132 ANATOMY AND DISEASES OF THE NOSE AND MOUTH. 



whole team, can justify. He will inoculate an ass, or a horsa already condemnej 

 to the hounds, with the matter discharged from the nose. If the horse is glandered, 

 the symptoms of glanders or farcy will appear in the inoculated animal in the course 

 of a few days. 



The post mortem examination of the horse will remove every doubt as to the 

 character of the disease. The nostril is generally more or less blanched, with spots 

 or lines of inflammation of considerable intensity. Ulceration is almost invariably 

 found, and of a chancrous character, en the septum, and also on the sethmoid and 

 turbinated bones. The ulcers evidently follow the course of the absorbents, some- 

 times almost confined to the track of the main vessel, or, if scattered over the 

 membrane generally, thickest over the path of the lym])hatic. The ethmoid and 

 turbinated bones are often filled with pus, and sometimes eaten through and carious ; 

 but, in the majority of cases, the ulceration is confined to the external membrane, 

 although there may be pus within. In aggravated cases the disease extends through 

 all the cells of the face and head. 



The path of the disease down the larynx and v/indpipe is easily traced, and the 

 ulcers follow one line — that of the absorbents. In aggravated cases, this can generally 

 be traced on to the lungs. It produces inflammation in these organs, characterised 

 in some cases l)y congestion ; but in other cases, the congestion having gone on to 

 hepatisation, in v/hich the cellular texture of the lungs is obliterated. Most frequently, 

 when the lungs are affected at all, tubercles are found — miliary tubercles — minute 

 granulated spots on the surface, or in the substance of the lungs, and not accompanied 

 by much inflammation, in a few cases there are larger tuliercles, which soften and 

 burst, and terminate in cavities of varying size. 



In some cases, and showing that glanders is not essentially or necessarily a disease 

 of the lungs, there is no morbid affection whatever in those organs. 



The history thus given of the symptoms of glanders will clearly point out its 

 nature. It is an affection of the membrane of the nose. vSome say, and at their head 

 is Professor Dupuy, that it is the production of tubercles, or minute tumours in the 

 upper cells of the nose, which may long exist undetected, except by a scarcely per- 

 ceptible running from the nostril, caused by the irritation which they occasion. These 

 tubercles gradually become more numerous ; they cluster together, suppurate and 

 break, and small ulcerations are formed. The ulcers discharge a poisonous matter, 

 which is absorbed and taken up by the neighbouring glands, and this, with greater or 

 less rapidity, vitiates the constitution of the animal, and is capable of communicating 

 the disease to others. Some content themselves with saying that it is an inflamma- 

 tion of the membrane of the nose, which may assume an acute or chronic form, or in 

 a very short time, or exceedingly slowly, run on to ulceration. 



It is inflammation, whether specific or common, of the lining membrane of the nose 

 — possibly for months, and even for years, confined to that membrane, and even to 

 a portion of it — the health and the usefulness of the animal not being in the slightest 

 degree impaired. Tlien, from some unknown cause, not a new but an intenser action 

 is set up, the inflammation more speedily runs its course, and the membrane becomes 

 ulcerated. The inflammation spreads on either side down the septum, and the ulcera- 

 tion at length assumes that peculiar chancrous form which characterises inflammation 

 of the absorbents. Even then, when the discharge becomes gluey, and sometimes 

 after chancres have appeared, the horse is apparently well. There are hundreds of 

 glandered horses about the country with not a sick one among them. For months or 

 years this disease may do no injury to the general health. The inflammation is purely 

 local, and is only recognised by the invariable accompaniment of inflammation and 

 increased secretion. Its neiglibours fall around, but the disease alT'^ts not the animal 

 whence it came. At length a constitutional inflammation appears ; farcy is established 

 in its most horrible form, and death speedily closes the scene. 



What, then, is the cause of this insidious dreadful disease'? Although we may be 

 in a manner powerless as to the removal of the malady, yet if we can trace its causH 

 and manner of action, we may at least be able to do something in the waj' of preven- 

 tion. Much has been accomplished in this way. Glanders docs not commit oriii- 

 tenth part of the ravages which it did thirty or forty years ago, and, generally epeak- 



