428 PATHOLOGICAL FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS. 
this disease; in my mind, not only fully bearing out Mr. Dick 
in these observations, but which I think would justify me in 
going a step further; from which I might be warranted in 
drawing the conclusion, that what we call strangles may termi¬ 
nate in the formation of matter, either on any part of the surface 
of the body, or among the viscera of the abdomen, or, in short, any 
where. 
Two cases of this sort occurred whilst w r e were at Canterbury 
the year before last: I thought them sufficiently interesting at 
the time to be put on record; and in now presenting them to my 
brethren, I have deemed these few preliminary observations ne¬ 
cessary. I would only further remark, that in some years we 
find strangles a much more violent and formidable complaint than 
it happens to be in general, or at other times. 
During the summer of 1828 we recruited a number of young 
horses, the greater part of which were attacked, soon after join¬ 
ing the regiment, with a very acute form of strangles; charac¬ 
terized particularly by painful tumefaction of the sublingual 
glands, inflammation and suppuration along the course of the 
salivary ducts, and by the violent sore throat it often gave rise to. 
In some instances these symptoms were so severe, as not only 
to prevent swallowing, but to obstruct the breathing in such a 
manner, as even to threaten suffocation; truly putting one in 
mind of old Gervase Markham’s description of this disease, and 
his definition of the origin of the term. u It is/’ says he, u a great 
and hard swelling between a horse’s nether chaps, upon the rootes 
of his tongue 9 and about his throat, which swelling, if it be not 
prevented, will stop the horse’s wind-pipe, and so strangle or 
choake him; from which effect, and none other , the name of this 
disease tooke its derivation.” 
Towards the end of summer these attacks became less frequent, 
and also less violent. It was then I witnessed the two following 
variations from the usual course. 
CASE I. 
A bay mare, four years old, joined in July, was admitted into 
the infirmary stable on the 4th of August, being very stiff and 
lame of the near hind extremity. The animal seemed to 
express much pain on moving; appearing to drag the limb, as 
if unable to get it forward. The following day a painful tumour 
began to make its appearance on the loose ply of skin form¬ 
ing the commissure of the flank, which slowly, but gradually, 
increased, until it became about the size of a cricket ball. In ten 
days matter pointed, and it was opened; and then another 
tumour of exactly the same sort began to make its appearance on • 
