CANINE INFLAMMATORY MASTOID DISEASE. 
349 
ORIGINAL, ARTICLES. 
CANINE INFLAMMATORY MASTOID DISEASE I 
By G. Akohie Stookwell, M.D., F.Z.S. 
Strange to say, in spite of the important fact that the canine 
lands high in the scale as an intellectual and sensual being; that 
is physiological and nevous functions are marvelously akin to those 
f man ; that he is subject to like influences and causes in marked 
egree, even to the development of pure psychoses of reflex origin ; 
ornparatively few efforts have been made to exhibit the close rc- 
itionship that exists, particularly in the development of morbid 
henomena. Indeed, the prevalent impression appears to be that 
le dog is a “ natural animal ”—whatever that may be intended 
:> convey,—and therefore without special tendency to, or aptitude 
3r, acquiring disease; a premise that is untrue of any creature, 
bough domestication, or other change in modes of life, undoubt- 
dly inculcate each their special train of evils. 
Aside from rabies , there is, I believe, no disease of the canine 
osology so completely at the mercy of ignorant speculation as 
lie so-called “canker” a term that has no specific meaning more 
ban “spreading ulcer” and generally accepted as a synonym for 
progressive malignant tissue degeneration. I am aware of no work 
evoted to comparative or special medicine that offers any patholog- 
^al explanation of the malady, neither can I discover that any spe- 
ial attempt has been made to elucidate the problem. Indeed, the 
erm appears merely as a make-shift to cover deficiences of knowl- 
dge and education, for it is, I find, applied indiscriminately to a ina- 
ority of the diseases of the canine auditory apparatus, external or in- 
ernal, especially if accompanied by suppuration. This lack of 
nowledge may be attributed to two causes chiefly. 1. The superfi- 
ial attention paid to diseases of the dog as compared with other do¬ 
mestic creatures deemed of more pecuniary and economic import- 
nce. 2. The imperfect character sustained by general and special 
medicine alike, neither of which can be deemed in any sense an 
