RHEUMATIC FBVKB. 319 



freely down hill, and is often reluctant to jump off his bench to 

 the ground, the shock giving pain to the muscles. It is very com- 

 mon in the kennels of foxhounds, for these dogs, being exposed 

 to wet and cold for hours together, and then brought home to a 

 damp lodging-room, contract the disease with great frequency. 

 Pampered house pets are also very liable to chest-founder, over- 

 feeding being quite as likely to produce rheumatism as exposure to 

 cold, and when both are united this condition is almost sure to 

 follow. When it becomes chronic there is little or no fever. After 

 it. has existed for some months it is generally regarded as incurable, 

 but instances are known in which the stiffness has entirely disap- 

 peared. Chest-founder also arises from a sprain of the muscles 

 which suspend the chest between the shoulders. 



The remedies for kennel lameness are nearly the same as for 

 general rheumatism, care being taken to remove the cause if it has 

 existed in the shape of a damp cold lodging-room. The food 

 should be lu;ht, and composed chiefly of vegetable materials; 

 strong animal food tends to increase the rheumatic affection. The 

 liniment (43) is very likely to be of service, especially if used after 

 the hot bath, as previously described. It has been asserted, by 

 persons of experience, that a red herring given two or three times 

 a week will cure this disease. I have no personal experience 

 of the merits of this remedy, but, according to Col. Whyte, it has 

 recently been discovered that in the herring there is a specific for 

 human rheumatism. It is worth a trial in dogs. It is given with 

 two drachms of nitre and one of camphor. Most dogs readily eat 

 the herring and camphor, and the nitre is added in a little water as 

 a drench. Cod liver oil is also said to be of great service (5). 

 Iodine with sarsaparilla (3) is a preparation which I have known 

 to be of more service than any internal medicines. 



A dragging of the hind limbs is common enough in the dog j 

 though often called palsy, it really is, in most cases, of a rheumatic 

 nature. It closely resembles chest-founder in all its symptoms, 

 excepting that the muscles affected are situated in the loins and 

 hips. The causes and treatment are the same as those for kennel 

 lameness. 



