324 
THE LATE EPIDEMIC DISEASE IN FRANCE. 
dinous insertion of the extensor muscles, as well as all the adjacent 
parts of these organs, which are also threatened with exfoliation 
and total loss, either from the same cause, or by contact with the 
atmosphere, or some irritating substances. 
The loss of the insertion of the internal round extensor muscle 
of the foot is that which is most to be feared, and most serious : 
it is, in fact, this muscle stretching itself over the first and second 
phalangian, as well as on the synovial capsule that unites them. 
In this case, the articulation is found open, the synovia escapes, 
the cartilage becomes roughened, the other ligaments exfoliate, 
and the bones generally are attacked by necrosis. This disease 
is then incurable, uniess it should be only one foot that is 
attacked. It is necessary to hasten the removal of this evil. If 
several bones are attacked, no other course can be taken than to 
destroy the cow, either for the butcher or salting tub. In order to 
make the different circumstances that accompany this disease of 
the feet in epizootics understood, I will narrate three cases that 
occurred among the cattle of which I had the care. M. Le 
Petit, mayor of Deux-Juneaux, had twenty cows, seven of which, 
after twenty days’ previous disease of the feet, fell, and were not 
again able to rise. They were separated from the others. At 
the end of a week, four of them had very much improved, 
and were sent back to the herd. The three others, who were not 
cured, had appeared, at the commencement of the case, although 
lying down, yet not so ill as the four first. Their feet were less 
swollen. Nevertheless they could not, or would not get up, and 
it was necessary to beat them, or to have them worried by a 
dog, in order to make them rise. When standing up, their 
respiration became difficult, and they were almost suffocated. 
They could not walk ten steps without falling down again, after 
which it was absolutely impossible to make them rise any 
more. 
On examining the feet of these three cows, in two of the first, in 
three of the second, and in four of the third (in the parts of the 
feet which 1 have already pointed out) a portion of the diseased 
integument sloughed off from the pastern. A strong eschar was 
then formed by the skin and the transversal ligament, which 
peeled off if those who had the care of them did not hasten to 
take it off. In the first of these cows, after the eschar of the 
wounds of the two hinder feet had come off, it was not long 
before the tendons, as well as the ligaments, separated. This 
took place in the four hoofs at the same time ; so that when they 
were pressed, the articulation of the first phalangian, together 
with the second, became open, permitting a great quantity of 
synovia and of corrupted blood, to escape, containing many 
