LAMINITIS, OK FOUNDER 



829 



overloading the stomach by eating too freely of oats or other 

 grains, as we often see when a horse gets loose during the night 

 and gets to the oat-bin ; or drinking too freely of cold water 

 when heated and exhausted. It may also be caused by inflam- 

 mation passing from other parts of the body to the feet, but not 

 often ; but by whatever cause, it is the 

 same, namely, excess of blood in the feet. 

 The better to convey an idea of the 

 large amount of blood passing through 

 the feet, I include a description of the 

 same by an excellent old author : 



Fiu. 734. Bottom of foot 

 with hoof removed. 



The trunk of the artery 



i i* 



" As the quantity of horn necessary 

 for the defense of the foot is considera- 

 ble, a large quantity of blood is dis- 

 tributed to it for the purpose, and is 

 supplied Toy two large arteries which 

 pass down on each side of the pastern ; 

 these give off considerable branches to 

 the frog, cartilages, and coronary ring. 



enters at the inferior and posterior part of the coffin-bone, and di- 

 vides into eight branches, which pass out at the circumference or 

 angle of the toe, and give off innumerable branches about the in- 

 ferior part of the laminated struct- 

 ure, especially about the toe. The 

 distribution of the blood to the 

 frog is remarkable. Here we find 

 several branches of considerable 

 size without giving off other 

 branches, as in the other parts of 

 the foot, until they arrive near 

 the surface, when they divide 

 into innumerable branches, sup- 

 plying the skin or secreting sur- 

 face of the frog, and communi- 

 cating with those of the skin of the sole, or sensitive sole, so that the 

 frog and sole form one continuous surface of skin of great vascu- 

 larity and sensibility ; but greatly inferior in both respects to the 

 laminated substance which is more richly organized, both as to 

 blood-vessels and nerves, than any other part of the body." White. 



I include a number of illustrations which give an excellent idea 

 of the large amount of this circulation ; also of the hoof and pedal 

 bone, showing that this sensitive structure is covered by an un- 



FIG. 735. Interior view of the hoof. 



