118 GLANDERS AND FARCY. 



d. Nature of the VI ru'^. — Altliougli we are perfectly assured 

 that in every case of the disease there is present in the 

 economy, and exhibiting itself with varying power or intensity 

 in not merely tlie specific lesions or local manifestations of the 

 disease, but also in the greater number or the whole of the 

 secretions, excretions, and fluid tissues of the body, a peculiar 

 specific morbific agent, which, when introduced into the 

 tissues of a healthy horse, possesses the power of inducing a 

 similar diseased condition, we are nevertheless not yet in a 

 position to say what this infecting virus is. Whether it is 

 detached, wandering, plasmic, or bioplasmic material pro- 

 ceeding from the diseased, or spores of specific organisms, 

 remains yet to be determined. The tendency of our present 

 knowledge certainly points in the direction of living particu- 

 late organisms as the active inducing factors in the production 

 of glanders as of many other infectious diseases. 



For some time it has been well known that observers have 

 occasionally detected a parasitic growth in the nasal discharges 

 of glandered horses ; this parasitic growth, known as puccinia, 

 is, however, found in the nasal discharges from almost every 

 horse, and is probably not specific as to its association with 

 glanders, but is rather to be regarded as proceeding from the 

 fodder. 



More recently, bacterial forms have been met with, it is said, 

 in both the blood and other fluids of animals — horses as well 

 as men — also in the pus from the specific sores, and their 

 existence has been regarded by Hallier, Zllrn, Rindfleisch, and 

 others, as intimately associated with the materies morbi of the 

 disease. Bollinger, who says he has most carefully examined 

 both the blood and other fluids of animals affected with 

 glanders, has failed to verify the statements of these investi- 

 gators. He has, however, satisfied himself that the virus of 

 glanders, like that of some other specific infectious diseases, 

 possesses the property (pointed out by Schonbein) of exerting 

 a decomposing or catalytic action upon certain substances with 

 which it is brought in contact. 



The poisonous agent in the disease may safely be regarded 

 as fixed and volatile. 



The fixed virus is attached to, or associated with, the specific 

 local manifestations of the disease, the ulcers, tubercles, and 



