192 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



RHEUMATISM. 



This is a disease characterized by more or less 

 pain and swelling of the joints, although in some 

 cases no swelling appears. There is a tendency to 

 shift from one part to another; that is, a horse 

 may be lame in one leg for a day or two, then the 

 lameness shifts to the other, and so on ; or the sore- 

 ness may remain for months in one place. I have 

 seen cases where one hind leg and one fore leg 

 were affected at the same time. There is a great 

 difference of opinion as to the nature of this dis- 

 ease. It is described to be a specific acute fever 

 caused by some morbid material in the system, 

 having a special tendency to affect the coverings 

 of muscles and tendons, causing great pain and 

 lameness, and I have no doubt but such is the case 

 sometimes. It is thought to be caused by an ac- 

 cumulation of urea in the muscular structure, and 

 by increasing the elimination of this material from 

 the system the rheumatism disappears. When it 

 affects the joints there is an effusion of a fluid ma- 

 terial which invades the capsules of the joints, 

 causing them to swell. 



Symptoms: Of the local symptoms there will be 

 lameness, severe and sudden ; when the animal was 

 last seen it was all right, but now it is hardly able 



