178 BOVINE PATHOLOGY. 



of water with nitre and clilorate of potash in it. Secure 

 as much fresh air for the patient as possible ; if suffoca- 

 tion threatens perform tracheotomy. The seat of the 

 operation must be determined by auscultation of the 

 trachea. Where false membranes are present a peculiar 

 vibration results from the rush of air. As a precau- 

 tionary measure we should disinfect. In each case we 

 should endeavour to prove or disprove relation with a 

 similar outbreak in man. Pigs and other domesticated 

 animals are said to be affected by this disorder. Diph- 

 theria of man has been attributed to ^' garget^' in cattle 

 (at a meeting of the Pathological Society). The idea was 

 originated by Dr. Power, who totally ignored the intimate 

 acquaintance which veterinary surgeons have with mam- 

 mitis. His ideas were soon refuted, but, as Mr. Beach 

 suggested, may there not be a diphtheritic form of mam- 

 mitis of the cow ? We are not in a position to disprove 

 this. It must be considered a question for the future. 



Hitherto among specific disorders we have remarked 

 communicability from one animal to another. There are 

 specific diseases, however, which cannot be transmitted in 

 this way ; they occur as epizootics or enzootics, and seem 

 to be associated with special conditions of the air. These 

 atmospheric states may be electrical, chemical, or, as is 

 most probable, due to the prevalence of minute organisms. 

 This view is strongly advocated by the celebrated ob- 

 server Leydig, who goes so far as to compare ordinary 

 contagious disorders to trichiniasis, which disease one 

 warm-blooded animal directly communicates to another, 

 and these non-contagious diseases to trematode invasion, 

 where externally to the warm-blooded body is an inter- 

 mediary bearer in which the parasite develops until 

 fit to enter the body of the high vertebrate. In the 

 latter case it will be observed that no direct communica- 

 tion of disorder can occur. So it is with influenza and 

 its allies. Higher animals can only become affected 

 as a result of the maturation of the (probably organic) 

 poison in the air. We mention this as the most plausible 

 explanation of influenzoid affections with which we are 



