THE LIFE OF A FOXHOUND. 165 



shall have hounds, when lamed by thorns or 

 bruises, included in the list. Kennel lame- 

 ness, properly so termed, is intended to 

 convey the idea of a malady whose distinctive 

 symptoms are so identically similar to 

 rheumatism, that there appears scarcely any 

 visible reason why it should be distinguished 

 by any other term ; but as it has now acquired 

 a standing in the huntsman's nomenclature, 

 it would be presumption to attempt to displace 

 it : nevertheless, the term rheumatism would 

 be quite as applicable and more universally 

 comprehended. Before a physiologist pro- 

 nounces to what class a disorder belongs, and 

 before a physician attempts to prescribe a 

 remedy for its cure, it is requisite to 

 investigate the symptoms which exist. Now 

 the symptoms of paralysis and rheumatism 

 are so distinctly at variance, that it is utterly 

 impossible to fall under a mistake. Paralysis 

 is a nervous affection, in which the nerves, 

 acting on the muscles, interrupt their motion, 

 relaxing their tone and fibre, and very 

 frequently distorting some particular limb. 

 Rheumatism is a rigid or contracted state of 

 the muscles, attended with a slight in- 

 flammatory condition of the tissue which 



