STRANGLES. 129 



CHAP. XXVII. 



STRANGLES. 



[This disease probably derives its name from a symptom which 

 is occasionally present, in which the animal is threatened with 

 suffocation. 



It is a disorder peculiar to youns:^ horses, and attacks them 

 most frequently between the third and fifth year, though not un- 

 frequently before this period, and sometimes after it, and now 

 and then we even meet with it in old horses. 



It used to be supposed that every horse becomes affected with 

 it at some period of his life, and that it was necessary for the 

 constitution, and a means of carrying off impurities. From the 

 number of hands througli which horses usually pass, it is difficult 

 to ascertain whether they invariably become suljject to this dis- 

 ease or not ; and therefore this antiquated assertion is rather dif- 

 ficult to disprove. My own opinion is, that not only is the 

 complaint not invariable, but that a moiety of our horses alto- 

 gether escape, which I think will be borne out by observation 

 amongst ao;ricultural horses, that are both bred and worked on 

 the same farm. 



The disease sometimes occurs at grass, when the animal is 

 under two or three years of age, and sometimes the symptoms 

 are so mild that no treatment is required, at others so severe 

 as almost to threaten suflfocation ; and it then becomes imperative 

 to take up the colt, and have recourse to the most judicious 

 treatment. 



The symptoms of strangles are a swelling and abscess between 

 the lower jaw bones, accompanied frequently by sore throat, and 

 other catarrhal symptoms. There is often a considerable degree 

 of fever present, together with an indisposition for food, as well 

 as an inability to swallow it; liquids being swallowed with 

 greater difficulty than solids. 



The swelling under the jaw, slight at first, gradually increases, 

 the other symptoms increasing in severity at the same time. 

 When matter has formed, it usually points, as it is termed, exter- 

 nally ; and if not opened, the abscess bursts, and the symptoms 

 are afterwards much relieved. 



Sometimes an abscess bursts internally, and the matter is dis- 

 charged through the nostrils. * Occasionally the neighbourhood 

 of the parotid glands is affected, and the swelling is so consider- 

 able as to threaten suffocation, and demand the performance of 

 the operation of trachteotomy. 



Sometimes the enlargement of the glands becomes hard and 



* In a few instances the Eustachian cavities have been filled with matter. 



K 



