STRANGULATED HERNIA, ETC. 
135 
epistaxis, though such a precursory symptom is, I believe, 
consistent with such a result, and having only seen the case 
for a few minutes in consultation, I find it difficult to ex¬ 
press any decided opinion on it at all, but I hope that 
should these remarks meet the eye of those gentlemen who 
had the case under their medical treatment, they will com¬ 
municate their views, treatment, and result, for the benefit of 
the profession. 
I would finally beg to offer a few cursory remarks, in con¬ 
clusion, anent the want of proper drainage in our cavalry 
stables in India, the want of which, in my humble opinion, 
is so conducive to disease in all its variety of forms. Gene¬ 
rally speaking there is such careful supervision in the depart¬ 
ment, that infectious or contagious diseases do not often, 
now 7 -a-days, break out among the horses. During the 
months of November and December last, however, influenza, 
of a peculiar and typhoid type, did break out among the 
artillery horses at Umballa, the year having been generally, I 
believe, throughout India, one of unprecedented mortality; 
which was attributed principally to the emaciated and 
diseased state in which the horses joined their regiments from 
the depots; these horses, I believe, being generally Walers. 
In the disease now alluded to, in my regiment it attacked 
those animals generally which had joined but a short time 
before from the remount depot, and which were in a most 
emaciated state and sickly condition, so much so, that a 
general order was considered necessary from the Com¬ 
mander in Chief’s office, to the effect that, in future, horses 
should not be sent from the depots to the regiments, when 
they were not in a fit state to enter upon the duties 
required of them on joining the corps to which they were 
allotted. 
The animals when admitted were dull and off their feed, 
with oedema and general debility, eyes suffused with tears, 
drooping heads, mucous membranes injected, skin harsh and 
coat staring, extremities w r arm in some instances, but even¬ 
tually becoming cold, the breath fetid, faeces impacted, and 
occasionally coated with mucus; in some a very slight 
pellucid discharge issued from the nostrils, and in others 
the membrane was almost dry, but there was no swelling of 
the submaxiilary glands, nor any cough. Shortly after 
admission the pulse became accelerated, and, in many cases, 
it rose to 90; the oedema of the extremities increased, the 
mouth became hot and feverish, the breathing greatly 
quickened, but there was no mucous rale; and the heart 
thumped against the sides with a peculiar resonant sound. 
