64 GLANDERS. 



upon a young constitution, will always in the end 

 start up this pest. The post-master generally knew 

 it too well — the barge-horse is commonly its victim. 

 Among the cabs and omnibuses of London the disease 

 is by no means a rarity. During a campaign, glan- 

 ders is to the horse a fearful enemy. Among the 

 cavalry kept for home service the disease is unknown. 

 In the better class of stables it is sometimes seen, 

 but only in rare and solitary instances, which can be 

 traced, in the majority of cases, to contagion. Where 

 the horse is hardly worked, poorly housed, and highly 

 fed, glanders becomes, as it were, the possessor of the 

 building. The three causes conjoin to produce the 

 one effect. When these provocatives act together, so 

 virulent is the disease, that sometimes a particular 

 place seems to breed the disorder ; every animal that 

 enters it is sacrificed. Formerly, the evils not being 

 appreciated, were amended one at a time. The food, 

 perhaps, was improved — but no good resulted ; then 

 the work was decreased — still the horses failed ; and 

 lastly, the stables were attended to — yet it was found 

 the disease was not checked. Hope, then, was aban- 

 doned, and superstition took its place. The spot was 

 thought to be the birthplace of contagion, and every 

 thing it contained was supposed to be infected. De- 

 struction went to work. Horses were slaughtered ; 

 the buildings were pulled down, and all which they 

 contained was burnt. This was sad folly. There is 

 no occasion for such ruthless waste. If glanders 

 appear constantly in a stable, let the proprietor set to 

 work resolutely, and the disease may be conquered. 

 In the first place, the horses must be inspected. 



