810 ACUTE FOUNDER. 



ol translation; and both are frequently occasioned, as before stated, by r» 

 pcated and long continued exertions with subsequent exposure to cold, espe- 

 cially by the custom of washing the feet and legs when hot. 



Founder very frequently proceeds from cold too suddenly applied to the 

 body from a current of cold air acting upon it when in an over-heated state, 

 or from drinking freely of cold water. The symptoms are at first these : 

 when the horse begins to cool, he appears very stiff and feeble in his fore 

 quarters, and, when forced to move forwards, he collects his body, as it were, 

 into a heap, and brings his hind feet as far forward under him as he can, in 

 order to remove the pressure of the weight of his body from the fore legs a d 

 feet ; at the same time he sets his fore feet to the ground with great pain ; his 

 fore parts are extremely hot, and sometimes his legs are considerably swollen, 

 and evidently painful to the animal when touched. 



As soon as the complaint has risen to any height, the feet will be found in- 

 intensely hot, and the pastern arteries pulsating very strongly; there is some- 

 times some little tumefaction round the fetlocks, and when one foot is held up 

 for examination, it gives so much pain to the other that the horse is in danger 

 of falling. The poor beast groans and breaks out into profuse sweats at one 

 time, and at others is cold ; his eyes are moist and red, and his whole appear- 

 ance betokens that he is labouring under a most painful inflammatory affec- 

 tion. 



In this state, the complaint shows itself the first three or four days, after 

 which its effects are various. In excessively bad cases, when the symptoms 

 stated have raged a few days, a slight separation of the hoof at the coronet 

 may be observed, from which a small quantity of thin matter may be pressed ; 

 the sensible laminae of the foot, now losing their connexion with the insensible 

 laminae by the effects of the inflammation, the hoofs gradually separate, and 

 at last drop off. At other times the effects are not quite so violent : still how- 

 ever the termination is sufficiently unfortunate; for coagulable lymph is thrown 

 out, which equally forces off the hoofs ; but not until the parts underneath 

 have acquired some solidity, nor till the germ of a new hoof appears, which 

 if suffered to grow never proves perfect ; on the contrary, the horse usually 

 remains permanently lame. In other cases the laminae, losing their elasticity 

 and power, yield to the weight of the coffin-bone, which becomes pushed back- 

 wards, and in its passage draws with it the front of the hoof, which falls in ; 

 the pressure also of the coffin-bone destroys the concavity of the horny sole, 

 which becomes convex, or pumiced, leaving a large space hollow towards the 

 toe, which very frequently turns up. 



But when the attack is not commenced with that violence which has been 

 detailed, or when an early and judicious plan of treatment is adopted, the ter- 

 mination will be more fortunate ; the horse will stand longer upon his feet, the 

 pulse, which at the onset of the disease is very high, will gradually fall, these 

 favourable appearances will increase daily, and in the end the animal will re- 

 cover the use of his feet. 



As soon as the disease is discovered, take away blood from the neck to the 

 amount of four, five, or six quarts, as circumstances may require, or size and 

 condition will permit ; back-rake and throw up clysters , but unless there be 

 Vnuch costiveness present, do not give strong purgative medicine, as the high 

 state of irritative fever which is generally present, forbids such practice. 

 Mild laxatives should be given twice or three times a day until the bowels 

 are moderately opened, together with the fever ball, recommended some 

 {)ages further back, twice a day, until the inflammatory symptoms have sub- 

 sided. 



The feet should 1)6 attended to after the general bleeding, &c. In the first 

 piaco let the shoes be taken off, and the soles pared a little ; the hoof should 



