511 



Patliology. — The lesions of strangles are found on the surface of 

 tlie mucous membranes, essentially of the respiratorj- sj'stem and in the 

 loose connective tissue fibers of the internal organs and glands, and 

 consist of acute inflammatory changes, tending to the formation of 

 matter. The blood is unaltered, though it is rich in fibrin, and if 

 the animal has died of asphyxia it is found dark colored and unco- 

 agulated when the body is first opened. If the animal has died while 

 suffering from high fever the ordinary alterations throughout the 

 body which are produced by any fever not attended by alteration of 

 blood are found. 



Treatment. — Ordinary light eases require but little treatment beyond 

 diet, warm washes, moistened hay, warm coverings, and protection from 

 exposure to cold. The latter is urgently called for, .as lung complica- 

 tions, severe bronchitis, and larjTigitis are oiten the results of neglect 

 of this precaution. If the fever is excessive the horse may receive 

 small quantities of Glauber salts (handful three times a day), as a 

 laxative, bicarbonate of soda or niter in dram doses every few hours, 

 and small doses of antimony, iodide of potash, aconite, or quinine. 

 Steaming the head with the vapor of warm water poured over a bucket 

 of bran and hay, in whicli belladonna leaves or tar have been placed, 

 will allay the inflammation of the mucous membranes and greatly ease 

 the cough. 



The swelling of the glands should be promptly treated by bathing 

 with warm water and flaxseed poultices, and as soon as there is any 

 evidence of the formation of matter it should be opened. Prompt 

 action in this ^vill often save serious complications. Blisters and irri- 

 tating liniments should not be applied to the throat. When lung com- 

 plications show themselves the horse should have mustard applied to 

 the belly and to the sides of the chest. "\Ylien convalescence begins 

 great care must be taken not to expose the animal to cold, w^hich may 

 bring on relapses, and while exercise is of great advantage it must 

 not be turned into work until the animal has entirely regained its 

 strength. 



SCALMA. 



The differentiation of the various diseases which have popularly 

 been included under the terms of distemper and influenza up to a 

 comparatively recent date has been so slow and so tardily accepted 

 by the majority of practitioners that we have been subjected to con- 

 stantly seeing announced and heralded as news in the daily papers 

 the appearance of some ncAv disease. These new diseases of the popu- 

 lace and of the empii-ic are to us but the epizootic outbreak or the 

 more severely manifested form of some ordinary contagious disease. 

 We treat several cases of different troubles in tlie same stable with- 

 out having the time or seeing the necessity of explaining them to the 

 owner, when suddenly one- of them spreads to the rest of the stable 



