8 CANINE DISTEMPER 
conjunction with clinical study, settles beyond any 
dispute the question of the unity or multiplicity of 
affections included in this generic term, the various 
manifestations of it should be accepted as belonging to 
distemper.” He is of opinion, as a result of a comparative 
study of the diseases of swine, dogs, and horses, that 
distemper is an analogous disease to swine fever and 
swine plague on the one hand, and to influenza, strangles, 
and contagious pneumonia of equines on the other. 
Schantyr, in 1892, claimed that distemper could, by 
careful bacteriological examination, be divided into three 
separate diseases—namely, (1) true distemper ; (2) ab- 
dominal typhus; and (3) typhoid. He added, however, 
that clinically and anatomically all three were alike. 
Mégnin advocated division into two affections—namely, 
“strangles” and “distemper”; whilst in 1901 Cadiot 
and Breton described two conditions—the true distemper 
characterised by the presence of an exanthema, and 
an independent infectious broncho-pneumonia. _ 
Many supposed it to be a true ‘‘small-pox,” though the 
complete failure of all those who strove to produce 
immunity by vaccination seems to have effectually 
negatived that view. It is, however, not generally 
looked upon in this light to-day, and although the 
symptoms of one case may be distinct from those of 
another, yet there is practically always one combination 
_ of symptoms common to all—namely, nasal or bronchial 
catarrh, or both; cough; and the persistent irritating 
discharge from the eyes. 
Seasonal Predominance-—Distemper may appear at 
any time of the year, especially in cities, where large 
numbers of dogs are constantly intermixing. If any 
period is favoured more than another, it is the warm 
spring and autumn months, and particularly warm wet 
weather alternating with cold. 
