CONSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT. 



Severe injuries to the Feet of Horses are sometimes attended 

 by a disturbance of the system variously designated as Sys- 

 temic Fever, Irritative Fever, Sympathetic Fever, Traumatic 

 Fever, Acute Inflammatory Fever, etc. The pulse runs high, the 

 respirations are rapid, the breath and tongue hot, the skin hot 

 and cold by turns, the urine high-colored and scanty, the bowels 

 constipated, and the appetite impaired. These are the prin-. 

 cipal phenomena to be observed in this class of Fevers, and, of 

 course, the intensity of the symptoms will accord with the sever- 

 ity of the disturbing causes. These sympathetic manifestations 

 constitute an index to the more or less serious character of the 

 injury. As the wound improves these symptoms subside. 



In all foot-wounds, as well as those of the knee and the 

 ischium, the vigilance of the experienced veterinarian keeps 

 him constantly on the alert for the possible supervention of 

 Tetanus or Lock-jaw. 



Some discrimination is needed in the treatment of the con- 

 stitutional symptoms already referred to. If the systemic dis- 

 turbance be slight the case may be left to nature. If at all 

 pronounced, internal remedies become requisite. Such cases 

 divide themselves into two classes, sthenic and asthenic j the 

 first denoting strength, the last, the lack of it. Cases of the 

 first class are those in which the patient may have been in 

 robust health before the infliction of the injury. He might 

 have been in good or even high condition ; or the system may 

 have been gross from over feeding, or there may have been but 

 a slight loss of blood from the injury, and the pulse, it may be, 

 has increased in frequency to 70, 80 or 90 per minute, with a 



