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ADKIEN LOIR. 



Having regard to the vast importance to the community of any 

 information bearing upon disease among rabbits, I have carefully 

 investigated the malady to which attention is now directed, and 

 I venture to lay the results of my observations before the Royal 

 Society. 



Symptoms of the Disease. 



It is exceedingly difficult to distinguish any very marked 

 symptoms. The rabbits affected do not lose flesh ; they die with- 

 out convulsions, the head in a natural position, and the whole 

 body in the sitting posture usually adopted by rabbits in captivity. 

 A little diarrhoea is usually apparent. 



Post-mortem Examination of a Rabbit having died of the Disease. 

 A little peritonitis is noticeable. The cortical substance of the 

 left kidney is of a dark black colour, and the kidney itself, when 

 cut, appears discoloured on a level with the pyramids. The other 

 kidney is very much congested and presents large black spots on 

 its surface. The spleen is dark and small. The liver shows some 

 white patches. Lungs congested. No pericarditis. Little 

 diarrhoea. 



When inoculation is affected by the subcutaneous method, a 

 small quantity of white matter is found at the spot of inoculation. 



The disease is easily transmitted by means of inoculation, and 

 death ensues within forty-eight hours of the operation, when a 

 fresh cultivation or the blood of a dead animal is inoculated. 



Post-mortem Examination of a Rabbit which died forty-eight hours 

 after inoculation. 



Lungs very red, congested with patches of hemorrhagic black. 

 The spleen black but small, with white patches on the surface. 

 White patches on the surface of the liver. Pronounced diarrhoea. 

 Some white matter at the spot of inoculation. Fibrinous peri- 

 tonitis, pericarditis and pleurisy. 



The disease may be inoculated from a rabbit to an animal of 

 another species, but the rabbit seems more susceptible to the 

 disease than any other animal. I inoculated a fowl which is still 



