442 
JAMES ALBRIGHT. 
Ilj conclusion, fellow members, I would refer to the labors of 
one of our fellow members, who within the past year has 
separated, cultivated and made many valuable discoveries, asso¬ 
ciated with the contagious principle of pleuro-pneutnonia. I had 
hoped to have seen him present here, that his pathological re¬ 
searches might have been shown us. 
And now, hoping that our labors in the future shall be worthy 
of the interests and nation we represent, and that every individ¬ 
ual member of this Association will feel the weight of responsi¬ 
bility resting upon him, and be up and doing, I submit these re¬ 
marks to your will and pleasure. 
Cincinnati, Sept., 16, 1884. 
EPIDEMIC CATARRHAL FEVER, 
A DISEASE AFFECTING THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS OF HORSES. 
By James Albright, Y.S. 
General History of the Disease .—This species of disease is 
usually more prevalent in the spring of the year following a wet 
and cold heavy damp air, one day cold, next day hot. By some 
it is thought to be contagious; I do not think it is contagious, or 
is produced by a parasite, but is simply caused by too sudden 
changes of the atmosphere. In the spring of the year the animal 
is changing his winter coat of hair for his summer coat. While 
the animal is undergoing this change the pores are more open, and 
the system is therefore more subject to disease. The animal 
has not done much through the winter months. Taking these sev¬ 
eral causes, no wonder that they take bad colds. Sometimes, a 
great many times, if a little care were taken, the animal would 
not get affected very badly with the disease ; but the animal takes 
a trilling cold, and the owner thinks it will not amount to much, 
so he does not render any medical aid, and the disease is aggra¬ 
vated by hard work and exposure; getting wet, worked until 
warm, left standing in rain and cold winds to suddenly check 
the perspiration. The result of this kind of usage we will have 
in this kind of disease in its worst form and very difficult to treat. 
