ANAMNESIS. 19 



which the disease has reached. Frequently the time given 

 by the owner or attendant is much shorter than the actual 

 duration of the disease. 



2. What symptoms has the animal shown ? 

 In the beginning? Later on? The objective observation of 

 the owner must be carefully sifted out from his subjective 

 interpretation of them. 



3. What, in your opinion, could be the 

 cause of the disease? We cannot search for the 

 causes until we know the symptoms. 



Where and under what conditions did 

 the animal get sick? Feed, care, etc., play an im- 

 portant role in the etiology of the internal diseases of ani- 

 mals ; therefore the veterinarian must be informed not only 

 as to the kind and character of the feed but also as to soil 

 conditions, water, etc., otherwise he cannot intelligently trace 

 the cause of the disease. 



The care and attention animals receive wield a great in- 

 fluence upon the genesis of many diseases. It is rare that the 

 veterinarian can obtain from the attendants reliable data con- 

 cerning these. He should judge by the surroundings in this 

 regard. The use to which the animal was put when the dis- 

 ease occurred is of value in tracing the cause, for special uses 

 predispose animals to certain diseases. 



4. A number of animals affected by the same disease 

 always points to a common cause, viz. : infection or intoxica- 

 tion (poisonijig). The frequent recurrence of a disease in the 

 same stable points to the existence of a permanent cause. 



0. It is of especial importance for the veterinarian to 

 know whether any previous treatment has been resorted to 

 and what effect this may have had. Quacks often administer 

 drenches containing solid particles in suspension ; these 

 draughts, instead of taking their usual course, may enter the 

 trachea and thus produce a fatal pneumonia. In removing 

 the contents of the rectum its wall or mucous membrane is 



