SCARLET FEVER. 229 



kind. It commences with fever, which invades at an in- 

 definite period between the second and the tenth day after 

 exposure to infection or contagion. On the second day of the 

 fever, the eruption is developed in the form of minute points 

 and papulae, which constitutes patches of large size, or a 

 general efflorescence of a vivid scarlet colour. The rash 

 terminates at the end of six or seven days, leaving the skin 

 rough and harsh, and the epidermis peeling off in the pur- 

 purse and thin laminae/' British veterinarians have described 

 cases of sporadic and apparently non-contagious disease 

 which they have called scarlatina. Messrs Percivall, Webb, 

 Turner, Woodger, Hunting, and others, have recorded such 

 instances. 



As an illustration of the class of cases, I may quote Mr 

 Hunting's, which occurred in a six-year-old pony, belonging 

 to the South Hetton Coal Company, on the 10th May, 1856. 

 At that period, and for several weeks preceding it, scarlatina 

 had been exceedingly prevalent in the district, and had 

 proved unusually fatal amongst children. On the 2nd of 

 May, 1856, five cases of what is called distemper (a name 

 applied in Durham to four distinct diseases: viz., catarrh, 

 influenza, strangles, and glanders) were reported in the pits, 

 but the malady, Mr Hunting says, was in reality a com- 

 bination of strangles and malignant scarlatina. The five 

 animals, four years' old ponies, were drawn to the surface, 

 and placed in the infirmary stables; on the third day, two 

 out of the five died, and, on the following day, the third case 

 sank. 



" The six-year-old pony before mentioned, was drawn out 

 of the pit and placed in the infirmary stables, (four days 

 after the three first cases died). His symptoms were cough 

 fever, sore throat, enlarged parotid glands; lips somewhat 

 swollen; sub-maxillary space quite free from swellings, the 



