496 cases or irregular strangles. 
by sparing suppuration. Others, again, do not consider it 
essential that all cases of the i( strangles fever ” should end in 
suppuration. Without wishing to insinuate the incorrect- 
ness or imperfection of these views, I must confess that, in 
our practice, those cases of strangles seem to do best, where 
the phlegmonous tumour follows the catarrhal stage most 
closely, increases rapidly in size, and suppurates freely in 
three, four, or five days. When the tumour recedes during 
its phlegmonous stage, or abruptly ceases to suppurate soon 
after being opened, secondary consequences of an uncertain, 
and sometimes fatal character, are apt to ensue. Among 
such untoward events are abscesses in the brain, mediastinum, 
lungs, mesentery, liver, and pelvis ; and arthritis, affecting 
the large joints particular^. My friend Mr. Hallen, Y.S., 
now at the Cavalry Depot, Canterbury, informs me that he 
has recently had several cases of irregular strangles, where 
abscesses formed around the anus and rectum. The last 
fatal case of strangles which I had the opportunity of dis- 
secting, occurred during last session in a troop colt belong- 
ing to the 7th, Q. O. Hussars. My friend Mr. Philips, Y.S., 
to the regiment, desired me to see the animal shortly before 
its death. There was enormous tumefaction of the whole 
head ; erysipelatous inflammation existed inside and outside 
the lips and over the face; the head was so heavy, that the 
patient rested it upon the manger or against the w 7 all. 
Suppuration had been transient and imperfect. On dissec - 
tion, I found extensive phlebitis in the facial, temporal, and 
submaxillary veins ; a grayish, slightly tenacious fluid, ascer- 
tained by the microscope to contain globules in every way 
resembling those of pus, w r as mixed in streaks with the semi- 
- coagulated blood w hich these veins contained ; all the lym- 
phatic glands of the head, and the submaxillary salivary 
glands, were enlarged and infiltrated with a brownish liquid 
of offensive odour, consisting apparently of decomposing 
blood and pus. 
In the treatment of ordinary cases of strangles, we require 
to do nothing but feed the patient well (on green food if 
possible), encourage suppuration between the jaws, and open 
the abscesses w hen the skin has become well thinned over 
distinctly fluctuating matter. In order to encourage suppura- 
tion, some practitioners apply blisters, others hot fermenta- 
tions. Perhaps blisters are used most extensively of the two, 
and they are considered generally useful. From very con- 
siderable observation, however, and speaking from careful 
records of time occupied in the formation of matter, in cases 
w r here they were , and were not employed, I cannot confirm the 
