ON THE DISTEMPER. 83 



two, before those which had stood next to them have 

 become affected ; and in the space of a fortnight, I have 

 had a hmidred horses affected with the disease, while 

 the remainder of the regiment has continued in a 

 healthy state. These are circumstances which of course 

 have happened to other Veterinary Surgeons, in 

 similar situations, as also to grooms, (although, to 

 these, not to the same extent,) who may have had the 

 care of horses, and which circumstances may have 

 led these last mentioned to suppose the disease conta- 

 gious. This, perhaps, is doubtful. That a peculiar 

 state of the atmosphere often produces the disease, 

 I believe is not to be questioned, and that exposure to 

 the same causes will occasionally produce the same 

 effect, will be readily allowed. Young horses are not 

 only more liable to become affected by the disease, 

 but they suffer more severely from it than old horses 

 generally do. 



From the observations I have made dui'ing the time 

 of my living in the stables, I am of opinion that horses 

 sometimes become affected, in a slight ckgree, with 

 this distemper, or something very like it, as coughs and 

 colds, attended with fever, when they are in what is 

 so commonly called, high condition — that is, very lusty, 

 as some race-horses (country platers) are, early in 

 the month of March. I am induced to think they 

 become thus affected, from grooms not paying suffi- 

 cient attention to the regularity of the temperature of 

 the stables, as well as to the clothing of their horses ; 

 more particularly so, when in the mornings at the 



