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Fever in the Feet. — By this we express the symptom- 

 atic fever that always accompanies this disease, of which 

 these ignorant persons imagine that it is purely local, and 

 that the system in general is unaffected, which error is con- 

 tradicted by the indications of the pulse, respiration and 

 temperature, all of which are considerably increased. 



Founder. — This expression denotes the utterly helpless 

 condition of the horse by which he is brought to the ground, 

 (fundus,) grounded, totally disabled for the time. 



Percival quotes Chaucer in confirmation of the origin and 

 meaning of the word, 



" His hors lepte aside and foundered as he lepte," 

 that is, fell to the ground, as a ship is said to founder. 



Horses are by no means the only animals subject to this 

 disease. Steers and milk cows, driven long journeys, in hot 

 weather, are often attacked the next day with fever in the 

 feet, and require to be treated accordingly. 



There are three forms of this disease, Acute, Sub-Acute, 

 and Chronic Laminitis. We may briefly state (for long 

 articles are tiresome and hateful), that by these several ex- 

 pressions are meant the different degrees of inflammation to 

 which these parts are subject. These vary in their intensity 

 from simple congestion of the parts to the most severe and 

 disorganizing inflammation. In the 'chronic form, there is 

 enlargement of the blood vessels. The sensibility of the 

 parts are increased. There is heat, redness, pain, and swell- 

 ing, which render animals very irritable, but without exuda- 

 tion, which is the product of ordinary inflammation. I need 

 hardly say that an animal affected in this way is of little use 

 to his owner, and the most merciful thing to do is either 

 not to work or destroy him. 



It is only in rare cases that there is an attack of laminitis 

 in which both the hind and fore feet are together the subject 

 of acute inflammation, and only once in a lifetime do we 

 meet a case where the hind feet alone are affected. There- 

 fore we may suppose that when an animal is said to be 



