41 
Extracts from British and Foreign Journals. 
OBSERVATIONS ON THE LATE SUDDEN AND FATAL ATTACK 
OF DISEASE AMONG THE EAST-LOTHIAN FOXHOUNDS. 
Edinburgh Veterinary College, 
8, Clyde Street; Wi December ^ 1862. 
Sir, —On Tuesday, the 2.Srd of September last, I received 
a telegram from Sir David Baird to visit the East-Lothian 
Kennel, West Salton, where a sudden and violent attack of 
disease had occurred among the foxhounds, of which several 
of them had died. Being from home W'hen the message 
arrived, and having a professional pre-engagement on the 
following day, it was not in my power to make out my visit 
until Thursday, the 25th. 
On my arrival I learnt from the huntsman (an intelligent 
and experienced man in his department) that the pack had 
had a hard day^s wmrk—cub hunting in covert—on the pre¬ 
vious Saturday, the 20 th of September, and had drank freely 
from two small ponds, out of which cattle are accustomed to 
drink. The pack was fed as usual on their return, all the 
dogs being apparently in good health, and that every one of 
them, at varying intervals, from the time of the second feeding 
next morning, commencing within six and seven hours after- 
Avards, up to twenty hours, had been more or less violently 
seized with severe symptoms of disease, the more prominent 
of which were spasms, vomiting, and purging, and that death 
had supervened at different periods. I found almost the whole 
pack in a state of prostration, exhaustion having succeeded 
the primary violent evacuations from the stomach and 
bowels, and general convulsions. The therapeutic treatment 
w^hich I recommended w’as the employment of an anodyne— 
laudanum and oil—and restoratives, with external frictions 
and fomentations. I examined the viscera of several of the 
dogs which had died. The internal or lining membrane of 
the stomach w^as highly inflamed, as w^ell as that of the 
intestines, through their whole course, and especially in the 
jejunum, where intussusception had taken place, although 
invagination of the gut, I believe, is usually found in the 
colon after morbidly increased peristaltic action. The inflam¬ 
matory process had permeated from the serous membrane 
the whole intestinal coats, which appeared in a state approach¬ 
ing to mortification. The extensor muscles of the legs w^re 
in a rigid condition. Such a sudden and fatal attack of 
