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An obscure disease of cattle
CLINICAL ARTICLES.
CASE V.-Did not present such extensive ecchymosis and extravasation (this animal bled profusely per rectum), and the tissues were very pale. A large extravasated spot about the size of one's hand was present under the panniculus on the left side, just over the ribs. CASE VI.-On the outside of the omasum was a large gelatinous and extravasated spot; all the mucous membrane showed extensive ecchymosis; great effusion into the muscles, glands, and tissues of the throat; the epiglottis and mucous membrane of the larynx were highly discoloured and thickened, which accounted for the difficulty of breathing in this case. C\SE VI I.-Showed large patches of gelatinous exudate and extravasated blood on the outside of the rumen; internally the pillars showed the familiar black spots, also what appeared to be large ulcerated patches about 3 inches square on the wall of the rumen, looking like a piece of brown leather, the mucous membrane being entirely removed. On the leaves of the omasum isolated spots were present; the abomasum dmtained a large blood clot weighing quite 2 lbs., and the pylorus presented that black pock-like appearance previously described. The septum nasi and turbinated bones were more or less inflamed, ulcerated, and highly discoloured. Patltology.- The conclusion corne to by farmers and others, as far as I can gather, is that it is due to the eating of fern, but I have seen similar cases in animals that were feeding on frosted turnips and hay in the winter, when no ferns were to be had . . .My own opinion is that food of a highly indigestible nature produces in some way not clearly understood a great disturbance of the .digestive and circulatory system, as indicated by the high temperature and the post-mortelll lesions which I have described in the foregoing cases. TreatJllwt.-Medicinal treatment seemed to have little if any effect in arresting the progress of the disease. I do not attribute the recovery of the cow which I have recorded to the treatment, but to the mildness of the attack and the power of resistance in the animal. as the other cows which recovered were undoubtedly badly affected, and had no treatment whatever. Pre'vOltlzlC lI£easures must consist in recommending that cattle, in a season such as we have passed through, or on land where herbage is bad, should not be allowed to cxist merely on what they can gather in the fields, but that they should have constant access to water and a supply of artificial food sufficient to keep the body in a state of health and vigour.
A NOB S CUR E
DIS E A S E
0 F
CAT T L E.
By JOHN FREEMAN, Junr., F.R.C.V.S., Dublin. HAVE lately encountered in my practice a disease that I fail to find pescribed in any veterinary work on cattle, but in the Cyclopa:dia of the practice of medicine by Dr Von Ziemssen of l\iunich I find described, under the head of purpura variolosa, and variola ha:morrhagica. a disease of the human subject, which, from its symptoms,
CLINI CAL ARTICLES.
course, and post-mortem appearances, appears to me to be closely allied to the affection in question. SYmptollls.-Animal li stless and out of sorts; constipation, followed by the passage of blood-stain ed fzeces, resembling in appearance a blood pudding; temperature lOS ' to lOS' F., mostly Jo6r ; in some cases petechial spots in the nose, from which there flo ws a bloodstained discharge. As the disease advances the' diarrhcea becomes offensive, and prior to death the animal loses control of the voluntary muscles, and dies as if suffering from stomach staggers. In other cases nothing was noticed wro ng with the animals until they were found dead , the body being very e mphysematous, with blood passing from anus, vulva, and nostril s. Treatlllmt.-In cattle in contact with the affected beasts I used chlorate of potass., sod a: hyposulph., and ferri sui ph.; and changed the pasture. This seemed t o check the disease. COJldition of Soil and TT "lter.-AIl the cases that cam e under my observation occurred on m o untain districts where the g rasses were coarse, but good feeding la nd, a nd where the supply of w a ter was all that could be desired, with n o possibility of conta mina tion owing to the situation. lllortality.-vVhere the tempe ra ture was very abnorma l d eath usually resulted in about 24 hours ; in some cases they lingered on fo r a few days. P ost-lIlortem Appeara1'lces.- These vary to some extent. Externally we find the carcase enormously swollen and e mphysematous, with blood-stained mucous escapin g from nostrils, and blood from anus and vulva, very similar to the di sch arge seen in anthrax. Internally we find the pericardium, pleura cost alis, diaphragm, m esentery, omentum, stomach, and all serous membranes covered with petechial spots, and hze morrhages in parts, varying in size from a millet- seed to a fivc~ shilling piece. The hea rt is soft and flabby, as is also the liver; the kidneys in all cases v ery soft, disintegrated, and a nzemic ; rapid deco mposition tak es place. The lungs were not in volved, cxcept the pleura pulmon a lis, whe re petechial spots we re o bserved . Splecn norm al in size, but very d ark in colour o n sectio n.
RUPTURE OF THE TRANSVERSALIS ABDOMINIS MUSCLES.
