RHEUMATOID ARTHEITIS. 267 



horses. In this disease, dentition is delayed in the same manner 

 as it is in osteoporosis (p. 260). The patient may remain in good 

 condition if fed in the ordinary way, even when it cannot stand. 

 Rickets runs a chronic course of several months. 



DISTINGUISHING SIGNS.— Rickets may be mistaken for rheu- 

 matoid arthritis, umbilical pyaemia (p. 516), or osteoporosis. The 

 swelling of the joints in rickets is of a far less inflammatory nature 

 and runs a much more chronic course than in umbilical pyaemia, 

 or in the rheumatoid arthritis of foals. The presence of pus in the 

 affected joints and constitutional disturbance are typical of um- 

 bilical pyasmia. The peculiar swelling of the bones of the face, 

 the general progressive paralysis, and the absence of marked joint 

 troubles of the limbs separate osteoporosis from rickets. 



-CHANCES OF RECOVERY from an attack of rickets are not 

 very hopeful ; for equine patients have, as a rule, to be cured 

 sound, and not with the mere capacity of living. Rickety children 

 readily recover under proper treatment, though the deformity 

 generally persists. 



TREATMENT. — ^If the foal has not been already weaned, it 

 should, if possible, be put to a healthy foster-mother which has 

 plenty of milk. If it has been taken away from its dam too early, 

 it should be sent back to her, put to an efficient foster-mother, or 

 liberally fed on cow's milk; to the daily ration of which 15 grains 

 of pepsin may be added, in order to reduce the amount of hard 

 curd that is deposited from the milk of cows. To make cow's 

 milk of approximately the same composition as mare's milk, we 

 should add to each pint of it, half a pint of water and three- 

 quarters of an ounce of sugar. Phosphorus has been proved to be 

 the most valuable drug in this disease. In young foals it may be 

 given daily in doses of one-tenth of a grain dissolved in an ounce 

 of cod liver oil or linseed oil. As iron has a good efEect in this 

 disease, give 10 grains of sulphate of iron twice a day to the young 

 foal, or better still, if cost be no great object, aji ounce of steel 

 wine (vinum ferri). A pint of lime water mixed with milk may be 

 given daily, especially if there be signs of diarrhoea or acidity. 

 The food should be carefully regulated according to the principles 

 already discussed. 



Rheumatoid Joint Disease {Rheumatoid Arthritis). 



GENERAL REMARKS. — In mankind, rheumatoid arthritis is 

 not an uncommon disease, and consists of a chronic and incurable 

 inflammation of one or more joints, the hip being a favourite seat. 



