

DISEASES OF THE MUSCLES AND TENDONS. 207 



if otherwise in good condition, is very seldom among its victims. 

 It is the horse well-fed, plethoric, fat, and sleek that is often - 

 est attacked. The immediate cause of the disease is obstruc- 

 tion of the circulation. It is always an evidence that the blood 

 is too abundant and too thick, as well as too sluggish and 

 irregular in its flow, from which condition proceeds nervous ^ 

 irritability, in the first instance, and next rheumatism, which 

 is but one form of this nervous disturbance localized. Te- 

 tanus is an aggravated and general development of the same , r 

 functional derangements. 



Rheumatism affects the tendons and joints, and is accom- 

 panied by terrible inflammation and lameness. Although the 

 hips and shoulders are its favorite points of attack, the knees 

 and all the joints of the legs sometimes suffer from it. Cramp 

 is but a milder form of the same disease — a brief, spasmodic 

 rheumatism. 



Many other diseases are liable to be confounded with rheu- 

 matism. Stiff* complaint, so called, is but the general eft'ects 

 of rheumatism located in the joints — in fact, become chronic. 

 On the other hand, many cases which have been doctored as 

 colic or founder have really been acute attacks of this dis- 

 order. 



REMARKABLE CASES. 



Although our space is limited, perhaps we can not do better 

 than devote two or three, pages to the narration of two re- 

 markable cases which the writer treated some years since. 

 They show how easy and common it is for the uninformed 

 to make mistakes in the diagnosis of rheumatism. 



A gentleman named Hardison, residing in Middle Ten- 

 nessee, brought his family upon a visit to some friends in , 

 Gibson Count}^, in the same State. The distance was about 

 one hundred and fifty miles, which he drove with his family * 

 horse, in a carriage. She was a large mare, unusually full 

 and plethoric, and plainly showed the good usage which she 

 had been accustomed to receive. Unless in this journey, her 

 strength had not been at all overtaxed; but for some time 

 previous to making the trip she had been exercised but little. 



*' 



