THE ALIMENTARY CANAL AS A SOURCE OF CONTAGION 29 



There was not the slightest evidence of its suffering from diarrhoea, the 

 neighbourhood of the tail being perfectly clean. The case at this stage 

 resembled closely certain examples of natural Louping-ill with a tetanic 

 tendency. 



On asking the attendant what the first indications were pointing to 

 the animal being ill, he said that, when making his usual visit on the 

 morning of the 28th, it was standing with its head towards him, looking 

 out between the rails of the pen. On approaching the pen, the animal 

 walked across it, but in a very unsteady manner, and as if unable to 

 maintain its balance. It did not seem to be convulsed ; the tendency, he 

 said, was rather to maintain the limbs in an outstretched attitude. 



July 29th, 10 p.m. — The animal was much worse ; it was now in a 

 state of universal tetanic spasm. The limbs were all outstretched, and 

 the muscles hard and rigid from tetanic contraction. The jaw was so 

 firmly clenched that the mouth could not be opened to administer 

 nourishment. Slight convulsive spasms were noticed from time to time, 

 but the tonic state of contraction of the limbs was resumed whenever 

 these passed off. There was still no sign of its suffering from diarrhoea. 

 The respirations were 40 and the pulse 132 per minute. 



July 30th. — The attendant stated that, yesterday evening, when he 

 visited the pen, the animal was violently convulsed from time to time, 

 but the rigid state was resumed immediately afterwards. The trismus 

 was incessant up to the last, and was so severe that the mouth could still 

 not be opened sufficiently to allow of the administration even of liquid 

 nourishment. 



It was found dead next morning. 



The examination of the carcase was made on the afternoon of the 

 day on which the animal died, and was to the following effect : — The 

 legs maintained the same outstretched position as during life, and were 

 rigid ; the jaw was firmly clenched. The stomach and intestine con- 

 tained a good deal of gas, so that the abdomen presented a fairly swollen 

 appearance and was tympanitic. The peritoneal sac, however, was free 

 from gas — at any rate, if present, it must have been in small quantity ; it 

 contained, however, ij oz. of somewhat muddy-looking serous liquid. 

 There was some amount of food in the first three stomachs, but the 

 fourth was empty, and was free from disease. The large intestine 

 showed a little faecal matter, but the small intestine was devoid of 

 contents, (29) 



