ii6 



and after inundations, more in rainy years and seasons than in 

 dry, more in cold seasons than in hot. 



The ancient history of this disease is quite unknown. We 

 find in Chinese literature a description of a skin disease, called so 

 [^] or ''^''5' [^]. which is apparently similar to our farcy, but the 

 nature, as to be explained presently, seems to be different. Our 

 veterinary literature of old times is mostly a translation of the 

 Chinese ; hence nothing new is to be found in it. It seems, how- 

 ever, generally accepted that this disease is not of recent origin, 

 but can be traced back to many hundred years ago, and was 

 originally known only in the north-east. It is also reasonable to 

 suppose that Japan was originally free from this disease. From 

 whence was it imported We might naturally suppose that it 

 came from China or Korea ; but the following facts go to disprove 

 this presumption. 



Peitch and others have mentioned, under different names— 

 farcin de riviere, farcin corde, farciii d' Afriqitc, lyvipJiangite 

 farcindide, crysipele chirnrgical, &c., &c., — a skin disease of 

 horse prevailing in Africa and the sourthern parts of Europe. 

 According to the descriptions of these authors it is perhaps 

 identical with our farcy. Chinese farcy, on the other hand, 

 which was first observed by us in imported Chinese ponies, was 

 always true farcy-glanders. Viewed from these facts and from 

 the mode of propagation from the north to the south or to those 

 provinces in which there was intercourse with Chinese and other 

 foreigners from old times, it is reasonable to suppose that our 

 farcy came not from China but from some other countries. 

 Whether it came from Africa or from Europe", and in what way, 

 is a question which can not be decided. 



The nature of this disease remained totally unknown until 

 1888. At that time experiments were conducted in Sendai by 

 special commisioners, among whom were Drs. Yokura, Miura, 

 Ikeda, and TokisJiige ; they found characteristic bacilli identical 

 with Schiits-Loefflers bacillus. Later on a second kind of patho- 

 genic germ, a kind of Saccharoinyccs , was found by the author in 

 the horse as well as cattle patients affected with Japanese farcy. 

 We are now pretty well justified in saying that Japanese farcy is 

 mostly a saccharomycotic affection, though there may also be 



* Date Masamtme imported Persian liorses to the north-east of Japan. 



