INFLAMMATION OF THE FOOT. 303 



of the feot iriay'foUow similar affections in the bowels or tht! eyes. 

 In cases of severe inflammation of the lungs, it may not be bad 

 practice to remove the shoes and poultice the feet. 



To the attentive observer the s)TXiptons are clearly marked, and 

 yet there is no disease so often overlooked by the groom and the 

 carter, and even by the veterinary surgeon. The disease may as- 

 sume an acute or chronic form. The earliest symptoms of iever 

 in the feet are fidgetiness, frequent shifting of the fore-legs, but 

 no pawing, much less any attempt to reach the belly with the 

 hiad-feet. The pulse is quickened, the flanks heaving, the nos- 

 trils red, and the horse, by his anxious countenance, and possibly 

 moaning, indicating great pain. Presently he looks about his lit- 

 ter, as if preparing to lie down, but he does not do so immedi- 

 ately ; he continnes to shift his weight from foot to foot ; he is 

 afraid to draw his feet sufficiently under him for the purpose of 

 lying down : but at length he drops. The circumstance of his 

 lying down at an early period of the disease will sufficiently dis- 

 tinguish inflammation of the feet from that of the lungs, in which 

 the horse obstinately persists in standing until he drops from mere 

 exhaustion. His quietness when down will distinguish it from 

 colic or inflammation of the bowels, in both of which the horse is 

 up and down, and frequently rolling and kicking when down. 

 When the grievance is in the feet, the horse experiences so much 

 relief, from getting rid of the weight painfully distending the in- 

 flamed and highly sensible laminae, that he is glad to lie as long 

 as he can. He wQl likewise, as clearly as in inflammation of the 

 lungs or bowels, point out the seat of disease by looking at the 

 part. His muzzle will often rest on the feet or the affected foot. 

 He must be inattentive who is not aware of what all thiff indi- 

 cates. 



If the feet are now examined, they will be found evidently hot. 

 The patient will express pain if they are slightly rapped with a 

 hammer, and the artery at the pastern vsdll throb violently. No 

 great time will now pass, if the disease is suffered to pursue its 

 course, before he will be perfectly unable to rise ; or, if he is 

 forced to get up, and one foot is hfted, he will stand with difficul- 

 ty on the other, or perhaps drop at once from intensity of pain. 



The treatment will resemble that of other inflammations, with 

 such differences as the situation of the disease may suggest. 



Bleeding is indispensable ; and that to its fullest extent. If the 

 disease is confined to the fore-feet. Tour quarts of blood should be 

 taken as soon as possible from the toe of each at the situation 

 pointed out, fig. z, page 263, and in the manner already described ; 

 care being taken to open the artery as well as the vein. The 

 feet may likewise be put into warm water, to quicken the flow 

 of the blood, and increase the quantity abstracted. Poultices of 



