DISEASES OF SWINE AND OTHER ANIMALS. 129 



gested. The larynx and i)baiynx -were found normal in all the j^ost- 

 mortoii examinations, but in some of the living oases there ^vas consid- 

 erable swelling about the larynx and ulcers on the posterior part of the 

 tongue. The liver was generally as in health, though in some cases it was 

 congested, spotted, and softened, and once was found smaller and more 

 dense than natural. The bile was at times A^ery thick and dark, and 

 agam very thin and of a bright yellow color. The spleen w^as normal in 

 tAvo-thirds of the cases ; in the remainder it was slightly enlarged and 

 softened. In two cases the interior was almost of a fluid consistency, 

 while in one the organ was smaller and lirmer than in health. The 

 bladder was generally normal, but in two or three cases was inflamed 

 and coN'cred Avith blood extravasations about the neck, and contained in 

 these cases bloody or A^ery turbid urine. The kidneys AA^ere seldom more 

 than slightly hypenemic, but in a few cases there Avas considerable ex- 

 traA'asated blood in the tissues about the hilum, and on section the sub- 

 stance about the i)elA'is was found intiltrated with perfectly black blood. 

 \\"e haA'e here a considerable Aariety of i)athological changes, the 

 only constant ones being congestion and inflammation of the lungs, 

 colon, and ca'cum, and congestion of the lymphatic glands. To mention 

 any single peculiarities of these lesions as characteristic of this disease 

 w^ould not be possible from this iuA^estigation. ISTeither the thickened 

 fibrous patches, the ulcerations, gray elevations of the intestines, the 

 cuticular eruption, nor petechiie Avere constant. 



NATURE OF THE DISEASE. 



In studying the nature of an unclassified disease the first question 

 that occurs to us is : Is the afltection a general or a local one '? In other 

 Avords, does the disease originate from functional or organic disorder of 

 any particular organ or apparatus, or are the anatomical lesions deA'el- 

 oped secondarily as the consequence of a general afltection "i And this 

 question, as regards the disease under consideration, can noAv be an- 

 swered in a definite and satisfactory manner. Indeed, Avheu Ave consider 

 that the first sympton, and one i)receding all others by several days at 

 least, is an increase of temperatm-e ; that Avhen localized a great variety 

 of organs belonging to different systems and apparatus are inv^olved, as, 

 for instance, the nervous system, as shown by occasional paralysis and 

 apoplexy, the lungs, pleura, bronchial tubes, heart, liver, stomach, in- 

 testines, spleen, kidneys, bladder, and skin ; that there are considerable 

 changes in the blood, as shoAvn by imperfect coagulation, solution of the 

 coloring matter, and blood extravasations, there can scarcely remain a 

 shade Av of doubt that the trouble is not a local but a general one. 



The next question in logical succession relates to the contagiousness 

 of the disease. Is its extension due to a principle which is multiplied in 

 the bodies of sick animals, and Avhich is of itself suflQcient to cause the 

 disease in healthy ones "? In answering this question I wiU merely men- 

 tion the experiments of Professors Axe, Klein, and Osier, which prove 

 that the disease may be inoculated Avithout detailing theii- facts ; and I 

 will only allude in like manner to the instances already recorded by Dr. 

 Sutton, Professor Axe, and others, Avhich seem to proA^e its highly con- 

 tagious character. Most of these facts haA'e been published in recent 

 reports of the Department of Agriculture, and there is no need of repeat- 

 ing them. In my own iuA'cstigations I have met with facts which en- 

 tirely confirm the opinion of these observers in regard to this latter 

 point. Thus I have found the disease to start at some point and spread 

 slowly in diflcrent directions — not rapidly, as though depending on at- 

 mospheric conditions — and the rajndity of this extension depends to a 

 very great degree on Avhether these animals are alloAved entire liberty 



1) SAV 



