a:nd malformations of the feet. 95 



and sometimes even lead to sloughing of the hoof. 

 This separation between the laminae weakens or 

 destroys the union between the interior and exterior 

 parts of the foot, and the outer wall of the foot 

 consequently gives way and falls in, whilst the 

 whole foot assumes the form so well known and so 

 peculiar to this disease. 



A further alteration of structure also takes place. 

 The coffin bone, which was, as explained above, 

 connected with the crust by the dovetailing in of 

 the sensitive and insensitive laminae, having par- 

 tially or entirely lost its attachment to the wall of 

 the foot, descends and comes down on the sole. 



The sole in its turn, when pressed upon from 

 above by the coffin bone, also descends, and thereby 

 forms the flat or even convex sole so characteristic 

 of severe laminitis. In some cases the sole 

 anteriorly will be found to have come down even 

 below the crust. The sole in those parts, pressed 

 upon by the coffin bone, becomes thin and weak 

 and incapable of bearing even a slight amount of 

 external pressure. 



These alterations of structure, once made, are 

 permanent. The sensitive and insensitive laminse 

 never reunite, the coffin bone does not regain its 

 proper position, nor does the crust recover its 

 attachment, nor the sole its former structure. 



In the treatment of the acute attack, our aim 

 will be to reduce the inflammation, and therebv 



