410 



» 



with nutrition. Wasting of the coffin bone and inflammation of its cov. 

 ering with caries is not unusual. The continued fever and impaired 

 function of secretion result in the production of horn deficient in elas- 

 ticity, somewhat spongy in character, and inclined to crumble. In 

 others of these cases of "soreness" in horses used to hard work, there 

 is evident weakness of the coats of the vessels brought on by repeated 

 functional exhaustion. Here slight work acts as an exciting cause of 

 congestion, which results in serious effusion and temporary symptoms 

 similar to those of chronic laminitis. 



CompUcations. — Complications concurrent with or supervening upon 

 laminitis are frequent and varied, and are often dependent upon causes 

 not fully understood. 



Excessive purgation is one of the simplest of these, and not usually 

 attended with dangerous consequences. It rarely occurs unless induced 

 by the exhibition of a purgative, and the excessive action of the medicine 

 is probably to be explained upon the theory that the mucous membrane 

 sympathizes with the diseased laminae, is irritable, and readily becomes 

 overexcited. The discbarges are thin and watery, sometimes offen- 

 sively odorous, and occasionally i^ersist in spite of treatment. It may 

 prove disastrous to the welfare of the patient by the rapid exhaustion 

 which it causes, preventing resolution of the laminitis, and may even 

 cause death. 



SejJficcemia and pymnia. — Septicsemia or Pysemia are unusual com- 

 plications and are seen only in the most severe cases, where bed-sores 

 are present or suppuration of the laminfe results. They die, as a rule, 

 within three days after showing signs of the comi)lication. 



Pneumonia— the so-called metastatic — needs no special consideration, 

 for in its lesions and symptoms it does not differ from ordinary pneu- 

 monia, although it may be overlooked entirely by the practitioner. Ex- 

 aminations of the chest in laminitis should be made every day, so as to 

 detect the disease at its onset and render proper aid. 



Sidehones. — A rapid development of sidebones is one of the compli- 

 cations, or perhaps better, a sequel of laminitis not often met with in 

 practice. Here the inflammatory process extends to the lateral carti- 

 lages, with a strong tendency to calcification. The deposition of the lime 

 salts is sometimes most rapid, so that the " bones" are developed in a 

 few weeks' time ; in other instances they are deposited slowly and their 

 growth is not noted until long after the subsidence of the laminitis, 

 so that the exciting cause is not suspected. This change in the carti- 

 lages may commence as early as the first week of the laminitis, and 

 although the trouble in the laminae is removed in the course of a fort- 

 night the symptoms do not entirely subside, the animal still retaining 

 the shuffling gait, while the sidebones continue to grow and the patient 

 usually remains quite lame. This alteration of the cartilages generally 

 prevents the patient recovering his natural gait, because of the perma- 

 nent impairment of function induced, and the practitioner receives un- 



