148 specific and Contagious Diseases, 



valuable, should be treated, as great risk is imminent 

 from the conveyance of fatal blood-poisoning. The care 

 of the patient properly rests with a qualified veterinary 

 surgeon. '^Sanitas" disinfectants should be largely made 

 use of for purifying the litterj floor, &c., fouled by the 

 discharges, and as a wash for the mouth, nothing answers 

 better than *' Sanitas" fluid diluted with an equal bulk of 

 water. One or two fluid drachms with one ounce of cold 

 water will form an excellent medicine, which may be 

 given several times daily; and a fluid injection, say two 

 to four ounces of tepid water containing one teaspoonful, 

 will materially aid in correcting the offensive dejections. 

 Otherwise the warmth and general comfort of the animals 

 must be ensured. 



Cholera. — The communication of cholera to the dog 

 or cat may not be improbable. Both these animals in their 

 association with mankind run serious risk during an 

 outbreak of the disease. They may partake of the malady 

 by their disposition to seek deUcate morsels from the 

 evacuations or vomited matters ; they may also become 

 carriers of contagion, and spread the disease far and wide 

 among the population of the district. With regard to the 

 first, the evidences of cholera in either dog or cat are by 

 no means clear. During visitations of the plague in 

 certain countries, cats and dogs have suffered extensively 

 from an epizootic form of disease which has been recog- 

 nised at the least as of a choleraic nature, and exceedingly 

 fatal even after a few hours. The chief symptoms were 

 severe vomiting, &c., with violent as well as profuse 

 diarrhoea ; the animal appeared to be suddenly reduced, 

 having a " pinched " or wasted appearance, and the eyes, 

 sunk deep in the orbits, added considerably to the woe- 

 begone or dejected condition. After death the internal 

 evidences very closely agreed with those witnessed in the 

 human subject. It has, however, been carefully ascer- 

 tained that notwithstanding the great similarity in the 

 post-mortem appearances, the true choleraic poison was 

 probably not present. 



Diphtheria. — Prominently among the discoveries of 



