LAMIMTIS. 305 



tive system, such as may be induced by the administration 

 of food or drink in excessive quantities. Certain kinds of 

 food, as barley, wheat, Indian corn, etc., tend to produce 

 laminitis. It is easily produced in the large breeds of 

 horses, such as the Clydesdales. It may possibly, in some 

 cases, supervene on a case of bronchitis, and has frequently 

 been known to follow parturition, in consecpience of the 

 irritation existing in connection with the generative 

 system. A very frecjuent cause of the condition is allowing 

 an animal to partake of large quantities of cold water 

 when heated by exercise. Excessive C[uantities of food, 

 taken under the same circumstances, by causing indi- 

 gestion, also cause many an attack of laminitis. Standing 

 an animal in a draught when heated, superpurgation, etc., 

 are all causes of this painful disorder. It occasionally 

 occurs in one foot only, and in such a case may be due to 

 driving the animal with a shoe off, or the animal may have 

 stood upon that foot for several days, in consequence of 

 severe lameness in the opposite foot. It occurs in the hind- 

 feet also, but less frequently than in the fore-feet. Its 

 causes are the same, whether occurring behind or in front. 

 Occasionally all four feet are affected, this form being rare, 

 however, and likelier to follow some irritation of the 

 digestive organs, than to be caused in any other way. It 

 is of most frequent occurrence during hot weather, pro- 

 bably on account of the excessive heat of the body and 

 of the ground, and possibly in connection with some 

 slight irregularity of the digestive system. Why derange- 

 ment of the digestive system should cause laminitis, or 

 how it could possibly do so, has been to many a matter 

 puzzling in the extreme, and one for which they could find 

 no plausible explanation. The explanation, however, is 

 simple, and lies in the similarity of the structures involved, 

 the mucous membrane lining all open cavities being very 



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