254 CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. 



A groom was infected, the disease running the course above 

 described, he becoming quite convalescent in twelve days. 



In contrasting this disease with that of glanders, the authors 

 say — In a superficial examination the malady might be easily 

 mistaken for that of glanders. In favour of this diagnosis we 

 had its contagious character, the feebleness of the discharge 

 from the nostrils, the swelling of the submaxillary and pre- 

 scapular glands, accompanied with the formation of ulcers in 

 the external integument and Schneiderian membrane (the last 

 in one instance only). Close examination and observation, 

 however, brought to light important differences between this 

 disease and glanders. The most striking deviation was the 

 appearance of the ulcer itself, which presented quite a different 

 character to that of glanders. In these instances the ulcers 

 were round, with sharply defined borders, varying in size from 

 a threepenny piece to a shilling, the edges neither being serrated 

 nor swollen as they are in glanders. The ulcerations were 

 isolated, and independent of the course of the lymphatics. For 

 instance, those on the lips and cheeks were irregularly distri- 

 buted, and covered with a brownish-white scab projecting 

 somewhat above the surrounding skin. When this was removed 

 a white granular ulcerated surface presented itself. The ulcers 

 were generally superficial, and rarely attained any depth, hardly 

 ever reaching the subcutis. After the sixth day they readily 

 healed. 



The disease lasted in individual cases from twelve to fourteen 

 days, and ran through a whole stable in about three weeks. 



The disease in question differs then from glanders, more 

 particularly in the character and distribution of the ulcers ; also 

 in the absence of lymphatic inflammation ; in the quickness witli 

 which the ulcers healed ; in the non-appearance of ulcers in 

 the Schneiderian membrane ; further, in the rapid course of the 

 disease, its short incubative period, and the quickness with 

 which it spread from one animal to another. 



The virus seems to lose its virulence after passing through 

 the system of several animals. From the scarcity of horses the 

 experimentalists had to use cattle, when by degrees the lymph 

 lost its infectious properties, until it finally ceased altogether. 

 This characteristic separates the disease from variola, which it 

 otherwise closely resembles. 



