STATE HYGIENE 553 



affect thousands of animals. But this is by no means the 

 history of all infectious diseases, of which the one now 

 under consideration is a good example. Known in Europe 

 from time immemorial it has never, excepting when large 

 bodies of horses are brought together, as in armies in the 

 field, caused what could be accurately described as enor- 

 mous losses.* 



The virus does not run like wild-fire over a country like 

 Einderpest and Foot and Mouth Disease ; infection is a slow 

 process, and even where neglected it does not run through 

 a stable like Influenza, or suddenly infect large bodies of 

 animals as Cattle Plague does. 



It is, in fact, more than likely that the majority of horses 

 possess a certain degree of immunity to its attack, other- 

 wise considering the state of legislation on the subject, and 

 the hundreds of years the disease must have existed in this 

 country, it is difficult to understand why there are any 

 horses left. 



This feature of glanders is in a sense unfortunate ; it 

 explains why until within quite recent times men of experi- 

 ence were to be found who regarded other causes than con- 

 tagion as a means of spread, and this has up to the present 

 proved the greatest stumbling-block to effective legislation. 

 As we have seen earlier in this chapter, it is not until a 

 disease threatens to decimate the country, that the natural 

 apathy and conservative character of our people are cast 

 aside. Glanders has never shown any sign of decimating 

 our horses ; it has among large collections of horses com- 

 mitted havoc, but has given no indication of clearing off 

 the stock in the country, and in consequence arouses no 

 popular feeling. 



The only real feeling which exists is in the veterinary 

 profession, which year by year sees a number of horses 

 destroyed for a disease which is capable of being stamped 

 out, and, further, knows of its existence in other living 



* The monetary losses on the other hand are very heavy. 

 W. Huntmg calculates that the loss from glanders in the United 

 Kingdom for the 21 years 1881-1901 amounts to ^713,000. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



