Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-07-06
The Cattle Disease.


Cattle Disease as reported to the MISS, Leg
islature.
DIAGSosrs.--Thc symptoms of tile disease
called Pieuro Pneumonia described by En-.
glish authors, do not essentially differ from
those of the animals affected by the disease
in this country.
w Among the signs or symptoms arc these
1t the animals arc at pasture at the com.
'nenccment of the disease, they will be found,
-eaaly eeia the morning separated from the
herd, with arched backs, coats standing, and
refusing to eat; while, as the day advances,
they will join the rest, and appear to be in
usual health. ,tl3 .r
Z "A slight but husky cough will be occasion
ally recognized, and at times the breathing
will be increased as if the animal had made
some extra eXcrtion, and in mich cows there
will also be a diminished amount of milk.
Asthe disease progresses, the cough be-
comes more frequent and husky; the respi-
ration is humid the pulse increased, and
somewhat oppressed; the appetite diminish
ed Illumination suspended; bowels consti-
patcd surface Of the body and limbs cold,
the skin rigid, and almost immovable over
the ribs; the animal, on pressure upon the
spine, flinches, and is unable to bear pres
sure or percussion on the sides of the chest
or costaf regions.
In more advanced stages, the respiration
is difficult, laborcd, and painful. The ami
NAL frequently lies down; and, when stand
ing, the head is protrudcd; the mouth COW
cred with frothy saliva, the muzzle cold, and
the aspect spiriuess and haggard. .a
On striking or perc,lssing the affected side
a dull or dead sound is usually elected to q
greater or less extent; but this will depend
upon the extent to which tho lung has be-
come consolidated, and the presence or alb
sencc Of fluid in the cavity Of the chest On
Supplying the ear to the sides Of the chest one
or tho other is found to be affected some
times, though rarely, both are Implicated
When applied in the region Of the diseased
part, the car fails to perceive the low, rust
ling murInur Of healthy lungs, and detects a
crepitating sound or rattle, which, as the case
advances toward an hfavorabloterminatiOn
becomes' dullcr, and at last is altogether in
audible. tr,. rsE
II, An examination of animals, which have
diod of the disease called Pleuro Pneumonia,
will present various appearances. The lungs
of the same animal will show all the different
stages of the disease red repatriation, dark
spots, and an effusion of serum.
d The aerial poison whatever may be its ma
ture, being carried by the ordinary process
Of respiration into the air cells of the lungs
cxerts its bancful influence upon the blood
as it circulatcs through the capllaries.
~ The amount of the poisonous matter re-
ccived at each inspiration is not sufficient to
interrupt at once the functions of the lungs
foy where this is the case, death would speed
tax nj lo,,
slant proofs that the disease is partial in its
its way stealthily. Very often it is unobserv
cd until it had made great ravages on the
constitution of the animal sa
The component parts of the lungs are held
together by an interstitial areolar tissue, of
very minute net work; and when the red
eorpuscles of the blood escape from the cap
Haries by the rupture ofthcir coats, this text
are retains these bodies in its mes}les, and
assistsin producing the dark color of the
isolated patches. ira
This color depends in part, also, on the
distcnding of many Of the capillaries almost
to bursting, by the red corpuscules. The
united pressure of the overloaded vessels and
of the infitrated interlobular and interestitial
tissues congresses the air cells, and prevents
thee1srance of the atmospheric air into them;
hence the absence in advanced stages of pleu-
70 pneumonia, of the respiratory sound in the
affected parts. IN .aa
The extreme dark shade of the color of
some of the patches proceeds from the same
cause; for the pigment of the accumulated
corpuscles, M consequence of the exclusion
oflthe oxygen of the air from the cells, can
not be decarbonized It is difficult to explain
the precise changes which take place in the
blood resulting from the operation of the
aerial poison; but it appears that the vitality
of the tibrin is interfered with and that This
with the albuminous constituents of the fluid,
altered also in quality, is transuded from the
capillary vessels, and find its way into the
areolar tissue of the lungs, accommodating
where this tissue exists in great abundance
in the interlobular spaces, this inordinate
transudati0n seems to depend OH tendency
in the blood to separate into its several con-
jstituents arising probably from the diminish
ed vital force of the fibrin, and an obstruction
to the conversion Of the albumen of the
serum into fibrin. The fibrino albuminous
portion Of the fluid is thus changed and prob
ably augmented and their oxidation is nat
ural consequence of such addition.
y The red corpusclss being in part deprived
Of the liquor sanguincods in which they float,
are retained in the capillaries, where they ac-
cumulate in unlimited number, and obstruct
their passage and compress the air cells
which they surround, so as to stay the en-
trance of air, and produce, as elsewhere stated,
the dark colored spots which stud the lungs
it is these illusions and the INSTRUCTED con-
dition Of the vessels which gives bulk, in
creased weight and solidity to the lungs, and
destroys their function as sereting organs.
r The blocking up of the air cells, vessels,
&C., destroys these structures; and when
this is partial and of little extent, portions ol
the lung will become detached, and be in
closed in sacks formed by the adhesive state
II the subsequent inflammation.
This will also explain how it is that COL
lcctions Of pus and other morbid products are
occasionally observed in postmortem exami-
nation Of long-exSting cases Of pleuIo pneu-
monia
1t ought not therefore, to- be a matter Of
surprise, nor to cast opprobrium on vcterina-
ry science, that an affection which depends
on an imprisoned atmosphere, is associated
with such extensive lesiors Of organs so es-
sential to health, and which stcalthily wends
its way and saps the very vitals, should prove
SO destructive to life and likewise resist the
most vigorous and scientific treatment.