CEREBRO-SPINAL :MENINGITIS. A non-contagious disease of varying and poorly defined symptoms, affecting horses. mules, and other domestic ani mals, which is most frequent and has been most studied in horses. The most serious outbreaks have occurred in the United States, England, Saxony, I lungary, and Russia. Symptoms—The disease is often preceded by digestive disturb ances. it begins suddenly with chills and signs of meningitis. After a short period of cerebral excitement the animal becomes abnormally sleepy, is indifferent to surroundings. and rests its head against any eonvenient object. At intervals there is noticeable dizziness, accompanied by muscular trembling_• grinding of the teeth, and falling tits. When the animal is forced to move it staggers around in circles. There are no con stant post-mortem lesions in the vital organs, the most important alterations being found in the membranes of the brain. According to Sic damgrotzky and Seblcgcl, the disease is due to the presence of a specific micromecus in the cen tral nervous system, an opinion that many in vestigators are inclined to deny entirely. attrib
uting the trouble to digestive disturbanees prodmed by improper o• unwholesome fodder. An outbreak of the disease occurred in Mary land, and aequired the name of ‘111.1V horse dis ease.' An investigation indicated the probability that it was line to moldy fodder. Musty oats, musty blade folder, and decayed corn silage have been -suspected of causing the disease. After making a study of an outbreak of the disease in 1900, Pearson produced the disease experi mentally in horses by feeding moldy corn silage.
For further study of the problem, consult: Delaware Experiment Station Reports for 1891, 1893. and 1895 (Newark, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1895) : Delaware Experiment Station Bulletin No. .)3 (Newark, 1899) ; Maryland Experiment Station Bulletin No. 53 (College Park, 181(8) ; Indiana Experiment Station Report for 1J97 (Lafayette, 1897).