DISEASES OF THE BLOOD. 65 



north-easterly aspect, and where the beds are too near the 

 ground, especially if such kennels be ill-ventilated and 

 kept in a dirty state. The disorder is most frequent in 

 spring and also occurs frequently in autumn. Mayhew 

 considers it one of the diseases which result from over- 

 feeding. It assumes either the acute or the chronic form ; 

 the latter often results from an attack acute at the outset. 

 The frequency of rheumatism in its several forms among 

 canine patients contrasts rather remarkably with its infre- 

 quence in herbivora. Dr. Kichardson's experiment on the 

 artificial production of rheumatism has a great deal of 

 interest to the canine pathologist. A solution of lactic 

 acid was thrown into the peritoneal sac of a healthy dog, 

 which died in two days, and on post-mortem examination 

 showed marked endocarditis ; there being tumefaction of 

 the tricuspid valve ; an inflamed and enlarged condition 

 of the aortic valves, with fibrinous beads along their 

 edges; endocardium red; pericardium dry (Watson). These 

 cardiac lesions are seen also in the naturally acquired 

 rheumatism of the dog, in which animal, however, the 

 disease is remarkable for its little tendency to metastasis 

 and for the frequency with which it affects the bowels, 

 causing either inflammation or torpor of them, as specially 

 noticed by Blaine. Also there is less liability for the 

 joints of the limbs to be affected than in man, and more 

 frequently there is paralysis as a sequela, which may be 

 temporary or permanent. The most frequent forms of 

 rheumatism in the dog are lumbago and " chest founder " 

 or "kennel-lameness." The former is denoted by arched 

 back, tenderness of the loins, the animal moves as if half 

 paralysed behind and is most averse to move. He 

 screams pitifully when touched. Generally fever at first 

 runs high and the belly is hot and painful on pressure. 

 The bowels are very liable to be constipated, and, until 

 they can be acted on, the fever and lameness will not 

 yield to treatment. Ghest founder is rheumatism affecting 

 the subscapular muscles and those which unite the fore 

 extremity to the trunk, so that the animal suffers pain 

 when the shoulders and the fore limbs are manipulated, 



