200 VETERINARY HOMCEOPATHY. 



hausted; exposure to a draught or chill of cold air; inflammation 

 of the internal organs, such as the lungs and bowels, has been 

 known to precede an attack of laminitis; sharp galloping on a 

 hard road. L,arainits may attack either the feet of the fore or 

 the hind limbs, but it is rare for all four to be affected at one and 

 the same time; the two fore feet are more frequently the seat of 

 inflammation than the hind ones. 



Symptoms. — The horse is exceedingly lame and hardly capable 

 of moving; when located in the fore feet these are advanced and 

 what pressure is brought to bear on them is confined to the heels; 

 the hind feet are drawn forward and upon them, as much of the 

 weio-ht of the body as is possible is centred; the horse stands as 

 it were '' all of a heap;'' when called upon to move the animal 

 sways himself to and fro, rears up as it were on his hind legs, 

 carrying the front legs forward with a swing and plants them on 

 the ground very cautiously. When the hind feet are affected the 

 horse stands with all four feet together under the median line of 

 the abdomen. A horse wdth laminitis rarely stands long at a time 

 if the opportunity is afforded him to lie down. 



The pulse is rapid, 70 to 80 beats a minute; the respirations are 

 quicker than usual, and with nostrils dilated he blows hard; the 

 body temperature rises to 104 degrees or 105 degrees; the feet are 

 exceedin<?ly hot, and very tender to the touch when knocked. 



Treatment. — Aconite 3X, in the first place in hourly doses; 

 -indeed, except where complications arise, it is rarely requisite to 

 give any other remedy while the fever lasts; we advocate the 

 removal of the shoes, and putting the feet into hot water for a 

 quarter of an hour, after which large poultices, consisting of equal 

 parts of linseed meal and bran should be applied as hot as they can 

 be born; outside the poultice, which should be rendered thoroughly 

 moist and soft with plenty of hot water, a piece of waterproof 

 material should be fastened to keep the application hot and moist; 

 if two or three teaspoonfuls of the mother tincture of Aconite be 

 added to the poultice where the same comes into apposition with 

 the soft skin of the heel, much benefit will accrue; these poultices 

 should be renewed, together with the fomentation of hot water 

 three times in twelve hours. The bed upon which the horse 

 stands when he does get on to his feet, should be some soft mate- 

 rial like moss peat, and there should be plenty of it; but the ani- 



