409 



toms being but moderately severe and from one to three days required 

 fox recovery. There are uo structural changes here and but a moder- 

 ate exudate, which is rapidly reabsorbed, leaving the parts pecisely iu 

 the came condition as they were previous to the attack. If the congest- 

 ion has beeu excessive a rupture of some of the capillaries will be found, 

 a conditiou more apt to obtain where the auimal is made to continue 

 work after a development of symptoms has begun. 



True, the majority of these last-described cases prove to be the lami- 

 nitis in fact, yet at times the congestion will pass away and theextrar- 

 asated blood be absorbed without inflammation superveuing to an ex- 

 tent sufficient to warrant us calling it laminitis. The seat of greatest 

 congestion will always be found in the neighborhood of the toe, because 

 of the increased vascularity of that part, and although at times it is lim- 

 ited to the j)odophyllous tissue alone, any or all parts of the keratogea- 

 ous membrane may be aflected by the congestion and followed Gnally 

 by inflammation. 



Acute. — In the acute form of laminitis the symptoms may all develop 

 rapidly, or it may commence by the appearance of a little soreness of 

 the feet during progression, which in twenty-four or forty-eight hours' 

 time has passed into a well marked case. This peculiarity of develop- 

 ijeut is due to one of two causes. Either the congestion is general, but 

 takes place slowly, or else it begins in one or more points and gradually 

 spreads throughout the laminse. These acute cases generally run their 

 course in from a few days to two weeks or more time. Usually a cul- 

 mination of the symptoms is reached if the patient is properly treated 

 in from three to five days ; then evidences of recovery are discernable 

 in favorable cases. The lameness improves, the other symptoms grad- 

 ually subside, and eventually health is regained. It is in these acute 

 cases that a strong tendency to disorganization of a destructive char- 

 acter exists, and hence it is we see so many recover imperfectly with 

 marked structural changes permanently remaining. 



Subacute. — Subacute laminitis is most often seen as a termination 

 of the acute form, although at times it exists independent of or pre- 

 cedes an acute attack. It is characterized by the mildness of its symp- 

 tems, slow course, and moderate tissue changes. It may be present 

 for a long time before any pathologhical lesions result other than those 

 found in the acute form, and when these changes do take place they 

 should rather be viewed as complications. 



Chronic. — Chronic laminitis is a term used by many to designate any 

 of the sequelae of the acute and subacute forms of this disease. Pure 

 chronic inflammation of the lamince is not very commonly met with, but 

 is most frequent in horses that have long done fast track work. They 

 have " fever in the feet " at all times and are continually sore, both con- 

 ditions being aggravated by work. Like chronic inflammation of other 

 parts there is a strong tendency here to the development of new con- 

 nective tissues, which, by its pressure upon the blood vessels, interferes 



