138 THE DISTEMPER* 



greater severity than those in the country; nevertheless 

 there is by no means that extreme disproportion in the se- 

 verity which is observed in many other instances. Some 

 breeds have it much worse than others ; and while all the lit- 

 ters of one bitch will be found to possess it with constant and 

 fatal severity, those of another will as usually pass through it 

 favourably. Particular varieties have it also with different 

 degrees of malignity. To greyhounds and pugs it is pecu- 

 liarly fatal : terriers have it worse than spaniels ; and setters, 

 I think, fare worse under it than pointers. It may likewise 

 be regarded as a general rule, that the younger the dog the 

 greater will be the severity of the disease : very young dogs 

 seldom live with it. 



The distemper commences its attack in various ways ; its 

 symptoms throughout are marked with more variety than 

 appears in any other complaint; and, whether we consider 

 its first attack, its progress, duration, or termination, all 

 are alike variable. Some symptoms are, however, common 

 to most cases, and some appearances are usually found in all. 

 Of these I will first endeavour, for the sake of perspicuity, to 

 give an outline ; and afterwards notice the numerous varia- 

 tions that occur. 



Among the early symptoms of distemper, a short, dry, husky 

 cough may be reckoned as one of the most common. In some 

 cases, this cough is never severe throughout the complaint ; in 

 others, it increases until it becomes constant and distressing, 

 producing, by its irritation of the fauces, ineffectual efforts to 

 vomit; but a little frothy mucus only is produced by the joint 

 act of the stomach and lungs. A few escape with little or 

 no cough at all. A watery secretion moistens the eyes and 

 nose in the early stages of almost every distempered case. 

 Sometimes, this appearance precedes the cough ; at others, 

 it succeeds it; and sometimes they appear together. This 

 flow from the eyes and nose (which is nothing more than the 

 natural mucus of the parts thinned and increased by inflamma- 

 tion) in a little time takes on another appearance, and, as par- 

 tial or total ulceration follows, so the secretion takes on a thick- 



