Glanders. 183 



tion ; and every disease that does this will run on to glan- 



ders. 



Glanders are highly contagious. If the discharge from 

 the nostrils of a. glandered horse is rubbed on a wound, 

 or on a mucus surface, like the nostrils, it will produce a 

 similar disease. 



If some persons underrate the danger, it is because the 

 disease may remain unrecognized in the infected horse for 

 some months, or even years, and therefore, when it ap- 

 pears, it is attributed to other causes. No glandered 

 horse should be employed on any farm, nor should a glan- 

 dered horse be permitted to work on any road, or even 

 to pasture on any field. He should be destroyed. 



It is capable of being communicated to the human be- 

 ing, and, indeed, there have been very many deaths from 

 this cause, and most horrible deaths they are. It is gen- 

 erally by means of some cut or abrasion, which conies in 

 contact with the cclandered matter, that the infection is 

 communicated. The utmost caution should, therefore, be 

 exercised by the attendants. 



The stair and fences may receive the glanderous mat- 

 ter ; and hardening on them, it may months afterwards 

 communicate the disease to horses, sheep and cattle. 



The earliest symptom of glanders is an increased dis- 

 charge from the nostril, small in quantity, constantly flow- 

 ing, of a watery character, and a httle mucus mmgling 



with it. 



It is a common and very mischievous error to suppose 

 that this discharge is sticky, when it first makes its ap- 

 pearance. It is mucus, but small and constant discharge, 

 and is thus distinguished from catarrh, or nasal gleet, or 

 any other discharge from the nostril. 



The peculiar stickiness and gluiness supposed to dis- 

 tinguish the discharge of glanders from all other mucus 

 and prevalent secretions belongs to the second stage of 

 the disease, and, for many months before this, glanders 

 may have existed m an insidious and highly contagious 

 form. It must be acknowledged, however, that, in the 

 majority of cases, some degree of stickiness does charac- 

 12 



