30 ON MURRAIN, OR THE VESICULAR EPIZOOTIC. 
class of patients that suffers most severely seems to be milk- 
cows, especially such as have newly calved. In these, the 
udder is almost invariably the principal seat of the disease, and 
often takes on acute inflammation. Animals brought up in a 
highly artificial condition are often severely attacked, just as, in 
the human subject, weakly and delicate children often, have the 
various eruptive affections, such as measles and scartet fever, 
in an unusually aggravated form. 
Cases in which the same animal is affected by the disease a 
second time are rare. When, however, they do occur, they are 
generally much milder, and less protracted than the first attack. 
In damp seasons, especially in wet undrained districts and 
on soft marshy soils, the lameness is the most prominent and the 
most serious symptom ; and by the irritation it induces, aggra- 
vates the constitutional fever, and leads to the formation of 
sinuses between the sensible and insensible parts of the foot, 
besides laying bare the ligaments, the synovial bursae, and even 
the bones. 
The symptoms are generally of an aggravated character when 
the disease happens to attack animals that have been driven 
long distances, or have been travelling about from fair to fair. 
Such animals, being jaded and worn-out, are ill able to with- 
stand the assaults of the disease ; their sore and battered feet 
become intensely inflamed ; and although they may recover 
from the immediate effects of the disease, they are often rendered 
ultimately useless, by extensive ulcerations and sloughings of 
the hoof, and sometimes of the ligaments and synovial bursae. 
Duration . — In cattle, the duration of the disease is generally 
about twelve or fifteen days ; but where the feet and udder 
escape, or are slightly affected, it is generally somewhat shorter. 
In sheep and pigs, the malady seldom extends over eight days. 
When, from the severity of the disease, or the neglect of proper 
means of relief, complications present themselves — when sup- 
puration of the feet or udder takes place — the case will some- 
times be very troublesome, and its treatment require long care 
and perseverance. 
Diagnosis . — The vesicular epizootic can scarcely be mistaken 
for any other disease. It is easily distinguished from aphthae 
or thrush, by the presence of vesicles in the interdigital spaces. 
It is also easily distinguished from inflammation of the tongue, 
otherwise called gloss-anthrax or blain, by the rapidity with 
which that disease runs its course, by the extreme swelling of 
the tongue, by the dark livid appearance of the vesicles, and by 
the absence of lameness. 
The use of the flesh and milk of infected animals as food . — 
It has often been asserted, that it is improper and unsafe to use 
