For many years glanders was supposed to be capable of spontaneous 

 origin in the horse, and many able authorities have written in support of 

 this view. 



Regarding its spontaneous origin, we ourselves are not persuaded. It is 

 certain that the disease can spread from one animal to another by actual 

 contact or through the medium of the air. There is no doubt that defective 

 hygiene and violation of the ordinary laws of health render the system a fit 

 receptacle for the development of glanders. 



In various parts of our work we shall often have occasion to 

 speak of the so-called " contagium " or " virus " of different diseases, and we 

 therefore propose here to give our readers a very short account of what is 

 meant by these terms. 



For many years scientific men have been seeking to discover the nature 

 of the poison or contagium of the specific fevers of man and animals. Each 

 one of these fevers runs a more or less definite course, and presents special 

 characteristics of its own by which it is recognised. The poison of each 

 multiplies in a most marvellous and rapid manner, and one diseased 

 individual may spread the fever among countless numbers in a very short 

 space of time. Even so long ago as the great plague of London, the belief 

 was expressed that the pestilence was probably due to some living organism 

 which entered the blood and rapidly multiplied there, and that it was capable 

 of passing from one individual to another through the medium of the air or 

 by actual contact. 



Now, at length, we know that this belief was fully justified, for many of 

 these contagious fevers, both in man and animals, have been proved to be 

 due to the growth and development of poison, which consists in germs of a 

 vegetable nature of very simple structure belonging to the order of the fungi. 

 This theor)^, which was really, however, first started in 1840 by Henle, was 

 taken up by Schwann and others and perfected by M. Pasteur. It is now 

 accepted by most scientists of the present day, and is termed the " germ 

 theory" of disease. This is one of the most important discoveries of 

 the age in which we live. Although many years ago some eminent authors 

 expressed their belief that there was a living germ, which by its growth 

 caused glanders, it was not until the year 1882 that Schutz and Lofifler 

 discovered a low form of vegetable life in glanders. It is called the glanders 

 bacillus, and can only be seen by using a very high magnifying power 

 indeed. It is said to be very like that little but most destructive germ which 

 was found by Koch in persons suffering from consumption of the lungs. 

 Indeed glanders has much resemblance to consumption or tuberculosis 

 of man and animals. 



Now it has been found that glanders is developed when the diseased 

 matter is taken in the water or in the food, or even if the diseased material 

 be given in the form of a ball. 



It may also be given by inoculating an animal, or by injecting the poison 

 of glanders into the blood of a healthy individual. It should be remembered 

 that the poison when it enters the system does not produce symptoms of disease 

 at once, but remains inactive for a period of from three to seven days or more. 



