554 
COMPARATIVE PATHOLOGY. 
him that indicated danger, or even illness. His keeper was one of 
the most careful men about the gardens, and would not have over- 
looked any obvious symptoms of illness. The superintendent of 
the gardens now came in ; the giraffe w'as standing in the middle 
of his house, looking about him, and there was nothing that attracted 
particular attention. 
A quarter past six had scarcely arrived when the keeper thought 
that the animal was uneasy. He fancied that the poor fellow stag- 
gered a little as he walked. He watched him, and the neck was 
twisted and convulsed in a singular manner. He every now and 
then plunged violently, and there was an occasional discharge of 
a yellow mucous fluid. I was immediately sent for. 
I arrived about seven o’clock. He was scarcely able to stand. 
His neck was continually bent convulsively down to his shoulder 
and side. The spasm would then relax, and he would look around 
and recognize one and another of us, and come up to us and ask for 
food in his usual way. His countenance had much of its natural 
expression. The flanks were not much disturbed ; but his muzzle 
was cold, and his legs were getting icy cold. I set four of the keep- 
ers to work to rub him, who brought back the warmth to his limbs, 
and, in a great measure, to his muzzle, and I gave him some warm 
boiled milk with opium, catechu, chalk, and ginger in it. We sent 
into town for some good starch, and some of that was boiled in his 
milk, with more of the same medicine which he had just taken; but 
his strength gradually failed, and, about half-past ten o’clock, he 
died. 
29th . — Professor Owen, with a medical friend of his, superin- 
tended the post-mortem examination of this poor fellow. The 
three first stomachs were altogther free from inflammation, and their 
contents exhibited the natural acid principle, and not in too great a 
degree. The fourth stomach, however, was inflamed to a very 
considerable extent. The mucus was separated from the coat be- 
neath by the slightest touch. The acidity was evidently greater 
than in either of the three preceding ones : this was tested by means 
of the litmus paper. In the duodenum the traces of inflammation 
were slight, but they increased in the jejunum — still more so in the 
ileum — and in the colon it was intense. 1$ the caecum and rectum 
it was slight. 
The pancreas and the spleen shared in the inflammation, as did 
the mesentery and the omentum. In fact, the animal died of intes- 
tinal inflammation. 
Professor Owen seemed to think that this inflammation arose 
from some unknown and undefined cause. I confess that I am more 
inclined to attribute it to the quality of the milk — good milk of its 
kind for the calf and for the human being, but not suited to the giraffe. 
