164 THEORY AND PRACTICE 



The period of incubation of glanders may be as short as a 

 week. This is difficult to estimate for we do not know what time 

 the case was infected. 



Treatment. — All kinds of treatment have been tried but they 

 are all a failure. It is useless to attempt to give medicine and 

 it only endangers the life of the attendant. Destroy all glandered 

 horses. In order to do this you must get the consent of the 

 owner or else fall back upon the state. The state law must be 

 given liberal consideration. You cannot take a man's property 

 from him without due process of law. In case the owner objects, 

 go to the state's attorney and find out what action to take. Quar- 

 antine the premises in the interest of the public health if the 

 owner is obstinate. The quarantine can be maintained indefi- 

 nitely. 



The main trouble in glanders comes with the handling of sus- 

 picious horses. In a stable where one or two animals have the 

 disease and the rest are exposed how will you protect the public? 

 The first thing to do. if the doctor is working under the state 

 law and has the power, is to quarantine the place. If the doctor 

 has not this power, then let him report it to the state officer. In 

 most of the states there are laws regulating the disposition of 

 animals affected with contagious diseases and glanders is one 

 of these diseases. Glanders, foot and mouth disease and Texas 

 fever are recognized and handled officially. Most states require 

 practitioners to report all cases of contagious diseases. In Illi- 

 nois there is a $500.00 fine for failing to report to the state 

 veterinarian any contagious case. 



After the stable has been quarantined then test the animals 

 with mallein. 



Mallein is an albuminous serum. It varies in strength but 

 that prepared by the United States Bureau of Animal Industry is 

 taken as a standard. A dose of that which is made in Wash- 

 ington is 1 cubic centimeter, about 16 drops. This comes in 

 bottles ready for use and is injected under the skin in the side 

 of the neck. The object of making the injection in this place is 

 to select a place where the swelling will be visible. The hair 

 should be clipped off and the skin washed before the injection is 

 made. This should be done about ten o'clock at night. The 



