Caustic Alkalies (soda, potash, ammonia and their carbonates) often cause stomatitis. What is supposed to be weak lye, given to counteract indigestions, colics, and tympanies often proves dangerously irritating, and some of the worst forms of stomatitis we have ever seen in the horse originated in this way. As the animal refused to swallow, the caustic liquid lay in the mouth and virtually dissolved the epithelium and surface layers of the fibrous mucosa. The surface in such a case is usually of a deep red, and where the cuticular covering remains, it is white and corrugated. The antidote is a weak, non-irritant acid, such as vinegar, boric, citric, or salicylic acid. When the caustic alkali has been thoroughly neutralized in this way the ordinary treatment for catarrhal stomatitis may be followed. The attendant gastritis must receive its special treatment.
Caustic Acids. Sulphuric, nitric and hydrochloric acids act by abstracting liquids and charring the tissues. The lesions from strong sulphuric acid turn black, those due to nitric acid, yellow, (zanthoproteic acid,) and those due to muriatic acid are white, with the characteristic odor of chlorine. The antidote in such cases is a non-irritant basic agent, such as chalk, lime water, soapsuds, calcined magnesia, and mucilaginous liquids, albumen, gluten, flax seed, with opium. The same agents are applicable to the attendant gastritis and when the acids are thoroughly neutralized the treatment is as for simple inflammation.
Caustic Salts. Among caustic salts may be named mercuric chloride, sulphates of copper and iron, chlorides of iron and zinc, tartar emetic. These may be treated by albumen, blood, white of egg, milk, gluten, mucilage and other sheathing, protecting agents which will form with the salts insoluble and harmless coagula. The subsequent treatment will follow the lines marked out for simple stomatitis. To prevent infection of the raw surface Cadeac recommends: tannic acid 1 oz., benzo-naphthol 3 drachms, powdered gentian 6 drachms, honey, sufficient to make an electuary.
MYCOTIC STOMATITIS IN FOALS, CALVES AND BIRDS. THRUSH. MUGUET.
Oidium (saccharomyces) albicans; a parasite of the young; cultures. Symptoms in foals and calves; congested buccal mucosa; curd-like concretions; erosions. Diagnosis from rinderpest. Treatment; disinfection; sunshine; open air; exercise; locally antiseptics.
This is a form of stomatitis manifested by a raised white patch on the mucous membrane and determined by the presence of the oidium albicans (saccharomyces albicans), a cryptogam discovered by Berg in 1842 in thrush in children. It is closely allied to the mucor, and attacks only the young and feeble. The white crust consists of epithelial cells intermingled with an abundance of the white mycelium and oval spores of the fungus. Andry in his artificial cultures found that it was pearly white when grown on gelatine, dirty white on potato, and snow white on carrot.
Foals and Calves. Symptoms. The buccal mucosa red, congested and tender, shows here and there white curdy looking elevations, or red erosions caused by the detachment of such masses. These bear a strong resemblance to the concretions seen on this mucosa in rinderpest, but are easily recognized by the absence of the attendant fever, and by the discovery, under the microscope, of the specific microphyte. The eruption may extend to the pharynx and œsophagus and interfere fatally with deglutition, but usually it merely renders sucking painful and is not serious.
Treatment. It is always well to destroy floating germs by cleansing and whitewashing the stable, and to invigorate the young animals by sunshine, free air and exercise. Locally the most effective agent is the old favorite remedy borax which arrests the growth of the parasite whether in artificial cultures, or in the mouth. The powder may be rubbed into the sores or it may be mixed with honey or molasses and used as an electuary. As substitutes boric acid, salol, thymol, chlorate of potash, or permanganate of potash may be used.
Birds. The affection has been twice observed as occurring in the œsophagus and crop of two chickens. Martin tried in vain to inoculate it on other fowls, and Neumann failed to convey it from child to chicken by feeding. The element of individual susceptibility was manifestly lacking. From its seat in the crop the malady passed unnoticed during life. In cases that can be recognized, treatment would be the same as in young mammals.