424 DISEASES OP THE HORSE. 



where there is a dropping of the coffin bone, and in other instances 

 where the effusion at this point is so great as to arrest the production 

 of horn and uncover the sensitive tissues. Except when the result of 

 injury it begins at the toe and spreads backward, and, if not relieved 

 by opening the sole, escapes at the heel. Suppuration of the sole is 

 much less serious than in other parts of the foot. 



If the acute constitutional symptoms developed from sloughing of 

 the foot do not result in death, a new hoof of very imperfect horn 

 may be developed after a time; but unless the animal is to be kept for 

 breeding purposes alone the foot will ever be useless for work and 

 death should relieve the suffering. Wlien only the sole sloughs 

 recovery takes place with proper treatment. 



Peditis. — This is the term that Williams applies to that serious 

 complication of laminitis where not only the laminae, but the perios- 

 teum and coffin bone also are subjects of the inflammatory process. 

 Neither is this all ; for in some of these cases of peditis acute inflam- 

 mation of the coffin joint is present, and occasionally suppuration of 

 the joint. A mild form of periostitis, in which the exudation is in 

 the outer layer of the periosteum only, is a more common condition 

 than is recognized by practitioners generally. Intimate contiguity of 

 structures is the predisposing cause, for the disease either spreads 

 from the original seat or the complication occurs as one of the primary 

 results of the exciting cause. In the severer cases wheie the exudate 

 separates the periosteum from the bone, suppuration, gangrene, and 

 superficial caries are common results. If infiltration of the bone 

 tissues is rapid the blood supply is cut off by pressure upon the vessels 

 and death of the coffin bone follows. Grave constitutional symptoms 

 mark these changes, which soon j^rove fatal. 



In the mild cases of periostitis it is by no means easy to determine 

 its presence positively, for there are no special symptoms by which it 

 may be distinguished from pure laminitis. In a majority of acute 

 cases, though, which show no signs of improvement by the fifth to 

 seventh day, it is safe to suspect periostitis, particularly if the coro- 

 nets are very hot, the pulse full and hard, and the lameness acute. 

 In the fortunately rare cases where the bone is affected with inflam- 

 mation and suppuration, the agony of the patient is intense ; he occu- 

 pies the recumbent position almost continually, never standing for 

 more than a few minutes at a time; suffers from the most careful 

 handling of the affected feet ; maintains a rapid pulse and respiration, 

 high temperature, loss of appetite, and great thirst. It is in these 

 cases the patient continually grows worse, and the appearance of sup- 

 puration at the top of the hoof in about two weeks after the inception 

 of the disease proves the inefficienc}'^ of any treatment which may have 

 been used and the hopelessness of the case. These patients die usually 



