ABSTRACTS. 81

There was no swelling around the site of operation in the rectum, or pain on defrecation or on manual examination.

He therefore regards this operation as of a great value, although not entirely free from danger. Nevertheless he has successfully performed it several times without disinfecting the rectum or trocar, the rectum being simply washed out with clean water and the trocar placed in carbolic solution. Whenever possible he recommends washing out the bowel with t per cent. lysol or creolin solution and immersing the trocar and canula in a 3 per cent. solution of the same character. Formerly he used the trocar intended for tapping the chest, but as he found it too short for convenient handling he has for wme years employed a special trocar with a 16 inch canula. The shield is fixed about Ii inches distant from the handle, so that if necessary a rubber tube can be affixed for the purpose of injecting fluid. The point of the stilette extends nearly an inch beyond the canula, which is 5 mm. in diameter. He wou'd prefer a narrower trocar were it not that this would render the instru­ment too pliable. On account of the double thickness of intestine to be pierced the stilette must extend about Ii inches beyond the canula. The entire instrument might with advantage be made 18 inches in length (Berliner Theirarztliche TVochenschrift, 7th January 1904, p. 27).

MALIGNANT CATARRHAL FEVER OF THE OX.

IN almost all treatises dealing with this disease the symptoms are described as follows: At first rigor:>, slaring c<Jat, loss of appetite, constipation, high temperature, cessation in secretion of milk, dulness intermitting with periods of excitement. irregular distribution of surface temperature, abnormal warmth around the base of the horns and around the coronets, stiffness in moving, marked redness of the viSible mucous membranes of the head, and slight discharge from the eyes, nose, and mouth; on the second or third day severe swelling of the eyelids and marked lachrymation, photophobia, turbidity of the cornea, severe salivatIon. muco-purulent discharge from the nose, and marked falling off in the general condition; two or three days later slight increase in the turbidity of the cornea, croupous-diphtheritic deposits on the respiratory mucous membranes, rattling breathing, diarrhcea, difficulty in urination, croupous diphtheritic deposits on the vagina, eruptions on the surface of the skin, loss of strength and body weight, continued lying down. loosening and ultimate loss of the horns, convulsions, and death. Another form of the disease, which lasts longer and is accompanied by frequent relapses, has been described. The prognosis is regarded as unfavourable.

The post-mortem appearances are in accordance with the symptoms: keratitis, extravasations into the chambers of the eye, turbidity of the lens, croupous-diphtheritic deposits on, and ulceration of, the mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive, genital, and urinary organs, congestion of the brain and its envelopes, hremorrhages. enlargement of the mesenteric lymphatic glands, and thickish but fluid condition of the blood.

The diseases with which malignant catarrhal fever may be confused are as follows: Rinderpest, tuberculous basilar meningitis, dysentery, periodic ophthalmia, and rhinitis fibrinosa.

As in all diseases which usually prove fatal, many different methods of treatment have been recommended, comprising bleeding, the use of hellebore in the form of plugs inserted under the chm, medicated mhalatiom, the administration of tartar emetic, nitrate ot potash, etc., sawing off of the horns, washing with vmegar, application of poultices to the head, trephining, the admimstration of creolin, carbolic acid, and antipyretics by the mouth, and the intravenous injection of argentum colloidale, etc.

F

ABSTRACTS.

Regarding the cause of catarrhal fever, most authors agree in believing that the disease only attacks bovine animals, is infectious, though very slightly or not at all contagious; that it rarely assumes an enzootic form but is always sporadic; that the cause is a micro organism, different, however, from that of diphthena; that dirt, moisture, and want of drainage favour the disease; that young and well-nourished animals are most subject; that the disease is commonest in sprmg and occurs at all elevations; finally, that the cause previously suggested, viz., th~ action of cold, has only a predisposing effect.

The period of incubation is from three to four weeks. The exact cause of the disease is still unknown. In the Canton of Graubunden 45,000 animals are usually insured. In the

year 1898, 39 of these died of the disease; in 1899, 57; in 1900, 109; in 1901, 96; and in 1902, 106; altogether 407 beasts. In Zurich about 94,738 animals were insured, and of these only 5 were attacked by the disease. In 1900 some 90,855 were insured, and of these only 3 were affected.

The writer describes several cases both of a typical and an atypical character, particulars of which were supplied by his colleague, Meissen of Disentis. It is remarkable that amongst all these cases only one displayed the typical symptoms of malignant catarrhal fever, the others exhibiting a mixture of symptoms which rendered the diagnosis of the disease extremely difficult. This one animal showed the following appearances: sudden onset of diarrhcea, the dejections being thin, of a repulsive odour, and often blood stained; high fever, the temperature rising to 42° centigrade; quiet breathing. slightly accelerated pulse, loss of appetite, great thirst, slight reddening of the visible mucous membrane, dulness alternating with periods of restle~sness, staring gaze, watery discharge from the eyes, transparency of the cornea, change in the shape of the bulbus, the cornea being thrust forward in a pointed form indicating pressure in the postocular space. After the second or third day the animal seemed in constant danger of suddt:n death, especially when forced to move.

