24© CLINICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 



although continuing to feed well, began to cough and to rapidly pine 

 away. On my advice the worst case was killed. It showed abdominal 

 tuberculosis, and bacteriological examination revealed the presence of 

 bacilli in the lesions. The other, which was much troubled with cough, 

 died two months later. On autopsy tuberculous lesions were found in 

 the abdominal organs and lung. Finally one of the survivors showed 

 symptoms which caused me to suspect it of tuberculosis. 



" All the cats had enjoyed good health before the arrival in the 

 house of a family containing several consumptives. The symptoms 

 they showed, and the diagnosis given by several doctors, left no doubt 

 as to the nature of the disease from which they were suffering. The 

 members of this family (who were very fond of animals) used to allow 

 Mme. X — 's cats into their rooms, and were in the habit of giving them 

 the remains of their meals. In this way the animals probably became 

 infected." 



Contagion by tuberculous animals and their products appears less 

 common than the preceding. In rural districts, where tuberculous 

 cows are common, cats which live or pass the greater part of their 

 time in the byre, and which consume milk from these animals, are 

 exposed to infection. But in Paris (as in all large towns and their 

 neighbourhoods) the cat is very rarely infected by animal products. 

 Since 1892 I have bred thirty or more cats, feeding them on 

 bread, a little chopped horse-flesh, but principally on raw milk from 

 the Alfort cowsheds, the neighbouring localities, and the various parts 

 of Paris. In most cases the feeding on raw milk was continued for 

 five to six months, and in some for more than a year. None became 

 tuberculous, and none showed any tuberculous lesion on post-mortem 

 examination. 



