INFLAMMATOEY AFFECTIONS 261 



Seen but a few hours later, when the sweUmg caused by 

 the hypera;mia and outpouring of the mflammatory exudate 

 has led to compression of the sensitive structures within 

 the horny box, the symptoms presented admit of no mis- 

 reading, save by the most casual and careless observer. 

 The patient now stands as though fixed to the ground. The 

 pulse is hard and frequent, the respirations tremendously 

 increased in number, the body wet with a patchy perspira- 

 tion, and the countenance indicative of the most acute 

 suffering. Only with difficulty, and often only at the 

 instigation of the whip, can the animal be induced to move. 

 This he does by throwing his weight, so far as he is aV)le, 

 on to the heels of the feet affected, and putting the feet 

 slowly forward in a shuffling and feeling manner. The feet 

 themselves give to the hand a sensation of abnormal heat, 

 percussion upon them with the hammer is followed by 

 painful attempts at withdrawal, while any effort we may- 

 make to remove one foot from the ground is useless, so 

 great an aversion does the animal show to placing a greater 

 weight upon the opposite foot. 



According as the front-feet alone, the hind-feet alone, or 

 all four feet are affected, the symptoms will vary. 



With all four feet diseased, the animal stands with the 

 tw^o front-feet extended in front of him, while the hind- 

 limbs are at the same time propped as far beneath him as 

 is possible. The horse is, in fact, standing upon the extreme 

 hindermost portions of the feet. 



Why the animal should thus distribute his weight is 

 easily explained. Standing in the normal position, the 

 body-weight is borne by the sensitive laminae, the sole, of 

 course, sharing in the burden, but the laminae taking by- 

 far the greater part of the pressure thus exerted. With the 

 vessels of the laminae gorged with blood, and the laminal 

 connective tissue infiltrated with a profuse inflammatory 

 exudate, the most excruciating pain is bound to result by 

 reason of the compression of the diseased tissues within 

 the non-yielding structures. In some little measure the 

 suffering animal may afford himself relief by partly removing 



