342 MR. youatt’s veterinary lectures. 
Whether it is simple epidemic, or both epidemic and contagious, 
is doubtful. 
Contagion .—Some of our best writers speak of the advocates 
of the contagiousness of strangles in the sarcastic tone of con¬ 
tempt. For my own part I am perfectly assured that it is epi¬ 
demic ; but there are cases which I cannot explain, except on the 
supposition of its being contagious too : and I could never bring 
myself to think or to speak contemptuously of the opinion of 
almost every old writer, and of almost every country practitioner 
of the present day. Colts at grass have strangles much more 
mildly than the stabled horse ; indeed, the tumour and the 
discharge are sometimes so small, that they elude observation, if 
the horse is not taken up and closely examined. When speaking 
of glanders, I have told you that the careful observer can scarcely 
confound strangles with glanders. The size and situation of the 
tumour will be an infallible guide. 
Treatment .—I will suppose that you are called to a case of 
strangles. There is no doubt about the nature of the disease. 
Then take it as a principle, that this phlegmonous inflammation 
must run its natural course,—the tumour must break, and its 
contents must be discharged. There is something lurking in the 
constitution which is a source of annoyance, and must be got rid 
of. This tumour is a spontaneous effort of nature, and, once 
completed, there is seldom need for repetition of it, at least for 
many years. Some old horses have had strangles a second time; it 
has been said that others have not had it all, or they have had it 
so mildly that it could scarcely be distinguished : and, like dis¬ 
temper in the dog, a disposition to be severely affected by it seems 
to run in the breed. If it is repelled, the horse continues poorly 
and feverish, and other swellings form about the throat or in other 
parts, and proceed to suppuration. 
Nature of it. —Mr. Castley has published an excellent paper 
on this disease, and I think that the veterinary profession is 
much indebted to him for it. He considers that the tumour and 
abscess of strangles is one of the methods by which nature gets 
rid of that which annoys and oppresses her. He tells us, that 
when a farmer sees a young horse looking sickly, and delicate, 
and thriftless, he says that he is breeding the strangles, and that 
he will not be better until he has got over that complaint. 
This is the case with many eruptive and other diseases of the 
human being. The constitution struggles for a while to bring 
forward the disease, and until it is brought forward the patient 
is not himself. You will find this to be perfectly true with 
regard to strangles, before you have seen a great deal of practice. 
