Symptoms. In relation to Maladie des Bois due to leaves, Cornevin gives the symptoms as loss of appetite; less (and more difficult) rumination; constipation, which increases; lying down, animals looking at their flank as in colic, followed by rising and attempts to urinate, with passing of rosy-coloured liquid in jets; loss of milk production, which may drop to nothing; fever, trembling, enfeebled condition.
Three or four days after the commencement of illness rumination is completely suspended; there is stamping of the feet, colic, retracted stomach, pulse hard, heart agitated, accelerated respiration, violent muscular shocks, and frequent urination. The urine is always dark in colour, but varies from clear red to dark black, nut-brown being usual. Cases are only serious when a fœtid, frothy, and abundant dysentery succeeds constipation, in which case there is rapid emaciation and death.
Usually the course of the illness is not rapid; but occasionally there is immediate and bloody urination with violent colic and sometimes intestinal hæmorrhage, death occurring in 24 hours.
In poisoning by acorns there is progressive wasting, entire loss of appetite, diarrhœa, discharge of an excessive quantity of pale urine, sore places inside the mouth, discharge from the nostrils, and also from the eyes, which are always sunken, giving the animal a peculiar haggard expression. There is no fever; on the contrary, the temperature is commonly below normal, though in some cases stated to be above normal.
Müller remarks on the severe constipation, followed by dysenteric diarrhœa, caused by acorns, especially when eaten in the half-ripe condition, horses, cattle, sheep, and goats being affected.
The experimental poisoning of a young steer and a young sheep by fully ripe acorns was described in 1871 (Jour. R.A.S.E., 1871). In the steer the symptoms were a semi-conscious condition, weak pulse, pallid membranes, cold surface of body, torpid bowels, slow breathing, twitchings of muscles, and a disposition to maintain a recumbent position. Inflammation was entirely absent. The symptoms increased in severity day by day; there ensued a copious flow of colourless urine; a mucopurulent discharge from the eyes and nostrils. No impairment of health followed the feeding of acorns to the sheep.
Thorburn (Veterinary Journal, Feb., 1902) mentions loss of appetite, grunting, disinclination to move, prostration, icy coldness of extremities, very rapid emaciation (this sometimes was particularly noticeable), pulse very small and weak (in some cases almost imperceptible), temperature high (105° to 107° F.,) and constipation succeeded by watery diarrhœa.
Brookes and Yeomans described (Veterinary Journal, 1912) an instance in which 30 animals were affected and 9 died. The chief symptoms were a dull and depressed appearance, entire absence of appetite and rumination, a weak feeble pulse, subnormal temperature and disinclination to move. Three cases showed a mucous and blood-tinged discharge from the nostrils and anus, and these all died, one eight days after being seen and the other two the day afterwards. Obstinate stoppage was noticeable in all cases, and the fæces were inky black, stinking and very thick. Yeomans observed similar symptoms of acute digestive disturbance; later the eyes had a sunken appearance, diarrhœa set in, the fæces being dark coloured, offensive and bloodstained. The temperature was at first normal and later subnormal, and in fatal cases death took place in from 3 to 7 days.
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