II 



in relatioii to Glanders, LwOuld like to lay before you, as briefly as possible, 

 so«!J«- €rf the facts brought to light in the course of bur work which have con- 

 ■vii^ced ns that in the war against Glanders no quarter should' be given to the 

 typical reactor, whether he shows clinical symptoms or not. 



I have ah-eady given you some figures as to the number of horses with' 

 whichr we have dealt during the last four years. In connection with what I am 

 about to say, however, I would call your attention to the fact that up till Aug. 

 3i.st, 1906^ we have tested 15,505 horses-, and have actually made 1^,117 Mallein 

 'tests. . , V ' , 



Tfic marked disproportion between |;he number of horses tested and the 

 number of tests made is attributable to the fact that from 1902 to 1904 we, asi. 

 alrea^. stated, followed a retesting policy. It will, I think, be conceded that the 

 number of tests made, each of which was carefully reported, is sufficient to 

 fiamish a reasonable basis for definite and intelligent opinions on the various 

 penivts relative to Mallein, its uses, eflfects and the conclusions which may 

 reasonably be drawn therefrom. ' 



"W^hile perhaps to some extent reversing the na^tural sequence of events, I 

 propose *o. refer first to the danger inseparable from the keeping alive of., 

 ordinary, nort-clinical reactors. With regard to this point, I am not inaposi- 

 ticwi to furnish any great amount of statistical information for the reason tlhat 

 fiom the very be^nnihg of bt}r present operations animals of this class falling 

 into- our bands have been, except in the case of a, few which early became 

 ■ceased reactors,- so dealt -with as to prevent the possibility of their coming into 

 ^ contact,, direct or indirect, with healthy horses. 



When engaged itf private practice, however, I had an opportunity of form- 

 ing an opinitMi on the subject, for although, after the use of Mallein was 

 adopted, which, with me, was in the year 1893, I invariably advised my clients 

 to destroy all typical reactors, the law did not make their slaughter compulsory 

 and ntany were permitted to live. Not a few subsequent outbreaks of which I 

 was cojgnizant were undoubtedly due to the retention and digtribuliion of 

 infeeticffir by these apparently healthy animals. 



As a matter of fact there' has never been, at least among intelligent and 

 single-minded veterinarians, any great tendency to belief in the harmlessness 

 'of horses which continue to give typical reactions to Mallein, even when they 

 present no visible symptoms of Glanders. The Departmental Committee 

 appointed in- 1901 by the Board of Agriculture of Great Britain for the purpose 

 of conducting experimental investigations with regard to, this and kindred, 

 subjects, reached the conclusion that these apparently healthy reactors a:re 

 capable of transmitting Glanders. The Committee in question, comprised the 

 late Mr. A.-C. Cope, Mr. Wm. Hunting,- Sir John McFadyean and Dr. James- 

 McT. McCall, all men of high prbfessidnal attainments and great esq^erience in 

 deah'ng with Glanders. 'One of the points dwelt upon by them, viz., tKe sud- 

 denness with which a reactor may become clinically glandered, is worthy 6f ^ 

 specral'note. Our experience in Canada has demonstrated beyond questi^- ther 

 .<feif«r- arising from this Hability of reactors to suddenly develop ;"rnte 



