The disease which has lately been described as contagious pneumonia is generally included in the term influenza; it is, in fact, that form of the infection in which the central respiratory system is specially implicated.

Causes

According to Schutz, contagious pneumonia of the horse is due to a specific organism, an ovoid bacterium, one of a very large class of microbes, most of which are stained by aniline colours at both ends, with the central portion transparent and colourless.

Inoculations made with the microbe of contagious pneumonia of the horse produce positive effects in mice, rabbits, pigeons, and guinea-pigs, and injections into the lung structure of the horse produce all the symptoms of contagious pneumonia.

A considerable mortality attends this disease, reaching sometimes as high as 20 per cent. Treatment of this disorder would not, of course, be attempted by an amateur.