ACUTE LAMINITIS. 185 



that in the large majority of other diseases, in which, if the pulse 

 be hard, it will also be small. 



Although the attack, especially if slight, may pass off without 

 any well marked injurious result on the affected foot; its tendency 

 is to cause the pedal bone to " drop " to a greater or less extent, in 

 which case the profile of the foot will subsequently assume a concave 

 apjDearance (Fig. 58), and the toe of the hoof will become greatly 

 thickened by the new growth of horn, as we may see by comparing 

 Fig. 60 with Fig. 61. At other times, haemorrhage (bleeding) takes 

 place inside the hoof, or an exudation may be formed within it, and 

 may also cause displacement of the point of the pedal bone, though 

 without the increased formation of horn. Hence, when these fluids 

 are removed, a cavity will be found between the wall and the pedal 

 bone, and partly filled up by the dried remains of the blood or 

 exudation. We have here the condition known as " seedy-toe." In 

 it, the secreting membrane of the hoof does not produce an excessive 

 quantity of horn as it does in the other case. When the inflam- 

 mation is intense, the amount of exudation or suppuration, which- 

 ever is present, may be so great as to force away the hoof, at the 

 coronet, from its secreting membrane, and thus to cause the hoof 

 to become shed. If the animal survives this terribly severe acci- 

 dent, the old hoof will be replaced, in time, by another of weaker 

 and more imperfect hom. In the event of recovery after the point 

 of the pedal bone has come through the sole, the protruding part 

 will, if allowed to do so, drop off, and the remainder of that por- 

 tion of bone which has been brought close to the sole, will become 

 more or less absorbed. The exposure of the sensitive parts to the 

 action of air, water, and especially dirt, may be followed by a 

 tedious suppurating wound, and possibly by blood-poisoning. 

 When displacement of the pedal bone has taken place, the sole 

 becomes thin, weak, and, as already remarked, more or less con- 

 vex, which is a condition that is popularly known as " dropped 

 sole " (Figs. 59 and 60). It is e^ddent that such complications 

 would very seriously diminish the usefulness of the animal. 



Figs. 62 and 63 show the foot of a leg that had evidently suffered 

 from rupture of the perforans tendon (p. 37), which was conse- 

 quently unable to keep the toe down. Hence the animal went on 

 its heel, as in laminitis, for which disease the injury in question 

 was probably mistaken, as the toe was allowed to become unusually 

 long. The characteristic concavity of the profile of the foot and 

 the irregular rings of horn indicative of laminitis (Fig. 59) were, 

 however, wanting ; and there was no " dropping " of the pedal 

 bone, as we may see by Fig. 63, 



In all cases, laminitis shows a great tendency to recur, and also 

 to become chronic. 



