SYMPTOxMS OF DISTEMPER. 371 



ally more severe, and also more variable in its severity ; soon 

 going on to inflammation, or else entirely ceasing in a few days. 

 In distemper, the strengtli and flesh rapidly fail and waste, 

 while in common "cold," the cough may continue for days 

 without much alteration in either ; and this is one of the chief 

 characteristics of the true disease. There is, also, generally a 

 black pitchy condition of the fwces, and the urine is scanty and 

 high-coloured. The white of the eyes is always more or less 

 reddened, the colour being of a bluish red cast, and the vessels 

 being evidently gorged with blood. When the brain is attacked, 

 the eyes are more injected than when the bowels or lungs are 

 the seats of complication. The corners of the eyes have a small 

 drop of mucus, and the nose runs more or less, which sj^mp- 

 toms, as the disease goes on, are much aggravated, both being 

 glued up by brownish matter, while the teeth also are covered 

 with a blackish brown fur. Such are the regular symptoms of 

 a severe attack of distemper, gradually increasing in severity to 

 the third, fourth, or fifth week, when the dog dies from ex- 

 haustion, or from disease of the brain, lungs, or bowels, marked 

 by peculiar signs in each case. In this course the disease may 

 be described as passing through four stages or periods : 1st, 

 That in which the poison is spreading through the system, called 

 the period of incubation ; 2nd, That in whiph nature rouses 

 her powers to expel it, called the period of reaction ; 3rd, The 

 period of prostration, during which the powers of nature are ex- 

 hausted, or nearly so, by the efforts which have been made ; and 



B B 2 



