The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1907-02-14
By DR.. JOHN OLIVER, v. s.

1t is usually at this time of the
year when horses and mules are sub
jected to bad treatment, that glanders
often shows itself, as many a chronic
case is precipitated by hard work
poor feed and exposure, and for the
benefit of stock owners, so that they
can assist in stamping out this fatal
disease, we publish the following:
Definition.-Let it be understood
at the outset that glanders and farcy
are one and the same disease, differ
ing only in that the first term is APP
piled to the disease when the local
LESSONS predominant in the internal
organs, especially in the nostrils,
lungs and air tubes, and that the sec
ond term is applied to it when the
principal manifestation is an out
break of LESSONS on the exterior or
skin Of the animal. The term CLAN
ders applies to the disease in both
forms, while the term farcy is linn
tied to the visible appearance of ex-
ternal LESSONS only, but in the latter
!
though they may not be evident.
| cause.-the contagious nature of
g1anders, in no matter what form it
| appears, being today definitely dem
onstrated, we can recognize but one
cause for all cases, and that is con-
tagion by means of the specific virus
of the disease known to be bacterium
mallei. This organism is found in
the recent nodules, in the discharge
from the nostrils, and in the pus
from the specific ulcers.
Symptoms.-Two forms of gland
ers have been recognized-namely
acute and chronic.
Acute Glanders.-The attack comes
with a chill, followed by fever and
profuse mucopurulent discharge from
the nose. This discharge is very
sticky, may or may not be streaked
with blood. If from one nostril the
margin of the nostril swells, the mu-
cous membrane is dark red, with vel
lowish pimples with red edges, which
soon becomes raw, forming spreading
ulcers. The lymphatic glands, be-
tween the lawer jawbones, on the af-
fected side, become enlarged. Often,
however, the entire space between
the lower jawbones sweIls. The
course IS rapid, and death usually en-
sues in from one to four weeks.
Chronic G1anders-TTis form of
gIanders seems to offer the most diff
ficulty of correct diagnosis, inasmuch
as the LESSONS may be of It latent char
aeter and misleading to a large de-
gree. From an economic point of
view, a correct diagnosis of this form
is of far greater importance in SAM
tary work than the acute type, as It
is the chronic cases as rule that
cause most of the contagion If the
horse or mule with chronic glanders
is we'll fed and cared for, and not
overworked, the disease may run
course of three, five or seven years,
and the victim may pass through
many hands, leaving infection in
every stable it occupies.
In chronic glanders the nasal dis
charge may be not unlike that of the
acute type. On the other hand, in
some fndolent cases the nostrils may
be clean, but if there is mating of
the long hairs or adhesion of the
sdges of the nostrils, Or bleeding
from the nose, the case is especially
suspicious. The nasal mucous MEM
brane is usually eongested, of a dark
reddish color and sprinkled with SUI
perficial or deep ulcers, clean or COW
cred with crutts. The glands be-
tween the jawbones are generally
enlarged, to some extent the gland
will be found little hard and indu-
rated. In other cases, there is only
cough, and may be a slight irreg-
ularity in breathing, the latent le-
sions being confined to the lungs In
still others the LESSONS may be con-
fined to some internal organ. OBJ
jective symptoms may or may not be
present.