Specific and Contagious Diseases. ib? 
brane, &c., yet bloody discharges are common, associated 
with dropsical swellings of fhe head and eyes, the mem- 
brane of the latter being acutely reddened. More or 
less fever is also present with lung disturbance and a 
lingering ‘death, the illness in fatal cases extending over 
several months. Spontaneous recoveries are, however, 
quite common. 
Measles.—The transmission of this disease from the 
human subject is set down as quite possible, a case having 
actually occurred in a pet dog which was allowed to lick . 
the hand of a child affected with measles in a severe 
form. The animal sickened in twelve days, a discharge 
from the nose appeared shortly after, and in four days 
died from resulting congestion of the throat and air 
passages generally. (Veterinary Journal, 1876.) 
Rabies.—From whatever aspect we view this disease, 
there can be but one, the zzevitab/e conclusion that it is 
one of the most dangerous and formidable, the possibili- 
ties of which are fearful to contemplate. The number of 
human victims who are said to succumb to the effects of 
the poison is not the only horror which comes of its 
prevalence, however large the quotation may be. In the 
minds of those who are called to minister to the sufferer, 
no description can portray the amount of mental agony 
and utter dismay they undergo while unable to offer the 
least assistance calculated to assuage the bodily sufferings, 
or impart solace to the distracted mind. From this 
point of view it is not surprising that, by general consent, 
we regard the mention of rabies as synonymous with 
general prevalence, the cry of “mad dog” having an 
electrical effect upon a whole population. Nervous 
subjects, especially those who know little or indeed 
nothing of rabies, at the mere mention of the name often 
work themselves into a fearful state of apprehension, not 
unfrequently attended with serious consequences. Such 
being the case, it is high time that all interested in canine 
pets should become acquainted with the general charac- 
ters of the disease, the usual mode of origin, possibility 
of communication to other animals as well as ourselves, 
in order that means for its delimitation at least may 
