SYMPTOMS OF i'ARCV. 305 



self, that shoes have been removed and feet searched, &c., to dis- 

 cover the seat and cause of lameness, no suspicion having existed 

 at the time that farcy was present in the animal's system. It may 

 so happen, however, that none of these preliminary symptoms are 

 observed or observable ; that, on the contrary, farcy at once deve- 

 lops itself in an attack on some locality, most probably one hind 

 limb. Indeed, so sudden and sharp and severe are attacks of 

 farcy in some instances, that in the course of one night the horse's 

 limb will be swollen to a frightful size, so as to incapacitate him al- 

 most from turning in his stall and walking out of his stable. 

 Ordinarily, the development of farcy plainly accounts for the halt- 

 ing or lameness : now and then, however, as I said before, the 

 lameness appears without any ostensible cause. 



Viewing the affected limb from behind, we perceive a fulness on 

 the inside of the thigh, along the course of the femoral vein, and 

 the application of our fingers to this will immediately detect a 

 corded nodous swelling, which has been, happily enough in the 

 sensation it conveys to our feel, compared to " a cord with so 

 many knots tied in it." This at once is declarative of disease of 

 the lymphatic vessels — of the presence o{ farcy. The fasciculus 

 altogether may be of the magnitude of a person's wrist : it is hot to 

 the feel compared with what the parts naturally are, and, when 

 handled and compressed, flinches from pain : now and then, 

 indeed, it is so exceedingly sensitive that the slightest pressure 

 upon it causes the horse to catch up his limb, and in that unexpected 

 and awkward manner that may prove the occasion of a blow to the 

 examiner unless he be on his guard at the time of the examina- 

 tion. Tracing the cord upward from its place of origin — which 

 commonly is above the hock — the hand is carried into the groin, 

 and there discovers a lobulated tumour, a swelling of the ingui- 

 nal glands, which may, without impropriety, be called a huhoe : 

 sometimes, however, the buboe does not make its appearance until 

 after the full development of the cord. 



Farcy does not at all times commence its attack in this open 

 and unambiguous form ; on occasions it presents itself in a shape 

 so insidious that at first we liardly suspect it to be farcy, unless 

 there happen to be present circumstances to induce suspicions 



