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.