THE SKELETON AND ITS JOINTS 349 
Rickets. 
Since the two conditions are diagnosed separately in 
veterinary practice and each seems to have a distinct 
place in medical ideas, it may be well to outline upon what 
criteria the two diagnoses have been made in this Garden. 
Rickets is essentially a disease of early life. The animal 
is noted as having a large head, squatty station, heavy 
extremities and a prominent belly. Death occurs as the 
result of enteritis or pneumonia. Occasionally such a 
young specimen seems to recover from the disease but 
retains the distortion of his skeleton; this is important, 
for we believe that osteomalacia, except the variety con- 
fined to periods of pregnancy, rarely ends in recovery 
when once thoroughly established. At autopsy the cranial 
bones are the seat of osteotabes, the face is broad, the 
epiphyseal junctions are swollen by irregular osteo- 
genesis and granulation tissue, the periosteum shows 
an irregular fibrous tissue overgrowth — the last two 
processes producing bones of irregular contour and 
thickness. Section through the osteogenetic ends of the 
long bones shows actively congested marrow up to the 
articular cartilages with very tortuous strands of spongy 
bone or cartilage, and when considered transversely, 
there is a bone-forming layer of many times the normal 
thickness but bloody red instead of pink. 
Osteomalacia. 
Osteomalacia appears in mature animals or at least 
those well able to care for their own nourishment. The 
earliest observations are not referable to the skeleton but 
to the change in the activity of the beast. He will be noted 
as less active in running, jumping or searching for his 
food. The customary position is a sitting or lying one. 
No change is noted in the head or face. As the disease 
progresses, the animal becomes quite inactive, seeks soli- 
tude but will eat well if the food be conveniently available 
and he does not have to fight for it. The movements are 
