26 
W. E. WADAMS. 
the bowels unchanged. The respiration generally becomes 
quicker than natural, though this symptom is not so universal as 
others I have mentioned. In fact all the processes of respiration, 
circulation, digestion and secretion are disturbed in a remarkable 
degree, and in this I believe is the essence of the disease, and 
the healthy return of these functions is always an indication of 
convalesence ; the blood is no longer depurated properly by the 
agency of the lungs, liver and kidneys, nor renewed by healthy 
materials, the result of good digestion. 
The circulation consequently is imperfectly carried on, and 
the brain is supplied with impure blood which is full of matters 
acting as as a poison to it, and as a consequence death often 
takes place at an early date from a fit. Whatever secretions are 
affected, are vitiated in quality and altered in quantity, sometimes 
being almost stopped occasioning the dry husky cough and con¬ 
stipation of the early stage ; and sometimes in excess where you 
have the profuse offensive discharge from the nose and bronchii; 
or the pitchy motions from the intestines which accompany the 
progress of the disease ; such are the general and characteristic 
symptoms of the disease. 
The local complications involved in this complaint may be 
enumerated as follows: 1st. The affections of the chest; 2d. 
Of the liver, stomach and bowels ; 3d. The kidneys ; 4th. Of the 
brain and nervous system ; 5th. Of the skin. Each trouble being 
represented by the usual phenomina pertaining to said organs. 
Etiology :—The most common cause of distemper is no doubt 
infection, but it is occasionally epidemic, and then most probably 
depends upon some condition of the air, But it also seems to 
be the natural tendency of all debilitating diseases in young dogs 
to run on into this typhoid type. 
Whether the disease is common catarrh or influenza, or in¬ 
flamed liver or lungs, or even the irritative fever of worms or 
teething in all these cases the tendency seems to be to put on 
the form of low typhus and this is especially the case when the 
dogs are ill fed, or crowded together in poorly ventilated ken¬ 
nels ; or in fact submitted to any of the ordinary predisposing 
