Treatment. Facilitate the secretion from the mucosa, and the separation of the false membrane by giving 1 lb. Glauber salts, or give this agent in doses of 5 or 6 ozs. per day. Calomel 1 dr. may be used instead and has the additional advantage of acting as a disinfectant. The alkaline carbonates or tartrates or even olive or castor oil may be used as substitutes. Antiferments like salol, naphthol, salicylic acid, and salicylate of soda have been prescribed to check the multiplication of the germ. Flaxseed tea, elm bark, and other mucilaginous agents may also be given. An easily digestible and laxative diet and a course of bitters may follow.
PSEUDOMEMBRANOUS (CROUPOUS) ENTERITIS IN CATTLE.
Causes: as in solipeds, youth, overfeeding, plethora, dietetic blunders, temperament, over-exertion, chill when heated, gestation, foul water, irritants, drastics, infections. Symptoms: as in enteritis with false membranes, complications. Duration. Lesions: false membranes, extent, color, structure, composition, congested mucosa. Treatment: Glauber and other salts, pilocarpin, potassium iodide, antiseptics, sulphites, sulphides, borax, bismuth, naphthol, creolin, muriatic acid, bitters.
Causes. The same causes are quoted as in solipeds, youth, extra high condition, rich feeding, sudden change to the green food of spring, climatic vicissitudes of the same season, a sanguineous (Reynal) or lymphatic (Friedberger and Fröhner) temperament, overwork, exhausting travel, suppressed perspiration, gestation, plethora, foul drinking water, special irritant plants (chicory, Huzard), and drastic purgatives. Cadeac suggests bacteria, quoting instances of a fifth or a fourth of a herd suffering at once. The same would come from any other cause acting on the whole herd and it seems probable that a microbian factor is present but can find occasion for its pathogenesis only in given morbid conditions of the mucous membrane. This would explain the failure of the affection to propagate itself like a plague, and at the same time its tendency to manifest itself extensively in given herds with a common predisposing condition.
Symptoms. There are indications of enteric inflammation and fever, rigors, slight hyperthermia, drying up of the milk secretion, impaired or suspended appetite and rumination, constipation, colicy pains, increasing dullness and prostration. As the disease advances the excrements become soft, pultaceous or watery, with floating hard baked pieces, dark and even glistening on the surface and more or less false membranes. These are sometimes stained with blood, which may also be mingled with the liquid debris. As in solipeds these membranes constitute the only true diagnostic symptom. They may appear as shreds, bands or complete cylindroid casts of the intestine.
Other complications, like pseudomembranous exudate on wounds, abortions and profound weakness are sometimes noted. The disease may last eight days before ending in recovery. When death takes place it is about the fourth or sixth day.
Lesions. The false membranes are found on the ilium and colon, in thin films or in thick masses, or tubular casts. In extreme cases the membrane has covered an extent of 24 feet in length, and if recent it is soft and friable. If older it may be firm, consistent and yellow or stained by the blood or ingesta. As in solipeds it shows a reticulated network and a fine granular structure, and is composed mainly of inspissated mucus with albuminoids and fibrine. The exudate covers a surface of extreme redness, with points of darker blood-staining and even abrasion or ulceration. The surrounding mucosa is also congested, the villi hypertrophied, the mucous follicles swollen.
Treatment. In the early stages a laxative of soda sulphate is of especial value in depleting from the inflamed mucosa, liquefying the secretions and dissolving and loosening the false membranes. Epsom salts, cream of tartar, Rochelle salts, calomel, and pilocarpin are more or less valuable substitutes. Iodide of potassium is most valuable in dissolving the exudate and acting as a microbicide (dose 3–4 drs.).
Other alkaline salts may be substituted or as antiseptics the sulphites, hyposulphites, or sulphides of potash or soda. Borax, bismuth, naphthol and creolin have also been recommended. Enemata of warm water are desirable.
In very adynamic conditions, muriatic acid (½ dr. doses) may be given with vegetable bitters and the same may be allowed during convalescence.