BOVINE DIPHTHERIA. 
471 
logical conditions which I have never met with, and which may 
possibly be of a diphtheritic nature. I was glad to see that 
Doctor Winchester was so modest in his remarks in simply stat¬ 
ing the clinical symptoms as he found them, and the conditions 
met with at the autopsy, and having these examinations by those 
we have confidence in, who have a very great reputation in their 
r ^ °fwork, and the fact that they say that there is apossibilitv 
of its being of a diphtheritic nature, it seems to me to be a com¬ 
pliment to this investigation. 
Phc President :■ I will ask Doctor Knowles to give ns some¬ 
thing in this line. 
Doctor A nowles: —A number of years ago I had a series of 
cases that very closely resembled the ones described by Doctor 
Winchester. There were twelve or fourteen in the herd, and I 
think three or four deaths. The outbreak was characterized by 
a loss of appetite and exudation or discharge of mucous from one 
or both nostrils, and an apparent drying up of the skin of the 
udder, which eventually turned a dark terra-cotta color, leaving 
a rough surface for a few days. These cows had very sore throats. 
The milk secretion was considerably lessened, but not wholly 
dried up. I thought it more closely resembled scarlet fever 
which is the twin brother of diphtheria. 
Doctoi' Lyman ; I have been very much interested, as all of 
us have, in listening to this paper which was so new and exactly 
to the point. . It seems to me to be a paper of particular value in, 
perhaps,. giving the first information that such a disease as 
diphtheria exists in animals, and I think it may, without doubt, 
be looked upon as a valuable contribution to a subject in which 
we are thoroughly interested, or should be, to-day. 1 If my mem¬ 
ory serve me right, a series of cases were reported by a surgeon, a 
number of years ago, in Scotland, long before the diphtheritic 
bacteria came to be discussed, which he called diphtheria. There 
was some confusion, I think, about it in his line, as well as by 
some correspondents at that time, and it was claimed to be some¬ 
thing other than diphtheria. There was no bacterial knowledge, 
as we say, at that time. There are certain suggestions coining^to 
ine which show, upon the description of symptoms given by 
Doctor Winchester, that the disease is rather uncommon, but still 
not unknown, which was described as malignant catarrhal fever 
of cattle. . There may be some connection shown later on of the 
disease with malignant catarrh, and this disease remains to be 
ound out. I thank Doctor Winchester for giving me the pleas¬ 
ure of listening to such a valuable and interesting paper. 
