1883.] MR. J. B. SUTTON ON THE DISEASES OF MONKEYS. 583 



(a) The animal which died first was the one first observed to 

 be ill. 



{h) The faecal discharges were so profuse that the keeper had 

 diflaculty in keeping the cage clean. 



(c) The companion Lemur jumping about the cage, not merely 

 contaminated her own body but occasionally dropped her food into 

 the fseces, thus taking the morbid material directly into the ali- 

 mentary canal in contact with the Peyerian glands. 



{d) The unusual length of intestine found ulcerated also lends 

 support to the notion of direct contagion. 



The fact that the mucous membrane of the rectum was ulcerated is 

 a point of some interest. In conducting post-mortem examinations, 

 on human subjects dying of typhoid fever, it rarely happens that the 

 rectum is examined. Profiting by the experience gained in examining 

 these Monkeys I have in all cases of typhoid fever, where the oppor- 

 tunity has occurred, examined the condition of the mucous membrane 

 at the lower end of tlie alimentary canal, and have found in some 

 cases a ring of infiltration and ulceration about half an inch above 

 the anus. The explanation is not far to seek. If the rectum be 

 split longitudinally it wall be seen that half an inch above the anus 

 there is an abrupt change in the mucous membrane, the squamous 

 epithelium of the anus being suddenly replaced by the columnar 

 variety, beneath wliich is a substratum of lymphoid and glandular 

 tissue. It is this ring of tissue which in typhoid fever undergoes 

 infiltration, ulceration, &c., as does a Peyer's patch or solitary 

 follicle in the ileum. 



Rickets. A very unexpected cause of death manifested itself in 

 bone disease, in the form of typical rickets. Next to bronchitis 

 this is the most frequent cause of death among the Monkeys. 

 During the past summer I have been able to observe the animals 

 suffering from this disease, and can give a fairly complete clinical 

 history of the affection. 



When a Monkey becomes affected with rickets he is less active 

 than usual, and instead of leaping about from place to place, sits on 

 the floor. Gradually paralysis of the lower limbs comes on ; the 

 creature now moves about by using his long arms as crutches. The 

 bones soften, and those of the upper limb, having to support the 

 weight of the body in progression, begin to bend. The paralysis of 

 the lower limbs increases, and the creature becoming completely 

 paraplegic, loses control over the sphincters and suffers from incon- 

 tinence of urine and fa?ces, and occasionally from priapism. The 

 ribs and sternum share in the general softening, allow the thoracic 

 parietes to yield to atmospheric pressure, causing embarrassment of 

 respiration; the animal gets an attack of bronchitis, and soon dies. 

 Such a case as this is a severe one, but I have watched a Monkey 

 apparently in good health die horribly deformed with rickets in 

 four months. It is highly probable that many less severe cases 

 have been overlooked, so that at present it is impossible to state with 

 any degree of accuracy the relative frequency of death from this 

 cause, but it is a very prevalent disease. Its chief symptoms n)ay be 



