40 THE DISEASES OF THE DOG. 



accepted that virulence does not persist in the carcass 

 twenty-four hours after death. The autopsy should not 

 be performed by anyone with sores on the hands ; the 

 bodies of rabid animals should be disposed of by thorough 

 and complete destruction by means of fire or quicklime. 

 Similar precautions should be taken with the carcases of 

 rabid animals of species other than the canine, the several 

 fluids and tissues of which have been found just as viru- 

 lent as those of the dog, although the liability of the 

 patierit to communicate the disease varies in direct relation 

 to his natural normal ferocity. These measures of pre- 

 caution may seem too elaborate for prevention of a disease 

 the spontaneity of which has not been proved, and which 

 in 98 per cent, of the cases which occur is directly trace- 

 able to a bite ; but it should be remembered that our 

 knowledge of disease-producing agents and their modes 

 of diffusion, although much increased of late years, is as 

 yet open to great expansion, and every carcass of an 

 animal which has succumbed to specific disorder should 

 be looked on with apprehension as a possible centre of 

 communication and diffusion of the disease. 



Eabies seems to differ somewhat in accordance with 

 geographical range, just as anthrax and other important 

 specific disorders are known to do. Dr. Oolam, writing 

 to the 'Veterinary Journal/ describes the dog disease of 

 the Arctic regions. It broke out about 1859 and spread 

 over nearly the whole of North Greenland. It is com- 

 municable from dog to fox but there is no record of its 

 communication to man, yet the natives have a horror of 

 being bitten by an affected animal, although they use the 

 skin and even eat the flesh occasionally. The Danish 

 Government has circulated official directions for prophy- 

 laxis. On post-mortem examination a pitchy substance 

 is found in the intestines and ulceration for four inches on 

 either side of the ilio-cascal valve. This disease is the 

 same probably as occurred in Dr. Hayes 5 expedition to 

 Smith's Sound in 1866-67, and Wares' expedition in 1875- 

 76. Dr. Kane in 1854 observed in the Arctic regions a 

 disease the symptoms of "which go closely resembled rabies 



