310 Veterinary Medicine. 



poisoning by the ptomaines and toxins. There are however cer- 

 tain protective conditions. Accustomed as this class of animals 

 is to the consumption of such food, they have by selective evolu- 

 tion acquired an insusceptibility to many such poisons which 

 would prove deadly to the herbivora. Again the mature dog or 

 cat has already been subjected to many of these poisons and hav- 

 ing survived them has acquired an immunity which renders it 

 comparatively safe for the future. The antiseptic power of the 

 gastric secretion of the dog may be easily shown, by letting him 

 bolt a moderate piece of putrid meat, and killing him ten or fif- 

 teen minutes later when the mass will be found in the stomach 

 without odor of decomposition. He succumbs to the poison 

 either when the quantity ingested is too large, or when the diges- 

 tion is from any cause deranged and the gastric secretion im- 

 paired. Anthrax flesh may produce pharyngeal or intestinal 

 anthrax in the dog. In the animal with temporarily impaired 

 immunity the more virulent septicaemias may prove infecting. 

 From putrid beef the following pathogenic bacteria have been 

 isolated : i . Gartner and Basenau have independently isolated 

 bacillus bovis morbificans which forms clear colonies on the 

 surface of peptonized gelatine, and brownish ones beneath the 

 surface, and coagulates milk in 24 hours. This is short with 

 rounded ends, very motile, non-liquefying, and capable of surviv- 

 ing the freezing temperature. Its toxins are not destroyed by 

 boiling. It causes enteritis, or subcutem debility, somnolence, 

 and stupor. This bacillus was pathogenic to mice, rats, guinea- 

 pigs, rabbits, goats and calves but had little effect on dogs or 

 cats. 2. The bacillus of Poels which produces paraylsis. 3. The 

 bacillus of Gafky which performs very rapid gyratory move- 

 ments only, and is not found in the muscles. 



Old Brine is as poisonous for the dog as for pigs. Six to nine 

 ounces proved fatal. (Reynal). 



Stale Fish has been known to prove poisonous in the same 

 way. 



Three dogs that were made to breathe the air over a foul privy 

 were seized with vomiting, fever and diarrhoea. 



Symptoms. These usually develop six or more hours after a 

 feed. The earlier symptoms are those of digestive disorder. 



