SEPTIC DECOMPOSITION OF THE BLOOD. 
1 
I Oi 
decomposition. By the dog the resemblance is very slight. Rabies in 
dogs is characterized by the presence of gastro-enterical catarrh, foreign 
substances in stomach, capillary stasis, and encephalic edema; the saliva 
and blood contain a very line variety of micrococcus and chain-bacteria 
(Fig. 6). The encephalic edema is more marked by dog distemper; 
one finds constantly a patial broncho-pneumonia, with serous, or fibrin¬ 
ous, or suppurative’infiltration of the affected parts of the lungs. By the 
distemper are to be found in the blood, the liver and kidneys, fine 
granular micrococci, out of which, under circumstances, develop very 
delicate microbacteria, which are very much smaller than the baccillus 
anthacis of anthrax (Fig. 7). By eight cattle dissected by me, which 
had died from rabies, the blood was found to be miscolored, brown red, 
the intestinal mucosa markedly reddish and swollen, the encephalon cor¬ 
respondingly edematous, in the ventricles much reddish transudate, 
ecchymoses on various portions of the organism, in the blood, besides 
micrococcen and microbacteria, a spermatazoa like variety (Fig. 8).— 
(Helobacteria, Billrath.) 
The same result was obtained from a wolf which died of rabies, 
with the exception of the above-mentioned “helobacteria.” By 50 rabid 
dogs dissected by me, I found only 2 which presented phenomena re¬ 
sembling those common to septicaemia. 
Regarding putrid and septic diseases of the blood, the greater con¬ 
tingent for the same is to be found in gangrene, and ulceration in con¬ 
sequence of outward injuries, fractures of bones, injuries to joints, and 
the reception of the ichor from the same in the circulation ; next to 
these the infection from septic and putrid substances of every variety. 
The septic decomposition of the blood by animals has still other 
sources. 
From the investigations of Bollinger and Roloff it is proven that 
the so-called calf and lamb fever of new born animals (why not of foals 
also ?) is a disease of the blood, owing to septic decomposition, caused 
from a putrid inflamation of the umbilicus. This inflammation has its 
primary cause in pollution of the umbilicus of the new born animal from 
stable filth, and insufficient cleansing of the body. According to my 12 
years’ experience, and dissection of over 1,500 animal cadavers, which 
had died from all manner of causes, I look upon the following as among 
the causes of septic decomposition of the blood : 
Puerperal fever is often of a septic nature by animals. We find in 
the blood of animals which have died from this disease, immediately 
after death (should be also examined immediately before, or during the 
