134 THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE, 
No cause, as yet, has been found producing the disease ; 
it appears upon fish in Europe, as well as in this country, 
and also upon fish kept in open air ponds, as well as those 
inhabiting the aquarium, and in any season of the year, and 
at any age of the goldfish. 
The disease may run a course of four months, at the end 
of which time it results in the death of the fish. It also 
seems to be intermittent in character, disappearing for sev- 
eral weeks, and returning again upon the same _ individual, 
but always in such cases with fatal effect. 
There seems to be no other treatment than making the fish 
as comfortable as possible, taking that chance for recovery. 
ERYSIPELAS. 
This disease is indicated by what appears to be a nervous 
restlessness of the fish. They are seen swimming with very 
quick motions, darting here and there with great rapidity, 
and with no other apparent reason than a desire to flee from 
their torment, for it seems that they suffer from muscular 
pains. After this extreme activity which covers a period of 
several days, the fishes (for they all become affected at the 
same time) huddle together on the bottom of the tank, now 
and then resuming their mad capers. 
The external appearance in this case is characterized by 
a closed dorsal fin, bloody streaks upon all of the fins, which, 
moreover, instead of being nicely rounded upon their extrem- 
ities, as in health, become agglutinated and appear like the 
spikes upon a catfish. The tissue between the spines decays, 
the latter looking like the disarranged bristles on a brush; 
this is the beginning of the end. 
