850 
VERANUS A. MOORE. 
The literature upon the cause of this disease is, so far as 
bacteria are concerned, quite conflicting. Dr. Jess* has re¬ 
cently isolated a bacillus from the nasal discharges, blood, and 
internal organs of dogs suffering from distemper which he 
looks upon as the probable etiological factor. Although Dr. 
Jess’ investigations are of recent date and while it is not improb¬ 
able that he has found the cause I can not refrain from giving 
in this connection the results of a few examinations which at 
least show the power of streptococci to complicate investiga¬ 
tions in this species. 
In all I have examined three cases. 
The first two came to Dr. Law’s clinic in the winter of 
1898-99. They were both- in the advanced stage of the disease 
when received and died soon after their arrival. 
A congestion of the lungs was the only marked abnormal 
condition detected. A large number of tubes of media (bouil¬ 
lon, gelatin and agar) were inoculated from the tissues from 
each case. The tubes of bouillon and agar inoculated from the 
liver, spleen, kidneys, heait blood, and brain from one case de¬ 
veloped into cultures of a streptococcus. The gelatin remained 
clear. The cultures were nearly all pure. The streptococcus 
grew in long chains forming dense interlacing masses or floc- 
culi. It was exceedingly delicate in its cultural manifestations 
but it was not pathogenic, in moderate doses, for rabbits or 
guinea-pigs. Larger quantities of culture were not injected. 
The cultures from the other case contained a streptococcus. 
It differed from the first in growing in short chains and impart¬ 
ing a uniform cloudiness to bouillon. In all of its cultural 
manifestations it was more saprophytic in its tendencies than 
the culture from the first case. It was innocuous for experi¬ 
mental animals. 
A third case, which exhibited marked nervous symptoms, 
was recently examined. A small dog in the advanced stage of 
the disease was brought to Dr. Fish for treatment. It was 
comatose for fully 48 hours preceding death. Through the 
* Centralblattfur Bctkteriologie u. Parasitenkunde Bd. XXV ( 1899 ) S 54 1 • 
