58 NAVII^ ox THE HOESE. 



tlic reader will doubtless have inferred my position as to the 

 character of glanders. But, that I may Ido i^erfectly under- 

 stood, I will state my views of the character of the disease as 

 clearly as possible. I regard glanders as essentially a consti- 

 tutional disease, produced by a specific poison, either intro- 

 duced into the system by infection or inoculation, or generated 

 in it by some peculiar and unusual chemical action, or by a 

 perverted nutritive action ; and that its generation is peculiar 

 to the horse, and that this poison has a peculiar tendency to 

 affect prominently the mucous surfaces of the lungs and air- 

 passages, as well as certain excreting glandular structures of 

 the system ; and this is most likely, because nature endeavors 

 to throw off the poison by these structures, thus peculiarly ex- 

 posing them to its poisoning influence. This poison, or virus, 

 seems to possess the character of a ferment. In this connec- 

 tion I shall quote from M. H. Bouley, in the "London Veter- 

 inarian," an article which may throw some light on the sub- 

 ject, corroborating the views above given. He says: 



"I. That glanders is a spontaneous disease only with the 

 horse species, it being, in other animals, always the result of 

 contagion ; that in the horse species it may be the result of 

 contagion, but generally it is a product of disordered or per- 

 verted nutritive action in the system, and consequently is, in 

 its origin, peculiar to the horse species. 



"II. That this exclusive generative faculty is coincident 

 with the exclusive uses to which horses are put ; the horse 

 being that vital machine which is employed for moving great 

 weights, or overcoming great resistance. 



"III. Oxen, in some localities are likewise so employed; 

 but then they do their work always at a tardy pace, so slow, 

 indeed, that it does not interfere with rumination, (chewing 

 the food over, or chewing the cud) ; Avhilc horses, on the con- 

 trary, almost always work with more rapidity, and oftentimes 

 are compelled to carry great weights at the same rapid pace. 



