13S x DISEASES 



tirely satisfactory. Among the many things that have been mentioned an 

 the cause of rhachitis, the following will suffice at this time: A deficiency of 

 lime-salts as a consequence of disturbances of digestion; excessive forma- 

 tion of carbonic acid or lactic acid, which would dissolve the lime-salts; an 

 alteration of the general nutritive condition on account of abnormal influ- 

 ences in young animals; enlargement and an increase in the number and 

 size of blood vessels in the bone tissues, so that the lime-salts continue to 

 circulate in the blood instead of being deposited in the bones. It might 

 be well to mention that at the present time the exact cause of this disease 

 is not known, but we do know, however, that rickets can be developed in 

 the dog by deficient, improper food, by want of nitrogenous food, and espe- 

 cially bones, as it has been demonstrated that animals with this disease if 

 given these articles of diet seem to improve in- a short time. This disease 

 generally makes its appearance in young animals in the first few months 

 of their lives, and for this reason also it is very often spoken of as heredi- 

 tary. The disease seems to develop relatively in proportion to their growth; 

 if the animal grows quickly, the disease will appear quicKly, if growth is 

 slow, the disease will come on gradually. 



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"This disease is a peculiar disturbance of the bones of the whole 

 System, and seems to be a deficiency of lime-salts in the bones, making 

 them solft and flexible. The bones become soft enough so that they can 

 be cut easily with a knife, and the ends of the bones become much thick- 

 ened, which accounts for the peculiar enlargements mentioned abor«. 

 It is very often that the enlargements make their appearance on the bones 

 of the face, which gives the animal that peculiar expression. Deformed 

 and distorted bones are very frequent occurrences in this disease, especially 

 noticeable in the limbs, which no doubt comes from the weight of the 

 animal at the time the bones are soft. The disease as a rule is chronic, and it 

 takes a long course of treatment to bring them to a normal condition 

 again, and very often the treatment is not satisfactory. I have in mind a 

 case now that entirely recovered from the disease, but it was a mild one, and 

 was treated before the bones were much deformed. If the disease is taken 

 early, it may be checked by means of proper feding; but when the de- 

 formity is once formed, it is only in extremely rare cases that it does not 



