5 P.M
. — A great change has taken place within the last hour; the hind extremities are paralysed; the mouth and ears are cold; the pulse is more hurried and irregular, and almost imperceptible; the respiration is laborious and irregular, as is the pulse; and the dog is frequently sick. To be kept quiet.
6 P.M.
— Another change: he lies panting and groaning piteously; his limbs are bathed in sweat, with convulsive struggles. At twenty minutes past six he died.
A post-mortem examination presented general marks of inflammation; the small intestines were extremely red, while the large ones were in a gangrenous state and most offensive, with a rupture of the colon. I did not expect to meet with the rupture, and am at a loss to account for it. The liver was of a pale ashen colour, and very light. I put a piece of it into some water, and it floated on the surface. The other contents of the abdomen did not show the slightest appearance of disease.
September 2d, 1843
. — A black pug-bitch, 18 months old, was yesterday taken violently sick; the vomiting continued at intervals the greater part of the day, and she had not eaten during the last 24 hours. I could not possibly get at her, on account of her ferocity: as she had not had the distemper, and as I was misled by her age and the watery discharge from her eyes, and as she had had several motions yesterday, I imagined that the attack might be the beginning of that disease. Learning that she was fond of sweet things, I prepared an emetic containing a grain of calomel and a grain of tartar emetic: she took it readily, and I promised to call on the following day.
Sept. 3
. — The weakness at the eyes had disappeared, but there had been no motion. On getting at her by main force I found her belly very tense and rather hot: she had again been sick, was very eager for water, and still refused to eat. The disease was now evident. As she appeared too unmanageable for anything else, I produced a physic-ball, in giving which I was bitten.
Six hours afterwards I again went: no fæces had passed: I administered two enemas, the second of which was returned with a small quantity of hardened fæces and an intolerable smell. I ordered the water to be removed, and broth to be substituted.