DISEASES OF THE LOWEK ANIMALS 



intestinal worms are essentially diseases of 

 dogs, and are transmitted by dogs to man. One 

 of these parasites common among children who 

 play with dogs and cats has been identified as 

 developing its larva? in the fleas which infest 

 these animals. The studies of Koch and Ra- 

 binowitch show tuberculosis to be present in 

 more than 25 per cent, of birds in cages under 

 domestication. 



Since Pasteur revealed to us the world of the 

 1 'infinitely small" we have learned that our 

 hands are rarely very clean and that the 

 materials which gain access to our gastro-intes- 

 tinal tracts are of so much importance that we 

 are becoming irreligious enough to give some 

 thought to what enters our mouths. While to 

 the naked eye the fur of our domestic animals 

 may look clean, these animals are notoriously 

 dirty in their bodies and in their habits. A 

 profitable study could be made by those who 

 harbor these animals as a part of their house- 

 holds, as much information has been accumu- 

 lated upon this subject. Regarding the dog as The dog, 

 a public menace, the city of New York in one a menace, 

 month last year caused 6000 to be killed. Lon- 

 don kills by suffocation more than 30,000 dogs 

 annually. Boston kills 3500 dogs and 14,000 



143 



