RHEUMATISM. 79 



the temperature is as a rule exalted; the pulse full, rapid and the 

 artery unyielding to pressure; at the same time it is very often the 

 case that the disease confines the force of its action upon the 

 locality affected and by the general system is not much disturbed; 

 nor are the febrile symptoms very pronounced. 



The advent of the disease is sudden. An animal when left at 

 night may to all appearances have been perfectly sound, while in 

 the morning the groom found it incapable of movement. Exam- 

 ination of the limb or limbs will show a swollen joint or the back 

 tendons very full, and on manipulation they will be found hot and 

 extremely tender; this may be the condition of things for some 

 hours, when all at once affected limbs will be relieved, but the 

 other two may be similarly affected and so by ringing the changes 

 on the limbs the disease declares itself and recognition is not diffi- 

 cult. Should the disease assume the chronic form the swelling 

 and tenderness on manipulation may not be prominent symptoms, 

 while a decided stiffness of the joints or muscles is clearly dis- 

 cernible by the peculiar dragging method of progression. When 

 rheumatism locates itself in the muscles of the shoulder the horse 

 will be found standing with the limb flexed and resting on the 

 point of the toe; when called upon to move the horse is unable to 

 lift the foot off the ground and drags it along in a helpless manner. 

 The same mode of progression is observable in a hind limb when 

 the seat of the disease is the hip joint or the muscles of the loins; 

 again, when the lameness is situate in the shoulder, the animal 

 stands as though transfixed, it requires considerable force to induce 

 him to move; this is often called '' shouldey-tied;''' when it affects 

 the hind limbs it is described as " loi?i bou7id;'' it is difficult to 

 state which portions of the limbs are most frequently affected as 

 the disease will very often display its force upon the knee and 

 fetlock joints, but rarely in the bocks; so far as our experience 

 goes we have observed it more in the shoulders than any other 

 parts, the peculiar dragging gait and tenderness on manipulation 

 enabling us to locate it. The condition of the urine not infre- 

 quently serves to confirm the opinion that we are face to face with 

 a case of rheumatism, for if tested, chemically, it will be found 

 abnormally acid, but apart from that, if collected and allowed to 

 stand till cool, a thick deposit will be observable. Rheumatism 

 s said to be due to climatic influences; whether this is a fact we 



