4°72 CANINE DISTEMPER 
discolored in consequence of cloudy swelling and fatty degeneration 
of the fibers. The lymph glands may be edematous. 
Diagnosis. Distemper is to be diagnosed by the symptoms. 
There is no specific test for making a positive determination. Dis- 
temper is to be differentiated from simple catarrh, rabies, skin dis- 
eases, epilepsy, simple coryza, bronchitis, chorea and paralysis. 
Until the specific cause is found and can be availed of in making 
the diagnosis, much doubt will necessarily exist respecting the nature 
of the disease where many of the symptoms are atypical. It may be 
found on further investigation and the discovery of the etiological 
factor that the many symptoms now attributed to distemper may be 
differentiated into two or more distinct affections. 
Prevention. The lack of knowledge concerning the specific cause 
has rendered it impossible thus far to close all channels of infection, 
but its spreading can be checked to a considerable degree by isolation 
and the use of disinfectants. 
Care is necessary not to expose dogs either by taking them to 
infected places or allowing them to mingle with strange canines. 
Active immunization has been practiced. Dogs were inoculated with 
the nasal discharge for the purpose of producing a mild form of the 
disease. Small pox virus has also been used for vaccination against 
distemper. During recent years, a large number of vaccines have 
been proposed for immunizing purposes. They do not seem to be 
satisfactory although great claims have been made for them.* 
Infective sarcomata in dogs. Smith and Washburn have described 
a series of tumors of dogs which spread from animal to animal as the 
result of coitus. These tumors which varied much in size appeared 
to start in the mucosa of the vagina. In some cases the walls of the 
vagina were deeply infiltrated, and the tumors often ulcerated. 
Death occurred frequently from cachexia or as the result of mechani- 
cal obstruction. They were enabled to successfully inoculate the 
tumors into two dogs. The following are their conclusions: 
“The tumors in question are infective round-celled sarcomata 
occurring in dogs. 
“The tumors can be transplanted from the genitals, where they 
naturally occur, to the subcutaneous tissue of dogs. 
*Richter has given several of the recent productions a very careful trial. Gray has 
also tested certain of them with the conclusion that they are useless. M’Fadyean 
found that a method for bringing about an artificial immunity against distemper has 
not as yet been discovered. Carré comes to the same conclusion. 
