_Definition_: Vesicles usually on external genitals, with fever and
infection. Causes: Contagion by coition, clothing or stable utensils;
inoculated on man or cow, resembles cowpox, but a first attack does
not always immunize a stallion; inoculable on sheep, goat and pig.
Symptoms: Incubation one to six days; local redness, heat, swelling,
tenderness, papule, vesicle, pustule, scab, desquamation,
depigmentation on genitals or in sucklings on mouth, lips, nose; may
extend to mammary and inguinal regions, with swelling, stiffness and
constitutional disturbance. Diagnosis from dourine. Treatment:
Cleanliness, astringent, antiseptic lotions; open and disinfect
abscesses; laxatives or diuretics. Prevention: Withhold from breeding.
_Definition._ An acute infectious disease, manifested by hyperthermia,
hyperæmia, and the formation usually on the external generative organs
of a crop of papules rapidly progressing to vesicles, pustules and open
sores, and attended by great local irritation and itching. It runs a
mild course and recovery ensues spontaneously in about fifteen days.
_Causes._ The disease is only known as a contagious affection,
propagated from animal to animal by breeding together, or by using the
same comb, brush or rubber, or by sucking, and in rare cases by other
accidental or experimental inoculations. To make a successful
inoculation the virus must be taken from the vesicles or pustules. When
transferred to man or ox it develops an eruption which is
indistinguishable from cowpox (Trasbot, Peuch, Galtier). Still a first
attack does not always confer immunity, as stallions may have two
successive attacks within a few weeks (Steinhoff). This implies that
either this is not genuine cowpox, as claimed in France, or that two
different exanthematous affections have been classed as one. Inoculation
with the virus has produced a characteristic eruption in sheep, goats
and pigs.
_Symptoms._ After a period of incubation of from one to six days there
appear heat, swelling and tenderness of the affected part, followed by
the formation of papules, gradually passing into vesicles, pustules and
scabs which scale off, leaving a white depigmented surface. In stallions
and mares the usual seat of the eruption is the external generative
organs; in young sucking animals the mouth, lips, nose and quarters, and
in inoculated cases wherever the virus has been implanted.
In the _mare_ there is swelling of the lips of the vulva and redness of
the vaginal and vulvar mucosa with points of a darker red, which become
firm, papular, vesicular and finally pustular. A similar eruption shows
on the skin of the swollen labiæ, on the lower surface of the tail and
on the hips, though on these points the phenomena are obscured somewhat
by the abundance of pigment. The contents of the vesicles are at first
limpid but gradually change to opaque yellowish white, brown, or even
red from slight blood extravasation. It causes not only marked
tenderness but great itching so that the patient rubs the tail and rump,
rupturing the vesicles, causing blood extravasations and retarding
healing. The sores are primarily two or three lines in diameter but may
widen and deepen under the friction. The surface may be red and angry
and covered by a yellowish viscid discharge. When they heal they leave
on the dark skin, round spots white and devoid of pigment. The itching
during the acute stage of the disease, leads to generative excitement,
frequent straining, contractions of the erector clitoris and ejection of
urine. The animal appears to be constantly in heat, yet the absence of
hyperthermia shows that there is no constitutional disorder nor central
nervous affection. The disease appears to be purely local.
In the _stallion_ after a similar incubation, the penis and usually the
sheath become swollen and congested and if free from pigment there are
dark points as described in the vulva. These points become firm,
prominent, and finally vesicular and pustular. If continued in service
the resulting sores may extend and prove protracted. In the absence of
service they tend to heal about the fifteenth day. The eruption may
extend on the scrotum, the inner side of the thighs, the throat, the
lower surface of the neck, and the inside of the forelegs; on any parts
indeed that may become soiled on mounting the mare. The meatus urinarius
is red, swollen and angry, and shows a muco-purulent discharge.
Generative excitement is shown by the more frequent rising and falling
of the testicles, protrusion and retraction of the penis, and the
frequency of urination.
In bad cases in both sexes the eruption encroaches more widely on the
skin, and subcutaneous abscesses may form on the vulva, anus, tail,
between the thighs or on the scrotal, mammary or inguinal regions. These
are attended by extensive local swellings extending on the croup, or
down to the hock, or forward to the hind limbs. In such cases there is
more or less stiffness or lameness, with constitutional disturbance,
hyperthermia, gastric disorder and emaciation.
_Diagnosis._ This disease is distinguished from dourine by the known
absence of the latter from the locality, by the ready transmission, of
the benign exanthema to cattle, by the entire absence of paresis or
mental hebetude, by its rapid progress and early recovery, usually in
fifteen days.
_Treatment_ consists in thorough cleanliness, and the application of
cooling, astringent, antiseptic lotions to the affected parts. Solutions
of borax, boric acid, sulphate or chloride of zinc, permanganate of
potash, corrosive sublimate, chlorine water, creolin, lysol, carbolic
acid, or other such agent with glycerine will act promptly and well. In
the severe cases with secondary abscesses the latter must be opened and
the cavities treated antiseptically. Cooling laxatives and diuretics
with salicylates or hyposulphites may also be desirable.
_Prevention._ No animal having sores nor discharge from the generative
organs should be used for breeding. The owner of the animal infected by
breeding has a good claim for damages.