410 ACUTE LAMINITIS. 



to The Veterinarian on the subject in the year 1844*. The 

 strong language used on that occasion, and which I do not think 

 that gentleman has since had any reason to alter or retract, is in 

 itself so expressive that I shall take the liberty here to transcribe 

 it : — " The first and the only anxiety I have, on being called to a 

 case of laminitis, is to ascertain whether or not disorganization has 

 commenced : if it has, why then, of course, the mischief is irreme- 

 diable; but if it has not, — and such will generally be the case, for 

 the urgency of the symptoms is too great to allow of any neglect, — 

 why, then, I feel perfectly easy as to the result, and I do not hesi- 

 tate to predicate a favourable prognosis to the owner. I am now 

 speaking of those cases in which the fore feet alone are affected, 

 never having had one in which the hind feet, or all four, were 

 suffering, under my own immediate care." 



Mr. Gabriel goes on to inform us — " My first step, without the 

 slightest loss of time or waiting for any thing like preparation, is to 

 give a full dose of physic — seven, eight, or nine drachms of Bar- 

 badoes aloes, as may be required — and then to put on the hobbles, 

 and immediately insert a seton through each frog ; thereby apply- 

 ing the safety-valves, which regulate the course of the disease. 

 As soon as the patient is released, and has a little rallied from his 

 punishment, I have recourse to a copious venesection from the 

 jugular vein. Having noticed the state of the animal's condition, 

 I place my finger on the pulse, and care not what quantity is taken, 

 till it begins to falter ; but, having produced that effect, I stop. It 

 may be, that the abstraction of one, two, or three gallons is re- 

 quisite to produce this impression ; but this impression I will have 

 produced, and some intermediate quantity of the amount named 

 will most generally do it. I then have his feet enveloped in large 

 tepid bran poultices, order him to be comfortably clothed, to have 

 plenty of chilled water and slop mashes, and then I consider he is 

 fairly started on the high road to safety. Should the symptoms 

 become more urgent, bleed largely again the next day; and should 

 not the physic be operating in twenty-four hours, lose no time, but 

 go on with smaller doses till their full effect is produced : fever 

 medicine may then be substituted, and given two or three times a 

 * Veterinabian, vol. xvii, p. 142, et sequent. 



