16 DISEASES OF THE AIR-PASSAGES. 



to cold. I liave seen several instances of catarrli (not to 

 mention other diseases) consequent upon turning horses out 

 of warm stables into cold and wet pastures and strawy ards. 

 Still, the ordinary subjects of catarrh are horses three, four, 

 and five years old, passing from the dealer^s or breeder^s hands 

 into warm stables; and particularly during wet and cold 

 weather, in spring and autumn. In some years, catarrhal 

 affections become so generally prevalent, and in their attack 

 manifest so much more than ordinary severity, spreading so 

 rapidly among young horses that the disorder not only assumes 

 the character of an epidemic or influenza, but has the appear- 

 ance, likewise, of being contagious; and though I have never 

 had a satisfactory reason to regard it as such, yet have I ever 

 deemed it prudent to segregate such patients as emitted fluxes, 

 inordinate in quantity or unusual in character, from knowing 

 that every now and then, one among them will turn to 

 glanders. On this point. Dr. Copland observes, " that there 

 is something in the air often producing catarrh, beyond what 

 is perceived by our senses, is shown by the very general or 

 even epidemic prevalence of the affection, during states of the 

 weather and of the air in which nothing peculiar can be ob- 

 served. Its great frequency, particularly in certain localities 

 and seasons, has induced some authors, among whom Dr. 

 MaccuUoch is pre-eminent, to impute it to a diluted or gene- 

 rally diffused malaria proceeding from the usual sources of 

 this active agent of disease/'^ In former veterinary works 

 we find catarrh ascribed, above all other causes, to ^^obstructed 

 perspiration.^^ In old horses, and such as are at their work, no 

 doubt, as a source of expulsion, it is an occasional cause; but 

 the ordinary subjects, I repeat, are young horses — horses that 

 have not yet commenced work, and that are consequently not 

 often, or perhaps have never been, sweated. Horses whose skins 

 have become wet, either from having been sweated or washed, 

 and are afterwards suffered to grow dry without being rubbed, 

 will, particularly in cold weather, be likely to take a rigor or 

 shivering fit. The same observation may be made in regard 



' • Dictionary of Practical Medicine/ by J. Copland, m.d,, article, ' Catarrh.' 



