Show diphtheria TRACED TO CATS absolute proof that domestic pets pet can be carriers carrier of most dan berous disease Dl tease the relationship between the diseases disease ot of men ind and of animals liaa has been as much neglected in this country as it has ins been studied in the tropics for this reason we are profoundly ignorant of the alie role which animals PIRY piny if they play piny tiny any role ut tit all in the dis atlon of epidemics special interest attaches therefore to a communication to the national medical journal which describes how nn an outbreak of diphtheria in an orphanage anage was traced back to sonic some cats in the building sixty nine cases ot of diphtheria out ot of a total of 71 came it was found from the bo boys ys house after many investigations and precautions such factors in the production of the disease as sanitary defects contaminated tamina ted wat IX andwood and lial tood food werd were ellmin eliminated atea n realizing that there must be a carrier of the bacillus the tha physician in charge decided to turn his attention to the cats and took swabs from ell all their throats on bacteriological examination it was found that met the tour four cats from uie the boys side of 0 the orphanage were suffering ing from froin diphtheria the tour four eats cats from the girls side although showing other microorganisms in profusion did not prove to have the true diphtheria bacillus the cats were destroyed and after that only ten more cases ot of diphtheria occurred they occurred occurred d within n few days showing that they had already become infected when tile nils were de destroyed troyed there have been tio no cases since this thill tenda to show that hint cats are or can briers ot of diphtheria |