Diseases of the Dog. 1 09 



creature does not care to remove. The month is pro- 

 bably hot, foul, and dry, or slimy, and the breath foetid. 

 The functions of secretion and excretion are irregular or 

 suspended, and the faeces are hard, small, irregular, and 

 probably offensive; the urine is also deficient, highly 

 coloured, and emits an odour not consistent with health. 

 To these may be added coldness of the ears and legs, a 

 hot, dry muzzle, &c., all of which suffer more or less 

 modification or intensity with specific additions enforced 

 by the various organs involved. 



With regard to appetite or taste, the dog is not a clean 

 animal. Designed by Nature as the scavenger of the 

 earth, he devours the most disgusting filth with obvious 

 enjoyment, and digests his dainty morsel without suffer- 

 ing systemic disturbance. Notwithstanding, he lays claim 

 to the possession of a depraved appetite under disease, 

 and, to satisfy the morbid demand, hesitates not to 

 swallow sticks, stones, sand, paper, rags, and the filthiest 

 of decomposing material, even human excrement, or that 

 of other dogs as well as his own. 



The department of science which determines the state 

 of an animal under disease, and defines its nature, is 

 known as Pathology. In order to realise the various 

 morbid conditions which are comprehended within a 

 given word, the practitioner resorts to numerous methods 

 of observation, specific testing, and comparison of the 

 several signs exhibited by the suffering animal. The 

 usual signs of disturbance are first carefully noted, and 

 often by negative forms of examination he may decide 

 which organs are free from morbid disturbance, while 

 others exhibit special indications which lead conclusively 

 to their identification with some unusual process. This 

 property of acquiring information during life is greatly 

 assisted by examination after death, the morbid processes 

 revealed by Pathological Anato7ny being highly useful in 

 turning the attention of the practitioner to the diseased 

 organs during life. 



In the treatment of disease the department of Materia 

 Medica^ or the nature, actions, uses and doses of medi- 

 cines, as well as their legitimate combinations affords a 



