On the glanders in the human subject / by John Elliotson.

  • Elliotson, John, 1791-1868.
Date:
1830
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the glanders in the human subject / by John Elliotson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    I heard, that in consequence of the refusal of the stable-keepers to admit these animals, it was thought expedient to destroy them. This is hearsay evidence, but, I believe, quite true. The next year my brother sent me two horses from Bombay, which accompanied a freight of other Arab horses. The ship had an unfavorable passage, and several of the horses she brought round died before her arrival in the Hooghly. One of those consigned to me was of the number. I was assured all of them had been embarked in healthy condition. It was reported that glanders had been generated among these ani- mals, and I had an opportunity of seeing several of them which were placed under the charge of a stable-keeper, who kept them apart from his other horses. They were out of condition, miserable in appearance, but had no disease of the skin. There was cough, the eyes were watery, and there was a discharge from the nostrils, without, however, a very high degree of in- flammation of the mucous membrane. Professor Coleman had, before I left England, taught me to distinguish an ecchymosed state of this membrane from the inflammation of glanders. In these horses there were no vibices in the nostrils, nor did I dis- cover ulceration. The maxillary glands were enlarged. The horse that was landed, consigned to me, was in this state; and as he was an Arab of beautiful symmetry, the stable-keeper parted with him to a person who hoped to cure him by taking him into the country. I heard some time afterwards, that none of these horses recovered, and that it became necessary to de- stroy them. “ It was not in my power to be more certain than I was, that these horses left Bombay in a healthy state. The enquiries I made upon the subject left no doubt on my mind. Indeed, when we consider the shrewd character of the Arab merchants, the large stake they have at risk, and the obvious interest they have to avoid all sources of contamination for their valuable property, I think there is sufficient reason to conclude that they would not embark diseased horses, to add the expense of freight and provender to a certain loss; nor would they care lessly submit healthy horses to the chances of disease, either in stables or on board ship.” G. WoodfaU, Printer, Angel Court, Skbner Street> London.