342 COMMUNICABILITY OF ASIATIC CHOLERA 
14th September., 1849, cholera then prevailing, was — “seized 
with sudden vomiting and purging. In a few hours the 
alvine evacuations as well as the fluid ejected from the 
stomach assumed the rice-water character of cholera discharges ; 
all the visible mucous surfaces assumed quite a leaden hue ; 
the dog died the next day, violently cramped, after twenty- 
four hours’ illness. The woman wrapped the dog in flannel 
and kept him on her lap, and also put him in a bath. On the 
1 6th, at 3 a. m., the woman herself was taken ill; by 7a.m. was 
in a state of collapse; and at 4 a.m. of the 18th she died, 
having [as the writer states, we must remark,] contracted the 
disease from her canine companion.” 
In reference to cats, we find it stated, that in the wards of 
M. Chomel, in 'the Hotel Dieu, a cat, belonging to one of 
the rtligieuses , who at the time was daily witness of the cho- 
lera, died with symptoms of that disease; an opinion assented 
to by the medical men.* Dr. Sylvain de Barbe, of Ozouer- 
le-Voulgis (Seine-et-Marne), also relates, that all the cats at 
one farm, and about a dozen others at different houses, died 
after two or three days’ purging and vomiting, during the 
prevalence of cholera in that place.'f 
Again, many examples of both dogs and cats dying rapidly 
with choleraic symptoms, after having partaken, of their own 
accord, of the oral or alvine evacuations of their sick masters, 
are recorded as having been noted in Gallicia.J Lieutenant 
K — ’s dog, in Poland ;§ the case of a dog which fell under the 
notice of Otto, in the hospital at Breslau ;|| another case in a 
dog, most graphically detailed by Dr. Meyer ;^[ and a fourth 
case, related by Dr. Sylvain de Barbe, are individual ex- 
amples of the same kind, in which, as will be hereafter 
described more fully, the symptoms and post-mortem 
appearances were highly characteristic of true cholera, to 
whatever cause we may attribute them. 
Although related by competent observers as very remark- 
able cases, approximating very nearly indeed in character to 
the Asiatic disease in man, and proving the liability of these 
animals to cholera of some kind or other, the instances above 
quoted in the zebra and the horse cannot be regarded as 
perfect examples of it. The scanty narration of facts, the 
omission of important information, the want of microscopic 
and chemical observations on the blood and evacuated fluids, 
and the occurrence of some of the cases during the absence 
of epidemic cholera, are sufficient to create doubts ; whilst 
* Gaz. des Hopitaux, 1849, p. 231. f Idem, p. 297. 
X CEster. ; Med. Jahrbucb, Bawl xviii, p. 240. § Ibid. 
|| Hering; Patbolog. fur Thierarzte, 1849, p. 369. f Op. sup. cit. 
