RHEUMATIC LAMENESS. 35 



certainty relapse into their former state of lameness, should the 

 patient be taken too soon after convalescence to work, or even to 

 exercise : therefore, let his state of repose be rather prolonged than 

 abridged ; for, should relapse be brought on, the second course of 

 treatment can hardly be expected to prove so effectual, or at all 

 events so effectual within a given space of time, as the first 

 turned out. 



RHEUMATIC LAMENESS. 



We have asserted on the authority of our own observation and 

 experience, confirmed by that of others, that the synovial mem- 

 branes in the limbs of the horse occasionally become the seat of 

 inflammation referrible to a constitutional source, the same as they 

 are known to become diseased in man from gout and rheumatism ; 

 and from the ambulatory or erratic character of this inflammation, 

 from the suddenness of its attack, and equal suddenness either of 

 its departure or of its translation to another joint, we cannot find 

 an epithet that appears to us so suitable for it as that of rheuma- 

 tic. We were once asked by the colonel of a regiment of 

 cavalry, if it were our opinion that horses were ever the subjects 

 of " rheumatism;" for, added he, my veterinary surgeon is eter- 

 nally saying that the lame horses brought to him are rheumatic I 

 That our professional colleague — now, poor fellow, resting with his 

 forefathers — was a little in error in pronouncing so many cases 

 " rheumatic," we are afraid was not to be denied ; but that horses 

 are on occasions the 'subjects of rheumatism, or of some disorder 

 too resemblant of it to so appropriately go by any other appella- 

 tion, has long been our own opinion, and one, we hope to be able 

 to shew, in the course of this discussion of the question, we have 

 had tolerably good grounds for entertaining. 



In the second volume of The VETERINARIAN — that journal 

 which has been the means of bringing to light so many facts 

 before its time either in concealment or unknown — it was noted 

 by myself, as has been already remarked, that a singular circum- 

 stance had occurred in the course of a case of pleurisy, and men- 

 tion was made of it as follows : — 



" On the 9th February (18*29), on seeing her (the mare) walk 



