72 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



trunks of the veins, and laying in the siiper- 

 ticial absorbents of the skin covering the veins, 

 was not this proved to a demonstration the 

 veins would ulcerate and open, and consider- 

 able bleeding take place, clearly showing the 

 disease is in no wise connected with the veins. 

 Externally the skin may be said to be the only 

 visible part susceptible of farcy ; but when the 

 case runs on and becomes violent, the lungs 

 partake also of it. Every part of the skin is 

 susceptible of the disease, but not all parts 

 equally so ; wherever the skin is thinest, these 

 parts are more liable to become affected than 

 where the skin is thick. ^ 



The commencement of the disease is gene- 

 rally ushered in with swelling and inflamma- 

 tion, and, at length, single tumour forms; this 

 goes on until matter is formed, suppuration takes 

 place, and of course ulceration ; the tumours do 

 not always suppurate, often becoming hard and 

 schirrous. These, in the old farriers' language, 

 are called " hucls, or farcy buds ;" there are fre- 

 quently many of these, forming a kind of chain : 

 this is an absorbent enlarged and inflamed, 

 and frequently will continue to enlarge to an 

 alarming degree ; these are the common 

 symptoms and appearance of the disease. 

 The cause of its taking place in the hind 

 legs most frequently, is, because the living 

 power of these legs is much less, conse- 

 quently, more liable to be out of repair. 



This disease, as we said before, is one that 

 less progress towards a cure has been made, 

 than almost any disease of the Horse, and 

 that in consequence of its containi ng a poison ; 

 which poison, if applied to the skin of a sound 

 Horse, will produce inflammation and matter of 

 the same kind ; and in all probability, if the 

 matter becomes absorbed, it will produce ^7«/i- 

 dcrs ; still this may not l)e the case, all constitu- 



tions not being equally susceptible of taking on 

 the disease, though actually in contact with the 

 poison ; this, like all medicines, have not the 

 same effect on all constitutions, more than this 

 specific poison. However, it proves this matter 

 to be contagious, because it is possible to pro- 

 duce it on a healthy animal. Here is one curi- 

 ous fact also ; if you insert the poison deep below 

 the skin, it does not produce yitrcT/ ; but, being 

 absorbed into the system, it produces glan- 

 ders ; the absorbents do not inflame in this case, 

 clearly proving it a disease of the skin ; so 

 that the deep seated absorbents become 

 affected, and the superficial ones not so. 

 From this cause, if you were to skin a Horse, 

 with farcy, at this stage of the disease, there 

 would not be the least appearance of it under 

 the skin ; nor can it be produced in a sound 

 Horse without an abraded surface ; though I 

 think it may be produced if applied to the 

 membrane of the Horse's nose, if it were 

 carefully done, so that the surface was not 

 abraded. Professor Coleman's opinion, is, that 

 one Horse in a stable cannot communicate it 

 to another, without an abraded surface ; shew- 

 ing, it must be generated, and that constitu- 

 tional diseases cannot be produced except by 

 contact ; if poisoned atmosphere be inhaled, 

 disease may be propagated by breathing it, 

 whilst contagion requires the actual contact of 

 the diseased animal with the sound ; though 

 there is little or no distinction, for the poison 

 does not come in contact with the lungs under 

 infection. For, in propurtion as crowds and 

 filth abound, do such diseases break out. 

 Contagious diseases may be, then, produced 

 without contact ; but not only may be, but as 

 regards farcy, I question whether one in one 

 thousand, ever becomes affected by the actual 

 touch of this matter, showing clearly that it «• 



