HISTORICAL 5 
sant with dogs. On the Continent I find it has been known 
for a much longer period; it is as contagious among 
dogs as the small-pox, measles, or scarlet fever among 
the human species; and the contagious miasmata, like 
those arising from the diseases just mentioned, retain 
their infectious properties a long time after separation 
from the distempered animal. Young hounds, for 
example, brought in a state of health into a kennel where 
others have gone through the distemper, seldom escape 
it. I have endeavoured to destroy the contagion by 
ordering every part of a kennel to be carefully washed 
with water, then white-washed, and finally to be re- 
peatedly fumigated with the vapour of marine acid, but 
without any good result.” 
Analogous Diseases in Human Beings.—To-day, dis- 
temper is ubiquitous the world over, and must be 
regarded as the greatest enemy of the canine race, 
among which it causes a high annual mortality, and the 
loss to dog owners and breeders of many thousands of 
pounds, apart from the sentimental values which are 
inestimable in terms of cash. A great analogy exists 
between distemper and human measles, in that they are 
both infectious, mostly attack the young, and occur 
generally only once in life. In each we also find similar 
symptoms, such as catarrh of all mucous membranes 
(except of the intestines in measles) and skin eruptions, 
whilst they are both subject to bronchitis, pneumonia, 
ophthalmia, and nervous disorders, as complications. 
Communicability to Man.—Although this disease has 
been likened to measles, influenza, and small-pox of man, 
it has in reality no connection with any of them, and 
I have heard of no case in practice in which any patho- 
logical condition has been communicated to man from 
animals suffering with distemper. On this question of 
communicability to mankind, Dr. Jenner might be again 
