552 Disease among Cattle. 
the case, so far as diagnostic symptoms are concerned, are quite 
unknown. The effects of the disease, however, as revealed by 
dissection, are well known — at least as many as twelve individu- 
als were examined after death, and they all showed the same class 
of diseased organs. A remarkable fact, however, ought not to 
be passed over unnoticed; it is, that all the cases of disease oc- 
curred in a herd confined in one pasture. The first case was that 
of an ox brought from Ohio ; and subsequently others were attacked 
and died, which were purchased in Washington county, N. Y. 
As I have already said, the disease came suddenly, and death 
speedily followed; and as I can say nothing more of the symptoms, 
I will proceed to state the results of the post mortem examinations. 
The first organ which appeared in a diseased condition, was the 
spleen. It is difficult, however, to convey an idea of the state of 
this organ, or even to form an opinion whether its abnormal state 
was a cause of death, or merely one of the effects of the disease.' 
It was enormously enlarged, and in one or two instances would 
fill a half-bushel measure, and must have weighed many pounds 
more than when in its natural state. Still the appearances were 
not those of inflammation, but of a monstrous engorgement of its 
blood vessels, as if being a sort of waste gate it had received 
its load of blood for the purpose of relieving the neighboring 
diseased organs. At first sight it appeared much like a large and 
elongated clot of blood. But on a close inspection the investing 
membrane and the highly distended vascular system became visi- 
ble. The organ appeared, however, softened and more tender 
than natural — but the most prominent fact was its enormous en- 
gorgement. A casual observer would be very likely to stop his 
examination with this discovery, inasmuch as it would seem to 
account for the death of the ox ; it would appear to be enough to 
cause death without another derangement, and inasmuch too as 
externally, the neighboring organs scarcely exhibited marks of 
serious mischief Inspection, however, revealed a more serious 
derangement than that of the spleen. This derangement was in 
the mucous or inner membrane of the small intestines. In every 
instance these were in different states of disease; some parts of the 
membrane were thickened simply; in others not only a thickness 
existed, but superficial ulcerations had began to form, and was ac- 
companied with contraction of the tube; in other parts the in- 
flammation manifested itself in a slight degree of redness, and of 
a vascularity above the natural color and standard. The large 
intestines did not partake of this diseased action; neither did the 
large stomach or paunch. It commenced generally in the fourth 
stomach, and the intensity of the disease W'as greater at this ex- 
tremity of the canal. Those who have seen inflammation of the 
mucous surfaces, will very readily call to mind the prominent cha- 
