348 
JOHN M. PARKER. 
cases it reaches a fatal termination in from eight to ten hours. 
Three cases have come under my notice where the calves 
were seemingly well in the evening and were found dead the 
following morning. 
In simple dyspeptic diarrhoea, while the symptoms may 
sometimes develop as rapidly, they are yet not so severe ; 
there is not the sunken,appearance of the eyes ; the calf does 
not lie in the same semi-comatose condition ; there is not the 
same evidence of nervous depression ; but it appears brighter, 
pays more attention to surrounding objects, there is no rise 
in the temperature, and the appetite is not entirelv gone. 
The prognosis in all diarrhoeal diseases should be guarded 
if the symptoms are severe ; if the patient lies in a comatose 
condition, with no appetite, sunken eyes and profuse diar¬ 
rhoea, especially if the hygienic conditions are poor, then the 
prognosis is unfavorable ; if, on the contrary, the appetite is 
not altogether gone, if the eyes are bright, and the hygienic 
conditions and sanitary surroundings are good, the prognosis 
is much more favorable. 
Post-mortem Appearances .—In making autopsies on calves 
dying from this disease one cannot help noticing the marked 
absence of lesions when compared with the great severity of 
the symptoms. This is fully accounted for, however, when 
we remember that the process is not inflammatory, but 
through acute fermentation in the gastro-intestinal tract a 
poisonous substance is produced, which affects primarily the 
nerve centers, causing nervous depression and heart failure. 
If this process were continued for a sufficient length of time 
inflammatory changes would take place ; as it is, death usu¬ 
ally occurs before the inflammatory lesions are sufficiently 
well marked to be noticeable to the naked eye. 
In ten post-mortem examinations which I have made in 
calves dying from “ acute mycotic diarrhoea,” the examina¬ 
tions were held within a few hours after death, and the ap¬ 
pearances observed were in all cases practically the same. 
The first thing that strikes one in looking at the body is 
the rapidity with which emaciation has gone on, and the com¬ 
pletely collapsed condition of the abdominal walls. The eyes 
are sunken ; there is discharge from both eyes and nose ; the 
