90 
EDITORIAL. 
FELINE DIPHTHERIA. 
We are not sure but that the case of diphtheria in a cat, re¬ 
corded in this number of the Review, in the department of 
“ Reports of Cases,” is the only authentic instance of this dis¬ 
ease occurring in private practice in the city of New York. In 
this case the diagnosis was confirmed by a culture taken 
from the throat of a suspect and submitted to the Board of 
Health for microscopical and inoculation tests. The report of 
the microscopical examiner is that “ the culture shows the pres¬ 
ence of organisms morphologically identical with the Klebs- 
Loeffler bacilli,” while that of Dr. Park, of the Research 
Laboratory, emphasizes the correctness of the diagnosis by 
saying that “ the bacilli proved to be fully virulent and true 
diphtheria bacilli,” further remarking that “this is the only 
case that I have been able to get the bacilli from.” Diphtheria 
has in many instances been artificially inoculated into the feline 
species, with virulent results, and their susceptibility has for a 
long time been unquestioned ; but here is a case of extremely 
virulent bacilli inoculated by contact with some affected ani¬ 
mal, whether of its own species or the genus homo. When the 
close companionship between the family cat and the young 
members of the household is considered the danger of trans¬ 
mission can be appreciated, and as the nocturnal perambula¬ 
tions of cats is probably the most prolific source of infection, 
the operations of castration and ovariotomy may be classed 
among the most efficient prophylactic measures. 
The lengthy correspondence which has appeared in the 
pages of the Review for the past few months between Dr. 
James Robertson, of the Illinois Board of Veterinary Medical 
Examiners, and Dr. S. H. Swain, of the Illinois Veterinary 
Medical and Surgical Association, is further added to in this 
number by the latter gentleman. As the controversy has be- 
come^narrowed to expressions of personalities, and as no public 
good can follow its continuance, the Review must ask that the 
subject be closed so far as it is concerned. Having accorded to 
