SPECIFIC CATARRHAL DISEASE, OR DISTEMPER. 103 



The period of its attack follows the same uncertainty as marks 

 its other phenomena. I have known it to aflfect puppies of a few 

 weeks old, where it might be supposed that the constitutional pre- 

 disposition alone could have produced it: this occurs particularly 

 to the diminutive breeds, as pugs, very small spaniels, pigmy ter- 

 riers, Italian greyhounds, and other minute varieties; in which 

 cases it is almost invariably fatal. It more commonly, however, 

 makes its appearance between six and twelve months : among 

 country dogs it is protracted to the period of full growth often ; but 

 no age is exempt from it, and it is not uncommon to see it in three, 

 four, or five year old dogs, with which it usually proves extremely 

 severe. Neither is its attack confined to once ; it will now and 

 then appear not only a second but a third time even, an instance 

 of which fell under ray own notice, where I was assured by a lady 

 of great respectability, that a very favourite dog, then very ill of 

 the disease, had been twice before attacked with the same, with in- 

 tervals of two years between each attack, the first of which was, if 

 my memory serves me aright, in France, the second in India, and 

 at last we ourselves witnessed that the cruel complaint carried oflF 

 this faithful companion of an affectionate mistress in London. The 

 dogs used in rural economy, and indeed yard dogs, do not often 

 suflfer by it with equal virulence ; but wherever man has interfered 

 in forcing an artificial breed, and in maintaining and perfecting a 

 degree of forced excellence, there the disease is almost always 

 severe. It is thus that it is so fatal to high-bred hounds, pointers, 

 setters, and spaniels ; and to terriers and greyhounds it is even 

 more so. Mr. Youatt observes, that few dogs imported into this 

 country as exotics do well with it ; thus the greater part of the 

 northern dogs brought by Captain Parry were carried ofi" by it 

 within a twelvemonth. Some breeds possess an hereditary tend- 

 ency to have it worse than others of the same kind: litter after 

 litter of some sporting strains will hardly yield more than one or 

 two survivors. In such case, I would advise the breeder to cross 

 the race, or to altogether try a new one. 



Symptoms. — These are marked throughout with such variety. 



