TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 79 



The photographs of the new hospital will partially indicate 

 some of the facilities that this building affords for the proper 

 care and treatment of the medical and surgical cases which occur 

 in our collections from time to time. If the hospital is not con- 

 stantly filled with patients, it will indicate that the health of the 

 collections in general is good. 



The first patients in the new hospital were two small moun- 

 tain sheep that were suffering from digestive diseases. Both 

 animals recovered, and in due time were returned to their exhi- 

 bition quarters. 



Tuberculosis. — Few cases of tuberculosis have occurred in 

 our collections during the past year, although the loss of our 

 newly acquired giraffe was due to that disease. This animal died 

 from acute tubercular pneumonia, but the autopsy revealed a 

 very extensive lymphatic tuberculosis which antedated the ani- 

 mal's arrival at the Park in August. This case well illustrates 

 and supports one of our contentions, that in the average case 

 of tuberculosis, the disease has been contracted before the animal 

 reaches the Park, either under the unfavorable conditions found 

 in quarters of animal dealers, or under still more unhygienic 

 surroundings prevailing in transit. 



During the fall of 1915, the male Siberian tiger first showed 

 signs of ill health, and was promptly isolated. Notwithstanding 

 a splendid appetite, he continued to lose flesh. The first suspi- 

 cion we had that this animal was tubercular, was when he began 

 to have a harsh, moist cough. The post mortem examination 

 showed acute pulmonary tuberculosis. This animal's cage mate, 

 while looked upon as a suspicious case and in consequence iso- 

 lated, has not, up to this date, shown any evidences of tuber- 

 cular infection or any other disease. 



Distemper. — There have been a number of cases of distem- 

 per among the wolves, coyotes and foxes during the year, but 

 the prompt isolation of suspected cases limited the infection. 

 The source of contagion was easily traced to a coyote which 

 came from New Jersey. This animal was quarantined for ob- 

 servation for two weeks, at the end of which period it was placed 

 in the Fox Dens. After an interval of ten days, a coyote in an 

 adjoining cage developed an acute case of distemper, and later 

 other cases developed. Still, the new arrival appeared normal 

 in very way, and continued to appear so for a number of weeks. 