On post·mortem examination the mucous membranes were found to be only slightly redder than normal, the lungs were cedematous, the blood was dark, the heart dilated, the brain cedematous and dotted with apoplectic points, the stomach and bowels exhibited signs of intense gastro enteritis, the liver was friable and the gall bladder enlarged, but the spleen appeared almost normal. This might be regarded as a peracute form of catarrhal fever, similar to the peracute forms of foot-and·mouth disease and of diphtheria in man, where the micro-organisms appear so virulent and the formation of toxms so rapid that death occurs before characteristic signs of the disease have time to develop.

Regarding the treatment of this disease, we learn from textbooks that 50 to 90 per cent. of the animals attacked died. The wnter has often attempted treatment, in some Lases employing intravenous injections of argentum colloidale, but has only saved one animal which showed severe symptoms. Even then the patient proved worthless from the economic standpoint, for although it certainly lived it was blind, had lost its horns and hoofs, was in poor condition and gave no milk: in a word, its value was less than the cost ()f treatment. In the early stage, however, it seems possible, by fn::e bleed­ing, to check the course of the disease, provided no marked changes have taken place and the symptoms are confined to roughness of the coat, severe fever, peculiar staring appearance of the eyes, and slightly increased prominence of the cornea. The writer is well aware that in infectious diseases bleeding has been condemned by many authors of experience, but states, as a result of his observation, that in malignant catarrhal fever it often proves of great benefit. . .

He recommends thorough disinfection of all places in which infected

ABSTRACTS.

animals have been kept and careful attention to drainage. His conclusions may be summarised as follows :-

( I) Malignant catarrhal fever is a disease almost entirely confined to bovines, is not transmissible from animal to animal, but is produced by an organism present in the soil, probably a form of bacterium coli. It possesses great powers of resistance outside the animal body.

(2) Malignant catarrhal fever often assumes so extremely acute a course that it can only be confidently diagnosed in places where typical outbreaks have occurred.

(3) It usually assumes a sporadic form, but may also occur enzootically. ,It attacks animals of all ages. Sheep and go:tts are not immune against it.

(4) It occurs at all periods of the year, but most commonly in spring, and is more frequent in hilly regions than in plains, though its occurrence seems ,to have no connection with the geological formation of the sub-soil.

(5) The disease may be confused with a number of others. In its initial stages it closely resembles foot-and-mouth disease, and in its peracute form rinderpest, meningitis, and dysentery.

(6) The flesh of animals slaughtered before the appearance of the croupous­,diphtheritic depOSits is not dangerous to health, and in some cases may be exposed for sale in the ordinary way.

(7) Once well developed, the disease is fatal. In practice one usually proceeds as follows: Provided no typical symptoms have developed, free

,bleeding will often lead to Improvement and recovery, but should no improve­ment occur within the following twenty-four hours it is adVIsable to slaughter the animal in order to prevent injury of the flesh.

(8) To prevent the disease spreading all diseased animals should be ,removed from the infected byre, which should be disinfected as after anthrax. Lorenz's method of serum treatment, on the principles laid down for treating swine erysipelas, would probably prove the most successful system of treating this disease, but the relative rarity of malignant catarrhal fever and the difficulty of preparing and storing the serum are so great as to remove this suggestion almost beyond the region of practice (Isepponi. Scll1C1eizer­ArcJzivfiir Thier/leilkunde, XLVI. Band., I Heft., 19°4, p. I).

FOWL PLAGUE.

Until recently all enzootic or epizootic diseases of birds characterised by rapidly fatal development, somnolence, diarrhcea, and dark coloration of the mucous membranes and crest, were generally regarded as fowl cholera. The ·differentiation of the numerous septlcremias of birds scarcely modifies. the position as regards diagnosis and prophylaXIS. All are due to ovoid bacteria related to the form tYPical of cholera, and the choleraic infections which they produce seldom show more than trifling peculiarities among themselves; all call for similar prophylactic measures.

In 1880, however, Rivolta and Delplato studied a disease of poultry which -they distinguished clinically from cholera and named exudative typhus, a term which both suggested the gravity of the general condition and the presence of .inflammatory exudates in the body cavities, particularly in the peritoneal .cavity.

Between 1894 and 1900 this atypical choleraic disease was seen in almost all parts of Central and Northern Italy, where it assumed the form of an epizootic. Some observers regarded it as a special type of fowl cholera, others isolated .various bacteria which they believed to be specific.

The solution of the questions thus raised was afforded by Professor Centanni