GLANDERS: OF THREE SORTS, TWO CONTAGIOtJS 133 



and found one of their most respected names had arranged the boundaries anr) 

 distinguishing quahties of the two into three divisions. Nor was this all. M, 

 La Fosse, the younger, who enjoyed the post of " principal farrier to the French 

 army," and was withal a member of the Institute, insisted with much energy 

 that "glanders of the first species, the real glanders, glanders properly so call- 

 ed, absolutely consists of nothing more than the loss of the sense of smelling," 

 and is "a curable disorder, if treated early, but incurable when confirmed." 

 Hie treatment was very simple, and worthy of calm consideration, as are also 

 the means he proposes for ascertaining by the symptoms when it is a horse is 

 afflicted with communicable glanders, and ought to be destroyed. It is in this 

 latter respect that 1 reprint here the substance of La Fosse's researches on this 

 highly interesting subject; for, since none of us can offer a remedy that ought 

 to be relied upon — unless the animal be submitted to our measures earlier than 

 is usual* — 1 think a useful particle may be added to the new study of medical 

 jurisprudence, by showing the line of demarcation that divides health and 

 contagion — the point at which destruction ought to commence, by authority, 

 or, in common humanity, to prevent the thoughtless from immolating the pro- 

 perty of others, who are usually little proprietors. 



I am the more determined in this course of proceeding, because all my in- 

 quiries on the subject are already in print, and these coincide so nearly with 

 the speculations and reasonings of two or three respectable writers now liefore 

 the public, that I could add but a small portion of novelty to what has been so 

 elaborately discussed by others. On all those points on which I differ from 

 them, 1 shall offer a few practical observations, in the hope of being servicea- 

 ble, whilst 1 shall sedulously avoid the "debateableland," which some contend 

 for a little unamiably, 



•' So great has been the destruction of horses which have either really been, 

 or reputed to be glandered, through the prejudice of ignorant persons, that it 

 has been said, whoever can point out the distinction l^tween the communica- 

 ble disease and those which bear some affinity to it, will confer a benefit on 

 society, and serve the cause of humanity. Much labour had been bestowed 

 on this subject by the elder La Fosse, who threw a great deal of light on a 

 disease, which, of all others that attack the horse, is least known, and there • 

 fore most misrepresented." 



What M. La Fosse proposes to show is, L " That it is easy to confound 

 this disorder with others that resemble it, in some particulars. 2. That among 

 the different sorts of glanders (so reputed), some are infectious, whilst there 

 are others that are not so ; and 3. That some of these are curable, and others 

 incurable. 



** There are few veterinary practitioners who do not know that strangles, 

 bastard strangles, pursiveness, or asthma, and other pulmonary complaints, 

 exhibit the same external appearance as the glanders, properly so called ; con- 

 sequently it is easy to be deceived on the subject, and the farrier will fail in 

 his endeavours at a cure if he has not previously ascertained the distinguishing 

 symptoms of the disorder. What then ought he to do in order not to be led 

 into error, and to ascertain with precision that species of the disorder with 

 which the animal is affected 1 



"After much experience on the subject of the diseases of horses, we are 

 convinced that it is necessary to distinguish three sorts of glanders, viz. Th« 

 first sort, which is the glanders, the real glanders, the glanders properly tsrt 

 called ; the second is nothing more than some disorder circulating in the mass 

 of blood ; and the third may be denominated the farcy glanders. Glanders 



* From the number of experimenls which have lately been made at the Veiennary Collego 

 Jn London, and the beneficial results arising therefrom, we may at length hope tliat thjs dreiu) 

 *ul malady \a brought within the sphere of curable diseases. 



