670 
EPIDEMIC AMONG HORSES. 
In the case of a horse that died from paralysis of the extremities, 
as an after-consequence of this disease, the spinal marrow only 
filled half the space allotted to it in the vertebral canal ; the 
fluid which must have been present escaping when the head 
was taken from the body. The lungs were usually perfectly 
healthy ; but in some few cases there was a dark damask flush 
in the lining of the trachea and bronchial cells. The heart was 
always softer than usual, and this organ generally contained 
black blood on both sides. The stomach was in all cases 
diseased ; the villous portion was of a dark damask flush, very 
dissimilar from the regular appearance of inflammation. In 
many cases, it was marked here and there with patches of a 
sub-gangrenous nature. I have, in several instances, seen this 
organ distended to an amazing size with fluid, and balls, that 
had been given two days previous, lying undissolved. The 
intestines presented a similar appearance to the villous portion of 
the stomach ; the contents were always fluid, and there was no 
apparent obstruction throughout the canal ; the coats were not 
usually thickened from disease. In two cases, the contents of the 
stomach and bowels were nearly black, and smelled offensively, 
gangrenous inflammation having supervened. The liver was 
always diseased, the degree varying according to the length of 
the attack. In those cases which ended quickly, it was found 
highly congested and easily lacerable, and gorged with blood. 
In cases that lasted longer, it has been a complete pultaceous 
mass, through which the finger could easily be passed from end 
to end of it. In the first two cases, and which laboured longest 
under the disease, and wherein the pulse never exceeded 45, the 
liver was highly congested, or almost rotten, and filled with 
miliary tubercles. The kidneys have been healthy, and the other 
organs of the abdomen generally so. 
I am induced to consider this disease as fever of a typhoid 
character. The appearance of the dark flush on the villous por- 
tions of the stomach and intestines, totally dissimilar from that 
of ordinary inflammation — the same peculiar colour over the 
lining of the cavities of the heart, bronchial cells, &c. — its gan- 
grenous termination, and all this without evident pain, in the 
generality of cases, during life — the very debilitating and de- 
pressing character of it, &c. & c. — all this wall be inexplicable 
except on consideration of its typhoid] nature. I hope, in future 
numbers, to be able to shew by cases from practice the great 
value of stimulants, and thus to add another reason to those 
I have assigned for considering it as typhus fever. 
