FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 93 



The post-mortem signs in animals suffering from fungus 

 poisoning are quite characteristic and constant. The blood is 

 dark in color and does not coagulate well. All the organs are 

 much changed; the kidneys especially are in a state of severe 

 inflammation. The lungs are very dark in color, and show in- 

 tense engorgement with blood. The last compartment of the 

 stomach shows many small haemorrhagic spots about the size 

 of a bean, scattered all over the mucous surface. The small in- 

 testines also show extensive irritation, and contain much im- 

 perfectly digested food. The brain and spinal cord are gener- 

 ally congested. 



Treatment. — The first object must be the removal or neu- 

 tralization of the poison which is lodged in the intestinal canal. 

 In many cases on account of the intractibility of the patient, this 

 is often impossible to accomplish. The action of the bowels 

 should be encouraged hy full doses of sulphate of soda in the 

 drinking-water. 



In some cases in which the appetite was not entirely lack- 

 ing, we have had some success by the administration of such 

 anti-ferments as salol and salicylic acid in the food and Iodide 

 of Potassium in the drinking-water. 



Prevention of this disease of course consists of the careful 

 inspection of the food supplies and the elimination from the diet 

 of all musty smelling and mouldy food. 



Gastro-Intestinal Cata)-rh in Caimivores. — Among the car- 

 nivores in the Small-Mammal Collection there has been a consid- 

 erable number of cases of gastritis and enteritis. 



Overloading of the stomach in carnivora generally produces 

 vomiting, which soon sets things right. If vomiting does not 

 come on, the animal will retch and turn away, with nausea, from 

 any food placed before it. Thirst, as a rule, is increased; res- 

 piration is often greatly accelerated. The animal is dull, de- 

 pressed, or it may be uneasy, frequently changing its resting 

 place; groaning, whining and showing signs of colicy pains. A 

 distinction between catarrh of the stomach and catarrh of the 

 intestines can best be made in carnivora, because in the disease 

 affecting the stomach the most important symptom, — vomiting, 

 — is seldom absent. At first, the vomited matter consists of 

 normal chyme; but later on, of ropy, glairy mucus, which con- 

 tains air-bubbles, and sometimes bloody or yellowish streaks. 



