138 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



and continuous administration. If the salicylate of sodium fails 

 to relieve or give improvement after a few days' use, there is 

 good reason to believe that the case is not one of genuine rheu- 

 matism. 



Osteomalacia or Cage Paralysis. — \'ery few cases of this dis- 

 ease have occurred in the Primate collection during the past 

 year, although several animals received as gifts were found to be 

 in the secondary stages of the disease, and, being unfit for exhibi- 

 tion, were consequently destroyed. 



Rickets. — While osteomalacia is a resoftening of the bones of 

 mature animals in consequence of absorption of the lime salts, 

 rickets, on the contrary, arises from the bones of young ani- 

 mals remaining soft owing to deficient calcification. Notwith- 

 standing an extensive study of both these conditions, we are 

 as yet unable to sufficiently clear up many of the puzzling charac- 

 ters, and determine definitely the relationship between the two 

 diseases. 



Rickets is seen among young lions, leopards, wolves, baboons, 

 marmosets and other South American monkeys ; and in many 

 small mammals, as opossums, badgers and skunks. 



Probably the chief cause of the disease as seen among wild 

 animals, is the deficiencv of lime and phosphorus in the food. 

 The disease has recently been artificially produced in young dogs, 

 pigs, goats and sheep, by continuously feeding them on food that 

 was poor in lime salts, and these results are fully confirmed from 

 clinical observation and practice. Finally, the fact that animals 

 sufifering from rickets are greatly improved or permanently 

 cured by an increased supply of lime in the food, strengthens 

 the theory that deficiency of lime is one of the chief causes of the 

 disease. 



The development of rickets is a slow process, requiring 

 usually several months. While there does not seem to be an abso- 

 lute constancy in the lesions, aside from the bone alterations, 

 there is usually a period of ill-health and faulty nutrition before 

 any changes in the bones can be recognized. 



Among voung lion cubs one of the first symptoms observed 

 is an awkward, painful gait. The body sways from side to side 

 in walking, and the animal is easily wearied, or found lacking in 

 endurance. It lies down most of the time, and may even ])er- 

 sistently refuse to get up and exercise. The ends of the bones 

 enlarge near the joints, and the animal walks on the outside of 

 the foot-pad, owing to partial flexion of the joints. Later on the 

 long bones show signs of bowing; and this is seen princi]")allv in 

 the radius and ulna. The back deviates from a straight line. 



