154 FEVERS. 



December, 1834. — Three lots of young horses came to 

 Windsor barracks this autumn from the dealer ; one lot of six 

 arrived in October ; another of three also in October ; the 

 third of eight in November. They are all now sickening 

 with the strangles. I have already had eight cases. Some of 

 these cases are young horses that came previously. A few have 

 only had catarrhal symptoms; in particular, sore throat. I 

 have not, the seven years and a half I have been in the 

 regiment, had such a general attack of the disease before. 

 This shows there are seasons in which the disease is so 

 prevalent that it might be thought to be contagious. That 

 it is not contagious, however, seems proved by its not attack- 

 ing horses standing next to each other, and by many in the 

 same stable escaping altogether. 



1842. — Since the above year, until the present one few 

 cases have occurred. This autumn it is again become 

 epidemic among our three and four year old horses, not 

 only affecting those in stables, but those in strawyard also. 

 This cessation and renewal of a disorder would seem to afford 

 a strong argument against its contagiousness. 



The disease often presents catarrhal symptoms; perhaps 

 sore throat and cough, a little running or not from the nose 

 at the beginning, and the horse is set down to have a 

 "cold,^' when, as it afterwards turns out, he is in reality 

 breeding the strangles. 



Of inoculation for the disease I know nothing. There are 

 those who assert it is thus communicable. It may be. It 

 is not *' catching,^^ in my belief. 



Age and Season. — The age at which the animal breeds 

 this disease will much depend on his removal from the field 

 to the stable; though now and then colts contract it at 

 grass. We generally meet strangles at the third or fourth 

 year — these being the periods of domestication — and at the 

 fall or spring : these seasons being variable, as well as the 

 times when horses are housed. A colt, bred by my father, 

 had the disease at six months old ; Mr. Coward informed 

 me he had observed the disease three months after birth. 



A case (E 12) of strangles occurred in a horse seven years 



