262 SEAT AND NATURE OF GLANDERS. 



If precautions were taken to properly ventilate stables, the disease 

 might be altogether eradicated. In further proof of the disease 

 originating without contagion, we have instances of glanders break- 

 ing out among horses that have been embarked in a perfectly 

 healthy condition on board of ships entirely new. In the expedi- 

 tion to Quiberon, the horses had not been long on board of the 

 transports before it became necessary to shut down the hatchways : 

 the consequences of this were, that the horses were almost suf- 

 focated with heat, and that almost all of them disembarked either 

 glandered or farcied. The malady which broke out among the 

 men engaged in the Walcheren expedition attacked almost all of 

 them, hence it was considered to be a contagious disease ; after- 

 wards, however, it proved not to be, nor was this assumption 

 required to explain its endemic character, for they all (if the ex- 

 pression may be allowed) ate it, they all drank it, and they all 

 breathed it. It is for want of reflection upon these points that 

 people are so often differing about the contagious and non-conta- 

 gious nature of diseases. It has been observed, that glanders is 

 mostly present where grease is prevalent ; indeed, this fact led 

 Sainbel to say, that grease was a cause of glanders : but, in 

 truth, it is no more a cause than dung and urine are causes; it is 

 simply operating as another source of atmospherical impurity. 

 Under such circumstances, the fetor of grease will predominate, as 

 the stench of a goat will, over the effluvia arising from the excre- 

 tions and secretions ; and it was the observance of this fact probably 

 that gave origin to the vulgar notion of the salutary influence of 

 goats kept in stables." 



" The acute glanders is the same disease, in regard to the nature 

 of the poison, as farcy and chronic glanders ; I am, however, not 

 so confirmed in my opinion concerning the affinity of the last as 

 in respect to farcy. Acute glanders hardly ever proves fatal 

 without farcy making its appearance before death : on the other 

 hand, farcy rarely or never of itself puts an end to life, it being 

 superseded commonly by acute, sometimes by chronic glanders. 

 Independently, however, of these practical observations, we have 

 shewn their essential identity by direct experiment : we have 

 produced farcy by inoculation with the poison of acute glanders, and 



