DISEASES OF THE BLOOD 



SYSTEIM I]N^ aE]SrEIl_^L 



STRANGLES. 



Cause. — This eruptive disease of the horse resembles 

 very much murrain in cattle, and is analogous to measles 

 and scarlatina in children. They all belong to the Exanthe- 

 matous class (as erythema, urticaria, and reseola in man). 



The seat of these disorders is not the skin, neither is the 

 inflammatory tumor in the submaxillary region of the horse 

 the seat of strangles. 



The causes in operation to produce strangles are not pre- 

 cisely known ; some veterinarians are of opinion that during 

 colthood some poison is gradually engendered in the system, 

 which deranges the vital powers, which, when the animal 

 matures, nature takes this method of expelling it from the 

 system. But no matter how this poison enters the system; 

 they are all agreed that the blood is the seat of this disease. 

 It is very probable that the horse in his wild state is no 

 more troubled with strangles than the Indian on the plains 

 are with many of the ills of civilization. It is very frequently 

 the case that the poor man's colt matures without any traces 

 of strangles, while well kept and pampered animals have it 

 in a severe form. 



In the case of strangles the constitutional disturbance, or 

 fever, is the cause of the tumor with the other symptoms, 

 and not the tumor the cause of the feverish excitement or 

 disturbances. 



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