EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
117 
When we come to turn our eyes back over days gone by, 
and then to reflect them upon what is passing under our imme- 
diate notice at the present day, and think of what now the 
public or popular opinions are in regard to glanders , we 
shall be struck in our own mind with the surprising changes 
that have taken place — perhaps with good reason — not in 
the professional mind only, but in the public as well, on the 
subject of this disease. The late Professor Coleman de- 
clared, in his “ Lectures 55 at the Royal Veterinary College, 
and everybody, as well without as within the walls of the 
College, believed him, that glanders was a disease peculiar to 
the horse, and his congeners, the mule and ass; and that 
man and other animals were by nature exempt from its con- 
tagion. Does anybody at the present day, however, believe 
this? Rather, have we not had — Nay! Are we not daily 
having, too many sad reasons for believing to the contrary? 
And yet glanders among horses, with whom it originated, 
and to whom, we repeat, it was once thought, exclusively, as 
a disease to belong, is nothing near so prevalent and destruc- 
tive as some half century and less ago, it was universally 
known to be. How is all this apparent incongruity of fact 
to be accounted for? Did people engaged in looking after 
glandered horses, or in handling and slaughtering and 
cutting up glandered carcases, make use of greater pre- 
cautions formerly than now-a-days? Far from it. We 
do not believe that precautionary or prophylactic means 
were made use of to anything like the extent they are by 
veterinary surgeons and grooms and knackers at the pre- 
sent day; and for the obvious reason, because all such per- 
sons formerly had a persuasion that no harm was to be 
apprehended from a glandered or farcied horse, any more than 
from one that was suffering, or that had died, from an in- 
flammation of the lungs or bowels. But now all is altered. 
Veterinary surgeons are apt to feel scrupulous, and even are 
delicate about opening the nostrils of glandered horses; 
grooms are desired to wash their hands after handling their 
discharging noses; and knackers cautioned to beware of 
having cuts or scratches on their fingers. We may truly say 
— Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur cum illis. 
xxvi. 16 
