130 DOGS : THEIR MANAGEMENT. 



and scabs, having an offensive odor. The creature at 

 last begins to " yap," or utter short sharp cries. It 

 becomes more weak, till at length it cannot walk, but 

 lies upon its side ; the noise being continued for hours, 

 and then ceasing only to be again commenced. Consti- 

 pation has usually been present, but at last diarrhrea sets 

 in ; the faeces have that peculiar smell which in the dog 

 is characteristic of the latest stage of all ; and gradually 

 death, without a seeming struggle, closes the scene of 

 suffering. 



More frequently indeed, in the majority of cases 

 the distemper is hardly well developed before it all at 

 once seems to disappear. This peculiarity in the disor- 

 der has no doubt given strength to the general faith in 

 specifics for this disease. The animal suddenly so far 

 recovers, or appears to recover, after having been seri- 

 ously affected, that the inexperienced naturally conclude 

 the dog is either quite well, or evidently so far cured 

 that the efficacy of the remedy administered is not to bs 

 disputed. For two or three weeks this deceptive appear- 

 ance may continue, and in some cases no return of the 

 symptoms may be witnessed ; but in the majority of 

 instances the disorder is only dormant, and again starts 

 up as if it had been strengthened by its treacherous 

 repose. The running from the nose comes back in ex- 

 cessive quantities, and either the bowels are singly in- 

 flamed, or with them the brain is involved, and fits or 

 diarrhoea, or both united, speedily terminate in death, to 

 arrest which medicine has seldom the power. The loss 



