270 
MIDLAND COUNTIES VETERINARY MEDICAL 
ASSOCIATION. 
The fourteenth meeting of this association was held at the Mid- 
land Hotel, Derby, on November 16th, 1869. Mr. Markham, one 
of the Vice-Presidents, in the chair. There were present — Messrs. 
Bailey, Pyatt, Greaves, Stanley, Blakeway, Poyser, Proctor, Martin, 
Rossell, Hill, Taylor, Cartwright, H. J. Cartwright, Barry, Cane, and 
King. 
The members present took lunch together, and afterwards 
proceeded to transact the ordinary business of the association. 
Mr. Blakeway, of Stourbridge, then read an “ Essay on 
Strangles.” 
Strangles is a term that has been used from earliest date in 
veterinary science, and although in a strictly scientific view it has 
nothing to recommend its retention, it is to me a very impressive 
one, and thoroughly understood by our employers. What would 
some of our country friends say if we told them their horses had 
distemper gournu, gournu struma, morbus glandulosa, specific 
adenitis ? Believing plain speech and practical knowledge goes much 
further, “ particularly in country practice,” than high-flown language 
and theory, I am content to retain the old term, adopting the plan 
of the late Mr. J. Field, of dividing it into two classes, viz. regular 
and irregular, regular being those well-marked cases when we have 
in the neighbourhood of the salivary gland healthy abscesses — if I 
may so use the expression — that will mature, and causing compara- 
tively little constitutional disturbance, run their course, generally 
terminating favorably ; irregular, those that are not well defined, 
when we have often much fever present. Abscesses form in all 
parts of the body, or if they confine themselves to the maxillary 
space or salivary glands, are generally small and do not well mature. 
I know some practitioners think it of little moment whether we get 
copious or sparing suppuration ; others that suppuration is not alto- 
gether essential in strangle fever ; but with all due respect to such 
opinions, my practice has led me to believe those cases do best when 
the tumours follow quickly on the catarrhal stage, increase rapidly 
and suppurate freely. Many theories have been advanced as to the 
nature of the disease, some thinking it to depend upon a materies 
morbi within the system. Mr. Percy Smale thinks it may be traced 
to an excess of earthy salts in the organism ; others speak of it as 
allied to scrofula. This would be making it hereditary and tubercu- 
lous, neither of which I believe it to be. I am inclined to the 
opinion that it is a specific disease, depending upon something 
hurtful within the system, and which nature endeavours to eliminate 
by the formation of abscess, as an argument in favour of its specific 
nature ; it is peculiar and almost necessary to all young horses, and 
when once the essential condition of the disease has been fulfilled, 
they seem to bear immunity to secondary attacks. I am quite aware 
