420 SUB-ACUTE LAMINITIS. 



courageriients in the way of the practitioner about to undertake the 

 treatment of such a case. 



Termination. — By what has been stated, the ordinary termi- 

 nation of an attack of sub-acute laminitis has been anticipated. 

 Usually, the disease, in spite of all we can do, tardily proceeds to 

 produce effusion of coagulable lymph between the sensitive and 

 horny laminse, and this has the effect of detaching the coffin-bone 

 from the hoof, leaving the latter to be forced down by the weight 

 upon it, upon the horny sole, which sinks and bulges in the manner 

 afore described. Along with this detachment and descent of the 

 coffin-bone there would appear to be some extravasation or con- 

 gestion of blood; for, when we lift up the foot and find the sole 

 sunk, if the thumb be pressed upon the bulging part, a sense of 

 fluctuation is imparted, leaving us to suppose that pus is collected 

 underneath ; whereas if, on such a supposition, the part should be 

 punctured with a lancet, blood, and not matter, issues. Generally, 

 there is no disposition to suppuration ; nor, as was observed before, 

 does this mitigated form of inflammation run into mortification. 

 At the same time, let it be remembered that effusion is as well the 

 termination of acute as of sub-acute laminitis ; the only difference 

 being, that this termination is more constant in the latter, and 

 usually takes place abstractedly of the accompaniment of sup- 

 puration. 



It would be altogether abhorrent to the vital operations of the 

 body to suppose, that the descent of the coffin-bone should create a 

 vacant space within the foot. No sooner is any interval in course 

 of formation between the wall of the hoof and the coffin-bone than 

 lymph is effused from the sensitive and secreting laminae to fill it 

 up, and thus such effusion becomes a solid medium of union 

 between the horn and the bone ; and, in the course of time, by 

 degrees, changes take place in it, converting it, firstly, from lymph 

 into a fibrous substance of the nature of cartilage, a sort of callus ; 

 and subsequently into fibro-horny substance, which as time elapses 

 approaches nearer and nearer to the nature of horn ; though it 

 never, I believe, quite acquires the dense compact texture of 

 the true wall of the hoof, and on that account is to the latest 



