Course. 205 



In about one-half of all cases a peculiar pustular exanthema 

 (distemper exanthema) is observed on the skin. Small red 

 spots may appear on the inner surface of the thigh, on the 

 contiguous abdominal wall, or more rarely on the parts sur- 

 rounding the nose and the eyes, in the external ear, on the 

 conjunctiva, and exceptionally on the entire surface of the body. 

 At these places small nodules soon develop, which change to 

 lentil-sized purulent vesicles. They dry to brown crusts, or 

 burst, leaving reddened moist places which later become also 

 covered with scabs. If the eruptions become extensive the 

 animals at this stage diffuse an unpleasant sweetish odor. 

 Finally the scabs drop off, and in their place reddish spots 

 covered with epithelium are left, which gradually become paler, 

 and finally disappear entirely. In rare cases the pustular 

 exanthema may also develop on the borders of the lips, whence 

 it may even extend to the buccal mucous memlu'anes, and there 

 produce a severe ulcerative condition which may even lead to 

 a general septic infection. (Semnier, Arnous, liiirlimann; see 

 also typhus of dogs, p. 213.) 



Trasbot considered the pustules of the skin as true pox eruptions, and this 

 conception appeared to be strengthened by successful experiments of transmission. 

 However, their rapid development, as well as the lack of the characteristic structure 

 of the true pox veFieles, further the fact that the artificial production of such 

 vesicles does not influence the suscei)ti]nlity of the dogs for distemper infections, 

 contradicts this supposition. Moreover, Carre succeeded in producing the exanthema 

 even with the virus of foot-and-mouth disease. 



The action of the heart is more or less disturbed according 

 to the severity of the different cases. In severe cases the heart 

 beat is greatly accelerated, irregular, throbbing, and the pulse 

 wiry, owing to the parenchymatous degeneration of the heart's 

 muscles. 



Lange observed in about 50% of animals affected with distemper, 

 a painless external otitis, with a thin fluid secretion and moist eczema 

 of the external ear passage. Sabrazes & ]\Iuratet found in the blood 

 of dogs affected with distemper a neutrophilic polynuclearcytosis and 

 hypoeosinophiiia, as well as an iodophilia. 



The animals usually become greatly emaciated in the course 

 of the disease. At the approach of death they lie in a deep 

 stupor, trembling on the ground, until they finally die of the 

 convulsions. 



Course. The disease shows a most varied course. Fre- 

 quently, especially in benign cases, only a certain group of the 

 s^Tuptoms described are present, and even these may be 

 developed in different cases with varying intensity. Thus 

 in some cases catarrhal symptoms are present exclusively, while 

 in others only nervous manifestations are seen. Sometimes the 

 disease is manifested by pustular exanthemata of the skin only. 



Taking the etiological identity of these cases into consid- 



