EPIZOOTIC LYMPHANGITIS 61 



disease is only transmissible to cattle, sheep, and guinea-pigs, but does not 

 ati'ect horses or donkeys." 



Diagnosis. — Contagious lymphangitis until comparatively recent times 

 and in every country where it is known has been confounded with farcy. 

 It is only since the adoption of bacteriological methods, and later by reason 

 of the mallein test, that any difference has been recognized. Examination 

 of the matter taken from abscesses in the skin shows at once the crypto- 

 coccus as a minute lemon -shaped organism having a highly refractile 

 double outline. Moreover, the mallein test fails to give the fever reaction 

 and the local swelling commonly associated with glanders. 



Mallein when used alone leaves the mind in doubt, but if the organism 

 be present, then there need be no reason to hesitate to give an opinion. 



Points of difference between epizootic lymphangitis and farcy are at 

 first sight not great, but in the matter of diagnosis nothing short of finding 

 the cryptococcus on which the disease depends should be considered suffi- 

 cient, and especially as this is by no means difiicult of accomplishment. 



The time which elapses between the reception of the poison and the 

 outbreak of disease is, like glanders, very variable, and may be expected 

 any time between five weeks and four or five months, and in some instances 

 it has been known to exceed a year. 



One attack of the disease does not prevent a second. 



Under the most favoured circumstances the average mortality is said 

 to be about " ten to fifteen " per cent, but in a disease which lasts so long, 

 is so liable to recur after long periods, and is generally so uncertain and 

 unsatisfactory, it would be difiicult to say exactly what the mortality 

 may be, and in large studs of horses to trifie with a disease of tiiis 

 description would be carrying risk to the verge of ruin. 



Symptoms. — -It is strange that a disease which is considered sufiiciently 

 serious to be scheduled as a contagious and dangerous malady should have 

 practically no constitutional symptoms. The importance of the disease 

 evidently does not dwell in its life-destroying danger, but in the fact of its 

 contagious and crippling nature. 



The value of a horse depends entirely on our power to use him, and 

 in this disease he is for the most j)art and for long periods removed 

 from our will to do so. Moreover, so long as he remains in our stables 

 he is a source of danger to others, and although he may ultimately become 

 well again he is nevertheless likely to infect his companions while doing so, 

 and above all to leave the stable a centre of infection. 



We were surprised a short time ago in looking over an infected stud to 

 find all the horses, notwithstanding the disease, in good condition, full of 

 flesh, feeding well, the temperature and pulse normal, and the coat sleek. 



