USING A GLANDERED HOUSE IN A PUBLIC VEHICLE. 183 
centric origin. Without altogether denying, that in some in¬ 
stances the presence of tumours or morbid growths or ex¬ 
crescences of any kind, or of spiculae of bone in certain parts 
of the brain or spinal cord or their membranes, may occa¬ 
sionally operate as causes of epilepsy; yet, I am by no 
means prepared to admit, that their presence in such places, 
by irritation of these structures, is so frequent a cause of 
this disease as is affirmed by some medical authorities. 
Yet, whatever view of the question, whether affirmative or 
negative, may be taken, the same reasoning will apply 
equally to man and the horse, in regard to the disease under 
consideration. We are told, that in some instances, such 
foreign bodies have been found in these situations on exami¬ 
nation after death ; this I do not deny, but at the same time, 
the evidence, that these had much, if anything to do, in the 
production of epilepsy, still less, that the disease took its 
origin from them, is, in my judgment, far from complete, 
and in some cases that have been recorded, unsatisfactory to 
the last degree. Again, the circulation of blood in an un¬ 
healthy state, in its accustomed channels, through the sub¬ 
stance of the delicately constructed brain or spinal cord, 
appears to me not unlikely to be a frequent cause of this 
disease in man. The comparatively recent physiological 
researches of Dr. Brown-Sequard have thrown much light 
upon the heretofore obscure pathology of epilepsy in the 
human subject ; and I conceive that his arguments, and the 
conclusions deduced therefrom, are, for the most part, per¬ 
fectly applicable to an animal so high in the zoological series, 
as the horse is well known to be. With this observation, 
however, I must close my remarks on this interesting dis¬ 
ease, hoping to develope the subject more fully in your 
Journal on some future occasion, than my time will now 
allow me to do. 
“ USING A GLANDERED HORSE IN A PUBLIC 
VEHICLE.” 
Communication from Assist.-Professor Varnell. 
Royal Veterinary College; 
February 1G, 1859. 
Gentlemen, —I have much pleasure in placing at your 
disposal the following letter, relating to the case of glanders 
commented on in your last number, which has been for- 
