CASE OF GLANDERS IN THE HUMAN SUBJECT. 581 
As the case is one of a peculiar kind, I shall preface my 
account of it with some brief remarks on the history of the sufferer, 
who was a coachman, named Norbrook. In person he was short, 
thin, and very dark (of a bilious temperament), and the son of a 
man of colour, who had held also a similar elevated station on the 
road for many years. “ Bill Norbrook,” as he was cognomened 
by his chums , was always civil and obliging to those who travelled 
with him, and the son was, in this particular, the counterpart of 
the father. Young Norbrook had an early predilection for coach¬ 
driving, and as soon as it became possible for him to handle the 
reins, he was initiated as one of “the order of the whip.” I men¬ 
tion this circumstance, as it will be shewn in the sequel, how 
strongly he illustrated the adage, “ the ruling passion strong in 
death for in his last moments, it will be seen, that his soul was 
engrossed in his avocation, as he continued driving his tits, until 
death drove him full-gallop to another world. 
Bill Norbrook, jun. (the subject of this notice) latterly drove 
the Norwich and Wisbeach coach. On the night on which he re¬ 
ceived the fatal infection, he had arrived in Wisbeach very much 
fatigued. Having refreshed himself, and being sleepy, he drew 
himself to the kitchen fire, and in order to enjoy his nap with 
more luxurious ease, he unbuttoned the knees of his breeches, 
and fell fast asleep, the soundness of which was no doubt en¬ 
hanced by bodily fatigue, and the food and glasses of brandy and 
water which he had taken. On awaking, he felt a smarting sen¬ 
sation ; and he discovered that the fire had drawn a small blister 
on his knee. With the wish of obtaining immediate ease, he 
took a lancet from his pocket and punctured the blister, in order 
“to let out the water.” It happened that he had used the same 
lancet to one of his horses supposed to have had the glanders, 
and had put it up without wiping the point, so that even after he 
had used it for puncturing the blister on the knee there was some 
of the inspissated virus still adhering to the lancet*. The effects 
of the poison did not produce any immediate inconvenience, and 
two days must have elapsed before its absorption into the system 
produced the horrid consequences I am about to describe, for he 
went his journey and returned ; but alas! it w r as to take his last 
and longest one. The description of the symptoms must neces¬ 
sarily be vague, as I received the account of his illness from those 
who w r ere present; but although they were non-medical persons, 
the facts nevertheless, appear to me worth attending to. Poor 
* For what purpose, except bleeding, young Norbrook could have used 
liis lancet on this glandered horse , it is not easy to conceive. The blood 
which was carelessly suffered to remain on the point could not have done 
harm.—E dit. 
4 K 
VOL. IV. 
