610 THE RECENT INFLUENZA AMONG HORSES. 
which operate in producing cholera and typhus in man, &c. 
If it were merely produced by changes of temperature or the 
prevalence of certain winds, when should we be free from it? 
The stables had not been unusually crowded, and up to the 
period named the horses of the regiment had been in the best 
health. The only thing that could possibly be said of them 
was, that the horses looked too well ; they were, perhaps, rather 
too fat, and had not had so much exercise as usual during the 
summer. 
The Symptoms were in all similar in character, varying only 
in intensity in the several cases. The treatment, likewise, was 
uniform. The present influenza possessed, in most of its fea- 
tures, a great similarity to the common form of the disease" so 
familiar to us many years ago, and did not shew those anoma- 
lous symptoms peculiar to the influenzae of late years. In the 
early stages, I consider it a disease principally attacking mucous 
surfaces, arising from a poisoning of the blood, depending on 
some inexplicable atmospherical influence. I may here men- 
tion an observation often made to me by our surgeon, that, 
during the prevalence of this complaint amongst the horses, 
cases of wounds in hospital were very apt to take on an erysipe- 
latous inflammation, and become very unmanageable. The 
early symptoms varied considerably. More generally, it was 
ushered in by debility and loss of appetite, or a slight weeping 
from one or both eyes, or swelling of the legs, or a varied state 
of heat of the body and legs ; the legs becoming hot and cold 
alternately ; or there was drowsiness and hanging of the head ; 
dung-balls small and coated with slime ; often a pustular erup- 
tion over the body ; perhaps slight shiverings. These symp- 
toms gradually increased, or gave way to others. The throat 
becomes sore, with more or less cough of a suppressed nature ; 
the head is poked out. As the disease advances, indeed, these 
latter symptoms become always present. The upper part of the 
throat is often much swollen, and very tender from inflamma- 
tion of the glandular structure. The mouth is at first hot, but 
after a few days, as the disease progresses, there is no unna- 
tural heat, and the buccal membrane becomes quite pallid, 
inclining to a buff colour. The Schneiderian membrane is, 
in like manner, at first slightly injected and dry; it then 
becomes pallid, inclining to a yellow tinge ; and, in cases 
that die, gradually assumes a congested leaden hue. The 
tongue becomes frequently very much furred, and in some in- 
stances I have seen the skin completely peel off this organ. I 
have not detected any unnatural smell in the breath, except in 
the latter stages, when a faint unhealthy odour is to be noticed. 
The pulse is at first simply accelerated ; it then becomes quick 
