s not. A
caseating ferment is supplied by the bacilli, and this, acting upon the
fibroid patch, transforms it into a dry, finely granular, yellowish mass of
tissue detritus resembling cheese.

Frequently this caseous inflammation results in the formation of one or
more ulcers with thickened, slightly reddened borders, surmounted by
several layers of this necrosed tissue. The floor of the ulcer is formed by
a grayish-yellow, corroded surface, under which the tissue is transformed
into a dry, friable, or firm cheesy mass. In the tongue this may progress
to two fingers' thickness into the muscular portion; in the cheek it may
form an external opening, permitting fluids to escape from the mouth; upon
the palate it frequently reaches and includes the bone in its destructive
course; upon the gums it has produced necrosis of the tooth sockets,
causing loss of the teeth. In the advanced forms, caseous foci may be seen
in the lung and in the liver and necrotic patches observed on the mucous
membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.

_Symptoms._--Necrotic stomatitis is both a local and a systemic affection.
Primarily it is local. The local lesion is the caseo-necrotic patch or
ulcer developed as a result of the multiplication of the bacilli at the
point of inoculation. The general affection is an intoxication, or
poisoning, of the whole system produced by a soluble toxin elaborated by
the bacilli.

The stage of incubation is from three to five days. The first symptoms
noted are a disinclination to take nourishment, some drooling from the
mouth, and an examination of the mouth will show on some portion of its
mucous membrane a circumscribed area of infiltration and redness, possibly
an erosion. The latter gradually extends in size and depth, forming a
sharply circumscribed area of necrotic inflammation. It may measure
anywhere from the size of a 5-cent piece to that of a silver dollar or even
larger. It has the appearance of a corroded surface, under which the mucous
membrane or muscular tissue seems transformed into a dry, friable, or firm
cheesy mass. It is grayish yellow in color and is bordered by a zone of
thickened tissue slightly reddened and somewhat granulated. The necrotic
tissue is very adherent and can be only partially peeled off. It is
homogeneous, cheesy, and may extend two fingers' depth into the tissues
beneath. The general symptoms are languor, weakness, and slight fever. In
spite of plenty of good feed the calf