* 
310 «©6 The Management and Diseases of the Dog. 
through vaccination, and this experimental conveyance of 
the malady to a dog, Letzerich draws the following conclu- 
sions. 1. Vaccine matter which has passed through a 
diphtheritic subject, and become tainted, will not produce 
a vaccine pustule at the place where it was inserted. 2. 
That lymph so tainted, when introduced by inoculdtton,——~ 
speedily gives rise to general diphtheria. From the obvious 
results of the experimental case in particular, it may be 
concluded :(1.) That inoculation with lymph which has not 
been tainted with diphtheritic organisms will, in a given 
time, and in a normal manner, give rise to the well-known 
pustules ; and (2.) On the contrary, that the local diphtheria 
of an inoculation wound is followed by general diphtheria, 
as a secondary process. 
“ Whether the diphtheria of the lower animals is inter- 
transmissible, or whether it may be communicable to the 
human species, we have no evidence to base even a suppo- 
sition upon; but there can scarcely be any reason for hesi- 
tation in accepting the fact that another malady is added 
to the list of those which are at least capable of being con- 
veyed from man to creatures lower in the scale of creation. 
This new addition furnishes another proof of the value of 
comparative pathology, and the close relations which exist 
between animal and human medicine.” 
DISTEMPER. 
Probably no disease to which our canine friends are sub- 
ject has received less attention scéentifically, or caused 
greater diversity of opinion when it has received that atten- 
tion, than the one termed “ Distemper.” Every game- 
keeper, dog-breaker, or kennel-man has his particular 
recipe ; most druggists possess some wonderful prescrip- 
tion ; while sporting and other papers abound in adver- 
tisements of specifics and nostrums. 
In discussing this subject, it is not my intention to lay 
down any fixed rule of treatment adapted to every case, 
