THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC AMONG CATTLE. 81 
the summer when it first appeared here) the febrile symptoms run 
high. 
Secondly; I really cannot say, having seen it reversed in so 
many different animals. 
10. I have said that in many it first discovered itself by an in- 
creased secretion of saliva, vesicles on the tongue, and often much 
febrile excitement. Commonly the discharge of saliva increases un- 
til about the third or fourth day, as does the number and size of the 
vesicles, and also the febrile symptoms, of which the pulse is cha- 
racteristic, ranging, in mild cases, from 50 to 60, but in many 
others from that to 100. In like manner, we have in some a weak 
pulse, which indicates any thing but venesection; but in others 
(especially in the early part of the summer) we had a bounding 
and rapid pulse, in which cases early depletion was resorted to 
with evident success. Indeed, so high did the febrile excitement 
run, and so bounding and rapid was the pulse in the animals first 
attacked in this neighbourhood, that, with but few exceptions, I 
had recourse to venesection. More recently, the disease seems to 
have assumed a different character, typhoid symptoms, &c., and I 
have pursued almost an opposite course, with nearly uniform suc- 
cess; namely, by supporting the animal with plenty of food of a 
mild character, and the administration of stimulants and tonics. 
Two died in the early part of the summer, being the first that 
had the disease here (except one, as I have already stated, that 
was attacked in March). They had been ill several days before 
I saw them. One was bled and the other not. 
The post-mortem appearances closely resembled those presented 
in animals that have died under bronchitis. The bronchial tubes 
were filled with frothy mucus, and the poor beasts died from suffo- 
cation. In these cases the primary symptoms became aggravated, 
the tongue assumed a gangrenous appearance, the breath was very 
offensive, the respiration became very laborious, and then followed 
exhaustion, suffocation, and death. But, as these are the onlv 
cases that have terminated fatally in my practice, my experience 
in the post-mortem appearances is necessarily limited. 
11. I have above referred to venesection. As to aperients, I 
have not had recourse to them in half-a-dozen instances, and never 
without the state of the bowels requiring it, which you will per- 
ceive has not been commonly the case with my patients. Fe- 
brifuge medicines have, and in the early stages particularly, been 
productive of most service. As to the vesicles on the gums and 
the ulcerations on the feet, the treatment would differ little from 
that of “ thrush in the mouth,” or “ foul in the foot.” Of course, I 
have no objection to stronger applications to the feet or mouth if 
necessary. 
