CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS 347 



making the diagnosis, much doubt will necessarily exist 

 respecting the nature of the disease where many of the symptoms 

 and lesions are atypical. 



§ 265. Prevention. The lack of knowledge concerning 

 the specific cause has rendered it impossible thus far to close 

 all channels of infection but its spreading can be checked to a 

 considerable degree by isolation and the use of disinfectants. 

 It has been stated that the inoculation with the virus from very 

 mild cases, which produces a mild attack, will immunize an 

 animal for several years. 



REFERENCES. 



1. Hektwig. Krankheiteu der Hunde. 1881. p. 48. 



2. Jess. Der Bacillus der Hundestaupe. ( Febris catarrhalis epizo- 

 otica Canines. ) Cent./. Bak. u. Parasitenk. Bd. 2^. (1899)8.541. 



3. L/AOSSOM. Ueber Geschichte and Kontagiositat der Staupe. 

 Dorpat. 1892. 



4. NiCKOLDS. Dog distemper. Am. I'el. Review. 1900. p. 180. 



INFECTIOUS CEREBRO-SPINAIv MENINGITIS IN HORSES. 



§ 266. Characterization. This is a disease, that seems 

 to be infectious in its nature, exhibiting symptoms referable to 

 a disturbance in the central nervous system. It is called 

 epizootic cerebro-spinal meningitis apparently because it often 

 attacks a number of animals in the same locality. Although 

 the literature contains numerous accounts of its seemingly 

 contagious nature, an analysis of the facts fails to bring forth 

 conclusive evidence that it is ever transmitted directly from 

 one horse to another. In nearly if not all outbreaks, the ani- 

 mals affected have been subjected to like conditions of life. 

 This disease is, at the present time, peculiar in that its cause 

 is not known, that obvious tissue changes are usually absent, 

 and that it has a very high mortality. 



§ 267. Etiology. The cause has been attributed to a 

 great variety of conditions such as fermented food, forage 

 laden with fungi or toxic moulds, various unsanitary con- 

 ditions and possibly other ill-defined agencies. It seems to be 



