THE HORSE AiND ITS DISEASES. 119 



StraDgles. 



It is very strange, how very contrary the opinions of 

 almost all writers on this subject have been, and how 

 lamentably ignorant appear their descriptions of it. Mr. 

 Prosser wi'ote a treatise professedly on the strangles and 

 fevers of horses, in which he introduces some very good 

 critiques on other writers, yet left both subjects entirely 

 where he found them. Mr. Gibson supposed the com- 

 plaint resembled small pox, etc. Mr. Bracken, the 

 quinsy ; others, the hooping cough, measles, chicken 

 pox, etc. All which suppositions originated in a want 

 of attention to the animal economy in general, and to the 

 disease in particular, for it bears no resemblance to either 

 of these, but in a specific fever of horses, accompanied 

 with a disposition to inflammation in the glands of the 

 head and throat. 



La Fosse divides it into mild or malignant, and false 

 or bastard strangles ; but these definitions do not seem 

 to be well founded, for though there are cases in which 

 the symptoms are milder than others, it does not appear 

 that any specific virus is ever left by which future 

 depositions are formed, called vivos. There is no reason 

 to suppose it infectious, though it has been said to have 

 been given by inocculation. 



The disease appears to consist in a specific attack on 

 the parotid and submaxillary glands, more frequently 

 the latter, and which most horses have once during their 

 lives, and once only, generally between the ages of four 

 and six years ; but as this specific attack does not render 

 these glands invulnerable to future inflammatory aff'ec- 

 tions, frorn cold or other causes, so whenever any after 

 swelling occurs, ignorant farriers suppose it connected 

 with the strangles, which has not, they think, perfectly 

 drained off, and such swelling is called vivos. 



Symptoms. — The strangles usually commences with 

 the general symptoms of catarrh, or, as more familiarly 

 expressed, like a cold and fever ; sometimes there is so 

 little symptomatic aftection, particularly in mild weather 



