74 DISEASES OF THE LUNGS. 



a surface emitting, and constantly covered with, a mucous 

 secretion. Cold, then, with either more or less moisture 

 than is usually contained in the atmosphere, being consi- 

 dered as the predisponent, our next inquiry must be after 

 the immediate excitant. The late Professor Coleman was 

 in the habit in his Lectures of attributing great influence 

 to the foul air engendered in stables by efiluvia from the 

 dung, urine, and breath ; and perhaps, in combination with 

 heat, there exists no more fruitful source of disease of the 

 respiratory apparatus : but I have my doubts whether foul air 

 without heat be often productive of such effects. At the 

 time I did duty with the army in the Peninsula, I remember 

 well, that most of our stables, or places used as stables, were 

 dirty and filthy in the extreme, being either without any 

 pavement at all, or so badly paved that they were full of 

 holes ; and of course there was nothing like drains or sewers 

 to carry off the urine: indeed, in many places they were all 

 but roofless, and in most places in a dilapidated condition. 

 In these situations the horses and mules of the army bred 

 farcy and glanders and mange, but very rarely bronchitis 

 or pneumonia or pleurisy. This corresponds with what is 

 observed to be the effect of foul air on the human subject, 

 viz. that it tends to engender malignant rather than common 

 inflammations, of which typhoid, gaol, and putrid fevers are 

 examples. 



Cold — or wet producing cold — applied to the surface of 

 the body may, however, by causing a reflux or congestion of 

 the blood inwardly, have a sort of indirect operation in pro- 

 ducing pulmonary inflammation. There can be no doubt 

 about the correctness of this reasoning, nor of its occasion- 

 ally happening in practice ; but I do not myself believe that it 

 happens near so frequently as is thought or represented ; 

 else would many more racers and hunters, and post and 

 coach horses, and others, fall victims to thoracic disease 

 than now are known to do. Our surprise is, how the poor 

 slave who is galloped one hour until dripping with sweat 

 and nearly exhausted, and the next half-hour stands tied to 

 a post, exposed to the cutting blast or pelting shower, while 



