M. L. TRA8BOT. 
334 
time had been free from it. Is not that the reason why horses 
recently bought are so commonly affected with the disease when 
they reach their new home. 
All authors who have written on the aetiology of gonrme, 
have, however, in repeating that young age is one of the causes 
of its development, remarked that animals kept in hygienic con¬ 
ditions similar to those in which they were raised, are protected 
from it. Mr. Zundel, for instance, says: “ If horses remain in 
the conditions of hygiene, food and work similar to those in 
which they were born and raised, they often remain free fiom 
the disease.” 
The age of four to six years is then not, sufficient by itself to 
give rise to the disease; and I repeat it, if it is frequent at that 
period, it is because animals are then more exposed to contagion. 
As to the opinion consisting to consider equine variola a> 
incomplete, premature in colts of six months to a year, because 
the change of constitution favorable to suppuration has not yet 
taken place in them, I have no hesitation to declare wrong 
It is an assertion without proven facts. I have seen Intel} a 
five months colt, infected accidentally by a variolous horse, and 
in which the disease developed itself in the most marked 
manner. Generalized eruption on the whole body, laryngo¬ 
pharyngeal angina with abundant discharge, suppurative lymphan¬ 
gitis forming a thick cord on the left side of the face, enoi rnous 
abscess in the inter-maxillary space—nothing was wanting. On 
no subject could the disease have been better shown, and I have 
seen it in sucking colts with the same gravity in the symptoms. 
It is then not exact to say that it must abort in animals less 
than a year old, and I feel certain that veterinarians piacticing 
in breeding countries have, like me, seen it very serious in the 
youngest animals. 
If upon animals from four to six years it often assumes an 
irregular form, it is precisely because they have been contami¬ 
nated and become sick during the different journeys they were 
subjected to, being then exposed to change of weather, cold, 
rain, &c., &o., while being more or less in perspiration, and not 
because the critical age had arrived. It is surprising that the 
