292 Veterinary Medicine. 



and a constant menace to that of humanity as well. The law 

 makes it the duty of veterinarians to report" all cases of glanders, 

 but in great horse establishments, such a report would stop the 

 use of the whole stable, at a loss of thousands of dollars per diem, 

 and put a sudden end to the employment of the reporting practi- 

 tioner by the firm or corporation in question. The owner of one 

 or two horses can afford to report, the loss of these and their 

 work does not mean absolute ruin, but the owner of hundreds 

 can not safely report. For owner and practitioner alike the al- 

 ternatives are presented of obedience to the law with personal 

 ruin on the one hand, and the surreptitious dealing with cases of 

 glanders and the preservation of their, livelihoods on the other. 

 Whatever may be said as to the constitutionality of the law which 

 destroys private property without compensation under the right 

 of eminent domain, this is certain, that, as applied to animal 

 plagues, this course is unjust, oppressive, and not only useless, 

 but positively injurious, in that it drives the owners of animals 

 to such courses as favor the spread of the plague in place of re- 

 stricting it. To-day in New York City glanders is extensively 

 prevalent, but large horse owners dare not adopt the legal meas- 

 ures for its extinction, with the certainty of great loss or ruin 

 staring them in the face as the result. It should be further con- 

 sidered that any law is at once bad and vicious in its tendency 

 which places before the citizen the alternatives of disobedience 

 with j)rofit, and obedience with loss or ruin. Such a law is the 

 worst possible economy because in preserving the infection, it 

 not only perpetuates the disease and its attendant losses for all 

 time, but perpetuates forever the ofiicial expenses of keeping it 

 in check, when a prompt extinction of the infection would once 

 for all time abolish all loss and all outlay for surveillance. 



Until provision can be made for the enforcement of our laws 

 against glanders, all who handle horses should be warned of the 

 danger of working about strange solipeds, or those that show sus- 

 picious symptoms, while they have any sores on the hands, and 

 in case they must run any risk of contact with infection, to 

 promptly wash hands and face in a solution of hydrargyrum 

 chloride (i : 2000), or carbolic acid (2 : 100). Animals of sus- 

 ceptible races (sheep, etc.) which have lived with glandered 

 horses should be made to pass the mallein test before they can be 

 put upon the market for human food. 



