AN OUTBREAK OF SCARLET FEVER IN COLORADO. 
251 
gypsum, will, in the thoroughbred, produce a chronic thicken¬ 
ing, gradually, of the various glandular structures of the body. 
These, in turn, reacting on the system, produce a strong 
tendency to take in quickly and develop rapidly any disease 
germs which may be around, and so render malignant what 
would otherwise be a mild eruptive disease. Then again, 
when attacked with the disease, no means were taken either 
to arrest it in its early stages of fever, or by effective surgery 
to reduce the effect of the abscesses to their minimum amount 
of damage. It is a characteristic of purpura, when in a mal¬ 
ignant form, to affect glands in a deep-seated position, conse¬ 
quently when pus forms it is highly necessary that it be im¬ 
mediately evacuated ; otherwise pyaemia or blood poisoning 
occurs. This necessitates early and practical surgery, and in 
these cases above described, there is no doubt a great amount 
of after damage, and in several cases death resulted from want 
of timely surgery. 
The whole history and progress of the disease points to 
the facts, illustrated in so many instances, that whereas the 
majority of the natural eruptive fevers of the horse will, in 
a natural undeveloped horse, assume a non-malignant type, 
yet in the more artificial animal, under artificial conditions, 
assume a malignant character, either fatal immediately or 
very destructive in after effects, if not treated in a scienti¬ 
fic manner, and not prevented with especial reference to 
general sanit try and dietetic condition. The treatment 
recommended for the prevention and cure of the disease is as 
follows: For all highly bred stock it is very necessary that 
they should have pure water, as free as possible from all ele¬ 
ments of hardness. In various parts of the country the source 
of hardness varies, but as a general rule it is sulphate of lime 
or gypsum, contained in solution by excess of some acid radi¬ 
cal. 
In a few cases it is sulphide and arsenite of iron, which 
under abnormal conditions of the digestive system cause a 
certain amount of arsenic to be set free. Gopper and lead 
will sometimes be present, also mercury in more rare in- 
. stances. In addition to these mineral impurities, it will some- 
