204 Distemper of Dogs. 



few liours. In many cases muscular tremors or clonic spasms 

 develop, and are either confined to certain groups of muscles, 

 or extend over the entire body. Local spasms are usually 

 observed in the face, especially on the lips, nasal wings, cheeks, 

 and in the muscles of mastication (chattering teeth and foaming 

 lips). In other cases spasms occur in the muscles of the neck 

 or extremities so that the affected portion of the body, in the 

 former ease the head .and the neck, trembles sometimes con- 

 stantly or only at certain periods, or again it may be moved 

 regularly in a certain direction. 



The spasms of the entire body muscles which frequently 

 develop from the above condition are manifested either by con- 

 tinuous trembling or by periodical epileptiform fits. In the 

 latter case the animal becomes restless, then suddenly collapses 

 unconscious, while chronic spasms occur over the entire body, 

 and the rapid movements of the jaws churn the saliva to a foam. . 

 The expression of the face is distorted, and the head is forcibly 

 extended forward or turned sidewise. During the attack feces 

 and urine may be passed involuntarily. These attacks exhaust 

 the animals greatly, and sometimes occur several times within 

 an hour, whereupon a deep coma develops which soon is fol- 

 lowed by death. As the reflex irritability is greatly increased 

 the local, as well as the general spasms may be brought on by 

 slight external irritations, such as loud calling, irritation of the 

 skin, sudden exposure to light, etc. Occasionally involuntary 

 movements may be also observed. 



The convulsions may gradually become less frequent and 

 finally disappear; m some cases, however, they terminate in 

 paralysis, which may appear in certain parts of the body, while 

 others are still irritable. The paralysis is most frequent in 

 the hind parts, and is associated with movements of incoordina- 

 tion, and not infrequently by paralysis of the sphincter muscles 

 of both bladder and rectum. Paralysis of a facial nerve 

 results in a distortion of one-half of the face; paralysis of an 

 oculotootor nerve causes an abnormal position of the eye, 

 strabismus and inequality of pupils. Simultaneously with the 

 paralysis contractions may develop in some of the extremities. 



According to Dexler the virus of distemper may produce three 

 great groups of nervous disturbances: 1, local clonic-tonic continued 

 spasms of different parts of the body, and chorea-like movements; 2, 

 flaccid paralysis of the extremities and sphincters; 3, clonic-tonic epi- 

 leptiform fits occurring during attacks of unconsciousness. All these 

 symptoms are brought on by isolated or general inflammatory changes 

 which can be demonstrated histologically (see p. 201), and since the 

 motor disturbances differ from those of chorea of man, Dexler appears 

 to be justified in his conception that the convulsions of distemper do 

 not represent a neurosis, and accordingly should not be designated as 

 chorea, but that the affection should be considered as an independent 

 condition, and for the present should be named "distemper-Tic," or 

 rhythmical post-infectious convulsions. 



