PHTHISIS. 119 



have on more than one occasion remarked, when my 

 regiment has had a remount of young horses, and one of 

 the lot — looking thin and rough in his coat, perhaps, when 

 purchased — instead of improving in flesh and condition with 

 the rest, has continued in his unthriving state, that, although 

 perhaps for some length of time he manifested no illness, 

 yet in the end he became phthisical. In this instance, one 

 would feel disposed to think that tubercles must have pre- 

 existed in the lungs, and that the supervention of inflam- 

 matory action induced phthisis. On the other hand, it is 

 notorious that old horses in the cavalry — who have under- 

 gone many vicissitudes since their enlistment, and who, up 

 to the period of their death, at an advanced age, have been 

 known to enjoy the best of health — end their days either 

 by consumption or by glanders : in both cases the lungs 

 exhibiting tubercles and vomicae. While the former fact, 

 therefore, would lead us to regard tubercles as either an 

 accompaniment or a formation, sui generis, in the young 

 animal, the latter leaves us little reason to doubt that they 

 become generated while inhabiting the stable. 



The symptoms of phthisis are numerous and liable to 

 considerable variation. They may be conveniently con- 

 sidered under three stages : — 



In the first stage — in the curable one, if it ever be cured 

 — it is often extremely diflicult to pronounce upon. A 

 horse is shown tons for being out of condition, rough in his 

 coat, hide-bound perhaps, and, for all the pains taken with 

 him having failed in improving his condition. Moreover, 

 he is foggy or weak at his work, sweats with but slight 

 exertion ; he is heard to cough occasionally after his water, 

 or when first brought out of the stable, and is found short- 

 winded. This suspicious state of body may have originated 

 spontaneously and imperceptibly — may appear as if it had 

 been bred in the animal's constitution, grown with his 

 growth and increased with his strength ; or it may prove the 

 lurking sequel of some pectoral inflammation going before, 

 and, perhaps, passed off; or it may, lo7igo intervallo, follow 

 strangles. The state itself is of most uncertain duration; 



