VETERINARY DEPARTMENT. 167 



rial, that swelling to a greater or less extent, is always present with inflam- 

 tion. By way of illustrating how painful Laminitis must be, let us com- 

 pare the parts involved, with the parts involved in toothache in man, a disease 

 no doubt familiar to many. Now in toothache we have a highly sensitive 

 structure, the pulp, as it is called, and which may be compared to the internal, 

 or sensitive structure of the foot of the horse. And this ptilp is enclosed in 

 an unyielding case of bone, the root, or fcmg of the tooth, which may be 

 compared to the hoof of the horse, as both inclose their respective sensitive 

 structures; well, when swelling occurs from inflammation of the pulp, the 

 nerve is pressed upon, but being imprisoned in the fang it can not accom- 

 modate itself to circumstances, so the familiar throbbing pain of toothache 

 is the result, but in the inflamed foot of the horse, there are scores of nerve 

 fibres pressed upon, and when we take into consideration that animals 

 invariably stand while afflicted with this complaint, the weight of the body 

 thus adding "fuel to the fire," we can form some idea what intense agony, 

 the unfortunate creatures must endure. 



N"ATURE OF THE DISEASE. 



It may be defined to be inflammation of the sensitive laminae of the foot, 

 extending to and involving neighboring structures in bad cases. 



THE CAUSES 



of the complaint are widespread and numerous. I have seen more cases of 

 this disease caused by over-driving on a hard road, than from any other cause, 

 especially when the weather was hot, and the animal not accustomed to long 

 journeys, or out of condition from a day or two's rest. 



Driving an animal through cold water when it (the horse) is hot will 

 produce it at times. 



Allowing an animal to drink immoderately of cold water while in a state 

 of perspiration, is liable to bring on an attack. 



Overloading the stomach with certain kinds of grain, is a fertile source of 

 this complaint. Some of the worst cases I have seen have been the result of 

 animals getting loose at night, and getting to the corn or oat bin, as the case 

 might be. I have seen it follow spontaneous diarrhoea; the injudicious use 

 of purgative medicine will also cause it. 



Keeping animals tied in the stall for too great a length of time, as is some- 

 times done during the winter, or the constrained position necessitated during 

 a long sea voyage, occasionally provokes the disease. 



That condition called metastasis, which is the flying of inflammation from 

 one part to another, is thought to occur with, and produce this disease. 



I have seen cases occur with metritis (inflammation of the womb), when 

 the symptoms of the first disease subsided, and those of laminitis were plainly 

 exhibited. The disease is sometimes produced in one foot by the careless 

 driving of a nail in shoeing. 



V THE SYMPTOMS 



of the disorder are peculiar and characteristic. In the first place it may be 

 said that in ninety-five cases out of a hundred, the disease attacks the two 



