28o VETERINARY HOMCEOPATHY. 



ferred to as being sometimes observable in a fore limb is more fre- 

 quently a marked peculiarity of lameness in a hind limb. Sd far 

 we have been considering the methods of observation in detecting 

 lameness from movement and action; it remains now to refer to 

 those indications which may be observed when the horse is at rest; 

 these are pointing with the injured or faulty limb; standing with 

 one foot in adv^ance of the other; standing with the knee bent or 

 flexed and resting the leg on the point of the toe, the object of 

 which is evidently to take the strain off the back tendons; in cases 

 of severe shoulder lameness this flexed state of the knee joint is 

 carried to such an extent that the toe, while barely touching the 

 ground, rests lightly in a pendulous fashion behind the position 

 occupied by the sound foot. 



In cases of lameness of both fore feet, such as occurs in laminitis 

 (inflammation of the sensitive portions of the feet), when the 

 animal suffers acute pain by reason of the natural weight of the 

 body brought to bear while standing, the horse advances both 

 hind limbs well under the body, at the same time the fore feet will 

 be alternately resting or well drawn under the body in proximity 

 to the hind ones in order that they may be relieved as much 

 as possible of the weight of the body; on the other hand, if the 

 hind feet are affected in this way, they will still be advanced 

 under the body, but the fore limbs will be placed perpendicularly, 

 straight under the chest, the head being hung down and the body 

 swayed towards the front with the object evidently of bringing 

 the main body weight forwards and as much as possible on to the 

 fore limbs. 



lyameness of the hind limbs may be indicated during repose by 

 a flexion of the fetlock joint, even to the extent of knuckling 

 over; by continually resting the faulty limb, or, as is frequently 

 seen, by standing with it completely elevated off the ground. 



Having proceeded thus far and satisfied himself of which limb 

 an animal is lame, it behooves the observer to complete his ex- 

 amination, and by manipulation to determine the positive seat and 

 cause of the lamene.ss; in the majority of cases evidence is clear 

 from the presence of heat, swelling and pain, while in not a few 

 neither of these objective conditions can be discovered, especially 

 in eases where the deeply seated, sensitive structures of the foot are 

 implicated, the bones of the limbs and feet, and the muscles whose 



