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Show 1883.] MR. J. B. SUTTON ON THE DISEASES OF MONKEYS. 583 (a) The animal which died first was the one first observed to be ill. (b) The faecal discharges were so profuse that the keeper had difficulty in keeping the cage clean. (c) The companion Lemur jumping about the cage, not merely contaminated her own body but occasionally dropped her food into the faeces, thus taking the morbid material directly into the alimentary canal in contact with the Peyerian glands. (d) The unusual length of intestine found ulcerated also lends support to the notion of direct contagion. The fact that the mucous membrane of tbe rectum was ulcerated is a point of some interest. In conducting post-mortem examinations, on human subjects dying of typhoid fever, it rarely happens that the rectum is examined. Profiting by the experience gained in examining these Monkeys I have in all cases of typhoid fever, where the opportunity has occurred, examined the condition of the mucous membrane at the lower end of the alimentary canal, and have found in some cases a ring of infiltration and ulceration about half an inch above the anus. The explanation is not far to seek. If the rectum be split longitudinally it will be seen that half an inch above the anus there is an abrupt change in the mucous membrane, the squamous epithelium of the anus being suddenly replaced by the columnar variety, beneath which is a substratum of lymphoid and glandular tissue. It is this ring of tissue which in typhoid fever undergoes infiltration, ulceration, &c, as does a Peyer's patch or solitary follicle in the ileum. Rickets. A very unexpected cause of death manifested itself in bone disease, in the form of typical rickets. Next to bronchitis this is the most frequent cause of death among the Monkeys. During the past summer I have been able to observe the animals suffering from this disease, and can give a fairly complete clinical historv of the affection. When a Monkey becomes affected with rickets he is less active than usual, and instead of leaping about from place to place, sits on the floor. Gradually paralysis of the lower limbs comes on ; the creature now moves about by using his long arms as crutches. The bones soften, and those of the upper limb, having to support the weight of the body in progression, begin to bend. The paralysis of the lower limbs increases, and the creature becoming completely paraplegic, loses control over the sphincters and suffers from incontinence of urine and faeces, and occasionally from priapism. The ribs and sternum share in the general softening, allow the thoracic parietes to yield to atmospheric pressure, causing embarrassment of respiration; the animal gets an attack of bronchitis, and soon dies. Such a case as this is a severe one, but I have watched a Monkey apparently in good health die horribly deformed with rickets in four months. It is highly probable that many less severe cases have been overlooked, so that at present it is impossible to state with any degree of accuracy the relative frequency of death from this cause, but it is a very prevalent disease. Its chief symptoms may be |