By JOHN M ALCOLM. F.R.C.V.S., Birmingha m. IN a recent issue of thi s J ourn al there appeared the description of a very unique and interestin g case of rupture o f th e transversalis abdominis, reported by Veterin a ry-C aptain Smith. As th a t is the only case, so far as I kno w, o n record of such a lesio n, p erhaps, the na rra tion of a som ewhat simila r case which occurred in a mare here some time ago ma y n o t be \\'ithou t interest. The subject was a n aged mare, nearly worn out. S he had ~ome irregularities of the mola r t ee th, which interfered with mastication, and as she was still deem ed capable of some months' w ork I decided on ope-r ating with the view of allevi ation. I had the mare cast, th e offending protuberant porti ons of teeth
CASE V.-Did not present such extensive ecchymosis and extravasation (this animal bled profusely per rectum), and the tissues were very pale. A large extravasated spot about the size of one's hand was present under the panniculus on the left side, just over the ribs. CASE VI.-On the outside of the omasum was a large gelatinous and extravasated spot; all the mucous membrane showed extensive ecchymosis; great effusion into the muscles, glands, and tissues of the throat; the epiglottis and mucous membrane of the larynx were highly discoloured and thickened, which accounted for the difficulty of breathing in this case. C\SE VI I.-Showed large patches of gelatinous exudate and extravasated blood on the outside of the rumen; internally the pillars showed the familiar black spots, also what appeared to be large ulcerated patches about 3 inches square on the wall of the rumen, looking like a piece of brown leather, the mucous membrane being entirely removed. On the leaves of the omasum isolated spots were present; the abomasum dmtained a large blood clot weighing quite 2 lbs., and the pylorus presented that black pock-like appearance previously described. The septum nasi and turbinated bones were more or less inflamed, ulcerated, and highly discoloured. Patltology.- The conclusion corne to by farmers and others, as far as I can gather, is that it is due to the eating of fern, but I have seen similar cases in animals that were feeding on frosted turnips and hay in the winter, when no ferns were to be had . . .My own opinion is that food of a highly indigestible nature produces in some way not clearly understood a great disturbance of the .digestive and circulatory system, as indicated by the high temperature and the post-mortelll lesions which I have described in the foregoing cases. TreatJllwt.-Medicinal treatment seemed to have little if any effect in arresting the progress of the disease. I do not attribute the recovery of the cow which I have recorded to the treatment, but to the mildness of the attack and the power of resistance in the animal. as the other cows which recovered were undoubtedly badly affected, and had no treatment whatever. Pre'vOltlzlC lI£easures must consist in recommending that cattle, in a season such as we have passed through, or on land where herbage is bad, should not be allowed to cxist merely on what they can gather in the fields, but that they should have constant access to water and a supply of artificial food sufficient to keep the body in a state of health and vigour.
A NOB S CUR E
DIS E A S E
0 F
CAT T L E.
By JOHN FREEMAN, Junr., F.R.C.V.S., Dublin. HAVE lately encountered in my practice a disease that I fail to find pescribed in any veterinary work on cattle, but in the Cyclopa:dia of the practice of medicine by Dr Von Ziemssen of l\iunich I find described, under the head of purpura variolosa, and variola ha:morrhagica. a disease of the human subject, which, from its symptoms,
CLINI CAL ARTICLES.
course, and post-mortem appearances, appears to me to be closely allied to the affection in question. SYmptollls.-Animal li stless and out of sorts; constipation, followed by the passage of blood-stain ed fzeces, resembling in appearance a blood pudding; temperature lOS ' to lOS' F., mostly Jo6r ; in some cases petechial spots in the nose, from which there flo ws a bloodstained discharge. As the disease advances the' diarrhcea becomes offensive, and prior to death the animal loses control of the voluntary muscles, and dies as if suffering from stomach staggers. In other cases nothing was noticed wro ng with the animals until they were found dead , the body being very e mphysematous, with blood passing from anus, vulva, and nostril s. Treatlllmt.-In cattle in contact with the affected beasts I used chlorate of potass., sod a: hyposulph., and ferri sui ph.; and changed the pasture. This seemed t o check the disease. COJldition of Soil and TT "lter.-AIl the cases that cam e under my observation occurred on m o untain districts where the g rasses were coarse, but good feeding la nd, a nd where the supply of w a ter was all that could be desired, with n o possibility of conta mina tion owing to the situation. lllortality.-vVhere the tempe ra ture was very abnorma l d eath usually resulted in about 24 hours ; in some cases they lingered on fo r a few days. P ost-lIlortem Appeara1'lces.- These vary to some extent. Externally we find the carcase enormously swollen and e mphysematous, with blood-stained mucous escapin g from nostrils, and blood from anus and vulva, very similar to the di sch arge seen in anthrax. Internally we find the pericardium, pleura cost alis, diaphragm, m esentery, omentum, stomach, and all serous membranes covered with petechial spots, and hze morrhages in parts, varying in size from a millet- seed to a fivc~ shilling piece. The hea rt is soft and flabby, as is also the liver; the kidneys in all cases v ery soft, disintegrated, and a nzemic ; rapid deco mposition tak es place. The lungs were not in volved, cxcept the pleura pulmon a lis, whe re petechial spots we re o bserved . Splecn norm al in size, but very d ark in colour o n sectio n.
RUPTURE OF THE TRANSVERSALIS ABDOMINIS MUSCLES.
By JOHN M ALCOLM. F.R.C.V.S., Birmingha m. IN a recent issue of thi s J ourn al there appeared the description of a very unique and interestin g case of rupture o f th e transversalis abdominis, reported by Veterin a ry-C aptain Smith. As th a t is the only case, so far as I kno w, o n record of such a lesio n, p erhaps, the na rra tion of a som ewhat simila r case which occurred in a mare here some time ago ma y n o t be \\'ithou t interest. The subject was a n aged mare, nearly worn out. S he had ~ome irregularities of the mola r t ee th, which interfered with mastication, and as she was still deem ed capable of some months' w ork I decided on ope-r ating with the view of allevi ation. I had the mare cast, th e offending protuberant porti ons of teeth