14 QUATERCENTENARY STUDIES IN PATHOLOGY 



continued till March 23rd. While on this diet the dog slowly lost weight 

 (from 28 lbs., to 25 lbs. in 26 days), but appeared normal in every other 

 respect. Though very quiet while we were in the laboratory, she was 

 extremely restless during the night time, for on several occasions she 

 tore her way out of the strongly made metabolism cage in which we 

 kept her, on one occasion by gnawing through a plank of wood, and 

 on another by tearing away the stout wire netting on the lid of the 

 cage. 



On March 23rd, the daily diet was changed to one of 400 gr. flesh. 

 At first, she eagerly ate all the flesh, but in a few days began to 

 take only a portion of it. Otherwise she appeared quite normal till 

 April 7th, when it was noticed that she looked uncomfortable, and would 

 not lie quietly in one place as had previously been her custom, but 

 wandered aimlessly about the laboratory. On the morning of April 8th, 

 this restlessness was very marked. At 11 '30 a.m., on this day, her gait 

 was seen to be ataxic, and at 12 noon she became paretic, particularly in 

 the hind limbs, so that she could no longer stand, but lay on her side. 

 At this time, her respirations were, on an average, 48 per minute, 

 sometimes becoming rapid and gasping ; pulse 140 per minute, 

 regular ; rectal temperature 39*5 ° C. ; there was very profuse salivation ; 

 the ears showed fine tremors ; the pupils were very contracted and did 

 not react to light ; on pricking with a needle between the pads of a paw, 

 or on nipping with a strong forceps, no reflex movements resulted (skin 

 apparently anaesthetic) ; the limbs were extended and the muscles rigid, 

 especially those of the hind limbs ; when a limb was placed in an unusual 

 position it was kept there for some considerable time (Pawlow's 

 catalepsy). Some of the saliva was collected and found to be distinctly 

 alkaline in reaction ; it did not give any reaction for ammonia when 

 boiled with alkali. From time to time she made futile attempts to 

 assume the erect posture, and in these attempts moved the fore limbs 

 as in swimming. She passed urine, which was collected and found to 

 be alkaline in reaction, with 0*2 % of ammonia, 71 mm. CO2 and 28 mm. 

 carbamate CO2. 



At 3*15 p.m. the head and neck were found to be rigidly thrown 

 back almost at right angles to the spinal column (opisthotonus) ; 

 the muscles of the hind limbs were now relaxed, and those of the fore 

 limbs very rigid ; pulse 160 and of low tension ; respirations slower (26) 



(278) 



