ON INFLAMMATORY FEVER IN CATTLE. 
565 
of which they are the effects, may be most effectually obviated, or 
so modified as to assume a harmless character. Thus the claims 
of veterinary institutions, teachers, and surgeons would acquire and 
retain that support and estimation from the public to which their 
utility entitles them, seeing that their professional value would be 
evidenced, both in curing disease, or, in what is more important still, 
devising efficient means for its prevention. 
On the present occasion, 1 wish to draw the notice of your 
readers to a disease that prevails extensively among young and 
valuable animals, and when established is almost uniformly fatal ; 
but still comes to a great extent within the range of preventive 
means, and the pathology of which as given by many has appeared 
to me unsatisfactory. I merely give my opinion thereon as the 
result of investigation and observation, claiming for them no farther 
confidence than the facts and arguments I may adduce in their 
support shall warrant. 
Nature . — The disease alluded to is by veterinary authors de- 
signated inflammatory fever, but is popularly recognized by various 
other names, as black-quarter, quarter-ill, blood-striking, &c. It is 
confined, with few exceptions, to stock under two years of age; but 
is most common in calves of one year old, and consists of extravasa- 
tion of blood into various tissues of the body, accompanied with 
fever. In some situations the extravasation is so extensive as to 
induce a gangrenous appearance of the parts affected; in others it 
occurs to a slighter extent, and presents appearances more allied to 
those of ordinary inflammation. When occurring in parts where 
much cellular tissue exists (which are often most intensely affected), 
it is accompanied by extrication of gas. In attempting a farther 
description of this affection I will as concisely as possible describe first 
the symptoms and post-mortem appearances ; afterwards, undertake 
a general consideration of its causes, and other peculiarities in such 
connexion with each other as best to exemplify my ideas, from 
which the means of treatment and prevention will be deduced. 
Symptoms . — The symptoms of inflammatory fever are difficult 
of detection until the disease has acquired some degree of intensity. 
Frequently, the earliest evidence of their existence is displayed bv 
the young animal separating itself from the rest of the herd, and 
standing dejectedly in one situation and position, with somewhat 
quickened breathing, hot nose, and shewing other febrile symptoms. 
If induced to move, there is a lameness, but this is of a peculiar 
nature. The halting of the affected limb is not that which denotes 
pain, but of a character implying want of volitional power. So far, 
indeed, is this the case in a more advanced stage, that the limb or 
limbs affected are dragged, as it were, along by the other extremities. 
On examining the limb in which lameness appears seated, we 
mostly find a diffused emphysematous swelling in those parts where 
VOL. XVIII. “ 4 H 
