54 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



easily infected. Feeding utensils, hands and clothing of attendants, 

 bedding, water vessels, contact of diseased with the healthy, wind 

 carrymg dried up discharges, etc., are the usual media of commimica- 

 tion. The preliminary symptoms are dullness, loss of appetite, sneezing, 

 redness and heaviness of the eyes, slight husky cough, vomiting, con- 

 stipation if the animal is young, or diarrhoea. Temperature in vagina 

 or rectum 103°F or 104°F. Following these symptoms is a profuse 

 discharge from the eyes and nose, — first watery, then creamy. The 

 disease may go no further .than this, but it is frequently followed by 

 bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, pericarditis, disordered liver, a fetid 

 breath, and pustular eruption on the belly and the inside of the thighs. 

 These symptoms should be sufficient to indicate the character and 

 gravity of this dreaded disease. 



"I have met with no case of disease of the respiratory organs. 



"There have been no epidemics of any kind among the foxes of 

 Prince Edward Island. Now and again, a grown fox has died suddenly. 

 Usually the fox seemed to be quite lively, and in a few hours the keeper 

 found him dead. I performed autopsies on three or four of these and 

 could in no case be certain of the cause of death. In one case, I found 

 some congestion of the lung, which I regarded as post-mortem. In an- 

 other, the gall bladder was abnormally distended. Most of them showed 

 some redness of the alimentary tract. I am of opinion that death was 

 due to some food poisons— ptomaine. In one animal that died there 

 was a jell3^-like fluid between the pelt and the flesh of the hind legs. 



"When pups are shedding their milk teeth — usually at the age of 

 three months — abscesses are liable to form at the roots of the tusks. 

 The fox then swells around the snout. In such cases the tusks, which 

 are quite loose, should be extracted. Give them large bones to gnaw so 

 they can knock out these teeth. This will usually prevent the formation 

 of these abscesses. 



"I have had more to do with foxes in a surgical than in a 

 Sureerv medical way. They frequently break their limbs in fighting 



among themselves or in an effort to escape by climbing their 

 enclosures. These fractures are usually compound and necessitate the 

 amputation of the limb. The flesh is stripped back and the protruding 

 bone is snipped off with bone forceps. The wound is dressed antisep- 

 tically and the flesh is stitched over the bone. The whole part is well 

 dusted with iodoform, and wrapped in gauze bound on with surgeon's 

 adhesive plaster. The fox will not touch the dressing when dusted with 

 iodoform. The operation is simple, no anaesthetic is needed and there 

 is no danger from bleeding, because, as a rule, no arteries have to be 

 tied. In fact, it is dangerous to give an anaesthetic. 



