21 
Report of the Laboratory of Comparative 
Pathology for the Year Ending February 
28th, 1917. 
The losses of the Garden during the year, as represented 
by the autopsies, have been 339, which is fewer than for 
three years but nevertheless serious in including some 
very valuable specimens, important enough to receive 
special description. A glance at the appended list of 
deaths and diagno*ses will reveal the large percentage 
mortality among Aves while fewer Carnivora are included. 
There were, however, no epizootics as occurred in the 
past two years. 
The most unfortunate and conspicuous loss of the year 
was the giraffe, which succumbed on February 16th to 
an acute fermentative gastritis. While this was the 
acute and determining cause of death the animal showed 
a serious infestation of the biliary passages with uncinarial 
worms, the parasites causing a form of cirrhosis and 
tumor-like growths in the bile ducts. She had in addition 
an acute bronchitis. 
A less serious but yet important loss was that of the 
chimpanzee ''Congo." On January 2d the animal was 
seen to be dyspneic and was found to have a temperature 
of 103°F. Further inspection revealed playing of the alae 
of the nose and a heavy grunting respiration. Physical 
examination was not considered practicable, so a tentative 
diagnosis of pneumonia was made and appropriate treat- 
ment, consisting of warm moist air impregnated with 
Turlington's balsam and oxygen inhalations, was insti- 
tuted. Some improvement seemed to occur but the 
animal later failed and died on the third day. Autopsy 
revealed a broncho-pneumonia due to the influenza 
bacillus and a pneumococcus of IV type. The body also 
presented an acute enteritis, and an appendicitis compar- 
able to the acute form seen in human beings. No tuber- 
culosis existed. 
