258 SCROFULA — SPECIFIC ARTHRITIS. 



and other parts of the pulmonary tissues in glanders. All 

 other collections of adventitious material in these organs or 

 elsewhere which have come under my notice, whether dis- 

 tributed in minute particles of a friable character, or as larger 

 pus-like or caseous masses, seem rather to have resulted from 

 ordinary changes occurring in the ordinary products of common 

 inflammatory action affecting the structures where they have 

 been found. 



In all such instances, in addition to the history of the cases, 

 which may or not be suggestive, the general symptoms of fever 

 and wasting, either continuous or of an intermittent character, 

 have been supplemented by others pointing to local disturb- 

 ance of function or textural change, very similar to what may 

 be expected in localized tubercle. 



Relation of Specific Arthritis to Scrofula. — Although not 

 claiming for every case and form of development of arthritic 

 disease in young horses the character of tubercular, I am yet 

 rather disposed to regard many of the well-pronounced and 

 malignant cases in their nature scrofulous. Regarded in no 

 other light do we find such rational explanation of the nume- 

 rous phenomena which are connected with and surround this 



Apart from this manifestation, I regard scrofula, with or 

 without the development of tubercle, as a rare disease in the 

 horse. In this phasis, as specific arthritis of a tuberculous 

 character, it is common, and probably within the last quarter 

 of a century has been on the increase. 



Causation. — This specific inflammation, which affects the 

 joints of young horses, possesses, in the matter of causation, 

 the strongest resemblance to local inflammatory and other 

 changes, the result of a scrofulous disposition. It seems 

 (1) Dependent on an inbred or constitutional peculiarity, 

 being more prevalent in some families than others, and is 

 modified in all pertaining to heredity, as other congenital 

 affections are. (2) Like every other constitutional and inbred 

 disease, there is little doubt that its appearance is largely 

 favoured by external influences, which are much within our 

 power of control. These are chiefly of a character bearing 

 upon our manipulatory interference Avith the breeding, locating, 

 and feeding of these animals, with a view to the perfecting of 



