245 
PJjnzoot  i <■  Li)  n i pkangi  (is. 
were  detected  among  army  horses  during  1902,  and  up  to  the 
close  of  last  year  only  one  case  had  been  recognised  outside 
cavalry  and  artillery  stables.  This  was  a horse  belonging  to  a 
poor  man  which  was  brought  to  the  Free  Clinique  at  the  Royal 
Veterinary  College  in  the  month  of  October,  1903,  presenting 
symptoms  closely  resembling  those  of  farcy.  Microscopic 
examination  of  pus  from  the  sores  on  the  near  hind  leg,  which 
was  much  swollen,  showed  the  presence  in  it  of  the  peculiar 
micro-organism  (the  so-called  cryptococcus)  which  is  the  cause 
of  epizootic  lymphangitis,  and  the  horse  was  therefore  detained 
and  kept  isolated  until  it  was  destroyed. 
It  is  well  known  that  during  the  past  year  the  disease  has 
been  rampant  in  several  Government  stables,  and  a great  many 
horses  have  been  destroyed  in  an  endeavour  to  stain})  it  out, 
while  it  is  reported  that  one  depot  has  been  closed  in  con- 
sequence of  the  re}ieated  recurrence  of  cases.  A more  alarming 
fact  is  that  several  further  cases  have  been  detected  amongst 
horses  belonging  to  private  owners,  and  there  is  the  greatest 
reason  to  fear  that  the  disease  has  now  so  far  established  itself 
in  this  country  that  its  eradication  will  be  difficult  or  impossible. 
In  respect  of  the  appeai-ance  of  the  lesions,  the  disease  presents 
a remarkable  likeness  to  farcy,  and,  although  its  ordinary 
course  is  chronic,  and  not  acconi})anied  by  serious  constitu- 
tional sym})toms,  it  is  scarcely  less  to  be  dreaded  than  glanders 
and  farcy.  Iiuleed,  in  one  respect,  it  is  more  to  be  feared,  for, 
whereas  occult  cases  of  glanders  can  now  be  readily  detected 
by  means  of  the  mallein  test,  it  is  at  present  quite  impossible 
to  diagnose  a case  of  epizootic  lymphangitis  until  the  outward 
lesions  have  develo})ed,  and  by  that  time  the  contagion  may 
have  spread  to  other  horses  in  the  same  stable.  Besides, 
although  the  disease  does  not  ordinarily  at  the  outset  seriously 
affect  the  horse’s  general  condition,  it  often  in  the  end  proves 
fatal,  or  renders  the  animal  unfit  for  work,  a})art  from  the  fact 
that  its  strict  isolation  is  necessary  in  the  public  interest.  In 
short,  the  interests  of  the  owner  and  of  the  })ublic  are  alike 
best  served  by  desti’oying  every  horse  affected  with  e})izootic 
lym})hangitis  as  soon  as  the  disease  is  diagnosed.  It  is  true  that 
in  a considerable  number  of  cases  the  outward  sym})toms  after 
a time  disap})ear,  but  many  a})parent  recoveries  ai’e  not  real, 
and  rela})ses  may  occur  after  long  periods  of  ap})arent  health. 
This  has  been  well  illustrated  by  some  ex})eri men ts  which  have 
been  carried  out  at  the  Royal  Veterinary  College.  In  one  case 
a pony  was  proved  by  post-mortem  examination  to  be  still 
infected  more  than  a year  after  the  outward  sym})toms  had 
entirely  disa})})eared. 
Although  the  fact  is  not  ca})able  of  absolute  }>roof,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  e})izootic  lym})hangitis  was  introduced 
