95 
typhoid fever; or, contagious influenza in the horse 
examinations, and to carefully separate the post-mortem from 
he ante-mortem changes. In those cases in which the disease 
has been described as the rapid course, the blood presents all 
the characteristics of asphyxia-it is black, non-coagulated 
and often loaded with fat; this form of the disease is most 
frequently seen in very fat and plethoric horses. 
Post-mortem changes are almost always present which may 
mislead the examiner unless he bears in mind the fact that 
it is the early summer months (as it is at this season that the 
disease mostly prevails) and that the examination has been 
somewhat delayed, as almost invariably happens. These post¬ 
mortem changes are even more noticeable if the animal has 
been confined in a close, hot place; the blood is then in an 
advanced state of putrid fermentation; this change is due to the 
act that the animals die rapidly from asphyxia, associated 
with violent struggles, which conditions favor rapid disintegra¬ 
tion of the blood. In these cases the blood is found black non- 
coagulable, having a strong ammoniacal odor, and through the 
action of the ammonia upon the coloring matter of the blood 
tiere is found an ammoniacal compound, which stains the walls 
o, the blood-vessels a deep red. Examination of this blood 
under the microscope shows many disintegrated and decolorized 
red blood corpuscles and putrefactive bacteria in large numbers- 
these have frequently been mistaken by careless or inexperienced 
observers as being special bacteriological elements, or have' 
considered them as anthracoid vibriones. In this blood there 
has also been found haematoidal crystals, which have also been 
considered by some writers as microbes, but these are only post¬ 
mortem changes. In order to determine exactly what changes 
lave taken place in the blood, it must be examined before death, 
or immediately after, before it has undergone the slightest post¬ 
mortem change. At this time it will be found to be more 
fibrinous, and to be richer in excrementitious matter, such as 
creatin, creatine, and especially urea. This coincides with, and 
would be indicated by the intense fever which is noticed at the 
onset of the disease prior to any local alteration. It is reason- 
