GENERAL DISEASES. 333 



of the throat and air-passages. It has been held by some 

 authorities that measles in man is the analogue of distemper 

 in dogs — indeed, it has been urged that they are the same 

 diseases ; but this case contradicts such a view, for the dog 

 in question had, four years previously, gone through an attack 

 of distemper ; and, although second attacks of the various 

 eruptive fevers are common enough in children, second attacks 

 of distemper are rare amongst dogs — while such second cases, 

 when they do occur, are invariably of a slight and temporary 

 nature." * 



TETANUS. 



This disease is of rare occurrence in canine practice. It is 

 divided into Idiopathic, i.e., where no visible cause is in ex- 

 istence ; and Traumatic, when it arises from injury or wound. 



Tetanus consists of, or denotes an uncontrollable spasmod- 

 ic contraction of the voluntary muscles. It is exceedingly 

 painful, and usually fatal. 



The disease may assume a local or general form, i.e., it 

 may be limited to the jaws, producing lock-jaw ; or it may ex 

 tend to a part or the whole of the trunk, and give rise to par- 

 tial or general rigidity. 



Causes. — Changes of temperature, exposure to cold and 

 wet, excessive fatigue ; injuries by wounds or bruises ; irrita- 

 tion to the nerve extremities, or main trunks ; the presence of 

 irritants in the stomach and intestines ; strychnia. 



Symptoms. — ^When the jaws only are affected the head is 

 poked out, the jaws are tightly closed, the angles of the mouth 

 are drawn back, the mouth filled with frothy saliva, and the 

 eyes fixed in an unnatural and often hideous position. 



Whatever portion of the animal is affected, this is drawn 

 and deformed. 



In general tetanus the patient, if able to walk, moves 



* "Veterinary Journal," Sept., 1876. 



