Founder. 175 



by cooling applications, is to well rub in the iodine of mer- 

 cury ointment, washing off the effects on the following 

 day, and thus repeating it again and again. We have by 

 such means succeeded in removing the lameness, dimin- 

 ishing the enlargement, and restoring the animal, in many 

 cases, to a state of usefulness. 



FOUNDER OR ACUTE RHEUMATISM. 



This is a very common disease among horses. Foun- 

 der is produced by driving a horse, when in a state of 

 perspiration, into a pond, exposing him to cold wind or 

 rain, or tying him up in the stable yard while the hos- 

 tler washes his legs or thighs, and sometimes his body ; 

 but excessive exertion alone will, and often does, produce 

 every kind of founder. 



Symptoms. — The earliest symptoms of fever in the feet 

 are iidgetyness, frequent shifting of the fore-legs. The 

 pulse is quickened, the flanks heaving, the nostrils red, 

 and the horse, by his anxious countenance, and possibly 

 moaning, indicates great pain. He looks about as if 

 preparing to lie down ; he continues to shift his weight 

 from foot to foot ; he is afraid to draw his feet sufficiently 

 under him for the purpose of lying down ; but at length 

 he drops. His quietness when down will distinguish it 

 from colic or inflammation of the bowels, in both of 

 which the horse is up and down, and frequently rolling 

 and kicking when down. When the grievance is in the 

 feet, the horse experiences so much relief, from getting 

 rid of the weight, that he is glad to lie as long as he can. 

 He will likewise, as clearly as in inflammation of the lungs 

 or bowels, point out the seat of disease, by looking at the 

 part. His muzzle will often rest on the feet or the affec- 

 ted foot. 



The feet will be found hot, the patient will express 

 pain if they are slightly rapped with a hammer, and the 

 artery at the pastern will throb violently. If the dis- 

 ease is suffered to pursue its course, he will be perfectly 

 unable to rise ; or, if he is forced to get up, and one foot 

 is lifted, he will stand with difficulty on the others, or 

 perhaps drop at once, from intensity of pain. 



