 
the inflammation has been present for some time, a hard tense 
swelling presents itself, generally in the neighbourhood of some of 
the larger joints, not, however, confined to them, but extending 
above and below them along the synovial bursal enclosing the 
tendons. In some bad cases abscesses are formed, and caries 
and necrosis of the bones occasionally ensue. Fortunately such 
serious results are not very common, being generally confined to 
those aggravated and obstinate cases in which the inflammation 
and swelling have frequently shifted their position and repeatedly 
returned to the same parts. 
Acute rheumatism often passes into the chronic state, in which 
the symptoms are less severe and of longer duration. Some of 
these cases are so slight as scarcely to interfere with general 
health, although extending over a period of some months and 
