THE FOOT IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 109 



instances, is that which is afforded by an inspection of 

 the sole, which loses its concave character and becomes 

 flat, or in horseman's vernacular " dropped " — dropped 

 sole. The lameness is not as a rule particularly well 

 marked, but it is always present in a variable degree, and 

 most pronounced when the animal is first put to work. 

 This abnormal condition is apparently due to the con- 

 tinued concussion on the hard roads and possibly favoured 

 by the degree of action possessed by the animal, i.e. the 

 higher the action and the harder the roads the greater 

 the liability towards the development of this disease. 

 Some horses seem to be, however, much more capable of 

 their conservancy of energy when placing their feet upon 

 the ground ; at least, this is the writer's experience. In 

 other words, some horses will batter their feet to pieces, 

 whereas others bring them lightly to the ground. Hard 

 driving is a predisposing cause. Laminitis consists of a 

 variable degree of inflammation or congestion of the 

 sensitive laminae and blood-vessels within the hoof, and 

 it is a most painful affection, as previously stated, when 

 the attack is an acute one. If the reader has digested 

 the paragraph relating to the elementary construction 

 of the foot, he will understand what a serious matter it 

 must be for a horse to be troubled with the disease now 

 under consideration. Founder, also sometimes spoken 

 of as fever in the feet, presumably on account of the 

 increased heat, so palpable when the hand is placed upon 

 the latter, when acute, makes its appearance quite sud- 

 denly, and those acquainted with the affection are at a 

 loss to know why the animal should have become so 

 suddenly unable to move. In every instance the pre- 

 monitory symptoms are rapidly succeeded by those of an 

 unmistakable character to the expert. The owner may 

 have been driving the animal perhaps harder than usual, 

 when, after returning to the stable he finds his charge 

 refuses its food, stands in one position, and when an 

 effort is made to move it or turn it round in the stall, the 



