440 
CONTAGIOUSNESS OE INFLUENZA. 
elevated and unnatural position — you have to retain it there, and 
by physical force, too often violently and injudiciously applied, for 
some minutes — you have to pour hornfull after hornfull of fluid 
down his unwilling throat, in spite of all the animal’s exertions and 
struggles to prevent it, any ten drops of which passing into the 
windpipe may set up the most violent irritation ; you are never 
certain of the quantity you administer ; and when you have, as 
you suppose, administered your dose, you behold your patient dis- 
turbed, irritated, panting, often perspiring, and in great distress : 
all which might have been avoided by your having given a ball, 
which, when of the proper consistence, may, in any position, be 
introduced in one instant into the pharynx to pass down the oesopha- 
gus, almost without the animal having been aware that such has 
been effected. The certainty of giving the dose, the facility with 
which it is given, and the tranquillity of the animal during the pro- 
cess, are reasons for continuing the formula of the bolus, which 1 
have yet to see superseded. 
THE CONTAGIOUSNESS OF THE DISTEMPER OR 
INFLUENZA. 
By U. U. 
Sir, — As two opinions are held with regard to the above disease, 
(whether it is contagious or not), I send you the following ex- 
periments. 
On the ‘28th of May, a gentleman brought two saddle horses 
from the North on his way for the Derby, and put up at Mr. 
stables. The horses were at once put into the sick ward, for the 
disease had been raging here for some time ; indeed, one horse was 
removed to make room for them, and his rug taken off and put on 
the gentleman’s mare, and at night a sick horse was taken out of 
his box and the mare slept there : the next day they were off for 
the races. On the first of June the horses returned, and were put 
into the same stable again : they continued well up to about the 
14th (or aid was not called in till about that time), though the 
mare shewed what was going on for some days before then. By 
the 2 1st both were very ill, and under one of the first men of the 
day: at this date (29th), there is a doubt if either will recover 
again. 
Previous to the above case a horse was very ill in a loose box 
with the disease ; bran mashes, hay, steeped corn, &c. were given 
to him, and after he had taken what he liked of it, the remainder 
