250 Epidemics. 



their sockets. The diaphragm sometimes acts convulsively 

 when the animal catches her breath, starts, and gasps as 

 if from a stab. The body swells and acquires a doughy feel; 

 the soft parts pit on pressure. 



The breath, during the second and third stages dis- 

 agreeable, in the fourth becomes horribly offensive. The 

 stench from the excretions is insupportable, yet the animal 

 does often exist for many days almost deprived of 

 instinct. 



The pulse, according to the severity of the disease, ranges 

 from forty-three to one hundred strokes per minute. It is 

 full, hard, wiry ; in the fourth it is generally small but 

 rapid, yet vibrates but seldom, and even then but little 

 under the finger. The expectorated matter in the early 

 stages is scanty and mucous; in the latter, viscid, tenacious, 

 streaked with blood, and sometimes a sort of bloody 

 purulent matter. 



Postmortem. The first stomach always full ; I have not 

 seen one vomit.* The windpipe is extra vascular, the pleura 

 filled with water, the lungs congested, dark coloured, 

 swollen, and breaking readily under the fingers ; the liver 

 frequently enlarged to an extent that might be supposed 

 scarcely possible, its entire surface of a dark greenish colour. 



On making an incision into it a quantity of dark fluid blood 



escapes, as from animals killed by the electric fluid. The 



heart presents all the appearance of violent inflammation. 

 The ventricles of the brain frequently found filled with 



purulent matter, and the enclosing parts bearing all the 



evidence of inflammation. 



The Foot-rot. I have known cows convey it to the 



sheep, and sheep to the cows. I do not know of man, dog, 



or cat being made ill by diseased animals. 



* I mentioned two animals which did vomit in the letter first written. 



