144 LIVERPOOL VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
Some breeds of cattle are more liable to this disease than others, 
especially those that are heavy-boned, clumsy looking animals, the 
gelatineous tissues having a greater demand on the fibrin of the 
blood, thus reducing it below the proper standard, and therefore 
predisposing the animal to disease of a typhoid character. 
It also appears to be indigenous to certain farms, usually where 
the land is undrained and the herbage coarse, rough, and innutri¬ 
tive. It seldom appears on farms where drainage and better 
cultivation has improved the quality of the pasture. 
Symptoms of Black Quarter. 
They are often in the first stage very obscure, and thus much 
valuable time is lost before any effectual treatment is resorted to. 
The first premonitory sympton usually noticed in this disease 
is a vague and listless expression of the face—eyes dull, ears hang 
heavy, and the animal if affected in one of its legs, limps on being 
made to move; and is generally found separated from the rest of 
the herd. These symptoms should be always viewed with suspicion, 
and a careful examination instituted. 
The pulse will now be found to beat irregular; in some cases 
can hardly be felt, while in others, will be as high as 100 per 
minute ; the mouth will be hot and clammy; visible mucous mem¬ 
branes congested, bowels torpid, urine scanty and very high 
coloured, rumination ceased, the animal disinclined to be moved, has 
a staggering gait and lame of the disease is located in the extremity, 
the effected part becomes enormously swollen, the limb almost 
incapable of motion, and dragged along the ground. Pressure 
being applied to the part in the early stages, produces pain and 
feels hot, which is afterwards succeeded with coldness; but if the 
animal diseased has existed for any length of time, there is a 
crepitating or crackling sound heard under the skin covering the 
part affected, which is due to the decomposition of the exudation. 
Although this disease is called black leg, it is not always confined 
to the limbs and other external parts, but occassionally we meet 
with it affecting internal organs ; than many of the above symptoms 
are absent, and the case more difficult to diagnose. The animal 
will be found extremely weak, breathing accelerated, pulse in¬ 
creased, disinclined to turn round—if lying down, will not be made 
very easily to rise up—obstinate constipation of the bow T els, 
legs and ears cold, mouth hot and clammy, and death quickly 
closes the scene. The duration of the disease is rarely more 
than a few hours; animals left healthy to all appearance, at 
night, and found dead the following morning, while others will 
linger on for twenty-four or even thirty-six hours, and now and 
then will take on a subacute character, and last for several days, 
when the swelling bursts and discharges a thin foetid fluid, leaving 
very troublesome ulcerated sores, which are very difficult to heal 
up. But in these cases a good hope may be entertained of a 
recovery. 
