532 ON SrECIFIC FEVER OF HORSES, OXEN, &c. 
Dealers’ four-year-old colts were sometimes congregated at 
Hissar in considerable numbers, to be offered for the remounting 
of the cavalry. They were standing in the open air in thick 
clothing, and were liable to catarrh, particularly after rain; but 
I cannot say that it was the result of this fever. Some had 
strangles,—that was connected with this specific fever; but in 
this case the stabling had nothing to do with its production ; 
there was, however, sufficient cause in the accumulation of dung, 
urine, and filth of all kinds around, rendering the atmosphere 
impure. 
The stud at Haupper (Delhi), where I was four years, is 
situated on high ground, nearly surrounded by water, liable to 
the marsh effluvia rising and passing over it, when this mountain 
stream overflowed during the rains. It consisted of about 1200 
colts, nearly 400 being purchased annually, and the like number 
passed into the service. Whether yearlings or older colts, if they 
did not arrive with fever, strangles, or catarrh, they would have 
it shortly after, or, at all events, before the hot or rainy season 
was over, whatever was the management, or however it was 
varied with a view to prevention. 
Before I joined, in 1829, Mr. V. S. Purves and myself con¬ 
demned colts for glanders and farcy; but, subsequently, by di¬ 
minishing the number of colts in the stables, and by improved 
ventilation, glanders and farcy ceased to be prevalent, but stran¬ 
gles and catarrh were as much so as before. These latter are 
not the same mild diseases as in Europe, for abscesses occur in 
glands beside the submaxillary ones. Catarrh is also some¬ 
times attended with ulceration of the mucous membrane of the 
nose; and although this ulceration healed, and the discharge of 
pus ceased, yet, as specific fever was produced by inoculation 
with the limpid secretion from the nose, I had such colts de¬ 
stroyed, as already stated, on account of the danger of infection 
from a severe form of disease. 
The specific fever in this climate is always severe. It is ob¬ 
servable as a 'primary affection. Few cases of mild strangles 
happen, and death from diseased lungs is the frequent result. 
The consequent debility is, in all cases, x>ery great; and colts 
are a considerable time after their recovery before they get into 
condition again. After this, however, they do well until passed 
into the service; and although some have had several hundred 
miles to go in order to join their corps, exposed to the variations 
of the climate—going from stables to stand in the open air, and 
again from the open air into stables, I have never heard of those 
colts being subsequently attacked by catarrh. 
I did duty with the 3d brigade of Horse Artillery at Meerat 
