SWELLED LEGS. 287 



SWELLED LEGS 



The fore-legs, but oftener the hind ones, and especially in coarse 

 hoises, are sometimes subject to considerable enlargement. Oc- 

 casionaily, when the horse does not seem to labor under any other 

 disease, and sometimes from an apparent shifting of disease from 

 other parts, the hind-legs suddenly swell to an enormous degree 

 from the hock, and almost from the stifle to the fetlock, attended 

 by a greater or less degree of heat, and tenderness of the skin, and 

 sometimes excessive and peculiar lameness. The pulse likewise 

 becomes quick and hard, and the horse evidently labors under 

 considerable fever. It is acute inflammation of the cellular sub- 

 stance of the legs, and that most sudden in its attack, and most 

 violent in its degree, and therefore attended by the effusion of a 

 considerable quantity of fluid into the cellular memibrane. It oc- 

 curs in young horses, and in those which are over-fed and little 

 exercised. Fomentations, diuretics, or purgatives, or, if there is 

 much fever, a moderate bleeding will often relieve the distention 

 almost as suddenly as it appeared. 



Sometimes the legs are swelled without lameness. At other 

 times there is a, great degree of stiffness and pain. Occasionally 

 they become tremendously swollen in a single night, and exhibit 

 great tenderness. Many horses, if suflered to remain several days 

 without exercise, will have swelled legs. If the case is neglected, 

 abscesses appear in various parts of the legs ; the heels are at- 

 tacked by grease, and, if proper measures are not adopted, the 

 horse has an enlarged leg for life. 



The cure, when the case has not been too long neglected, is 

 sufficiently plain. Physic or diuretics, or both, must be had re- 

 curse to. Mild cases will generally yield to their influence ; but, 

 if the animal has been neglected, the treatment must be decisive. 

 If the horse is m high condition, these should be preceded or ac- 

 companied by bleeding ; but if there are any symptoms of debility, 

 bleeding would only increase the want of tone in the vessels. 



Horses taken from grass and brought into close stables verj 

 speedily have swelled legs, because the difference of food and in- 

 crease of nutriment rapidly increase the quantity of the circulating 

 fluid, while the want of exercise takes away the means by which 

 it might be got rid of. The remedy here is sufficiently plain. 

 Swelled legs, however, may proceed from general debility. They 

 may be the consequences of starvation, or disease that has con- 

 siderably weakened the animal ; and these parts, being farthest 

 from the centre of circulation, are the first to show the loss of 

 power by the accumulation of fluid in them. Here the means of 

 cure would be to increase the general strength, with which the 



