34 LAMENESS OF THE HORSE 



pliantiasis. In such cases there occurs a hyperplasia of the skin 

 and subcutaneous tissues, resulting in some instances, in the af- 

 fected member attaining an enormous size. Sporadic cases of 

 this kind are to be seen occasionally, and are apparently caused 

 by repeated attacks of lymphangitis. The affection is not bene- 

 fited by treatment, and while a horse's leg may become so heavy 

 and cuniliersome as to mechanically impede its gait, as well as 

 to fatigue the subject when made to do service even at a slow 

 pace, elephantiasis causes no constitutional derangement. The 

 hind legs, in elephantiasis, are affected and a unilateral involve- 

 ment is more often seen than a bilateral one. The legs may be 

 enlarged from the extremity to the body, but ordinarily the af- 

 fection does not extend higher than the hock or the mid-tibial 

 region. 



A chronic, progressive, hyperplastic-degeneration exists in 

 some cases and the sul)jects are in time rendered unserviceable 

 because of the l)urden of getting about encumbered by the affected 

 extremity. In other animals hyperplasia progresses for a time 

 — until the parts become greatly enlarged and conditions appar- 

 ently attain an immutable state. Nevertheless animals so af- 

 fected may continue in service for years without lieing distressed. 



AFFECTIONS OF THE FEET. 



Lameness is very often due to affections of the feet, and in all 

 foot diseases probably the most constant cause is injury inflicted 

 in some manner. Resultant from injury, there frequently de- 

 velops complications and the one most often seen is infection. 



Because of the fact that the feet are constantly exposed to 

 germ-laden soil and filth, if not actually bathed in such infectious 

 materials, it naturally follows that septic infection of some part 

 of the feet must be of frequent occurrence. 



Subsequent to being obliged to stand in mud and other damp 

 or wet media, exposure to desiccating influences such as stabling 

 U])()n dry floors, or at service on hot and dry road surfaces causes 

 the insensitive pai'ts of tlie feet to become dry, hard and brittle. 

 This favors ''checking" of the protecting structures and it fre- 

 (picntly i-esults in the roi'iiiatioii of large fissures which expose 



