In the Stable, Field, and on the Uoad. 43 



he had ample time and opportunity of studying, during 

 the period it affected the King of Denmark's stallions. 

 This epizootic did not reach England, or if it did, we can 

 find no record of it. For the year 1797 Fleming writes, 

 " Influenza was very severe in New York and Philadel- 

 phia, and over a large tract of that Continent; at the same 

 time there was a great mortality among the horses in 

 Maryland." During the prevalence of epidemic influenza 

 in 1803 all kinds of domestic animals seem to have 

 been affected with unusual diseases, but it is impossible, 

 in the annals of influenza (pp. 213 — 215) to find good 

 evidence of epizootic influenza among horses. In Mr. 

 Barlow's remarks occurs the following statement in 

 regard to influenza among horses, " It reappeared again 

 among horses very extensively and severely in 1815.' 

 John Field, of London, records the remarkable preva- 

 lence of the disease in 1819 and 1823, since that time 

 and up to the present, we find many records of its 

 occurrence in the Veterinarian. It is singular that 

 although of late years scarcely twelve consecutive 

 months have passed without many cases being observed, 

 yet at intervals of four years influenza seems to give us 

 a specially severe visitation. Thus it is noticed by 

 Wilkinson in 1815, by Field in 1819 and 1823, by 

 Percival in 1828, 1832, 1840, and 1844. Many remember 

 it in 1848 and still better in 1852. Thus, excepting an 

 interval of five years from 1823 to 1828, we can trace 

 its periods of aggravation in four-year circles from 1815 

 to the present time. 



Having given the history of influenza at some length 

 to show that it is no disease, I will now proceed to the 



