CROUPOUS PNEUMONIA IN THE OX.
Subacute in many cases. Effect of temperament, and work. Acute form. Symptoms. Decubitus. Unfavorable symptoms. Prognosis. Suppuration frequent: indications. Gangrene. Colliquative Diarrhœa. Lesions, Comparison with those of lung plague. Tubercle. Treatment, bleeding, laxatives, refrigerant salts, derivatives, stimulants, tonics. Chronic form. Symptoms. Treatment.
In the large ruminants this disease tends more towards a subacute type than in the horse, and coming on insidiously from ordinary causes is liable to be confounded with the contagious pleuro-pneumonia of the bovine race. As in the horse the nervous animals show more violent symptoms. It is rare in milch cows and young cattle and more frequent in work oxen.
In the acute form the symptoms mainly agree with those of the horse. There is the same shivering, followed by a hot stage, hyperthermia, the accelerated pulse, the short quick labored breathing, heaving flanks, cough frequent, deep, hacking, and easily excited, dilating nostrils, redness of the mucous membrane, and the same indications on auscultation and percussion, care being taken to obviate misconception of natural conditions in the chest of the ox. There is in addition a dry muzzle, tenderness of the back and breast bones and wincing when they are pinched between the fingers and thumb; suspension of the appetite and rumination and in cows suppression of the secretion of milk; the mouth is often opened and the tongue protruded to facilitate breathing, and in bad cases each expiration is accompanied by a moan or grunt. In many cases the ox can lie on his flattened breastbone and maintain the breathing process, but when the disease is severe he stands no less obstinately than the horse, his elbows turned out, his nose protruded and directed towards a window or other opening.
Among the unfavorable symptoms may be mentioned increasing anxiety and distress, a more oppressed breathing, the animal standing constantly in one position with legs apart, elbows turned out, his nose extremely raised, nostrils widely dilating, mouth open, tongue protruded, the expiratory grunt deep and prolonged, the cough infrequent and so weak as to be almost inaudible, being rather like a forced expiration, and the pulse rapid, feeble or imperceptible. The prognosis is favorable in moderate cases subjected to early treatment.
The termination by suppuration is more frequent than in the horse. The general symptoms are ameliorated, appetite and rumination return though they remain capricious and irregular, there remains the double action of the flanks, the dry, rough muzzle, the tense, inelastic skin, frequently varying in temperature, the beast shivers at intervals, the cough is weak and often repeated, a yellowish thick discharge takes place from the nose, weakness and emaciation increases and the animal dies in from twenty to thirty days.
Gangrene of the lung sometimes supervenes and is indicated by similar symptoms as in the horse. In severe and prolonged cases a violent fetid diarrhœa often supervenes and hastens a fatal result.
The post mortem lesions are similar to those of the horse. The cut surface of the hepatized lung, however, is divided into irregular red spaces by intersecting yellow lines—hence the name of marbled lung, from a supposed resemblance to that stone. The red spaces represent the pulmonary lobules and the whitish lines the surrounding areolar tissue which being especially abundant in ruminants and pigs stands out prominently when infiltrated with the yellowish exudation. There is then nothing specific in this appearance as has been erroneously supposed, it is merely the result of the different conformation of the lung in these animals and is always seen in the hepatized lung unless when from extravasation of blood into its substance the redness is rendered uniform. The amount of exudate into the interlobular tissue is, however, never so great as in lung plague.
The greater frequency of suppuration in the lung of the ox, as well as the greater tendency to tubercular deposit in prolonged cases are additional features in the diseased lungs.
Treatment. Blood-letting should be employed only with precautions, as in the horse. A saline laxative (1 lb. Epsom salts and ½ lb. molasses) may be used with advantage and safety early in the disease though in advanced stages it may sometimes prove dangerous from the tendency to diarrhœa. If constipation appears at a late stage injections of warm water and a mild laxative (6 ounces sulphate of soda) only, should be given. The purgative may be followed by the same neutral salts and in the same doses as for the horse. Counterirritants are of equal value. A mustard poultice may be kept on for several hours, or a mixture in equal parts of oil of turpentine, ammonia, and olive oil may be actively rubbed over both sides of the chest and repeated daily until tender. In Denmark a prompt and efficient blister is made with 1 part of Croton oil and 10 parts each of sulphuric ether and spirits of wine. This is rubbed actively over the chest and washed off as soon as a sufficient effect has been produced. It must be carefully watched to prevent blemishing.
In the low types of the disease and during convalescence stimulants and tonics are to be employed as recommended for the horse.
Chronic Pneumonia. Gellé describes a chronic form of this disease in cows. For about a month the patient became increasingly emaciated, there was a frequent, dry, weak cough, lifting of the flanks, and expiration double and accompanied by a moan. All these symptoms were aggravated by gentle exercise. Percussion detected dullness at the lower part of the lung and auscultation a distinct crepitating râle. The pulse was weak and rapid, the mucous membranes red and tumid, skin dry, ears and horns cold, appetite small and capricious, rumination rare, excrements soft, and milk almost dried up.
The treatment is by diuretics with vegetable tonics and stimulants and active counterirritation over the chest. Gellé considers the malady as all but incurable unless active blistering is promptly employed so soon as the malady has assumed the chronic form and before extensive structural changes have taken place in the lungs.