421 



object in view. Instead of being liere to receive weight, they are so 

 advanced in that the heels may receive whatever weight is, from neees-^ 

 sity, imposed on them, the fore feet being at the same time placed 

 well back beneath the bodj^, Avhere they become the main supports, the 

 animal standing, as AVilliams describes it, "all of a heaj)." 



Progression is even more difficult now than when the disease is 

 confined to the anterior extremities. The fore feet are dubiously 

 advanced a short distance and the hind ones are then brought forward 

 with a kind of a kangaroo hop, which results in an apparent loss of 

 equilibrium which the animal is a few moments in regaining. The 

 general symptoms, or in other words the degree of suffering, seem more 

 severe in these cases than where the disease affects the fore feet alone. 

 The standing position is not often maintained, the patient seeking 

 relief in recumbency. This fact is easilj^ understood when we con- 

 sider how cramped and unnatural is the position he assumes while 

 standing, and if it were maintained for any considerable length of 

 time would no doubt excite the disease in the fore f^et, as explained 

 by D'Arboval. 



^4// four feet. — Laminitis of all four feet is but uncommonly met 

 with. The author has seen but three such cases. In all these the 

 position assumed was nearly normal, all the feet being slightly ad- 

 vanced, and first one and then another momentarily raised from the 

 ground and carefully replaced, this [iction being kept up almost con- 

 tinually during the time the animal remained standing. The suffer- 

 ing in these cases is most acute, the appetite is lost, and although 

 the patient lies most of the time the temperature remains too high; 

 the pulse and respirations are greatly accelerated, the body covered 

 with sweat, and bed sores are unpleasant accompaniments. 



Course.— The course which laminitis takes varies greatly in different 

 cases, being influenced more or less by the exciting cause, the animal's 

 previous condition, the acuteness of the attack, and the subsequent 

 treatment. The first symptoms rarely exhibit themselves while the 

 animal is at his work, although we will occasionally see the gait 

 impaired by stumbling, the body covered with a profuse sweat, and 

 the respiration become blowing in character as premonitions of the 

 oncoming disease, but as a rule nothing is noted amiss with the animal 

 until lie has stood for some time after coming in from work, wheii, in 

 attempting to move him, he is found very stiff. Like all congestions 

 the early symptoms usually develop rapidly, yet this is not always the 

 case, for in some instances there appears to be no well-defined period 

 of congestion, the disease seemingly commencing at a point and gradu- 

 ally spreading until a large territory is involved in the morbid process. 



Simple congest io)}.— Those cases of simj^le congestion of the lamina3 

 which Ave erroneously call laminitis are rapidly developed, the symp 

 toms being but moderately severe and from one to three days required 

 for recovery. There are no structural changes here and but a moderate 



