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Show 68 DR. j. MURIE O N T H E WALRUS. [Jan. 23, The animal also at times chattered or rattled his teeth together in very remarkable and noisy manner. This last habit, however, was put down to temper, or as a sign of hunger ; the sanguineous effusion to a cold received during transport. After the lapse of a few weeks it would seem that the body and limbs acquired more vigour; for the gait became altered, so that in walking on all fours, Sea-Bear fashion, the abdomen and chest were raised from the ground, whereas at first the animal rather trailed or draggled along; than walked. This showed that the animal was growing stronger in body, an equivalent in some measure to improvement in health. It was noticed all the while that it remained emaciated, and did not increase in stoutness or otherwise become fatter, although the quantity of food it consumed was enormous. The ravenousness of its appetite was something extraordinary, and many thought that the animal was underfed. The Walrus thus was considered by every one who saw it to have had apparently uninterrupted health till Monday the 16th December. On that day the keeper first began seriously to apprehend that the animal was out of order-as he thought, constipated; but meanwhile it did not refuse food. On Mr. Bartlett being consulted, he proposed to give it some oily substance which might act as a purgative. One pound and a half of horse-fat cut in strips was therefore given the afternoon following. The next morning there were copious alvine evacuations. What passed at first was hard, black, and fetid ; but the excretions became moister, though still very dark-coloured. When this occurred it was thought relief was obtained and that the animal would go on well. It did not seem, however, to rally, but died rather suddenly on Thursday the 19th. The body was examined by me a day afterwards, and disclosed unusual conditions. Not a particle of subcutaneous fat was present, and the mesentery and other abdominal parts usually containing fatty substances were equally destitute of such. The viscera of the thorax and abdomen, with the exception of the interior of the stomach, appeared quite sound. The brain was also normal in structure*. * When the brain was taken out, its general appearance and firmness of texture, as implied above, was that of health. As it was desired for anatomical investigation, it was not then cut into or interfered with further than cursory examination permitted. At one point it was noticed that unusual vascularity existed; but as the diseased condition of the stomach was thought sufficient of itself to account for death, no great attention was then paid to this superficial cerebellar congestion. Subsequent examination showed, however, that upon the upper surface of the cerebellum (between the posterior cerebral lobes) and underneath the injected pia mater an abscess had begun to be formed. The brain-substance immediately underneath was very sliglitly softened, but around it was quite firm; the morbid deposit and infiltration had chiefly implicated the pia mater over the superior vermiform process. Whether this lesion was the more immediate cause ot death, and not the ulcerated condition of the stomach is an open question. Some of the symptoms during life might, indeed, be referred' to it. |