STRANGLES. 245 



generally connected with dentition, by others with atmospheric causes, 

 by others with cessation of the growth of the frame. It is certain, 

 however, that horses occasionally have the disease after the teeth are 

 fully completed ; also that in some seasons almost all the young horses 

 in the stable have it, whilst in other seasons almost all escape it; and 

 again three-year-old animals, in whom cessation of the growth of the 

 frame cannot be occurring, most often suffer from it. 



Strangles has also been said to be a disease incidental to domestica- 

 tion ; but this can scarcely be the case, as we not unfrequently find 

 horses at grass affected with it. They generally have it in a very mild 

 form. It usually occurs when horses are first brought into stables. 



495. Symptoms. 



The horse is sick and off his feed, and perhaps has a slight catarrh 

 with feverish symptoms. In a day or two the glands under the jaw or 

 behind the ear begin to swell. Partly from the effect of the fever which 

 accompanies the attack, and partly from sympathy the throat also be- 

 comes sore ; and hence arises difficulty in swallowing with much slobber- 

 ing and occasionally some acceleration of the breathing. 



When the tumour forms regularly in the submaxillary space, and is of 

 the ordinary size, the abscess generally comes to maturity without much 

 trouble or inconvenience. 



If, however, the tumour is situated high up towards the parotid 

 glands, the distress in the breathing will often be very great, and the 

 feverish symptoms will run high. The noisy breathing, which forms so 

 marked a feature in most severe cases, and from which the disease 

 obtains its name, is owing partly to the tumour, formed in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the parotid glands, pressing on the larynx, and partly also 

 to the inflamed and swollen state of the lining membrane of the larynx, 

 which becomes inflamed by sympathy. The tumour often becomes 

 exceedingly large, and the patient may get excessively weak from being 

 unable to masticate his food. In some cases the animal may be in 

 danger of suffocation from obstruction of the breathing caused by the 

 size and situation of the tumour. 



Again from general derangement of the secretions of the body, owing 

 to the eruptive disease existing in one part, the pores of the skin cease 

 to act properly, and in consequence the skin becomes dry and the coat 

 is harsh and staring. 



496. General Treatment. 



As usual with eruptive diseases, Strangles runs a regular course. The 

 great object in treatment is to assist nature to develop the eruption fully 

 and quickly. I the eruption is checked in the external part, in which it 

 usually first appears, it is very apt to fly to another, and perhaps to 

 some internal glandular structure. 



Hence, instead of treating this disease with depletives, as some of its 

 symptoms, and especially the fever might seem to indicate, we must 

 endeavour to keep up the strength of the patient. 



Herein, however, lies the chief difficulty. The horse is sick and not 



