Etiology, Anatomical Changes. 891 



blood corpuscles (up to 6,450,000-7,200,000, against the normal number 

 of 7,500,000 to 8,000,000). MacFadyean and Konig demonstrated an 

 increase of the red blood corpuscles. Schindelka and Hofling found fre- 

 quently and Konig regularly, a very marked increase of the hemoglobin 

 content of the blood, yet these findings cannot be considered as con- 

 clusive evidence without a simultaneous establishment of the molecular 

 concentration of the blood serum. Mention should not be omitted of 

 the fact that Konig found a comparatively strong increase of the 

 hemoglobin content in the blood, but this finding may also have another 

 explanation, as the increase of the hemoglobin content persisted for 

 days after recovery, and for a long time after the disappearance of 

 the hemoglobinuria. The experimental findings of Wetzl are interesting 

 in this relation. According to these on one hand the hemoglobin con- 

 tent of the blood is subject to great variation, and on the other hand 

 a considerable loss of water by the body produces a very significant 

 increase of the relative percentage of blood corpuscles and the hemo- 

 globin content, on account of the thickening of the blood. In paralytic 

 hemoglobinemia there are ample opportunities for a decided loss of 

 water (profuse perspiration, omission in watering the animals while 

 lying down). The fact that in several cases examined by Schindelka 

 and Hofling the dissolved blood coloring matter in the blood serum did 

 not always correspond with the higher percentage of hemoglobin in the 

 blood can only be explained in this manner. On the other hand the ex- 

 periment of Camus & Pagniez in dogs (injecting cold distilled water into 

 tha- muscles of the thigh) by which they aimed to prove that the hem- 

 oglobin eliminated with the urine is muscle coloring matter, cannot be 

 considered as conclusive as a solution of red blood cells around the point 

 of injection appears far more probable under the influence of cold dis- 

 tilled water. 



Anatomical Changes. The most striking changes are present 

 in the muscles. Especially the lumbar muscles and those of 

 the croup, as ^vell as the psoas muscles, to a slighter degree the 

 muscles of the hind quarters, sometimes those of the front ex- 

 tremities also, and other muscles appear either uniformly gray 

 or yellowish in color, like fish-meat, or as if boiled and moistened 

 on the cut surface. They tear easily or they may be firm, but 

 they show on their cut surface, betw^een the healthy bro\vnish- 

 red bundles of muscle fibers, light gray or yellowish stripes, 

 which convey to the basic color a more or less distinctly recog- 

 nizable grayish tint. The degenerated parts sometimes stand 

 out very sharply against the healthy tissue. The cross striation 

 of the contractile substance can no longer be recognized under 

 the microscope, the sarcolemma appears to be filled up by a 

 mixture of fine albuminous granules, fat globules and coarse 

 flakes (degeneratio parenchymatosa et adiposa, sometimes also 

 Deg. cerea). Dexler demonstrated by Marchi's method the 

 presence of fat globules arranged in longitudinal rows. 



The kidneys are also affected with relative frequency, 

 sho^ving cloudy s^velling or even severe parenclmnatous or fatty 

 degeneration, ' as well as diffuse necrosis of the epithelia 

 (Johne). The spleen appears s^voUen in areas, more rarely the 

 swelling is uniform. The muscle of the heart sometimes shows 



