60 THE CAT 



household media, and probably through the 

 medium of the air. 



3. Of what nature is the poison ? Regarded 

 in the light of modern pathological knowledge 

 relating to allied diseases, i. e. specific eruptive 

 fevers, we are forced to believe that minute living 

 organisms are the sole and only cause; that these 

 are endowed with great vitality, and are contained 

 in the nasal discharge and excretions : that such may 

 be also of a volatile nature, as opposed to the 



fixed forms of virus ; but in this disease the virus 

 is apparently both fixed and volatile, hence the 

 multifarious paths by which it enters the system. 



4. Does one attack confer immunity ? Not 

 absolute protection, but to a considerable degree. 



5. What are the predisposing causes ? Ex- 

 posure to cold ; enfeeblement of constitution ; 

 unhealthy surroundings ; change of climate, as, for 

 instance, when a cat comes from a southern to a 

 northern climate. 



Symptoms. 



These begin with a general dulness : cat seems 

 languid, the coat stares ; always sitting by the fire, 

 if the cat is indoors ; thirst, but shivering precedes 

 the thirst. Very soon sneezing comes on, and 

 there is a watery discharge from the nose and eyes, 

 which gradually changes to one of a thicker charac- 

 ter, sealing up the nasal and ocular openings. 



