ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL DEPART- 

 MENT OF THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK FOR 1903- 



DR. HARLOW BROOKS, PATHOLOGIST, 

 DR. W. REID BLAIR, VETERINARIAN, 



TO THE BOARD OF MANAGERS. 



THE following report of the Medical Department of the New 

 York Zoological Park relates only to the pathological 

 side of the subject. The clinical treatment of the animals will be 

 dealt with at length in our next report. 



During the year 1903 autopsical investigations have been made 

 on every animal which has died in the Park, and our records 

 concerning the same are complete. 



The work in this department has been more thoroughly done 

 than was possible during the two preceding years, since we were 

 able to start in with a well-organized staff, and with a clearly 

 defined idea as to the lines along which our efforts should be 

 best directed. 



From our previous work we have found that the most serious 

 mortality of the animals under our charge has been among the 

 mammals, and, at the same time this class of animals comprises 

 the most expensive and important of the collection at the Park. 

 Chiefly for these reasons, and because with our limited staff it 

 has been impossible to give the requisite amount of attention to 

 the deaths in the Reptile and Bird collections, it has seemed best 

 to devote our attention, for the past year, entirely to the mammals, 

 hence the subject material of this report deals only with the con- 

 ditions found in this class. 



Although the examinations have been thoroughly and syste- 

 matically made during the past year, they have been conducted 

 so as not to damage the material for the use of the taxidermist. 

 Indeed, we find that a mutual understanding between pathologist 

 and taxidermist makes the specimens equally valuable to both 

 without, except in rare instances, loss to either. 



