CHAP. III.] WHITE FEET, LIABLE TO GREASE. J9 1 



nature of the colouring was evident to touch and 

 smell, whilst the articulation of the large pastern 

 and sesamoid bones remained unaffected in either 

 way. Upon breaking the bones nine months after- 

 wards it was found that the marrow had all es- 

 caped without a puncture, i. e. through the bone. 



The following ingenious suggestion we find ve- 

 rified by every day's observation. t( Horses with 

 one or two white feet are more liable to grease in 

 the feet that are white than in the others ; and if 

 the proposition be true, that white feet are weak 

 ones, we come to the same conclusion, that the 

 want of colour having occurred through the want 

 of vigour in the parts, then weakness and grease 

 have the same cause." 



Symptoms. — First perceptible by a swelling at 

 the heels, mostly of the hind legs, and right oftener 

 than left: but sometimes both heels are affected. 

 This is occasioned by local inflammation, and is 

 soon followed by a slight issue of greasy matter, 

 whence the name ; but it is occasionally more 

 watery, ichorous, and offensive than greasy, a dif- 

 ference which will depend principally on the con- 

 stitutional health of the patient. The swelling 

 sometimes extends much higher than the fetlock 

 joint, even towards the hough, and occasions stiff- 

 ness of the limb and indisposition to move. He 

 cannot lie down, by reason of the unbending nature 

 of his joints, and, therefore, stands to sleep, which 

 renders the disorder more virulent by the accession 

 of fresh matter to the part ; the skin cracks at 



s 4 



