650 MICROBIOLOGY OF THE DISEASES OF MAN AND ANIMALS. 



CANINE DISTEMPER.* 



This disease (Maladie des jeunes chiens; Fr.) is so widespread that 

 the great majority of adult dogs may be regarded as having suffered 

 from an attack and recovered. It is practically confined to very young 

 animals and, so far as known, no species except dogs are susceptible. 

 The disease is attended by more or less extensive coryza with a dis- 

 charge from the eyes. There is an eruption on the skin and frequently 

 nervous disorders of various kinds. The animal becomes emaciated and 

 may die from bronchial pneumonia. No visible organism has been 

 found to be the cause of this disease, but Carre has reported that he has 

 succeeded in passing the infectious agent in nasal discharges through 

 earthen filters, the filtrate reproducing distemper in characteristic form. 

 Some attempts have been made to produce a protective serum by the 

 injection of the infectious material into animals which have recovered 

 from the disease. 



CATTLE PLAGUE.* 



This disease (rinderpest), which is probably the severest and most con- 

 tagious of all cattle diseases, is characterized by high fever and lesions of the 

 intestinal tract. It does not exist in the United States but is found in 

 Europe, S. Africa and Asia. Extensive outbreaks have occurred in the 

 Philippine Islands. The cause of cattle plague has never been isolated 

 and the indications are that it is caused by an invisible microorganism. 

 Cattle plague was the first disease in which the process of "hyperimmu- 

 nization" was practised. Immune cattle receive massive injections of 

 blood from diseased cattle. After this treatment the blood serum of the 

 immune is used to protect non-immunes. Enormous quantities of this 

 serum are prepared and applied yearly by the British government in 

 India. 



CHICKEN PEST.* 



This disease (Huhner Pest;'Ger.: Peste aviaire; Fr.) of fowls, which 

 is to be distinguished from chicken cholera, is not known in the United 

 States, but has caused extensive losses of fowls in Europe, particularly 

 in Italy. Affected chickens cease eating, the feathers become ruffled 



* Prepared by M. Dorset. 



