nSIEMPER. 



It unfortunately happens that this ugly disorder is nut easy 

 of detection in its early stages. Sometimes it starts with 

 watery eyes and a short cough ; at others, hy the same sort of 

 desire to be alone and secluded, and the same peevishness that 

 heralds the all-dreaded disease, hydrophobia, marks its advent. 

 If, however, in addition to these or any other unusual symp- 

 toms, there should be a redness about the eyelids, and the dog's 

 body should feel dry and feverish, you may make up your mind 

 as to what is about to happen. 



As to the origin of distemper, doctors disagree. Some — in 

 fact, nearly all canine physicians of the old school — asiiert that 

 it is contagious. Modern men of science declare that such is 

 not the case. The old school doctrine, too, was that every dog 

 nmist have distemper, as infallibly as that every child has 

 measles and hooping-cough. This also is denied, and not with- 

 out sound proof by the wise men of the nineteenth century. 

 " Cold, wet, bad food, foul air, excessive exertion, fear, &c., are 

 grouped together and put forth as causes of this disorder ; but 

 it has yet to be proved that these accepted terms have any 

 connection with it. Dogs that are starved, neglected, or cruelly 

 tortured ; animals that are judiciously fed, properly housed, and 

 sensibly treated — as weU as favourites that are crammed, 

 nursed, and humoured — are equally its victims ; and those that 

 are most cared for fall most frequently, while those that are 

 least prized most generally survive. If, therefore, privation 

 or exposure be of any importance, the fact seems to infer their 

 tendencies are either to check or mitigate the evil." 



The symptoms the dog may exhibit during the prevalence of 

 the disease are wonderfully numerous. There is not a single 

 inch of his body, from his head to liis tail, but may seem to be 

 the part suffering especially. The eyes sometimes, indeed 

 generally, are very bad. Indeed, it is by these organs that the 

 owner may tell whether his dog is reaUy cured of distemper, or 

 whether the disease, instead of taking its departure, is merely 

 at rest to break out immediately with renewed fury. It mil 

 frequently happen that after the dog has exhibited a few of the 

 milder characteristics of the disease it will disappear even more 

 rapidly than it developed itself, and, better than all, leave the 

 patient much better than it found him. His eyes look briUiant 

 and transparent, his nostrils are dry and comfortable, his coat 

 clean and glossy, and his spirits not only high, but actually 



