166 AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE BULLETINS. 



No. 25.— VETERINARY DEPARTMENT. 

 LAMINITIS, 

 A disease of the foot of the horse, frequently occurring in the summer season. 



Laminitis is a disease of the foot of the horse, which is often brought 

 directly under the notice of owners of these animals, and which in many 

 instances, from the want of knowledge of the causes of the complaint, 

 unfortunate creatures are subjected to the most excruciating pain, and their 

 owners to much pecuniary loss, as well as other inconvenience. 



The disease has, from time to time, been the subject of much difference of 

 opinion as to its location, consequently, it is known under a variety of names, 

 given according to the fancy of the observer, but the one which we oftenest 

 hear applied to it, by laymen, is chest-founder, which term, however, is not 

 altogether appropriate, but may perhaps be excused when we take into con- 

 sideration the origin of it, and this can be traced to two sources. In the 

 first place it may have arisen from the fact that inflammation of the lungs is 

 sometimes thought to fly from the chest to the feet, but this is of exceedingly 

 rare occurrence, as far as my observation has gone. Secondly, it may have 

 arisen from the fact that a large majority of cases brought under our notice 

 have shown that those large round muscles, forming the front of the chest or 

 bosom, and situated between the fore legs, have suddenly vanished as it were, 

 giving the chest a sunken or hollow appearance, which, to the casual observer, 

 might naturally be thought the seat of the disease. This sunken condition 

 of the chest may be explained though, by the fact that animals, when suffer- 

 ing, generally stand up, but throw the weight of the body as much as possible 

 upon hind feet (for obvious reasons), and the muscles forming the bosom 

 become relaxed and appear wasted. To prove that removal of the weight of 

 the body from the fore legs, will produce this sunken appearance of the chest, 

 we have only to take one fore foot of a healthy horse, from the ground, and 

 holding it in the hand, the muscles on the same side of the breast bone will 

 apparently vanish, to however, regain their round original form, as soon as 

 the foot is allowed to descend to the ground. 



The simple term, founder, is often applied to this disease, the origin of 

 which might be traced to several sources, a striking one is, in one of the 

 meanings of the word, viz. : to fill, or be filled with water, and as it has long 

 been conce led, that water given at improper times, or allowing an animal to 

 fill itself too full, is liable to cause this disease, may not the term appear 

 appropriate ? 



The disorder is called "Laminitis," because those delicate little plates, 

 surrounding the inside of the hoof, and called laminas are the parts most 

 affected, although in bad cases other structures of the foot become involved ; 

 I have one specimen in my possession which shows that the disease was so 

 deep seated, as to attack the main bone of the foot. This complaint is one of 

 the most painful that horse flesh is heir to, but this is little to be wondered 

 at, when we recognize the fact that so highly organized a structure as the 

 internal part of the foot of the horse, is suddenly thrown into an acute state 

 of inflammation, and being enclosed in an unyielding box of horn, the hoof, 

 the consequent pressure upon the nerves occasions much pain. To account 

 for which pressure, I may say that it has been admitted, from time immemo- 



