112 SPECIFIC CATARRHAL DISEASE, OR DISTEMPER. 



The diseased marks of the abdominal viscera vary as follow : 

 the stomach is not often much altered ; sometimes, however, the 

 villous surface is somewhat injected, particularly towards the py- 

 loric extremity. The intestines usually bear their full proportion 

 of morbid characters, being often inflamed throughout, and occa- 

 sionally are contracted in portions, particularly the ileum ; while 

 the colon is often beset with dark patches, and the rectum with 

 ulcerated spots, when the diarrhoea has been violent and long con- 

 tinued^s. The rest of the chylopoietic viscera, in bad cases, 

 partake more or less of the morbid influence, particularly the liver, 

 which I have sometimes seen much paler than natural, softer in 

 texture also, and, as it were, macerated ; in other cases I have 

 seen it grumous, surcharged with blood, with its biliary duct and 

 sac engorged with an hepatic secretion, as foetid and decomposed 

 as the matter of the stools themselves ; in fact, the animal mass 

 throughout, in the malignant cases I have noticed, presents a state 

 of complete putrid solution. 



Prognosis. — To form a decisive opinion of the result of any 

 case of distemper, and at almost any period of the complaint, is 

 very difficult ; and I would strongly recommend the veterinary 

 practitioner never to speak confidently with regard to either a 

 fortunate or unfortunate result, however flattering or however 

 adverse the appearances may be. Very young dogs seldom live, 

 puppies of a few weeks old almost never : the difference in these 

 respects, however, between dogs brought up in a state of hardi- 

 hood and those petted and artificially treated, as well as between 

 those living in the country and those residing in cities, is very 

 great, and should influence the prognostic much. I have already 

 shewn that difi^erent varieties have it worse than others, and that 



'^ Mr. Youatt observes on the state of the intestines, "thatif^//py have been 

 chiefly attacked, we have intense inflammation of the mucous membrane, and, 

 generally speaking, the small intestines are almost filled with worms. If the 

 dog has gradually wasted away, we have contraction of the whole canal, 

 including even the stomach, and sometimes considerable enlargement of the 

 mesenteric glands." The value of these remarks, in a practical point of view, 

 I need not point out. 



