GLANDERS. 355 



Both glanders and farcy originate in contagion. An here- 

 ditary defect in the structural capacity of the aerating 

 organs, there is great reason to suppose, is a remote cause 

 of much importance in glanders. Whatever acts noxiously 

 on the air-passages for a considerable time by its irritation, 

 fits them to develop it also ; and thus either acute or 

 chronic glanders may arise, as the cause is active or in- 

 sidious. In this way it is that the impure air of close con- 

 fined situations probably acts, by wasting the strength and 

 destroying the constitution. In populous towns and cities, 

 in crowded unventilated stables, we therefore meet with 

 this disease in the greatest numbers and worst forms. The 

 debilitating effects of common inflammations of the mucous 

 surfaces of the air-passages and their dependencies, is a 

 general source : even wounds of these parts have brought 

 on glanders. A remote cause is a cold humid state of 

 atmosphere, acting upon a debilitated frame ; and thus it 

 is more frequent in winter than summer. 



The contagious nature of glanders has been altogether 

 disputed by some. Bracken was among the number : but 

 many more think it only contagious in a slight degree ; 

 none suppose it is contagious to the extent that was once 

 imagined. All horses, however, are not equally susceptible 

 to take the disease. It must be remembered, that there is 

 a non -susceptibility in some constitutions, and also in the 

 same constitution at particular periods to receive it, when 

 at other times, the fatal disorder would be readily im- 

 bibed ; to which facts much of this discrepancy of state- 

 ment is owing. The generation of glanders has been 

 alleged and denied ; but the question seems to be at once 

 set at rest by the breaking out of acute glanders among 

 the horses on board the transports bound for Quiberon, in 

 consequence of the necessity of fastening down the hatches 

 for three days during a storm ; of these horses none were 

 known to be affected with the disease at the time of em- 

 barkation. Whence then could the infection be derived ? 

 All were exposed to the impure air, or all imbibed the 

 same cause, which none but the very strong and robust 

 could withstand. But it is not possible for a single horse 

 to infect the air around, so as to give the disease to a 

 healthy one near him : horses have lived thus together for 



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