THE MIASM OF THE STAIiLE. '2^5 



but he ascribed tlie mischief to the consumption and consequent 

 deficiency of jnire air*, and not to any specific poison. Coleman, 

 however, had from the first suspected this cause himself, and im- 

 mediately set about the investigation of it ; and the result of his 

 inquiry was, that — to use his own emphatic language — '' the air 

 of the closest alley in London was found to contain as much oxy- 

 gen in proportion as the air that encompasses the hills of High- 

 gate :" shewing him that there was no good ground for believing 

 that the atmosphere of the close stable possessed less pure air 

 than that out of doors; and serving to confirm him in his opinion 

 of what was the real deleterious agent, which was the animal 

 poison. 



Fourthly : that, as I observed before, Coleman's introduction of 

 ventilation into the stables of public and private establishments 

 has been productive of incalculable benefit, admits of no question 

 whatever : not only has it proved prophylactic against glanders 

 and farcy, but against other diseases as well ; and were the pro- 

 fession and the public indebted to him on no other account, the good 

 arising from ventilation alone is sufficient to preserve his name, for 

 many a year to come, in the records of veterinary science. 



What the Nature of this Miasm or Infection is — Whe- 

 ther it be similar in its essence to the virus of glanders itself, or 

 whether it simply be an irritant of that miasmatic description that 

 empoisons the system, and breeds malignant disease somewhere, 

 depending for the form in which it breaks out upon certain local 

 susceptibilities, producing one disease in one part, another disease 

 in another part, we have no direct or positive evidence to shew. 

 Coleman was clearly of opinion that, though specific he considered 

 " the poison," it was general in its operation : he not only ascribed 

 glanders and farcy to its influence, but rahies\ likewise, and also 



* See his account of this at page 210 of the present volume. 



•j* On the occasion of the Professor being examined before a Committee of 

 the House of Commons, touching the Bill to prevent the spreading of Canine 

 Madness, to the question, " Have the goodness to state what (in the course 

 of many years' experience) has occurred to you ?" he gave the following 

 answer : — 



" I have made up my mind on one point, in which many people, however, 



