SYMiTOMS OF FOUNDEil. 1Q'^» 



se(.i3s of future disease ; and founder is the name given to that which is other- 

 wise inscrutable, has no other origin, and is badly defined by all writers and 

 talkers upon the subject. Out of this dilemma I do not at present attempt to 

 -escue it: 1 care not for terms, unless insomuch as they can assist us to un- 

 avel the character of a disorder. Contracted heel is the slow cause of most 

 Cases of founder, whereby the quarters press on the coffin and shuttle iuinc 

 And thus })revent the action of the latter, which is very great at every step, 

 and is mainly conducive to the proper secretion of the horny material before 

 spoken of pretty much at large. To "a chill" is generally attributed the im- 

 mediate cause of founder ; and indeed the poor animal which has suffered 

 severely at the hands (or spurs) of his master is most o[)en to acquire any il! 

 which chill or coUl may inflict. When this chill takes place, the attack is sud- 

 den and usually violent. 



Inflammation always attends the first symptom of founder, if it be not an 

 immediate cause thereof, arising, 1 have no doubt, from the waste or destruction 

 of the secretion marked (c) (c) in the cut at page 166. To this conclusion I 

 am come the more positively, by reason of the absence of those secretory ves- 

 sels in the feet of old, foundered or otherwise diseased horses; which secre- 

 tions were designed to furnish the material for forming new horn and giving 

 elasticity to the tread. Fig. 3, plate 3, at (g) shows the progress of incipient 

 founder, where those vessels are represented as nearly dried up, and adhesion 

 has begun of the inner surface of the hoof and the cofRn-bone. What nmst 

 follow, but brittle hoof, battered feet, or surbating, want of elasticity in the 

 sensible frog and tendon, accompanied by inflammation, which is a cause, if 

 not caused by founder? 



But young hoi ses sometimes, while breaking in, by the violence that ia 

 deemed necessary, are foundered by the rough rider, through the rupture ot 

 forcing asunder the connexion between the hoof and coffin-bone, just spoker. 

 of. l"n such cases, the animal being vigorous and the foot replete with juices, 

 the coronet is greatly affected by oozing out there, in its blood and lyrnph state. 

 If youth and general good health should bring the animal through his suffer- 

 ings, its feet will ever after bear external marks of the internal injury. 



Si/mptoms. — Curved, wrinkled, or striated hoofs, ever attend those animals 

 which have been so over strained in youth, appearing as if the horn had oeen 

 carved or indented; which arises from the coronet furnishing the horny ma- 

 terial too luxuriantly, before it has received sufficient concoction within the cof- 

 fin-bone, as before described, at p. 168. Lameness in one or both fore-feet, 

 with evident pain, and great heat in the whole foot, attend founder in every 

 case. At the first attack of acute or violent founder, the horse is observed very 

 restless in his fore feet, which he endeavours to ease, by alternately changing 

 position, and lying down when he should be feeding. He brings his hind 

 legs far under his belly for the same purpose, and if he is roused by hunger or 

 mandate he lies down again. Considerable alteration takes place in the pulse, 

 which indicates fever, and the patient breathes short with pain. The pro- 

 gress of those symptoms is very rapid, seldom occupying more than a day ot 

 two. 



The slower or chronic founder begins with apparently rheumatic pains and 

 awkwardness of going, for which he usually receives the whip. After a while, 

 nattcning sometimes appears on the front of the hoof, and the heels contract* 

 the older animals have now short, brittle, shining hoofs, with the small pastern 

 bone deeper sunk than heretofore; the hollow of the sole is converted into the 

 convex, or pumice foot, so that the animal can scarce find foot-hold on the 

 ground, but will slip and slide about. He is then considered groggy, that is to 

 eay, "like a drunkard," and may last many years : this is chest founder, and 

 iKleed the whole limb is usually affected up to the very ebest. 



