;240 CLINICAL VETERINARY iMEDICINE AND SURGERY. 



spleen, which rested on it, was absolutely unaffected (Fig. 20). Its 

 tissue was very dense, of fibrous consistence, and creaked under the 

 knife ; transverse sections were nearly an inch in thickness, appeared 

 whitish in colour, and were dotted over with caseous or cretaceous 

 granulations, which could be shelled out without much difficult}^ 



In only two cases have I seen "tuberculous septicaemia," and in 

 both the dogs were less than a year old. In one the blood had become 

 infected from a pulmonary cavernous space ; in the other, from an 

 abscess in a lymphatic gland. 



The latter case dates from September, 1893. It was brought here 

 on account of steadily progressive emaciation and enlargement of the 

 abdomen. On noting the ascites, and learning that the dog belonged 

 to a wine-shop keeper, I suspected tuberculosis. The animal was left at 

 the School to be tested with tuberculin. It died next day. The lesions 

 found on post-mortem examination were of quite a different character from 

 those usually seen in tuberculous patients. I preserved the liver and 

 spleen. These organs were free of tubercles and granulations, and only 

 attracted attention by their enormous size and the appearance of their 

 tissue; the liver, which weighed nearly 2 lbs., was yellowish, and had 

 undergone fatty degeneration ; the spleen was blackish, its tissue very 

 friable, and except for the difference in colour resembled a lymphade- 

 nomatous spleen. Both organs contained enormous quantities of 

 bacilli, which on microscopical examination appeared as broad tracts, 

 and were as numerous as in cover-glass preparations from a culture. 



The diagnosis of tuberculosis in the dog may be founded on clinical 

 signs and the use of tuberculin, and is confirmed by discovery of bacilli 

 in the nasal discharge or in the pus, and by inoculation. 



Although the usual symptoms are by no means characteristic they 

 can scarcely be mistaken for those of visceral cancer (sarcoma or car- 

 cinoma) ; and the fact of their existence implies a great probability that 

 the disease is tuberculous, for in the dog — contrary to the still widely 

 held opinion — tuberculosis is much commoner than generalised cancer. 

 In post-mortem examinations carried out during the last five years I 

 have several times had series of ten, fifteen, and even twenty cases of 

 tuberculosis for each case of generalised cancer. 



As in other species of animals, tuberculin is a good test for tubercu- 

 losis. At the commencement of my experiments I injected many 

 suspected dogs without producing any apparent reaction. But if 

 tuberculin appeared so unreliable, it was because my method was 

 faulty ; I injected the dogs in the evening about 9 p.m., and only took 

 the temperature every two hours after 6 a.m. next morning : in most 



