ON DISEASES OF THE LUNGS IN HOUSES. 
115 
but very rarely bronchitis or pneumony or pleurisy. This cor¬ 
responds with what is observed to be the effect of foul air on the 
human subject, viz. that it tends to engender malignant rather 
than common inflammations, of which typhoid, gaol, and putrid 
fever, are examples. 
Cold —or wet producing cold—applied to the surface of the 
body may, however, by causing a reflux or congestion of the 
blood inwardly, have a sort of direct operation in producing pul¬ 
monary inflammation. There can be no doubt about the correct¬ 
ness of this reasoning, nor of its occasionally happening in prac¬ 
tice ; but I do not, myself, believe that it happens near so frequently 
as is represented; else would many more racers and hunters, and 
post and coach-horses and others, fall victims to pulmonic disease 
than now are known to do. Our surprise is, how the poor slave, 
who is galloped one hour until dripping with sweat and nearly 
exhausted, and the next stands tied to a post exposed to the cut¬ 
ting blast or pelting shower, while his master is engaged in bu¬ 
siness, or regaling himself, can possibly escape; for escape he 
probably would, even to the last, were it not that he had to encounter 
, when he shall have arrived home—what to him may seem most 
comfortable, but what in reality is his greatest enemy—the hot 
foul stable. 
Over-Exertion or Hard Work may induce pulmonary 
inflammation. The horse, whose case we have been imagining, may, 
the moment he arrives home, or very shortly afterwards, experience 
an attack of pneumony. Or, I will suppose another case, a very 
common one:—A gentleman shall purchase a four or five-year-old 
horse of a dealer, at the time in fine, fat, sleek condition. Througl. 
ignorance or inexperience on the part of his new master, this horst 
is directly put to work, and immediately afterwards is attackea 
with pneumony, of which he dies. The gentleman brings an ac¬ 
tion against the dealer for the recovery of the value of his lost 
horse, and the result has been that he has obtained it—most un¬ 
justly however, for, in all probability, the animal was in perfect 
health and soundness at the time of sale, and has lost his life en¬ 
tirely from the mismanagement of his purchaser; though, at the 
same time, no other blame than want of knowledge can morally 
be imputed to him. It was formerly the custom in the army to 
put all recruit-horses to severe work in riding-schools, and the 
consequence was, numbers became lost to the service: now, 
however, a mild and progressive system of manege is practised, 
the mortality arising from over-exertion has quite disappeared. 
Any act of sudden or violent exertion, such as a “ splitting gal¬ 
lop,” or a “ burst,” is likely to cause a congested state of the 
lungs, in which condition the horse sirdvs asphyxiated, and in that 
