8 



its nervous temperament is the only representative of the race, it is said to be 

 absent. 



Although strangles is more especially liable to attack horses from two to 

 live or six years of age, it may nevertheless infect animals of any age or breed. 

 We must remember that when the disease affects foals it does not confer 

 immunity against a second attack, and when it invades old animals it does 

 not differ much from an ordinaiy cold with or without soreness of the throat. 



Some authors regard strangles as an ordinary catarrh or cold, and others 

 look upon it as allied to glanders and other malignant diseases. We are of 

 the opinion of those who regard it as an eruptive fever, z>., a fever accompanied 

 by the appearance of an eruption, which in this malady consists of one or 

 more abscesses formed between the branches of the lower jaw. This, 

 moreover, was the view held by the late ?»Ir. D. Gresswell, F.R.C.V.S., who 

 was as satisfied of its contagious nature as he was of that of influenza. 

 Regarding the causes of strangles we cannot speak definitely, yet it is certain 

 that this disease, like influenza, is more especially liable to attack animals 

 which are subjected to unhealthy conditions, such as bad drainage, 

 contamination of the water supply with sewage matter, defective ventilation, 

 overcrowding, and other such like agencies. It is more likely to attack 

 horses debilitated from any cause than stronger and more vigorous animals. 

 Moreover, when it does attack weaker individuals it is more prone to assume 

 a severe type. As an occasional predisposing cause may also be mentioned, 

 the replacement of the milk teeth by the permanent teeth which succeed 

 them. Again, it has been said than any injury may induce a form of 

 inflammation which may precede the manifestation of the malady in question. 

 An insufficient quantity of food, changes in the place of abode, and changes 

 in the weather, are also doubtless of much influence in causing the appearance 

 of strangles in horses, and it has been noted that, like influenza, this disease 

 is more prevalent in spring and autumn than in summer or winter. 



Ur. Fleming in his "Veterinary Sanitary Science," says, of horses 

 affected with strangles and sent to the Alfort Veterinary School, that 88 per 

 cent, were found to be newly purchased and imported from breeding districts; 

 and that Reynal has seen six hundred remounts, hurriedly purchased in 

 foreign countries and sent to the army corps, suffer without exception from 

 strangles. The same has happened in remount depots and regiments receiving 

 new purchases, the disease appearing within a month of the arrival of the 

 animals. Strangles received its name from the great difficulty of breathing, 

 accompanied by a trumpet-like sound, more marked w^hile taking the 

 inspiration, these early signs resembling those of strangulation. 



Before speaking of the symptoms of strangles, we ought to point out that 

 there are two varieties of this malady, the one being called mild or benign, 

 the other malignant strangles. 



In the benign form the attendant usually first notices slight cough and 

 difficulty of swallowing, owing to soreness of the throat. The animal is 

 dull and dejected, and disinclined to eat. The number of the beats of the 

 pulse is raised, and the temperature is elevated. The breathing also is 



