508 



belly and chest. The sinapism will draw the current of the circula- 

 tion to the exterior, the metastasis to the lungs or intestines is pre- 

 vented, and the enfeebled, nervous system is stimulated to renewed 

 vigor by the perijiheral irritation. The organs are encouraged by it 

 to renewed functional activity ; the local inflammation produced by 

 it favors absorption of the exudation. Tlie objection to the use of 

 blisters is their more severe action and the danger of mortification. 

 Septicaemia, when occurring as a complication, requires the ordinary 

 treatment for the putrid diseases, with little hope of a good result. 



After recovery the animal regains its ordinary health, and in mj'^ 

 own experience there has been no predisposition to a return of the 

 disease. 



STRANGLES. 



Synonyms: Distemper, colt-ill, catarrhal fever, one form of ship- 

 ping fever, _Fe&Ws ^j/zofye/u'ea. 



Definition. — Strangles is an infectious disease of the horse, mule, and 

 ass; seen most frequently in young animals, and usually leaving an 

 animal which has had one attack protected from future trouble of the 

 same kind. It appears as a fever, lasting for a few days, with forma- 

 tion of matter or pus in the air tubes and lungs, and frequently the 

 formation of abscesses in various parts of the body, both near the sur- 

 face and in the internal organs. It usually leaves the animal after 

 convalescence perfectly healthy and as good as it was before, but 

 sometimes leaves it a roarer, or is followed by the development of 

 deep-seated abscesses which may prove fatal. 



Causes. — The cause of strangles is infection by direct contact with 

 an animal suffering from the disease, or indirectly through contact 

 with the discharges from an infected animal, or by means of the 

 atmosiihere in which an infected animal has been. There are many 

 predisposing causes which render some animals much more subject to 

 contract the disease than others. Early age, which has given it the 

 popular name of colt-ill, offers many more subjects than the later 

 periods of life do, for the animal can contract the disease but once, and 

 the large majority of adult and old animals have derived an immunity 

 from previous attacks. At three, four, or five years of age the colt, 

 which has been at home, safe on a meadow or in a cozy barnj^ard, far 

 from all intercourse with other animals or sources of contagion, is first 

 put to work and driven to the market town or county fairs to be 

 exposed to an atmosphere or to stables contaminated by other horses 

 suffering from disease and serving as infecting agents. If it fails to 

 contract it there, it is sold and shipped in foul, undisinfected rail- 

 way cars, to dealers' stables, equally unclean, where it meets many 

 opportunities of infection. If it escapes so far, it reaches the time for 

 heavier work and daily contact on the streets of towns or large cities, 

 with numerous other horses and mules, some of which are sure to be 



