Distemper in Dogs and Cats. 215 



good soapy wash. All clothing, collars, fcrushes and other ma- 

 terial that came with them should be thoroughly disinfected. 

 Dog shows and other meetings are to be avoided as far as possible 

 and any animal that has returned from one should be quarantined 

 and all his belongings purified. Dogs that run at large should 

 be carefully excluded from kennels where valuable dogs are kept, 

 and from all possible contact with them. Even mice, rats, and 

 birds have to be considered if the disease exists in the near vi- 

 cinity. When the disease exists in a district a sound sanitation 

 would demand the shutting up of all dogs on their owner's pre- 

 mises, unless carefully led on chain and prevented from coming 

 in contact with other dogs. 



When the disease has broken out in a pack of hounds, or a 

 populous kennel, the dogs should be separated into small lots of 

 3 or 4 ; temperatures of all should be taken twice a day ; any 

 lot in which one shows a high temperature should be instantly re- 

 moved to a safe distance and placed in quarantine ; and the en- 

 closure where they have been and all their belongings should be- 

 thoroughly disinfected. The enclosures where the sick are kept 

 must be carefully quarantined so that no infection may escape on 

 food, water, brushes, utensils, clothing, attendants, cats, vermin, 

 or even birds. 



The dogs that are still healthy should have spacious, well- 

 aired dwellings, open air exercise (as much as possible in the 

 fine season) , good but not too stimulating food (in part at least 

 fresh animal food) , pure water, and protection against undue 

 fatigue, cold, icy baths, especially when exhausted, rain or snow 

 storms and cold stone or metallic beds. In the cold season arti- 

 ficial heat in the kennel is desirable. 



Immunization may be sought in various ways based on the use 

 of the toxins and antitoxins on the one hand, and of a weakened 

 type of virus on the other. Bryce (1882) and others inoculated 

 with the blood and pulmonary exudate, and produced in three- 

 months-puppies, local swellings mainly, with subsequent im- 

 munity. The mortality from the inoculation did not exceed 10 

 to 15 per cent. These losses imply that in certain cases the ma- 

 terial inoculated conveyed the microbe of the disease, and the sur- 

 vivors acquired all that immunity which comes from a first attack. 

 In the cases that show local lesions only, it may be presumed 



