Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1872-11-22
From the Alexandria Gazette.
THE HORSE DISEASE.

w ueu special anu Unusual ulSedSe
occurs among men, it is called an Epi-
demic, from two Greek words, Epi upon,
and demos the people; and when spe-
cial and unusual disease makes it's ap-
pearance among inferior animals, it is
called Epizootic, also from two Greek
words, Epi upon, and zoon animal
Hence the present malady is called Epi-
zootic, just as smallpox is called Epi-
demic. The distemper now prevalent
among horses, is Influenza or Epizootic
Catarrh; and.i is typifed by the pecu-
liar nature, form and degree of the vio-
lence of the disease. Unfrequent dis
eases are decided to be mild or malig-
nant, according to the number of deaths
resulting from them; and when a pre-
vailing disease readily yields to proper
treatment, and not many die from it,
it is said to be mild, but if it is not very
submissive to treatment and many cases
terminate fatally, it is considered ma
lignant. AS comparatively few horses
have died, and a great many recovered,
the Epizootic under consideration, may
be safely termed mild, and possesses
none of that virulence which marked
the visitation of the same disease dur
ing the years of 1886 and 1910. Cor
respondents of newspapers have invest
ed this malady with mystery by giving
to it a variety of meaningless names,
and thereby distracted public attention
from an intelligent understanding of
its true character and Importance.
The disease is undoubtedly contage-
GUS or catching, and is easily commu-
nicated from one horse to another,
though not from the horse to the man.
tits very much influenced by the wealth
er, and by far the greater number of
cases occur during a cold wet SPELL
The disease commences in the horse
just as what is called severe cold be-
gins in man, and like a severe cold,
may be more or less severe, and soon
get better, or 60 on from bad to worse,
having the constitution or soundness
of each horse that it attacks, to give it
a respective character. Horses whose
lungs and air passages are sound, usu-
ally bear the disease best, while those
which have suffered previously with
Inflammation of the organs of respira-
ton suffer most when attacked by it.
In mild cases the horse is feverish, in
dolent, and has a cough which is dis
tinct but not very loud. The attack
may be so slight that the groom scarce
ly notices anything wrong with the
horse until prevalent discharge from
the nose reveals the nature of the at
tack. But unfortunately the disease
is not always so mild, and too frequent
ly assumes a bold and terrible appear
ance from the very beginning. When
it thus sets in, it comes on with chill
or severe shivering, which is immedi-
ately followed by quickness of the cir
.culation of the blood and general fever.
The mucus membrane of the nose be-
comes hot and dry, and the eyes are
red and weeping, and cough soon an
nounces the irritation of the windpipe
and lungs. Soreness of the throat is
evidenced by the horse gulping and
guiding his water or food when he at
tempts to drink or eat. His breathing
is quick and audible, and his fanks
heave in consequence of the distress
and pain which he feels in respiration.
His appetite is diminished, or entirely
lost, accompanied by early and remark
ably we'll marked debility, arising from
both oppression and depression of the