266 DISEASES OF THE HORSE'S FOOT 



pedis sinks, be carried with it. As a consequence we get a 

 marked depression at the coronet (see Fig. 117, a), which 

 depression may be often noticed after the second or third 

 week of a severe attack of the disease. 



Here, again, though to a greater extent than that caused 

 by the haemorrhage alone, the os pedis appears to be pushed 

 backwards, the space at the toe between the bone and the 

 horny box being closely filled with the yellow, slightly 

 blood-stained exudate. This condition is well depicted in 



Fig. 11/. 



Fig. 117. 



■Longitudinal Section of a Foot with Laminitis 

 of Fourteen Days' Standing. 



a, The depression at the coronet caused by the dropping of the 

 bony column within the horny-box; b f a portion of the 

 sensitive sole pushed downwards and forwards by the de- 

 scending os pedis. 



With the descent of the os pedis we get in many cases 

 a penetration of the horny sole (see Fig. 117), leading 

 always to serious displacement of the sensitive sole (see 

 Fig. 117, b), and often to caries of the exposed bone. 



The backward displacement of the os pedis may be 

 accounted for in two ways. Firstly, the greater vascularity 

 of the membrane covering its front leads to a greater out- 

 pouring of inflammatory fluid in that particular position. 

 Flere, therefore, loss of adhesion with the wall is greatest, 

 while into the cavity so formed is poured a large quantity 



