Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-05
HOW ANIMALS DIE
Epidemics That Sweep Through For
ests and Oceans.
REMARKABLE ABSENCEOF DEADBODIES
Diseases Common to Wild and
Domestic Species.
PLAG CE AMONG FOXES

From the london Spectator
| 1t is difficult 20 avoid the conclusion that
Wild animals, enfeebled by weakness or
| physical decay, perish because of the alb
| sence of aid in sickness. But IL the bills OF
! mortality from causes other than the vio-
| lence Of predatory species could he made
| out for the animal world. there would prob
| ably be good ground TO modify the conclu-
sion that this lingering death is in store for
| the majority.
The subject is complicated by a kind OF
| mystery which has been long recognized in
common experience. and is now attracting
some of the attention fl deserves from
| travellers and naturalists the disappear
ance. namely, of the animal dead other
| than those killed by accident or violence.
In tropical countries rapid decay dissolves
| the tissues of flesh, and bone-devouring
| beasts like the hyena may destroy the
largest bones. But there is one region in
which We should expect to find the bodies
| OF such animals have died a natural
death-aloag the whole length of the frozen
nm OF the old world, from the Plethora to
| Boring sea, a region where even the fruits
| forced into being by the arctic summer
| are preserved fresh beneath the snow un-
M the ensuing spring. and the remains
OF prehistoric beasts. the mammoth and
| Siberian rhinoceros have only undergone
partial decay in the frozen soil Here wo
| should also expect to discover the bodies OF
| animals which had died at the end of the
summer "cold-stored' TIL the snow broke
| up In the arctic spring
| In the Arctfcs.
Nordenskioh In his Voyage OF the
| Vega" more than once recurs to This
strange absence of the animal dead.
| Near the hunting grounds" he says.
there are often to be seen the remains of
| reindeer, seals, foxes or birds that have
died from gunshot wounds but no self
dead polar bear, seal, walrus. white whale
| fox. lemming or other vstebrate. The polar
bear and the reindeer found there in
| hundreds. the seal, walrus and white whale
In thou sants. and birds in millions. These
oirCs must die q natural death I'm untold
numbers. What becomes of their bodies?'
This disappearance of the dead, so re-
| markablc I'm itself, must we think be left
out OF account in the endeavor to ascer-
| tain the causes of decease. These must be
sought by argument from the known causes
OF death among domestic animals. and tho
numerous. IL scattered, records Of mortal
| ity among wild ones. notes of which have
| often been carefully preserved and may loo
found scattered over the history of the last
ten centuries.
Normal Causes.
Among normal. non-epidemic causes Of
| death many must be common both to Wild
| and to domesticated species. "Distemper"
among dogs and cats probably extends also
| to foxes. wolves and the wild felidae. Its
course is often exactly like that of a vast
ing low-feyer. and animals die from 1t in
| exactly the same way as a human patient
| suffering from malaria or bilious fever. for
the symptoms cot always the same.
| Chiil kills dogs. often by jaundice and
| horses and cows mainly by causing internal
| Inflammation. Death is then rapid and
painful, and takes place before emaciation
| of any kind is visible in the animal Most
Gomesticatad animals. even cage birds are
| liable to this cause of death; but We may
| assume that among wild animals, whose
| normal course of life does not expose them
| to over-exertion or ''draughts.'' It is less
| common. hmong aged donesticated ami
| mails, or those which are Obliged to take
| violent eNcrtion, heart disease often causes
Sudden death. Master Magrath' died
| from this; so 10 tie racing dogs of the
| Northumberland miners. Aged horses
sometimes drop down dead when being
4 gently ridden from the same cause. Most
| very Old horses which have been turned
out to grass to end their days in peace suf-
| fer in the end from forms of indigestion,
| which cause them to become thin that
| their owners order them to be shot. 4 re-
| cent veterinary work ascribcs this and
| many other equine maladies to decay or
| defects in the teeth due to age or acct
| dents. In the same way old dogs become
emaciated, even when carefully fed.
| Sore Throat.
But, like human beings. all the canine
| race, and most OF the felidae and bears.
seem liable to forms of tumor and unless
| relieved by surgery or released by euthIn-
asia, may meet their death after great
misery and suffering. Nor should it be for
gotten that virulent sore throat is often
| prevalent and fatal amongst animals e.
pecially cats.
| Consumption and other forms of tube--
| culosis accorrt for large percentage Of
| the natural deaths of domest,cated animals.
We doubt il any but the goat have COM
| plete immunity from it. Cattle, cats.
| CHECKERS. pigeons. and in a less degree
| horses, dogs. rats and mice, are all victims
of the tubercle-bacillus.
There is a long list of conta giolIs animal
| diseases mainly confined to domestlcated
animals. Anthrax is perhaps the least
| common. Then follows the permanent
| list-infiuenza, now always Present and
often epidemic. and affecting all domestic
| animals. and probably wild ones also
swine fever. aphthous fever, CHAMBERS,
and in some SCISSORS the fatal liver rot"
mainly affecting sheep and ra bbits due 20
parasite harbored in tainted ground aad
| water. Add to these the choleraic diseases
| from bad water and dirty SOIL and we have
| forms of natural death sufficient to account
| Tor the total disappearance of whole spe-
cIeS, did not the generally healthy conii-
tons under which they live act as a safe
guard. Unfortunately. among these, condi-
| lions is one which does rot make for the
preservation of health, namely the ,eif-
dency Of nearly all non-carnivorous animals
TO herd together. and even when non-reiat-
ed, to seek each others society. Hence the
astonishing violence and fatal results of
animal epsdemics
Rabies i'm Foxes.
During their prevalence the absence Of
| the animal dead is no longer marked On
the contrary. the bodies are in evidence
Among the multitude of examples collected
by Mr.. George Fleming In his work On
Animal Plaques" are eigfty-six epidernIcs
affecting wild quadrupeds and birds, and
twenty-seven affecting fish. Among the
former nearly every wild species In Eu-
rope Is mentioned, and some in the new
world. including red-deer, reindeer, wolves
* xes. pelicans, bears. channels hares wild
hogs. rabbits. rats. wild ducks rocks gaurs
and monkeys. Disorders usually somewhat
rare and sporadic are capable of develop
irg into epidemics and claiming victims to
disease wholesale Perhaps one of the most
curious instances Is that of rabies among
foxes. This prevailed On the continent DUR
Ing the years 1880 and 1888. In the Canton