208 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



the young nor the old, the strong nor the feeble, regardless alike 

 of the season of the year or the situation of the spot in which it 

 might appear ; sometimes appearing under a mild and harmless 

 aspect, at other times accompanied with the most severe internal 

 inflammations, and leaving in its train the ravages of death. 

 By universal consent this malady has been recognised by the 

 term influenza, and, perhaps, no other word can better express 

 its tendency to spread ; though at the same time it must be 

 confessed that tins very term is likely, from analogy, to deceive 

 the ignorant, and to lull many persons into a false security with 

 regard to the frequent severity and danger of the complaint. 

 For although, perhaps, in all cases of influenza there are certain 

 uniform general symptoms, yet cases can be cited where the 

 most essential diiFerence prevails, both with regard to its 

 symptoms and the danger attending it, and thus it is that we 

 find such vei-y different ideas are entertained in the minds of 

 the public with regard to this disease. 



This disease prevailed most extensively in 1836, throughout 

 all parts of the kingdom. Numerous accounts of it may be 

 found in the Veterinarian for that and the following year, and 

 the whole is embodied and analysed in a historical and critical 

 treatise on the disease published by the editor of this work in 

 1837, and whence the previous account of epizootic diseases is 

 abstracted. 



In the autumn of last year (1840), the influenza, which for 

 nearly four years had disappeared, again made its appearance, and 

 proved exceedingly prevalent in various parts of the country. 



The following comprises the greater portion of an essay written 

 by myself, and read before the members of the Veterinary 

 Medical Association in London. It will serve to show the 

 symptoms, nature, and treatment of the disease. 



" The influenza made its appearance in this locality during 

 the month of September, and has continued up to the present 

 time. My first cases were few and isolated, but they gradually 

 became more numerous and more accumulative. The symptoms 

 Avere very similar to those of the epizootic of 1836, at any 

 rate sufficiently so to justify me in denominating it the same 

 disease. 



" Symptoms. — The first symptom that awakened attention was 

 the sudden failure of the appetite, which was either total or pai'- 

 tial ; the horse, perhaps, might have appeared perfectly well 

 in the morning, and at noon refused his food. If called in 

 at this stage, I usually found the mouth hot, and the pulse 

 quickened, varying, however, from 42 to SO, being sometimes 

 full and strong, but more frequently soft and weak. There 

 was, generally, a somewhat dull appearance of the animal at first, 

 although nothing to what afterwards supervened ; the coat was 



