RHEUMATIC LAMENESS. 37 



Case 2. " A brown mare, six years old, and in fat condition, was admitted 

 into the infirmary stables. Piers -hill Barracks, on the 16th of July last, with 

 what might be called a smart attack of pneumonia, but which appeared 

 speedily to give way to bleeding, &c. : the pulse and breathing had become 

 tranquil, and there seemed to be nothing to fear. When horses are thus 

 speedily relieved from an attack of this sort, I have observed they usually 

 recover their appetite and spirits ; and then those who have the care of them 

 are extremely apt to indulge them with food too soon ; the consequence of 

 which is, sometimes, a relapse. I suspect this was the case here ; for, on 

 the third day after admission, we found the patient labouring under a very 

 severe relapse, distressed breathing, quick pulse, cold extremities, great 

 dejection of spirits, and total loss of appetite. Bleeding was repeated, 

 rowels were inserted, the sides extensively blistered, laxative and diaphoretic 

 medicines administered, and under this treatment the symptoms again sub- 

 sided to a certain degree ; still, at the end of a week, we had a quick, irritable 

 pulse, almost total loss of appetite, and much constitutional disturbance. 

 The patient continued in this state, with but little abatement, until about 

 the fourteenth day, when we found her complaining very much of the off fore 

 leg, resting the- foot forward, or only pointing the toe to the ground, and 

 sometimes holding it up altogether: she expressed much pain on being 

 handled about the fetlock, but, as yet, there was no swelling in the part. 

 We employed bathing, fomentations, and local bleeding, laxative medicines, 

 &c. : but the leg seemed to get rapidly worse, and much sv/elling ensued, 

 extending from the pastern to the knee. The mare now never pu,t her foot 

 to tlie ground, but absolutely hopped about the box. A quantity of blood 

 was taken from the axilla, and large poultices ordered to be kept over the 

 whole extent of the leg. The pulse now dropped to about 40, and the 

 patient began to feed. Yet, notwithstanding an active treatment, the swelling 

 and inflammation continued in the limb, with little abatement, until the middle 

 of August, when it began slowly to subside. 



" The treatment was often varied : cold applications, evaporating lotions, 

 and, lastly, stimulants. By the end of August the inflammatory swelling 

 was gone, leaving only a slight thickening of the leg, and a callous enlarge- 

 ment, of no very great size, over the tendons at the back of the large 

 pastern joint ; yet the mare seemed to make little or no use of the .limb, 

 walking, or rather hopping, upon the toe, and never putting the heel to the 

 ground. During the month of September we had recourse to repeated blis- 

 tering, with comp. tinct. of cantharides, essence of mustard, &c. &c. and 

 with considerable relief to the lameness. The mare was then allowed to 

 hobble about at liberty in the daytime, and certainly got a good deal 

 better ; but, being still very lame, at the half-yearly inspection, which took 

 place on the 20th of October, was cast and sold, being considered unfit for 

 further service." 



