76 



It belongs to the same class as pleuro-pneumonia and mur- 

 rain in cattle ; while its attacks are chiefly confined to the 

 late spring and autumn months of the year. 



This epizootic was emphatically called the " new disease " 

 by all sorts of people ; the newspaper men were everywhere, 

 the doctors nowhere. A^ccording to these ubiquitous and 

 tenacious gentlemen it was an unheard-of disease, and the 

 veterinarians were completely at sea as to diagnosis and 

 treatment. Of course it should, like all new things, have a 

 bran new name, and accordingly a score of names were 

 invented, each the length of a horse's tail, as each phase of 

 the disease presented itself. Needless alarm, and absurd 

 treatment by unprofessional persons was the result of these 

 false statements. 



It would be very interesting (if space permitted) to trace 

 the history and visitations of this disease in Europe since 

 the year 1848. During these 24 years no less than eight 

 calamities of this kind afflicted the equine race in its 

 epizootic form. So far from this being a new disease, the 

 profession are acquainted with it since 1848 ; and it is highly 

 probable it will be a new disease before a few seasons roll 

 round again. 



The enzootic form of this complaint is present with us 

 every spring and fall, and is (in stable language) called 

 " pink-eye," " distemper," &c. The authorities in the stable 

 also call strangles "distemper;" so it is hard sometimes to 

 understand their names. 



Symptoms. — This disease belongs to that class known 

 as zymootic, or blood-poisoners, from a Greek word which 

 signifies to leaven (as from yeast, to ferment) ; hence the 

 blood is the seat of the disease. This is soon manifested by 

 a low, debilitating fever, of the typhoid form, and always 

 tending to complications of various organs of the body. 



The earliest and most .prominent symptom is weakness; 

 the muscular debility is out of all proportion to the indica- 

 tions of the pulse or temperature, and is chiefly shown by 



