DISEASES. 671 



culty and uncertainty in walking ; and sometimes a peculiar trem- 

 bling of the muscles of the patellar face of the femur, and of 

 those of the extensors of the fore arm, which fill the triangular 

 space formed by the scapula and the humerus. The physiognomy 

 always indicates intense suffering. The pulse is hard, the respi- 

 ration increased, and the skin hot, and in places moistened by a 

 copious perspiration. These symptoms vary with the legs which 

 are affected, whether the disease is located in the fore or hind 

 feet exclusively, or in all four together. As M. Bouley says, it is 

 a peculiarity of this affection that it may remain localized in the 

 feet of one patient, either forward or behind, ^ or may at once 

 attack the four extremities, and that it seldom attacks the limbs 

 on one side only, to the exclusion of the feet of the opposite side, 

 i. e., it may be laterally biped, affecting either both the fore or 

 both the hind feet, but not often occurring othei'wise. Some- 

 times, however, the disease is more marked in one leg than in the 

 other of one biped. It is generally only after some traumatic 

 lesion, or other local influence, that laminitis occurs in one foot 

 only. 



When laminitis affects the two anterior feet, the animal carries 

 its extremities forward, and the hind feet are brought well under 

 the centre of gravity. The standing of the animal is altered, the 

 walking difficult and painful, and the resting of the feet on the 

 ground is done with hesitation and fear. The feet are carried 

 forward, because the pressure takes place on the frog and on the 

 heels ; if it should occur as in the healthy and normal condition, 

 upon the entire inferior circumference of the foot, there would be 

 pressure upon all the living tissues, which are gorged with blood, 

 tumefied and painful, and this pressure would greatly increase 

 the suffering of the patient. It is, then, to relieve himself, and 

 to avoid the intensity of the pain, that the animal instinctively 

 changes its mode of resting on the ground. In placing the heels 

 down, the weight is borne only upon a follicu.lar, fatty tissue ; 

 from there it spreads along the side of the coronet to the fetlock, 

 and thus upon all the other portions of the leg, and in this way 

 the foot becomes greatly relieved during the action of resting. 

 If, however, the fore legs only were carried forward, the effect 

 would be equivalent to lengthening the body of the animal, and 

 he would be unable to carry on the action of walking. To allow 

 the fore feet to be moved, it is necessary that the body be carried 



